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Statements are emailed at most once per day (in the morning).
Check out some recent announcements
December 17, 2017, 7:09 PM
Thank you for participating in past Virtual Town Hall surveys. Your input helps city leaders make decisions about issues, projects and services that affect the community.
We wanted to let you know that we will be transitioning to a new public engagement tool in January. This new platform will enhance our capabilities to gather public input; it offers a mobile-first technology and broader tools to help us design options for people to provide feedback. We’ll start using it early in 2018 for projects such as the entertainment district at the Oceanfront and strategies for revitalizing neighborhoods, just to name a couple. Unfortunately, we are not able to transfer your email address to the new platform. If you would like to be notified when the new system is online, please send an email to [email protected] asking to be added to the new database. Your information will only be used for this platform and will not be shared. Alternatively, watch for the announcements in January and please be sure to join in and spread the word so we can get as many people involved as possible.
We appreciate your participation and look forward to hearing from you in the new year.
Sincerely,
Julie Hill, PhD
Communications Director
September 5, 2017, 12:57 PM
Thank you to the 26 people who participated in our forum and provided feedback. We are providing the attached summary, Strategic Plan to End Homelessness Responses, of the comments and questions we received with our responses. Again, we appreciate your feedback.
The next steps in the process to formally adopt the plan are as follows:
- Sept. 19 - Briefing on the plan for City Council
- Sept. 26 - Present draft plan to the Performance Monitoring Committee and BEACH Governing Board
- Oct. 17 - City Council considers ordinance to adopt the plan
To learn more visit goo.gl/i8WCS1.
August 1, 2017, 2:29 PM
The Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation is working with our community partners to update the strategic plan for 2017-2020. The City Council adopted the most recent strategic plan in 2013. The city is seeking public input on the proposed goals, objectives, and action steps.
Starting today, interested citizens can view and comment on the proposed goals, objectives and action steps for the plan at www.vbgov.com/virtualtownhall. The Virtual Town Hall forum will close on Sept. 1.
May 2, 2017, 3:36 PM
Thank you for your interest in better walking and biking in Virginia Beach. The survey is now closed, and staff is weaving the comments received, plus many others from other forums, into the updated Bikeways and Trails Plan. We hope to have a new draft as early as June. If you have additional thoughts, please email them to: [email protected].
April 12, 2017, 1:36 PM
The Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation is currently accepting public comments on its proposed Annual Action Plan for the 2017 fiscal year (July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018). The plan outlines how the department will use and allocate more than $3.9 million in funding under the following federal entitlement grants: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) Program.
Interested citizens can view the draft Annual Action Plan and provide comments at www.vbgov.com/virtualtownhall. A public hearing will also be held on Tuesday, April 25, at 6 p.m. at Housing and Neighborhood Preservation's main office, 2424 Courthouse Drive, Building 18A. The 30-day comment period ends on May 6.
Final fund allocations are subject to City Council appropriation on May 9 and approval of the Annual Action Plan by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
For more information, visit www.vbgov.com/AAP or contact Cindy Walters at (757) 385-5754 or email [email protected].
March 30, 2017, 7:46 PM
Residents have expressed interest in improving alternatives for people who wish to navigate the city without an automobile. But walking and biking around some areas of Virginia Beach can be difficult. The city is reaching out to citizens for input on how we can make it better. Please help us update the City’s 2011 Bikeways and Trails Plan by sharing your observations and suggestions.
In addition to voicing your opinions here on Virtual Town Hall, you may also complete our multiple-choice survey about walking and biking at www.VBgov.com/bikewalk. We suggest you check the page periodically for further updates.
December 2, 2016, 4:09 PM
Roadways throughout the country and internationally have been named in honor of the late Nobel Peace Prize recipient and civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Locally, roads in Hampton, Portsmouth and Norfolk have been designated at MLK highways. The City Council is considering designating one of the following roadways in King’s honor and is seeking input from Virginia Beach residents.
