Virginia Beach off-topic

[vdogg]

NO NO NO NO. There is a reason they are decaying, strip malls should die the worst death. Stop using tax payer money to fund a failed dream.

http://hamptonroads....#comment-869684

[varider]

So who has the text to the State of City?

[urbanvb]

It's on the city website.

[varider]

Thanks urbanvb.

I see nothing about any of the major projects that we have been talking about. No cityview, no gateway tower, no westin, no beach center, etc.

[vdogg]

Thanks urbanvb.

I see nothing about any of the major projects that we have been talking about. No cityview, no gateway tower, no westin, no beach center, etc.

Lol, and I'm not surprised either. I was 99% certain that this would be the case.

On the flip side, there is some good stuff in there. I can't find the thread where we were talking about oceanfront height limits so I'll post the information here. I'm glad to see that we're fighting this so vigorously.

Lastly, we need the FAA to work with us so that our hands are not tied by a 10-story building limit at the Oceanfront. Clearly, this is reasonable, this is rational, and this is right. For years, we have been authorized to build more than 110 feet above ground level. More than 35 resort area structures are already taller than 110 feet, and the FAA objected to none of them.

There’s a lot at stake here for the people of Virginia Beach and all of Hampton Roads. A 110-foot height restriction would mean massive losses in future tax revenues, in jobs, and in income. Over the next 50 years, the city could lose about $1.3 billion — and that’s not including forgone state revenues or income from wind energy.

 

Friends, I’m being realistic — this is a very conservative view. These are the facts.

I want to thank our congressional delegation for their support in this matter, and I’m pleased to note that through their efforts, we received notice that an assistant secretary of defense has been appointed as the single point of contact. He will deal with the many federal agencies involved in resolving this issue of building heights at the resort, as well as the very real possibility of wind turbines to be located 12 to 15 miles off our coast that may be in excess of 500 feet tall.

 

That being said, we fully understand that economic impacts are subordinate to national security, and we continue to work with the Defense Department and the FAA. I am confident that we will achieve a win-win solution.

For all of our achievements, I want to express my appreciation to our congressional and General Assembly delegations. Those individuals are vital to our success.

Finally, I’d like to thank my colleagues on the City Council, including our newest member, Rita Sweet Bellitto, who took office just last month, and Jim Wood and John Uhrin, who serve on Hampton Roads Transit’s governing body. Thanks, Councilmember Wood, for your fine leadership in getting HRT on the right path. It’s an honor to serve with such a hard-working, intelligent group of men and women as those elected to serve on the Virginia Beach City Council. Have no doubt — our city’s future is in capable hands.

[varider]

From the Pilot. I can't wait to see the view from here in year 2030.

[calwinston]

Offshore Drilling and the windfarms are sure to add 1000's of jobs to the Hampton Roads economy. Will it be shot down by the military or will they just leave? We all know the military is looking for a reason to leave Hampton Roads.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/03/obama-clears-way-oil-drilling-virginia-coast

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/article/DRILGAT31_20100331-062402/334142/

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/energy/article/B-WIND26_20100225-221607/326902/

[VBIllini13]

Will it be shot down by the military or will they just leave? We all know the military is looking for a reason to leave Hampton Roads.

You are joking, right? That statement has absolutely no validity or truth to it whatsoever. The Navy loves Hampton Roads for so many reasons, the biggest one being we have one of the world's deepest and largest natural harbors. Those stationed at bases in Hampton Roads like it because of its proximity to the beach. The Department of Defense likes the region because of its strategic location on the eastern seaboard. USJFCOM and NATO's North American headquarters are both located in Hampton Roads. The military will work around us and accomodate regional decisions long before they even consider moving away. We need the military just as much as they need us.

I still don't get where you got the idea that the military is "looking for a reason" to leave the area.

Edited April 1, 2010 by VBIllini13

[mlsimons]

You are joking, right? That statement has absolutely no validity or truth to it whatsoever. The Navy loves Hampton Roads for so many reasons, the biggest one being we have one of the world's deepest and largest natural harbors. Those stationed at bases in Hampton Roads like it because of its proximity to the beach. The Department of Defense likes the military because of its strategic location on the eastern seaboard. USJFCOM and NATO's North American headquarters are both located in Hampton Roads. The military will work around us and accomodate regional decisions long before they even consider moving away. We need the military just as much as they need us.

