Monday, December 18, 2017

2017 Year End Report

This year the Friends of Indian River celebrated our fifth anniversary.    The sixteen people who came to our first meeting in 2012 really didn’t know what we could accomplish together but, by most measures, we’ve had an extremely successful five years.   As we end 2017, we are being recognized by the Elizabeth River Project as a “River Star Business” at their highest achievement level!

Our volunteers put in many hours to improve the quality of life in the Indian River area.   121 Volunteers put in 1200 volunteer hours on a  wide variety of Friends of Indian River activities.    Volunteers came out time and again to support cleanups, gardening, and beautification efforts along Indian River Road, at Indian River Park and Plymouth Community Park.   The biggest one day turnout was Clean the Bay Day in June. This was the highpoint of our volunteer events.   But volunteers also performed hundreds of hours of work behind the scenes throughout the year, coordinating with the City, the Elizabeth River Project and other partners, performing outreach, and keeping the organization up and running.

Here is a roundup of 2017 accomplishments and events.


River Restoration and Cleanups


Since our founding, trash and litter cleanups have been a core mission for the Friends.   Our biggest event of the year is Clean the Bay Day and this year we sponsored cleanups at two sites: the floodplain below the Indian River Pony Little League field at Indian River Park and at Plymouth Community Park.   103 volunteers came out to support the cleanups and removed 3000 lbs. of trash. The spring and fall cleanups at Plymouth Community Park removed 600 lbs. of trash. 

Public Access

The big news was the City buying property along the Indian River for a future canoe/kayak launch.    Located off Indian River Road just east of the bridge, acquiring the site was a major goal of the Eastern Branch Environment Restoration Plan and the focus of several years of efforts by the Friends of Indian River and the Elizabeth River Project.   With our support, the city won a sizable grant to buy the property.  Now the City is working on the design of the vehicular entrance to the site and this winter they will be working with stakeholders on an overall site plan.

Parks and Trails

It was a wonderful year for our local parks.  Plymouth Park, another underused park, got renewed attention this year.   New signage, picnic tables, and an information kiosk were installed.   And the city got another grant to build a walkway around the south field in the park and a new pad for the picnic tables, plant shade trees along the new pathway, and install a new wooden guard rail along the roadside.   These improvements should all be completed in 2018.   The Friends continue to advocate for a playground and a walkway overlooking the river  for the future.

The City opened the renovated Rokeby Activity Center, focused on the “55 and Better” audience, at Providence Rd end of Indian River Park.  They also completed other fixes and improvements in the adjacent playground and basketball courts.  In the coming months we hope to set up a bulletin board in the center and there are plans to set up an herb garden in the spring

In the south section of Indian River Park, we continue our maintenance work around the trailhead area, including a Native Plant Garden, and miles of trails inside the park.   We are pushing back invasive plant outbreaks in the park by clearing areas of English Ivy and cutting back Japanese Stilt Grass along the trails.   Overall nearly 200 hours of volunteer effort was contributed in group events and individually toward park upkeep.

Walkable and Bikeable Community

The Indian River-Oaklette Bridge is the bridge that ties together the northern halfs of our community.  And if you spend some time there, you'll see quite a bit of foot and bicycle traffic - folks living on the west side going to and from the shops and business along our "Main Street" on the east side.   The gardens and trees that we've planted around the bridge hopefuly add visual appeal, traffic calming, and eventually shade for the people using this vital link.  These  gardens and trees continue to mature thanks to the dedicated work of the volunteers tending them.   We had several car incidents that damaged or destroyed some of the plum trees along the roadway, but some speedy nursing and some creative relocation restored the tree line, although these young trees still need a lot of TLC.    The three gardens all had excellent displays of color throughout the year.

Main Street Revitalization

Our quarterly and ad-hoc cleanups along Indian River Road and around the Indian River-Oaklette Bridge removed at least 800 lbs. of trash that won’t get washed into our river.  We also reached out to business to ask them to sweep up in front of their streets, especially prior to our quarterly cleanups.