Between now and Dec. 30, residents are invited to take the Virtual Town Hall online survey posted at www.VBgov.com/VirtualTownHall. The survey asks people whether a roadway should be dedicated and if so, which one. It will also accept other suggestions.
Please take a few minutes to weigh in with your viewpoint.
Proposed Roadways include:
- Virginia Beach Boulevard – Pacific Avenue to Newtown Road
- South Birdneck Road – I 264 to General Booth Boulevard
- Independence Boulevard – Virginia Beach Boulevard North to Shore Drive
- Diamond Springs Road – Newtown Road to Shore Drive
September 8, 2016, 1:24 PM
The Virginia Beach City Council is studying possible regulations for short-term home rentals, like those promoted on Airbnb and other sites.
The Council is concerned about how rentals affect quiet residential neighborhoods – especially with increased traffic, parking and noise. The council also wants to ensure the safety of visitors who rent homes, apartments or rooms.
The City Council has appointed a committee to study the issue and make recommendations by the end of September. The Council has received several briefings on the issue. To watch videos of those briefings or to read the presentations and related documents, visit here.
The committee is scheduled to meet 3 times in September: Sept. 7, 14 and 28. All meetings will be held 6 p.m. The first and third meetings will be at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The second meeting will be at City Hall in the City Council conference room. For more information, contact Assistant to the City Manager Robert Matthias at 385-4242.
August 22, 2016, 5:31 PM
What housing issues do you believe Virginia Beach residents face? Please take a few moments to complete a short survey. The Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech and czb, LLC, a neighborhood planning firm, are currently conducting a housing study for the City of Virginia Beach. The study will provide information on the city’s household demographics, housing stock, homeownership and rental rates, neighborhood characteristics and more. It will also reveal trends, housing needs and opportunities for achieving the city’s goals for affordability and the preservation and enhancement of existing housing. Results from the study will be used to guide city policy and funding for housing and neighborhood preservation programs.
On Aug. 10, the city held public meetings to preview preliminary findings from the housing study and seek input on residents’ challenges and concerns related to housing. This forum is available for residents who were unable to attend the meetings and participate in the focus groups.
July 1, 2016, 11:48 AM
Do you support the new private financing plan for the Virginia Beach arena?
In December, the Virginia Beach City Council approved a development agreement for a $210 million sports-and-entertainment arena at the resort, near the Convention Center. Unlike most American arenas, the Virginia Beach arena will be privately financed, built, maintained and operated. It will be built on city land.
Since December, the developer – Virginia Beach-based United States Management (USM) – has been working with a Chinese lender to secure financing. The City Council gave USM 10 months to secure the loan.
On June 28, USM President Andrea Kilmer updated the City Council on the financing issue. Kilmer announced that USM has found a lender in the United States and will no longer pursue financing in China. That means the arena will not be required to use Chinese steel, glass and other materials, which was a condition of the Chinese loan. USM also will reduce its equity in the project (from $40 million to $10 million) and will finance approximately $200 million. USM will be fully responsible for the debt.
All of the other terms of the project will remain the same. The city will still lease the land to USM for 60 years. The city also will provide $76.5 million in public infrastructure outside the arena, mainly for parking, lighting, street improvements, underground utilities and a public plaza. Money to finance this infrastructure will come from the city’s Tourism Investment Program, or TIP Fund, which is financed primarily by a portion of taxes on restaurant meals, hotel rooms and amusements.
So, do you support the new private financing plan for the Virginia Beach arena? Select yes or no and tell us why or why not.
May 26, 2016, 10:32 AM
Thank you for participating in Virginia Beach Public Library’s survey. We value your input. We will be planning future Community Conversations to be held at the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library based on your responses and suggestions. You can find program dates and times on the library’s website at www.vbgov.com/libraries. Our next Community Conversation is about climate change and sea level rise and will be held July 5, 2 to 3:30 p.m at Central Library. Register online to attend.
May 2, 2016, 12:47 PM
Virginia Beach Public Library launched a survey today to ask Beach residents what topics they’d like to discuss in a civic engagement series. The survey will be used plan future discussions for the library’s “Community Conversation” program.