I still don't get where you got the idea that the military is "looking for a reason" to leave the area.

I enjoy seeing educated and thoughtful responses!

[ronsmytheiii]

Opposition to Off-shore drilling from environmentalist, from Environmentalists, DoD.... and NASA:

Located 50 miles off Virginia's coast, the proposed drilling area is a triangular tract slightly larger than Delaware. NASA is concerned that drilling platforms and other infrastructure will limit the agency's ability to launch rockets from Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore.

"That area is right in the middle of our launch range," said Keith Koehler, a Wallops spokesman.

State, federal and private investors have poured millions of dollars into expanding the facility in recent years. Dulles-based Orbital Sciences Corp. has a $1.9 billion contract with NASA to start launching rockets from the facility to the International Space Station next year.

Orbital spokesman Barron Beneski said offshore drilling shouldn't hamper the company's plans. Still, he said, all the parties involved need to discuss the matter in greater detail to ensure their plans don't clash.

"It's an issue that we need to take a look at," he said. "We believe there is a way to do this, it just needs to be thought out in advance."

Wallops is also used by the Defense Department, specifically the Navy and Air Force.

Portions of the lease area fall within naval training areas, said state Sen. Frank Wagner, the Virginia Beach Republican who has ushered offshore drilling-friendly bills through the General Assembly. He did not know how much of the area the Navy uses.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_offshore-drilling_0401apr01,0,2214700.story

Well, oil drilling really isnt that sustainable environmentally or economically anyhow.... Wallops really is the future.

[ronsmytheiii]

Here is an image of the orbital inclinations possible from Wallops, now in certain areas oil could still be drilled (at least for the Wallops range, not sure about the DoD/Navy), but the platforms would have to be evacuated during a launch like what happens in Vandenberg:

[varider]

Woah

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/04/virginia-beach-budget-plan-raises-oceanfront-parking-fees

VIRGINIA BEACH

Public parking fees at the Oceanfront would jump by 40 percent to 50 percent and Beach residents would see their discounted rate double under a proposal in the city manager’s budget.

Meters would go to $1.50 an hour from $1 and weekend rates in city lots and garages would increase to $10 from $7 per day. Weekday rates would go to $7 from $5. The City Council bumped meter rates to $1 from 75 cents last year.

Beach residents would also have to pay a $2 flat fee instead of $1 for parking after 5 p.m. at Croatan and Sandbridge parking lots.

City staffers said the increased revenue is needed to pay for garage maintenance, a new parking lot lease and to start saving money to make up for the expected losses of two 19th Street parking lots when the Dome site is developed.

“I don’t think it’s unreasonable,” said Steve Herbert, an assistant city manager. “It positions us to provide for future parking requirements.”

A final budget is scheduled to be approved next month.

This is not a good idea, in my opinion. I went to the Oceanfront on Tuesday and we paid $7 for 3 hours of parking. The Oceanfront isn't worth that much. It's so dirty and a huge tourist trap.

[calwinston]

"Virginia Beach gets another boardwalk"

The ribbon cutting for this took place on April 1st, which was 8 days ago. The Virginian-Pilot is just reporting on this today. No wonder newspapers are dying off. In all this does improve the quality of life down by the Oceanfront.

http://hamptonroads....other-boardwalk

Edited April 9, 2010 by calwinston

[VBIllini13]

Score! Saw this article hidden away in the deep depths of pilotonline.com. I'm just loving these NIMBY comments and the reference to Mr. Hoffler.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/05/virginia-beach-expands-development-office

[varider]

Do we think that this will help anything?

[calwinston]

Looks like drilling off the Virginia Coast for oil and natural gas has hit another snag.

"Report: Va. offshore drilling would interfere with military ops"

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/05/report-va-offshore-drilling-would-interfere-military-ops

[BFG]

Score! Saw this article hidden away in the deep depths of pilotonline.com. I'm just loving these NIMBY comments and the reference to Mr. Hoffler.

http://hamptonroads....elopment-office

That's PilotOnline users for you. They hate anything that signals progress, including pro sports and light rail. I don't know how representative that is of the rest of the city, but the regressive mentality of the posters on that site is irritating. Sites like UrbanPlanet and AltDaily are a breath of fresh air because it shows that there is some forward thinking in Hampton Roads...