Our Business Outreach Committee took multiple steps to develop stronger contacts with local businesses and we’ve gotten positive feedback from establishments including Wicker’s Crab Pot Seafood, Tudor’s Ace Hardware, Irwin’s Pharmacy, and Lulu’s Hot Dogs.   One effort that brought visibility to our group was placing matching planters at several locations long Indian River Road centered on the Sparrow Road intersection.

Green Infrastructure

Another key effort had several of our volunteers bring Oaklette United Methodist Church onboard as a River Star Business and its parsonage as a River Star Home.    Our volunteers then provided expertise and resources to help the church leverage funds from the Roger Weber Memorial Fund, the Elizabeth River Project Grants program, and the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program to install rain gardens and make other stormwater retention improvements around the church and parsonage to reduce runoff into the river.

Our volunteers also participated in the “Catch the King Tide” event, organizing a local team to measure the extent of the King Tide, the highest astronomical tide (not counting for wind and weather) of the year.  This citizen-science effort collected data to help meaure the impact of sea level rise.


Civic Engagement and Outreach

We held several outreach events at Indian River Park including a First Day Hike on New Year’s Day, an Earth Day event in conjunction with Adopt-A-Park, and a fall hike.   For the Great Backyard Bird
Count in February we went bird watching around Woodland Lake between the Indian River Community Center and the High School.   In the fall we held our first ever Plant Swap at the library, giving an opportunity for area gardeners to bring and trade plants from their gardens.

We did outreach at this year’s Riverfest at Carolanne Farms Park in Virginia Beach.   And we’ve been actively working with the Elizabeth River Project to identify a possible location in the Indian River area for Riverfest 2018.

At our monthly meetings, guest speakers this year included:
  • Joe Rieger from the Elizabeth River Project and Raul Gonzalez from the Hampton Roads Sanitation District discussing the Indian River Restoration efforts
  • Jim Haluska discussing Sea Level Rise
  • Vicki Roberts of the Beekeepers Guild of Southeast Virginia discussing bees
  • Dr. Laurie Fox, Horticulture Associate Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center discussing Sustainable Gardening
  • Dreda Symonds, Director of Chesapeake Mosquito Control Commission discussing mosquitoes
  • Jayne Whitney, Diane Burke, and Lynn Gilbert reporting on their Oyster Reef Restoration efforts
  • Zach Jarjoura, Conservation Program Manager (Norfolk) for the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club
  • Skip Stiles from Wetlands Watch discussing role of wetlands in mitigating flooding
  • Roland Davis, Chesapeake City Council Member addressing issues
Planning and Zoning

In September, the City Council held a strategic planning retreat.  In reaction to this event, the Friends of Indian sent the City Council a letter with our thoughts on long term planning urging them to find a better balance between new development and revitalization efforts in our existing neighborhoods. Key considerations that we identified were to
  1. Budget to Support Incremental/Infill Development
  2. Create Safe and Welcoming Streets
  3. Address the Infrastructure Maintenance Backlog
  4. Develop a plan to respond to a changing retail landscape
  5. Establish a new balance between Revitalization vs. New Development
  6. Re-focus on our City’s Sustainability Plan
You can read the full letter at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/2017/09/input-on-long-term-planning-for-city-of.html

Shorter term, we are focusing on the Aqua Virginia/Indian River Shopping Center issue.  After a contentious public meeting in January, the City and Aqua Virginia have been in negotiations on a deal that will improve the water quality for residents in the Aqua service area and provide for fire suppression water supply to the Indian River Shopping Center.   The proposed contract would enable a potable water cross-connection between the City and Aqua for the City to provide water for emergencies and for flushing of the Aqua water pipes. The City would also be able to provide water to the Indian River Shopping Center for fire suppression which would enable redevelopment at the site. Aqua would install fire hydrants across the western side of their service area and then upgrade the piping in the eastern side over the next several years.   Our understanding is that the deal has gone through various reviews but various details, including around the financial arrangements, are still being hashed out and as of December, the deal is not finalized.