Held quarterly at the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library, Community Conversations are small-group discussions on topics of national or local interest. The series brings people together for civil discourse on a given issue to share perspectives, weigh options, consider tradeoffs and attempt to find common ground.
In addition to asking for topics of interest, the survey asks for suggested days of the week and best times to offer Community Conversations in order to attract the maximum number of 20 participants for each program. The survey will be available for public input through May 15, 2016. Visit www.VBgov.com/VirtualTownHall to participate.
April 25, 2016, 5:55 PM
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the city’s proposed budget. We will send all your comments to the City Council, along with public comments received at two in-person public hearings and at Balancing Act, the online budgeting tool. The City Council will hold a budget reconciliation workshop on May 3, and will adopt a budget on May 10.
April 7, 2016, 12:46 PM
Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that the City of Virginia Beach submit an Annual Action Plan outlining how the city will use and allocate funding under several federal entitlement grants:
- Community Development Block Grant Program
- HOME Investment Partnerships Program
- Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program
- The Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS Program (this program provides funds for the region).
In the past, these funds have been used to support programs that address affordable housing needs throughout the city, including homelessness, creating affordable housing opportunities and providing home rehabilitation grants and loans for low- to moderate-income homeowners.
The Department of Housing & Neighborhood Preservation, which administers these grants, encourages interested parties to review the plan and share their feedback via Virtual Town Hall.
March 22, 2016, 8:56 PM
City Manager Dave Hansen today proposed a $1.9 billion budget for fiscal year 2016-17 that preserves the lowest tax rates in Hampton Roads, while funding 127 new school employees, 13 new police officers, a new fire and rescue station and the opening of a new recreation center.
The budget includes no increase in taxes and no increase in fees for water, sewer and storm water management. It proposes a $1.64-per-month increase for trash collection, disposal and recycling. That will cover replacing old garbage trucks and higher pension costs. Despite adding 202 new positions, the budget is only 2 percent larger than the current budget. It is the city’s first budget since the recession that shows revenue growth without a major tax increase.
We would like to hear from you. After reading a one-page summary of the proposed budget, what suggestions do you have for changing the City Manager’s proposed budget for FY 2016-17? What revenues would you adjust? What services would you change? What capital projects would you add or remove?adjust? What services would you change? What capital projects would you add or remove?
Please visit www.VBgov.com/virtualtownhall and share your ideas with us.
January 24, 2016, 8:20 PM
Thank you for participating in our survey. The information gathered will be added to our focus group and telephone survey data to help determine our needs as they relate to cable television service in Virginia Beach. Both Cox and Verizon’s franchises expire in 2016 and the resulting community needs assessment and needs will be used in an attempt to bring improved service for future franchises. We appreciate your time and assistance.
December 3, 2015, 8:33 AM
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the proposed arena project. Your participation and feedback are important to us and will be shared with members of City Council. The City Council will vote on the proposed arena at their December 8, 2015, meeting.
November 18, 2015, 10:44 AM
The Virginia Beach City Council will host a community briefing to discuss details of the proposed new arena on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Suite 5, 1000 19th St.
City officials will present details of a new agreement reached with United States Management, a private development group based in Virginia Beach that would finance, build and operate the arena. USM officials also will make a presentation at the meeting. After the presentations, city officials and USM representatives will take questions from the audience.
The city and USM have negotiated terms for the development, construction and operation of a 500,000-square-foot entertainment and sports arena on city-owned land at the resort, adjacent to the Convention Center. Details of the draft agreement, including the complete documents developed as part of the deal, can be found on the city’s website atwww.VBgov.com/arena.
Citizens can share their thoughts with the City Council in two other ways:
- Public hearing – Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. in the City Council chamber at City Hall, 2401 N. Courthouse Drive, second floor.
- Virtual Town Hall – For two weeks, today through Dec. 2. Go towww.VBgov.com/virtualtownhall. All comments will be forwarded to the City Council.
A final vote on the arena agreement is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 8.
