September Newsletter and Events

• Upcoming Events
• Saturday, September 13: Second Saturday Hike
• Thursday, September 18: Monthly Meeting - Clean Virginia Waterways
• Saturday, September 20: International Coastal Cleanup 
• News
• Indian River Shopping Center
• Indian River Road
• Indian River Park Signage
• Planning Department Updates
• Summer Recap

Upcoming Events

Saturday, September 13, 2025: Second Saturday Hike @ Indian River Park

• 
  8:30 am to 10:30 am
• Location: Indian River Park entrance
  at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2003 Rokeby Ave.) which is located just south of Military Highway, i.e. across Military Highway from the Fire Station.
• 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: the forest trail has uneven surfaces and minor elevation changes.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/PXjRyeGSYLydZJgp6 (suggested but not required)

Thursday, September 18, 2025: Monthly Meeting - Clean Virginia Waterways

• 
  7 pm to 8:30 pm
• Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive
• Our guest speaker will be Christina Trapani, Program Director for Clean Virginia Waterways about pollution prevention, education, and stewardship activities.  Christina is also the founder and owner of Eco Maniac, a retail store for eco-friendly items including alternatives to single-use plastics, waste-free and plastic-free and Fair Trade goods. 
• All are welcome.  We'll also have the latest community news and updates!  There will be light refreshments for the meeting. 

Saturday, September 20, 2025: International Coastal Cleanup  

• 
  From 9 AM to 11:30 am  
• Meet at Lilac Avenue and Indian River Road. Park along Lilac Avenue by the Norfolk Highlands Primary School.
• We need your help for our fall cleanup at Blue Heron Landing Park and around Oaklette Bridge.   Join us for a few hours to clean the shoreline and along Indian River 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.  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.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/FELP36mtMesJaiiF8 (suggested but not required)

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News

Indian River Shopping Center

Everyone is starting to get excited about the progress on the renovations at the Indian River Shopping Center.  There is still no official confirmation on who is moving into the renovated section, but the leasing company Katsias is marketing "the newly renovated shopping center grocery anchor coming 2026".  

Indian River Road

The restoration work on the Indian River Road Oaklette Bridge is finally complete.  As part of our ongoing discussions with the Public Works Department, we understand that the City is finalizing their plans on resurfacing (repaving) and restriping all of Indian River Road from the Norfolk City Line to the Virginia Beach City Line.  Part of this will be installing a new crosswalk with flashing beacons to serve Blue Heron Landing Park.  We're also expecting the overall work to include upgrades to the existing crosswalks at Sparrow Road and Tatemstown Road.  We are still waiting to hear the schedule for the work to start. 

Planning Department Updates

The Planning Department has been keeping busy over the summer.   In August, the City Council approved the Greenbrier Area Plan that lays out the vision to develop Greenbrier into the future urban core of Chesapeake, focusing on human-scaled neighborhoods and commercial districts that are pedestrian and bicycle friendly, balancing the needs of people while accommodating vehicular traffic. 

Planning also held a series of Open Houses in August to review the Draft of the City-wide Comprehensive Plan, which would set the revised guidelines for the City Planning for the coming 20 years.  In our initial review, we saw a strong vision for creating a high-quality future for the City. The policies presented adopt the principles of Smart Growth, focus on moving people on Complete Streets that provide safe access to all, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit users, It includes good policies related to the environment and resilience. Something new for Chesapeake in the Plan is the description of Character Districts that describes a range of appropriate uses in different types of communities that exist across the City.   We see some areas that could be strengthened to address healthy landscapes and planning for energy infrastructure.  The City is accepting comments through September 26.  

The Planning Department also released proposed Ordinance changes for the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area.  In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly amended the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act to incorporate new guidelines for "coastal resilience and adaptation to sea-level rise and climate change".  Localities had until 2025 to adopt the changes and the revised guidelines are expected to be presented to the City Council in October.  

Summer Recap

Parks, Recreation and Tourism has started to install new trail maps and signage at Indian River Park.   Join us for our Second Saturday Hike on September 12 and we'll check them out in person.

A thank you to the volunteers who braved the summer heat to continue the ongoing weeding at our gardens at the Oaklette Bridge and at Indian River Park.

Have an idea for an article for our newsletter?  Send your submission, max 250 words, to us at info@friendsofindianriver.org along with a photo and we'll consider it for our next edition.

Summer Newsletter

In this Edition

• Upcoming Events
• On-going - Volunteers Needed for Gardening
• News
• Chesapeake Healthy Landscapes Program
• Why Healthy Landscapes in Your Yard Matter
• June Recap
• Fall Preview

Upcoming Events

On-going Volunteer Activities

We have a continuing need for volunteers through the summer to help maintain our gardens and plantings at the Oaklette Bridge and the native plant garden at Indian River Park.   If you are interested in helping, please e-mail us at info@friendsofindianriver.org for more information.  