[vdogg]

Looks like drilling off the Virginia Coast for oil and natural gas has hit another snag.

"Report: Va. offshore drilling would interfere with military ops"

http://hamptonroads....re-military-ops

Hah. That about the only thing that the Navy's blocked that I actually agree with.

[calwinston]

The military may not like the oil drilling idea but they seem to be ok with the wind farms.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/05/military-gives-preliminary-ok-va-wind-tracts

[urbanlife]

That's PilotOnline users for you. They hate anything that signals progress, including pro sports and light rail. I don't know how representative that is of the rest of the city, but the regressive mentality of the posters on that site is irritating. Sites like UrbanPlanet and AltDaily are a breath of fresh air because it shows that there is some forward thinking in Hampton Roads...

I think this might be typical of almost all local (dying) papers in cities across the country. If you were to base an opinion off the people that post on articles in Portland's paper, you would think Portland was some hardcore republican/libertarian gay hating, whites only city that hated anything that would even remotely use the word "progressive." Thankfully they are a very, very small percentage here and I am guessing the idiots that post on the Pilot probably make up a small percentage of people there.

[VBIllini13]

I think this might be typical of almost all local (dying) papers in cities across the country. If you were to base an opinion off the people that post on articles in Portland's paper, you would think Portland was some hardcore republican/libertarian gay hating, whites only city that hated anything that would even remotely use the word "progressive." Thankfully they are a very, very small percentage here and I am guessing the idiots that post on the Pilot probably make up a small percentage of people there.

I think they make up more than just a small percentage. VB is a rather conservative city, as are Chesapeake and Suffolk, and I know there are many people in the area who get very angry if you mention gun control, abortion, taxes, etc.

[ronsmytheiii]

Oceanfront hotels and office buildings have cut the effectiveness of a radar used to guard against coastal terrorist attacks by a third, according to a city report. The long-range radar at Oceana Naval Air Station only has a 66 percent clear view of the waterfront. Additional tall buildings at the resort - the federal government rejected the plan last year - are unlikely to make it much worse, said Bob Matthias, assistant to the city manager.

Matthias said towers such as the proposed convention center hotel would have a small additional impact.

Virginia Beach paid a consultant, Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas Inc., $29,755 to conduct the radar study using publicly available information. The Department of Defense is doing its own analysis of the radar's effectiveness that will be complete in about a month, although some of its information will be classified.

Federal officials have seen portions of the city's report and don't argue with how the study was done, said Kenneth Kingsmore, manager of the long-range radar joint program office, based at Joint Base Langley in Hampton. But the Defense Department will be better able to say how serious the building obstructions are and what problems they can cause, Kingsmore said.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/05/oceanfront-buildings-block-34-navy-radar

I will wait for the DoD report before commenting

[varider]

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/06/travel-leisure-ranks-va-beach-boardwalk-among-best

VIRGINIA BEACH Virginia Beach has one of the best boardwalks in America, according to a report by Travel + Leisure magazine. In the publication’s June issue, it names its pick of the top 11 boardwalks – also including Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California – as “America’s Best Beach Boardwalks.” The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, the 15th Street Amusement Park and the blue crabs at restaurant Catch 31 are great boardwalk perks, the magazine reported. This designation comes eight months after the American Planning Association named it one of the top 10 public spaces in the country.

[erdogs]

That's a bummer.

[BFG]

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/08/beach-town-center-hot-spot-party-set

According to the Pilot, Town Center is the new hot spot for having a good time. I don't disagree with the article, but Town Center still needs a little more IMO, you have the comedy club, the restaurants, the bars and clubs. But maybe a lounge where folks don't necessarily want to get completely wasted or sweat their asses off dancing. A Cinebistro-type place would be awesome there.

Also, put some more retail stores of the non-luxury variety...do something like what Farm Fresh did in downtown Norfolk, but a retail store like Target or an everyday restaurant like Subway for the businesspeople. I see them in larger downtowns, but I think it could work if you have a two-story store, then businesses on upper floors (say a 10-story building). Town Center is nice, but when everything is so upscale, it almost seems artificial.