Representatives of the city and USM have been working for more than a year to develop the agreement. It is a unique arrangement. Arenas are typically built using only public funds. This $200 million arena will be built and operated by the private developer. The city will lease the land for the building and make $76.5 million in infrastructure improvements for such things as roads, parking, public plaza, lighting, underground utilities and streetscapes. Funding will come from the city’s Tourism Investment Program Fund, which includes taxes on discretionary spending – restaurant meals, theater admissions, hotel stays and cigarettes.
“We are seeking our citizens’ feedback on this deal in its entirety,” Mayor William D. Sessoms, Jr., said. “It took many months and countless hours to bring forward a joint agreement. Now it is the public’s turn to let us know what they think of it so we can consider their opinions in our votes.”
The agreement is summarized in a PowerPoint presentation and in summary documents at www.VBgov.com/arena. The web page also includes the complete set of agreement documents.
November 6, 2015, 9:29 AM
Help us to create an environmentally-friendly visitor access to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR) and False Cape State Park.
Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation has posted the findings of a study for enhancing environmentally-friendly visitor access to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR) and False Cape State Park. The study has been funded by a $449,000 planning grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to evaluate transportation alternatives for visitors to reach BBNWR without using private motor vehicles. The money is provided by the FTA’s Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks program which is designed to fund projects that will provide safe, convenient access for visitors to America’s national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges, and modernize aging transportation infrastructure.
Please review the study and participate by taking this short survey through Virtual Town Hall.
October 7, 2015, 4:49 PM
Thank you for participating in our Virtual Town Hall. Your comments will be shared with the Mayor, City Council and the consultant hired to assist with the search. The input gathered through Virtual Town Hall and the four in-person town hall meetings will contribute to the candidate profile.
As you know, the City Council is conducting a nationwide search for the next City Manager. Jim Spore will retire at the end of the year, and the City Council’s goal is to name a new City Manager by then.
October 7, 2015, 4:42 PM
Thank you to everyone who provided input on the next phase of design for Marshview Park. Design on the plan will continue over the next few months, and construction will follow tentatively in the latter half of 2016. We look forward to bringing you another incredible recreation area to enjoy for many years to come!
September 10, 2015, 4:53 PM
For the first time in 24 years, the City Council must choose a new city manager. James K. Spore will retire on Jan. 1, 2016. He began his tenure in Virginia Beach in 1991.
The City Council is conducting a nationwide search for a new city manager. To aid in that search, City Council members want to hear from you. What qualities make a good city manager? What do you want to see in our next leader?
Please take a moment to take this short survey. Your feedback will provide members of City Council with valuable insight to consider when choosing a final candidate. The survey will be available for public input through September 30. To participate, visit Virtual Town Hall.
September 1, 2015, 8:58 AM
Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is seeking public feedback on the design plan for the next phase of improvements to Marshview Park via the City’s Virtual Town Hall page. The plan was presented to more than two dozen citizens at an open house session at Seatack Recreation Center on Thursday, August 20, however, the department wants to provide the opportunity for those who couldn’t attend to provide feedback as well. Those wishing to view the plan and share their thoughts may do so until September 30.
The design is based on the Marshview Master Plan concept that was developed in 2012 and includes dog parks, paved trails, open field play area, playground, picnic shelters, parking areas and a potential restroom building. In addition, play nodes, a new feature for our park system, will be introduced at this location. These are a series of smaller play areas along the trails that are intended to support a variety of nature-based play, exploration and education. Design is expected to be complete in early 2016, with construction of the park to follow.
The hope is that together we can create a vibrant, active, outdoor space that reflects the community’s values. The updated plan has also been posted at VBgov.com/Marshview.
April 21, 2015, 2:19 PM
Thank you to the all the citizens who participated and provided feedback on our proposed plans regarding federally-funded housing programs. The 30-day comment period expired on April 20, 2015. We are providing the attached summary of the comments and questions we received with our responses.
Below are the next steps regarding the Five Year Consolidated Strategy and Plan and Annual Action Plan:
- Final fund allocations are subject to City Council appropriation on May 12
- Plans submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for approval on May 15
- Implement plan beginning July 1, 2015
Again, we appreciate your feedback.