Tasks include regular weeding and other garden work. Some of the work involves small group events during the week. Once orientation is completed, some work might be on an individual schedule.

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News

Chesapeake Healthy Landscapes Program

We are encouraging folks to sign up for the Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council and the City of Chesapeake's new Chesapeake Healthy Landscape Program.  This program recognizes and encourages residents to take steps to create healthy landscapes on their properties.  Participants who sign up can receive an information kit and a landscape flag as recognition for their efforts.  

To be recognized, they are looking for commitments to Protect Your Trees, put the Right Plant in the Right Place, Consider Wildlife, Reduce Lawn Maintenance, Reduce Runoff, Avoid or Remove Invasive Plants, and Limit Chemical Usage.  Learn more and sign up at Chesapeake Healthy Landscape Program | Chesapeake, VA 

We're hoping that the Indian River will be the top area for sign-ups in the Chesapeake.  

Why Healthy Landscapes in Your Yard Matter

Bird populations are down 30% since 1970.  Butterfly abundance is down 22% since 2000.  Half of all native bee species are in decline and a quarter are in danger of extinction.  Human-caused habitat loss and climate change are the primary causes of these declines.   People have transformed nearly all the land of the eastern US by cutting down trees and converting land to farms, cities, and suburbs.  We've replaced entire native ecosystems with cropland, lawns, ornamental plants, and asphalt that provide little value to wildlife, especially the insects that form the central layer of the food chain.

This is where you can make a difference.  There are nearly 44 million acres of lawns across the US.  The "well-kept" lawn sold by the lawn care industry is a burden on nature and homeowners' time and money.   Lawns provide practically no benefits to nature while needing constant mowing, watering, and application of herbicides and pesticides to keep out "weeds" and "pests".  

In contrast, a healthy home landscape incorporates native flowers, shrubs, and trees while minimizing lawns to those areas needed for play or access.  Native plants support the food chain and provide homes and nutrition for bees, butterflies and beneficial insects.  In turn, these insects provide food for baby birds, turtles, and a variety of small animals.   An established native plant garden also rarely needs the use of herbicides and pesticides.   Rather than a sterile yard, your garden now becomes a habitat that helps restore balance and resilience to nature.  More plants also mean less rain runoff, less flooding, cleaner air, cooler local temperatures, more CO2 removal, and a lot more peace of mind.   

This doesn't mean you need to run out and start tearing out your lawn tomorrow.  But every native plant added helps.   Start small, perhaps planting a few pollinator-friendly native plants.  Make a plan and add to your garden over time.   Think about steps you can take to make your yard more wildlife-friendly, like adding a water source for birds, setting aside a brush pile, or just leaving more leaves on the ground in the fall. (Leaves provide an important habitat for many overwintering insects including fireflies).  Set aside space where you can enjoy your garden and watch as it comes to life.  Plant SEVA Natives — Plant Virginia Natives is a great starting point for learning about native plants.  

Want more information and advice? The Chesapeake Healthy Landscape program has a ton of great tips and advice to share when you sign up at the link above. 

June Recap

Our big cleanup this month was Clean the Bay Day at Indian River Park. 28 volunteers including from the Friends of Indian River, Tidewater Master Naturalist, The Ohio State University Alumni Club of Hampton Roads, and Scouting America Virginia Beach Troop 16B came out to the park and removed 300 lbs. of litter and about 400 lbs. of construction debris. 

Later in the month, Five volunteers braved the late June heat to help with our Adopt-A-Road cleanup.  We collected about 120 lbs. of litter, including a large bag of aluminum cans that we'll take to the Chesapeake Animal Services aluminum collection bin. 

 A big thank you to everyone who came out to help!

Fall Preview

In September, we'll resume our regular event schedule with

• Saturday, Sept. 13, Second Saturday Hike at Indian River Park
• Thursday, Sept. 18, Bi-Monthly Meeting with Christina Trapani from Clean Virginia Waterways
• Saturday, Sept. 20, International Coastal Cleanup volunteer event.  

We're still finalizing the fall schedule, but it will include more hikes, cleanups, and gardening at the park.  For our November meeting, we invited Council Member Pat King to speak to our group.  And we'll plan a holiday get-together for December.  Stay tuned for more details in our September newsletter.  

Have an idea for an article for our newsletter?  Send your submission, max 250 words, to us at info@friendsofindianriver.org along with a photo and we'll consider it for our next edition.