Awards and Recognitions

One of our long time members, Lynn Gilbert, was the winner of this City’s Notable Yards Contest for the Indian River area this year.   Her home was recognized for her commitment to healthy environmental practices and work with the Elizabeth River Project to create a living shoreline on the property.

At the annual Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council Awards Luncheon, our own Carol Warren received a Certificate of Appreciation for her work to improve our natural areas, including her efforts to revitalize the Plymouth Community Park and establish a canoe/kayak launch site along the Indian River.

And, just this month the Elizabeth River Project has accepted our application to become a River Star Business.  We are very proud to announce that they are recognizing us at the Model Level, their highest level of achievement!  The Elizabeth River Project called out our exceptional accomplishments in pollution prevention, wildlife habitat enhancement, recruitment and mentoring of others in the community, and leadership in environmental stewardship.


Now on to 2018!   Please join us at our annual meeting on Thursday, January 18th, at 7 pm at Oaklette United Methodist Church as we hold election for our board and review plans for the coming year.


Active Supporting Members and Volunteers 2017

Paul Atkinson V
Gary Ball MV
Glen Batt MV
Jervone Bowens V
Diane Burke MV*
Joe Burke M
William Burke V
Kamesha Champaco V
Tabitha Eddy MV
Candace Exam V
Bill Garrett M
Lynn Gilbert MV*
Debra & Pat Goodman M
Helene Haluska MV*
Jim Haluska M
Jocelyn Hamilton V
Jim Hartle MV
Sara Howard MV
Dean Howard M
Sue Hurst M
Jean Hyson V
Joe Ipock V
Lisa & Tom KennedyM
Sharon Komenda MV*
Susan Borka Lambert M
Fred Lebay V
Mu Lee V
Faith Marshall V
Chris & Ed MatthewM
Barbara McCane MV*
Keith & Debbie Moore M
Larry Nero V
Sandy Oman M
Scott Oman MV
Melanie Potter MV
Rosie Rallos V
Jim Raper M
Shalon Richardson V

Tony Riley V
June Gale Robbins M
Geney & Richard Ross M
Rogard Ross MV*
Guy & Carlyn St. John M
Katie Schemmel M
Carl Smith V
Ram Surapaneni V
Carol Warren MV*
Amy Weber MV*
Alex Whitney V
Chris Whitney MV
Jayne Whitney MV*
Wicker’s Crab Pot Seafood M
I’esha Wynn V
Shaun Wynn-Bouder MV

Another 83 Other Volutneers for
Clean the Bay Day in June
M – Supporting Member       V – Volunteer     
* - Completed more than 100 lifetime volunteer hours with FIR

Thursday, December 7, 2017

December Newsletter


Friends of Indian River
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It is that time of the year again!   The nights are downright cold.  Christmas decorations are popping up around the neighborhood.   And our big Annual Holiday Party is on Thursday, December 21st.   We very cordially invite all our members, volunteers, and their guests to come join us for our year end celebration.   We'll recognize our wonderful volunteers and all their great accomplishments, share holiday treats and appetizers, socialize ... and do some shopping!   The party features our big silent auction, always brimming with some quality items donated by our members.  Even if you have not been to a meeting in a while or if this would be your very first meeting, we encourage you to come out and partake in the merriment.   The party is from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Oaklette United Methodist Church.    Please bring a desert to share and join the festivities.   Also, the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry will be collecting donations of non-perishable food items.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator



Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Work Day
Date: Saturday, December 16th, 9:30 am to Noon
Location: Plymouth Community Park at 701 Pond Lane (two blocks north of Border Rd)

Plymouth Community Park is a small waterside park along the Indian River that is in need of some love.   