Andrew Friedman
Director of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation
April 6, 2015, 9:22 PM
Virginia Beach Public Library launched a survey using the city’s online citizen engagement tool, Virtual Town Hall. The survey includes questions for Virginia Beach residents who are library customers, as well those who do not currently use library services.
Please take a moment to take this short survey. Your feedback will assist in developing the library’s strategic plan. The survey will be available for public input through April 30. To participate, visit www.VBgov.com/VirtualTownHall.
March 31, 2015, 11:31 AM
City leaders want to hear from you about the proposed 2015-16 budget.
We have created an online forum utilizing Virtual Town Hall where you can share your thoughts. Your answers to these questions will help guide the City Council’s budget discussions.
What suggestions do you have for the operating budget? Which revenues would you adjust – up or down? If you adjust revenues, which expenses would you change to balance it – up or down?
What suggestions do you have for the 6-year capital plan? What projects would you add? Which projects would you remove?
To view the entire proposed budget, there are two options:
To explore details of the budget, try OpenVB. It’s an easy-to-use, graphical alternative to wading through hundreds of pages of technical documents. Citizens can focus on any aspect of the budget – revenues, expenses, operations and capital projects – in great detail. Every detail is available – at the big-picture level or at the level of individual line items.
o To explore expenses, go to Budgetexpenditure.vbgov.com.
o To explore revenues, go to Budgetrevenue.vbgov.com.
To read budget documents, either in online flip-book format or to download as a PDF documents, visit www.VBgov.com/budget. Three documents are available: an executive summary, a detailed operating budget and a detailed six-year capital program.
Once you've reviewed the documents, please click here to provide your feedback.
March 20, 2015, 7:35 PM
Housing and Neighborhood Preservation Accepting Comments on Proposed Plans Regarding Federally-Funded Programs
The Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation is accepting public comments on its proposed 2015-2020 Five Year Consolidated Strategy and Plan and 2015-2016 Annual Action Plan. Both plans are required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The Consolidated Strategy and Plan develops a strategy for carrying out HUD programs and is a management tool for assessing performance and tracking results. The plan develops the priorities over a five-year period for the Community Development Block Grant Program, HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Emergency Solutions Grant Program and the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS Program. It also provides a summary of the city’s housing and community development needs, resources and strategies.
The Annual Action Plan outlines how the department will use and allocate more than $3.7 million in HUD funding during the next fiscal year (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016) through the programs mentioned above. Final fund allocations are subject to City Council appropriation on May 12 and approval of the Annual Action Plan by HUD.
Starting today, interested citizens can view the proposed plans and provide comments at www.vbgov.com/virtualtownhall. The Virtual Town Hall forum will close on April 20 at 5 p.m. A public hearing will also be held on Wednesday, April 1, at 6 p.m. at Housing and Neighborhood Preservation, 2424 Courthouse Drive, Building 18A. The 30-day comment period ends on April 20.
For more information, please contact R.J. Mattes at (757) 385-5754 or visit www.vbgov.com/housing.
March 10, 2015, 4:03 PM
Thank you for taking the time to participate in the Arts Plan 2030 Virtual Town Hall. Your valuable feedback, along with stakeholder input sessions held during the Fall 2014, Winter 2015 and online surveys, will be used to help us develop priorities for the Virginia Beach Arts Plan 2030. This plan will be completed in the spring of 2015 and presented to the City Council. Once the plan is presented, it will be available on the city’s website at www.vbgov.com/arts.
Thank you again for your participation.
February 16, 2015, 4:44 PM
A tax-relief program that reduces or eliminates real estate taxes for some Virginia Beach senior citizens is not financially sustainable. That’s the conclusion of a city task force that reported recently to the City Council.
Now, the City Council is exploring ways to modify the program – to continue keeping low-income seniors in their homes while managing the program’s skyrocketing costs. The City of Virginia Beach currently offers qualified seniors and non-veteran disabled property owners the ability to receive one of three forms of real estate tax relief (exemption, freeze or deferral). To qualify, applicants must:
- be no less than sixty five (65) years of age or totally and permanently disabled; and
- be experiencing an extraordinary real estate tax burden in relation to their income and financial worth.