June Newsletter and Events

• Upcoming Events
• Saturday, June 7: Clean the Bay Day
• Saturday, June14: Second Saturday Evening Hike
• Thursday, June 19: Summer Evening Picnic
• Saturday, June 21: Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road
• On-going - Volunteers Needed for Gardening
• News
• Chesapeake Budget
• Connecting Chesapeake
• Indian River Design Guidelines
• Indian River High School Scholarship
• Chesapeake VoiCeS
• Oyster Gardening
• May Recap

Upcoming Events

Saturday, June 7, 2025: Clean the Bay Day @ Indian River Park

• 
  9AM to Noon
• Location: Indian River Park trailhead
  at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2003 Rokeby Ave.) which is located just south of Military Highway, i.e. across Military Highway from the Fire Station.
• The Friends of Indian River's will be hosting Clean the Bay Day at the Indian River Park
• Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves.  Long pants recommended. Some of the cleanup area is in the river flood plain which can be muddy.  
• We will have water and snacks but 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.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/EiokEr1KHgStDVqt7 (suggested but not required)

Saturday, June 14, 2025: Evening Hike @ Indian River Park

• 
  6 pm to 7:30 pm
• Location: Indian River Park entrance
• at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2003 Rokeby Ave.) which is located just south of Military Highway, i.e. across Military Highway from the Fire Station.
• 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: the forest trail has uneven surfaces and minor elevation changes.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/1V6v7U6EdPV4phwC6 (suggested but not required)

Thursday, June 19, 2025: Summer Evening Potluck Picnic

• 
  6 pm to 8 pm (come out anytime during the event)
• Location: Picnic Pavilion behind Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive; park in side lot along St. Lawrence Dr.
• Rather than our usual monthly meeting, in June we'll have a potluck picnic out behind the church.  Bring a dish to share and join us for some camaraderie as we roll into summer.  The Friends will set out tables and chairs, provide a main protein dish (likely chicken).  We suggest bringing a comfy lawn chair.
• In the event of rain, we will move the event inside the church's fellowship hall.
• To help coordinate who is bringing what, we set up a Sign Up Genius form at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DADA92FA2FA7-56804950-friends

Saturday, June 21, 2025: Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road 

• 
  From 9 AM to 11:30 am  
• Meet at Lilac Avenue and Indian River Road. Park along Lilac Avenue by the Norfolk Highlands Primary School.
• 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 and at Blue Heron Landing Park. 
• 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.  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.
• Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/fmzaaiipuXW2JE5H6 (suggested but not required)

On-going 

• 
  We will have a regular need for volunteers to help maintain our gardens and plantings both along Indian River Road at the Oaklette Bridge and at the native plant garden at Indian River Park.  This is in addition to our monthly volunteer days.  The tasks include regular weeding and other garden work; some work involves small group events during the week; once orientation is completed, some work might be on an individual schedule.  
• If you are interested in helping out, e-mail us at info@friendsofindianriver.org for more information.
  
  

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News

Chesapeake Budget

On May 13, the Chesapeake City Council approved the City's Operating and Capital Budget for 2025-2026.  The new fiscal year starts on July 1st.  

1) We are pleased to see new funding for several items that can benefit the Indian River Area including

• (NEW) #26-300 Indian River Strategic Acquisition of Real Property - This project funds the purchase of commercial and residential property along key transportation corridors within the Indian River Planning Area to support the implementation of the Indian River Planning Area Study and Redevelopment Strategy, adopted by City Council in 2021.  
• 
  (NEW) #15-300 Chesapeake Pedestrian Access Improvements - funds improvements to pedestrian crossings at 33 signalized intersections that include high-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian signal poles, push buttons, and curb ramps with detectable warnings. Per Highway Safety Improvement Program - VDOT Smart Portal, these include the intersections at Indian River Road and Tatemstown Road, Indian River Road and Sparrow Rd, Sparrow Rd and Providence Rd, Sparrow Rd and Military Highway, Providence Rd and Dunbarton Dr (near Georgetown Primary), and Providence Rd and Campostella Rd, Border Rd and Campostella Rd.  
• (New) #20-300 Urban Forestry & Tree Inventory Plan - This will include the development of an Urban Forest Master Plan, which will inform future decisions regarding the City's tree canopy.  This is another important project that the Friends of Indian River have requested for several years to reverse the steady decline of tree canopy cover in our community and across the City.  As per the data on urban tree canopy recently published in TreeCanopy.US, created by the Arbor Day Foundation, with the USDA Forest Service and PlanIT Geo, the tree canopy in the Indian River and Campotella area in 2023 was 1,022 acres or 25.5% of the area's total area of 4,010 acres.  This was a loss of 73 acres of tree canopy since 2018 when our tree cover was 27.3%. 
• (NEW) #27-300 Wayfinding Signage - This project funds the design and implementation of a scalable wayfinding sign ‘family’ consisting of entryway, gateway, and both pedestrian and vehicular wayfinding signage. This sign family will connect areas in the City to a cohesive Chesapeake identity while highlighting unique community features.  Our community can benefit from better wayfinding to direct to locations such as Blue Heron Landing Park, the IR Library, IR Community Center, the Cuffee Center and the new pool, Indian River Park, Plymouth Park, etc.  This was also identified as a need in the Indian River Planning Area Study.