The city will provide garbage bags. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. There may be some pruning work, if you can bring some pruners.  We will have water and lots of snacks. (We also always encourage folks to bring their own water in reusable bottles to minimize use of plastic bottles). Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.



Annual Holiday Party
Date: Thursday, December 21st, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

This will be our end of year celebration to recognize our many accomplishments, recognize our volunteers, and socialize. Please bring a desert or appetizer to share and join the festivities. We'll have a silent auction, so you can finish some Christmas shopping too.   And if you have some nice items to donate to the auction, those are greatly appreciated.  Please also consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food items for the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry to the meeting this evening. 


First Day Hike

Date: Monday, January 1st, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Starting Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.


Start the New Year out right and join us for a hike along the nature trail and through the park.  Learn about the history of the park, the native trees and plants in this century old forest on the Indian River flood plain, and its value to maintaining the health of local butterfly, bird, and wildlife populations.  Note: trail has uneven surfaces. 



Other News

Striving to improve the quality of life for all the residents of the Indian River neighborhoods of Chesapeake, Virginia, by promoting and preserving a healthy and clean river, shorelines, parks, and green spaces connected to the surrounding community.

Website: http://friendsofindianriver.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/indianriverpage

If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, please reply back to info@friendsofindianriver.org with Unsubscribe in the subject line.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

November Newsletter

Fall is in the air and the nights are getting downright chilly.  November is when we invite a member of the City Council to be the guest speaker at our monthly meeting.  So Council Member Roland Davis will be at our meeting on the 16th and we'll be discussing Aqua Virginia, the planned canoe/kayak launch, and other local issues.  Also this month's volunteer need will be to support a cleanup along Indian River Road on the 18th.

And mark your calendars .... Thursday, December 21st is our big Annual Holiday Party. This is our end of year celebration to recognize volunteers and accomplishments, and socialize. Please bring a desert to share and join the festivities. We'll have a silent auction, so you can finish some Christmas shopping too.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator



Election Day

Date: Tuesday, November 7, 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. 

Time to go vote for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Delegate, City Clerk of the Court, and other local officers. For more information on the election and who is on the ballot, visit https://www.elections.virginia.gov/voter-outreach/upcoming-elections.html


Monthly Meeting - Guest City Council Member Roland Davis

Date: Thursday, November 16th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

Our guest this evening will be City Council Member Roland Davis.   This meeting with City Council Members is a great way to learn about how our city functions and ask questions about items of concern.

Please also consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food items for the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry to the meeting this evening.

There will be light refreshments and door prizes after the meeting.


Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road /Community Cleanup

Date: Saturday, November 18th, 9:30 am to 11:30 am
Starting Location: Irwin's, 4300 Indian River Road

We need your help for our quarterly cleanup.   Join us for a few hours to clean up the mile of Indian River Road from the city limits at Wingfield Avenue all the way to MacDonald Road. We are also asking all business owners along Indian River Road - and everywhere really - to make sure they sweep up in front of their storefronts as part of the effort.   And if you can't make it out for our organized cleanup please take 15 minutes and cleanup the street and ditches in front of your home; pass the word to your neighbors!

For our main cleanup on Indian River Road, the city will provide garbage bags and orange safety vests. We'll have water and snacks available. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves and other items that may be useful. Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.


Catch the King Tide

Date: Sunday, November 5th
Starting Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.

The King Tide is one of the highest astronomical tides (not counting weather affects) of the year and folks will be out to map the high tide mark on that day and collect data related to flooding events using a downloaded phone app.  The main registration for helping with the King Tide has past, but if you want more information or still want to help out, respond back to this e-mail.  