Costs have skyrocketed for two major reasons:
- Many Baby Boomers are hitting retirement age and living longer.
- The program automatically raised income thresholds by more than 20 percent a year in 2006, 2007 and 2008, based on big increases in property assessments. But the thresholds did not drop when property values dropped from 2010 to 2014.
City Council is now exploring ways to modify the program to allow low-income seniors to stay in their homes while still managing skyrocketing costs. Visit VBgov.com/VirtualTownHall to get the full details and tell City Council which alternative you prefer.
For more information contact the Commissioner of Revenue’s Office at 385-4385 or e-mail [email protected].
February 3, 2015, 11:39 AM
On January 27, 2015 the Taskforce looking into the Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled Program for the City Council made their report to the City Council. Click here to review the full report. The Taskforce made several recommendations to City Council, but focused on making the program “fair” to the elderly who need assistance to stay in their homes and making the program sustainable over the long term. Your input through this portal was carefully considered by the taskforce and was provided without identification to the full City Council and is included in the full report.
To view the January 27, 2015 presentation to City Council click here.
Next steps lie with City Council as they consider the information and the recommendations of the Taskforce.
January 12, 2015, 9:38 AM
The online Virtual Town Hall Survey for the Elderly and Disabled Real Estate Tax Relief Program is closed. We want to thank you for taking the time to take the survey and provide your input regarding the Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled Program Survey. The Taskforce looking into this program will be provided all input for consideration as they prepare to report their findings to the City Council at the end of this month. You will be notified via email when the final report is posted on VBgov.com as well as any action taken by City Council.
Again, thank you for your feedback.
For more information on this program contact the Commissioner of Revenue’s Office at 385-4385
December 10, 2014, 3:32 PM
The City of Virginia Beach currently offers qualified property owners the ability to receive one of three forms of relief (exemption, freeze or defer), towards their real estate tax bill. To qualify, applicants must:
- be no less than sixty five (65) years of age or totally and permanently disabled; or
- be experiencing an extraordinary real estate tax burden in relation to their income and financial worth.
An applicant's total assets cannot exceed $350,000 excluding the value of the home and the program offers a $10,000 income exclusion limit.
Since 2004, the enrollment and cost of this program has increased from $3.5 million to more than $12 million today. As the senior population in the city grows, the number of participants in the program is forecasted to continue to grow. A taskforce, the Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled Taskforce, has been formed to review the program and recommend possible changes to City Council.
To ensure City Council receives the best possible recommendations, the Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled Taskforce is requesting input from Virginia Beach citizens through Virtual Town Hall. A short survey has been posted whereby citizens are asked to provide feedback on their knowledge of the Elderly and Disabled Real Estate Tax Relief Program and what they think the perimeters should be. The topic will be available on Virtual Town Hall for public input until 5:00 p.m. on January 9, 2015.
To view the Elderly and Disabled Real Estate Tax Relief Program click here.
Additional Information: The History of the Exemption Income Thresholds (blue boxes) and the History of Real Estate Assessments (the graph) shows what would have happened if the policy of increasing thresholds based on the average increase in residential assessments had also been applied to the income thresholds when the average residential assessments went down due to the recession.
For more information contact the Commissioner of Revenue’s Office at 385-4385 or e-mail [email protected].
October 20, 2014, 10:55 AM
Every five years, Virginia Beach takes a new look at its long-term plan for growth and development. It’s called the Comprehensive Plan, “It’s Our Future,” and we need your input.
The City Council and Planning Commission will host several public open houses across the city to discuss issues like land use, transportation, preserving neighborhoods and rural areas, the environment, economic development, and parks and open spaces. In addition to the open houses (Oct. 20, 22, 27, 30 & Nov. 13), you have the opportunity to share your thoughts using Virtual Town Hall. A short survey has been posted whereby you are asked to provide feedback on what you think Virginia Beach should look like in 20 years. The topic will be available on Virtual Town Hall for public input until 5:00 p.m. on November 21.