Other News
  • Our Adopt-A-Park work day brought out 13 energetic volunteers 13 volunteers to prune, weed, and mulch the entrance area and native plant garden at Indian River Park.  There efforts are greatly appreciated and the entrance area is looking great.  Stop by and visit the garden and the park; the trailhead is at 2001 Rokeby Avenue. 
  • From the Norfolk Highlands Civic League, the latest news was that Aqua Virginia was reviewing the city's proposed service contract. This would enable a connection between the City and Aqua for the City to provide water for emergencies and for flushing of the Aqua water pipes. The City would also be able to provide water to the Indian River Shopping Center for fire suppression which would enable redevelopment at the site. Aqua would install fire hydrants across the western side of their service area and then upgrade the piping in the eastern side over the next several years.   
  • Clean Water Alert: Scoop That Dog Poop!  Even in your backyard.  We had a status meeting on the Eastern Branch Restoration efforts and the Indian River is still getting a failing grade on its water quality due to excessive nitrogen and phosphorous (from fertilizer) and high bacteria levels. The Elizabeth River Project and Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) have been doing studies to identify the sources of the bacteria and 85% to 90% of the samples indicate they are from dogs.  Dog owners, if you want Clean Water, we need you to do your part. Take the Scoop the Poop Pledge: http://askhrgreen.org/scoop-the-poop-pledge/
  • You can now also become a member of the Friends of Indian River, renew your membership, or make a donation online at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/membership.html

Striving to improve the quality of life for all the residents of the Indian River neighborhoods of Chesapeake, Virginia, by promoting and preserving a healthy and clean river, shorelines, parks, and green spaces connected to the surrounding community.

Website: http://friendsofindianriver.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/indianriverpage

If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, please reply back to info@friendsofindianriver.org with Unsubscribe in the subject line.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

October Newsletter

Lots of news this month, including an update on the Aqua Virginia negotiations that affect the Indian River Shopping Center.  We've had many meetings with our partner organizations and the City and the Friends sent a letter to the City Council outlining our long term planning priorities.   At the lasted implementation meeting for the Eastern Branch Restoration Plan, we got new evidence that dog poop is one of our major water pollutants.   See Other News below for more details on these and other items.

Turning to the weather, sometimes it seems like we haven't seen a low tide in weeks.   Which brings us to a timely discussion with Wetlands Watch about sea level rise and persistent flooding in our community.  Join the discussion  at our monthly meeting on October 19th and learn how you can participate in an effort to map the flooding.    

We'll also be doing a volunteer event to spruce up the entrance area to Indian River Park on Saturday, the 21st.  And on the following Saturday, the 28th, we'll have a guided hike of the park.  This is a great opportunity to learn about the history of this century old park and its importance as critical wildlife habitat.  Join our events and learn more about your community.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator


Monthly Meeting - Wetlands Watch

Date: Thursday, October 19th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

Skip Stiles will talk with us about Wetlands Watch's work to help communities plan for and adapt to sea level rise and persistent flooding events. We'll also learn more about the King Tide monitoring effort in November and get all the latest community news. 

There will be light refreshments and door prizes after the meeting.


Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Work Day

Date: Saturday, October 21st, 9:30 am to Noon
Starting Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.

We'll be doing work around the park entrance, trailhead, and along the trails including some trail work, pruning, weeding, and cleanup.

Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. If you can, bring shovels, rakes, pruners, saws and other gardening tools. We will have water and lots of snacks. (We also always encourage folks to bring their own water in reusable bottles to minimize use of plastic bottles).   Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.


Indian River Park Nature Trail guided walk

Date: Saturday, October 28th, 8:30 am to 10:30 am
Starting Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.

Join us for a hike along the nature trail and through the park.  Learn about the history of the park, the native trees and plants in this century old forest on the Indian River flood plain, and its value to maintaining the health of local butterfly, bird, and wildlife populations.    



Catch the King Tide

Date: Sunday, November 5th
Starting Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.