September 22, 2014, 5:28 PM
Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation thanks all those who provided feedback for the Virtual Town Hall topic on Alternative Ways to Reach Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park. The study team and Technical Advisory Committee are reviewing the on-forum Virtual Town Hall responses and other sources, especially comments shared during the Citizen Information Meeting that was held on August 7. Additional alternatives that will be included in the study will be announced in early October at www.vbgov.com/backbaygrant.
August 7, 2014, 5:17 PM
The City of Virginia Beach is the recipient of a $449,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration (part of the Department of Transportation) to study transportation alternatives for visitors to reach Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR) without using private motor vehicles. Transportation alternatives can include providing trams from populated areas of the city to the refuge, construction of a shared-use path for biking and walking, and development of canoe/kayak facilities.
Spearheaded by Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation, this study offers the opportunity for citizens to explore potential transportation alternatives, learn the steps in the study process, review maps of the study area, and share suggestions for additional transportation options.
June 24, 2014, 9:03 AM
Thank you to the citizens who participated and provided feedback for this Virtual Town Hall topic on the Housing Resource Center. It is especially gratifying that citizens took the time to read and respond in detail. We are providing the summary of the comments and questions we received with our responses.
The next steps in the design phase of the Housing Resource Center, which will take place in July and August, are:
-
City leadership completes review and provides final guidance to the architect
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Architect develops final design concept based on city guidance
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Hold a public meeting to receive any additional comments
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Architect begins full design work
Citizens will also have the opportunity to participate on a Community Advisory Committee to provide input regarding community expectations for the center. Information about how to become involved will be announced at the time of the public meeting on the final design concept.
Again, we appreciate your feedback.
Andrew Friedman, Director
Housing and Neighborhood Preservation
May 30, 2014, 3:19 PM
Thanks for your feedback last year on the design of a dog park at Bayville Farms Park (located at 4132 First Court Road). With your input, the park was designed to accommodate seperate areas for both large and small dogs. We are happy to report that construction of the new dog park has been completed and it is now open to the public.
In order to use any city dog park, owners must pay an annual on-site registration fee of $15 for one dog and a $10 fee for each additional dog. Owners must also provide proof of license and documented expiration date of dog's rabies vaccination upon registration. Please visit the park office located by the tennis courts to register for the Bayville Farms dog park.
May 23, 2014, 5:15 PM
What are your thoughts on the proposed design for the Housing Resource Center?
April 2, 2014, 8:56 AM
Virginia Beach officials want to hear from you about the proposed sports and entertainment arena at the Oceanfront. A forum has been set up on the city's Virtual Town Hall where citizens can ask questions and provide their input. Go to www.VBgov.com/VirtualTownHall to participate.
The city is considering two competing proposals from private groups to build an 18,000-seat arena across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
- One proposal is from a group that includes the W.M. Jordan Company, HKS Sports & Entertainment and Global Spectrum. You can read the proposal HERE. You can watch a video of the Jordan presentation HERE.
- The other proposal is from a group that includes United States Management LLC, AECOM Architects, Clark Nexsen Architects, Mortenson Construction, SB Ballard Construction and SMG. You can read the proposal HERE. You can watch a video of the USM presentation HERE.
The videos also will air on VBTV (Cox Channel 48, Verizon Channel 45) Friday, April 4 at 10:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 9 at 9:30 a.m., and Saturday, April 12 at 1:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
The two groups presented their proposals at a public meeting March 24. After the presentations, city staff gathered written questions from people who attended. Those questions have been posted online HERE. City staff is compiling answers to the questions and will post them on the same page.
Meanwhile, we want to hear from you. If you have questions you would like us to answer, please visit Virtual Town Hall at www.VBgov.com/virtualtownhall and let us know. We will answer all questions we receive and post them online.
A task force of city leaders is thoroughly reviewing the proposals and will brief the City Council at a future date. The task force also will consider questions submitted by the public, and will factor them into the decision-making process.