We are forming a local team to "Catch the King Tide". The King Tide is one of the highest astronomical tides (not counting weather affects) of the year and folks will be out to map the high tide mark on that day and collect data related to flooding events using a downloaded phone app.  If you are on the river, you can do this right in your backyard.  Respond back to this e-mail if you are interested in participating!  Learn more at https://pilotonline.com/catch-the-king-flier/pdf_9ec7479f-f2f1-5aa0-a35a-40f66f714f57.html 



Other News
  • Last month, the City Council held a strategic planning retreat and the Friends of Indian sent them a letter with our input on long term planning.  We urged the council to find a better balance between new development and revitalization efforts in our existing neighborhoods. Key topics addressed in our letter included the need to:
  1. Budget to Support Incremental/Infill Development
  2. Create Safe and Welcoming Streets
  3. Address the Infrastructure Maintenance Backlog
  4. Develop a plan to respond to a changing retail landscape
  5. Establish a new balance between Revitalization vs. New Development
  6. Re-focus on our Sustainability Plan
            • See our full letter to the City Council at
              http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/2017/09/input-on-long-term-planning-for-city-of.html
            • Aqua Virginia negotiations with the City are progressing.  Aqua has been presented with a City-approved service contract that would enable enable a connection between the City and Aqua for the City to provide water for emergencies and for flushing of the Aqua water pipes.   The City would also be able to provide water to the Indian River Shopping Center for fire suppression which would enable redevelopment at the site.  Aqua is now reviewing the contract.  We hope to have updates in time for our October meeting.
            • Voter Registration Deadline is almost here.  Register by Monday, October 16th to vote in November's Election for our Governor and State Legislature.  https://www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal/index.html
            • Clean Water Alert: Scoop That Dog Poop!  Even in your backyard.  We had a status meeting on the Eastern Branch Restoration efforts and the Indian River is still getting a failing grade on its water quality due to excessive nitrogen and phosphorous (from fertilizer) and high bacteria levels. The Elizabeth River Project and HRSD have been doing studies to identify the sources of the bacteria and 85% to 90% of the samples indicate they are from dogs.  Dog owners, if you want Clean Water, we need you to do your part. Take the Scoop the Poop Pledge: http://askhrgreen.org/scoop-the-poop-pledge/
            • Thank you to the seven volunteers who came out for our Adopt-A-Road Cleanup on Saturday! There diligence helped us remove 10 bags worth of trash from along our "Main Street" and ultimately keep that trash out of our waterways too.
            • You can now also become a member of the Friends of Indian River, renew your membership, or make a donation online at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/membership.html

            Wednesday, September 13, 2017

            Input on Long Term Planning for the City of Chesapeake to the City Council

            To: Mayor Krasnoff and Members of the City Council
            Cc: City Manager James Baker and Director of Planning Jaleh Shea
            Date: 9/12/2017

            As you hold your Retreat to look at long term planning for our wonderful city, the Friends of Indian River would like to share some thoughts about the future of our city.  As you look at our city’s priorities and policies we urge you to find a better balance between new development and revitalization efforts in our existing neighborhoods.  

            1.    Budget to Support Incremental/Infill Development. The older sections of the city, such as Indian River and South Norfolk are seeing incremental/infill development. This infill reflects a healthy renewal of our housing stock and a traditional, pre-suburbia, development pattern.  It increases the wealth and tax base of our city.[1]  But without the corresponding upgrades and maintenance of our infrastructure – streets, schools, parks, water and sanitary sewer systems, etc. - the increased housing density strains the fabric of our community
             
            2.    Create Safe and Welcoming Streets. Our communities need safe streets that improve the quality of life in our communities rather than just serve as roadways engineered to speed traffic past our communities.[2]
            ·        Our streets need to be safe for pedestrians and bicyclists and encourage patrons to frequent local businesses.  
            ·        This includes reducing speed limits and adding bike lanes on streets like Indian River Road, especially when they pass through residential area and shopping areas.
            ·        We also need to allow experiments with traffic calming measures to make side streets safer.[3]
            ·        Architectural guidelines (like the Great Bridge Village Design Guidelines) should be established across the city.  Better code enforcement on signage and landscaping will also help improve the visual appeal and quality of life in our communities.[4] 

            3.    Address the Infrastructure Maintenance Backlog.
            ·        The older sections of the city suffer from a multi-year maintenance backlog for our aging infrastructure, including street pavement, storm sewers and ditches, water systems, sanitary sewers, and pump stations.
            ·        The city must also address the on-going quality and safety issues related to the Aqua Virginia system in the Indian River area. 
            ·        To assure the continued health and vitality of our existing neighborhoods, the resource allocation for this upkeep must be considered before allocating resources for further expansion, particularly when the new expansion will ultimately add to the maintenance backlog.   
            ·        For Capital Projects, the funding to upkeep existing facilities should generally be given precedence, particularly over the expensive roadway expansion.[5][6]

            4.    Develop a plan to respond to a changing retail landscape.  The retail world is rapidly transforming due to the explosive growth on online commerce.  
            ·        The coming decade will likely see more store closings and vacancies in our strip shopping centers, big box storefronts, and malls.[7][8]  
            ·        Old strip shopping centers, like Indian River Shopping Center, are already failing and becoming a blight on their community.
            ·        The city needs to look at repurposing these lands, perhaps rezoning them for mixed used redevelopment that combines apartments, condos, and businesses on a single site, as was typical in traditional cities.  This would bring residents and business together and encourage new service oriented business such as markets, cafes, and restaurants.[9]

            5.    Establish a new balance between Revitalization vs. New Development.  While new residential development in south Chesapeake frustrates the local residents and consumes cherished agricultural lands, it also has real costs, both short term and long term for the older sections of the city.  
            ·        Expanding infrastructure has immediate costs (even if initially underwritten by the developer) and becomes a long term maintenance liability for the city.
            ·        The lower the density and the farther from the “urban overlay” of the city, the higher the infrastructure cost per household and the more likely that these costs exceed the tax revenue collected.
            ·        When reviewing new development projects, the city should carefully consider these long term costs.  Proposed projects that indicate a negative fiscal outcome during their first decade should be looked at with particular concern.  
            These costs mean the loss of money and opportunity to support the ongoing needs of existing sections of the city.[10]

            6.    Re-focus on our Sustainability Plan[11] including
            ·        improving water quality through efforts such as the Eastern Branch Restoration Plan[12]
            ·        adequately funding our Urban Forestry Plan to increase the city tree canopy[13]
            ·        supporting efforts to switch to Renewable Energy - both at the residential and utility scale - and improving energy efficiency across the city.[14] 
            ·        revitalizing city parks and protecting green spaces, and
            ·        protecting and fostering our city's wetlands for the vital services they provide in water quality and flood protection.[16]

            We know that balancing the needs of the community as a whole with local public opinions is a daunting challenge.  There are many conflicting voices and demands as groups focus on local interests. But we do believe the long term vitality of the city will require a new balance and will require a cultural change to avoid unproductive development patterns that ultimately degrade the city’s quality of life and the city’s financial stability.


            References
            2.    Slower Cars = Safer More Economically Productive Streets https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/6/12/slower-cars-safer-more-economically-productive-streets
            3.    St. Louis Plan4Health Traffic Calming Demonstrations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9rT9GOAWjY
            6.    What’s Up With That: Building Bigger Roads Actually Makes Traffic Worse https://www.wired.com/2014/06/wuwt-traffic-induced-demand/
            9.    The Strip Center Apartments on O.S.T. http://swamplot.com/the-strip-center-apartments-on-ost/2007-10-25/
            12. Eastern Branch Restoration Plan http://www.elizabethriver.org/eastern-branch-restoration
            15. Wetlands stopped $625 million in property damage during Hurricane Sandy http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/wetlands-stopped-650-million-property-damage-hurricane-sandy-can-help-houston/