2) The City approved funding for bike lanes on Indian River Road in 2022 - #40-270 Indian River Rd. Diet - Phase I - but the project has yet to get underway.  With the first summer coming at the new Blue Heron Landing Park, it becomes ever more urgent to implement a safe crosswalk at the new park. VDOT's Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan (PBSAP) identifies Indian River Road in Chesapeake as one of the Top 1% statewide roadway segments in priority to review for safety projects and other planning needs.  We've effectively had a lane diet in place for the past 9 months with Oaklette Bridge Rehabilitation work and it did not negatively impact traffic throughput.  The current roadway configuration with two lanes going each way has demonstratively made the road easier for pedestrians to cross at Blue Heron Landing.  Public Works is engaged in design studies for a crosswalk and the bike lanes and finished the speed limit study.  The Friends of Indian River continue to advocate for getting these safety improvements implemented now.

3) Last year the budget added $2.3M, funded via VDOT, to rebuild the intersection of Military Highway and Rokeby Avenue, project #41-290.  Design is supposed to start in this coming fiscal year.  The redesign will prohibit left turns from Rokeby Avenue (north or south) onto Military Highway.  Although designated as a Safety Improvement Project, we have previously raised concerns that the preliminary designs did not include a pedestrian crossing of Military Highway at Rokeby.  This was a major oversight, and in our comments, we reiterated that the design must include a pedestrian and bicycle crossing at this intersection to provide access to Indian River Park. The Friends of Indian River are asking to engage with Public Works at the earliest possible time to look at the design for this intersection.  

4) With the pending completion of the Indian River Design Guidelines, we look forward to starting funding for #16-290, Indian River Façade Improvement Grant of $40K per year.   We believe this will be another important tool to help support commercial revitalization along Indian River Road corridor, consistent with the Indian River Small Area Plan.  

5) We asked that some of the funding for #42-270 Streetscaping and Landscaping of Various Gateway Corridors be applied to the Indian River area.  Streetscaping was another key element of the Indian River Planning Area Study and Redevelopment Strategy,

6) The Budget also includes several previously funded projects that are either underway or pending include

• #65-230 Philmont Ave Septic System Disconnection (and replacement by sanitary sewer system) - expected to start this summer
• #52-250 Norfolk Highlands Stormwater Improvements - expected to start this summer
• #72-270 Cuffee Community Center Pool - design in progress
• #05-260 Broadlawn Apartments Stormwater Outfall Improvements 
• #61-270 Providence Road Crossing Replacement (replacement for the existing damaged cross pipes under Providence Road near the middle school) -

Connecting Chesapeake

Also on May 13, Hampton Roads Transit provided a report on the Tier 2 Alternatives for the Connecting Chesapeake Study looking at high-capacity transit options in our city.  Their recommendation was to do further study on the Bus Rapid Transit options on Alignments A and B.  Alignment B would run across Volvo Parkway, Greenbrier Parkway, Military Highway, and Indian River Road through our community.   The next step is for the City Council to formally endorse the recommendations and ask Hampton Roads Transit to proceed with more studies in preparation for potential grant applications.  

Indian River Design Guidelines

On May 20, the City Council approved the new Indian River Design Guidelines. As a key stakeholder in the Indian River Small Area Plan, the Friends of Indian River worked with the Planning Department to provide input on this document.  

The Design Guidelines are an important next step in advancing the commercial revitalization of the Indian River area.   Public input during the document development highlighted recurring themes regarding the need for better pedestrian and bicycle safety, enhanced landscaping and green space, and encouraging new destination-style businesses such as coffee shops, eateries, and a grocery store.   Overall, our group found the document's contents very positive, especially for the Indian River Road corridor, our community "Main Street".  It describes a path forward for transforming the community into a more pedestrian-friendly shopping street with landscaping, trees for shade, and sidewalks.  We also appreciate that the plan adopts Dark Sky and Bird Safe lighting and window standards.  The Guidelines also support efforts to implement urgently needed pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements along Indian River Road.  We were pleased that most of the landscape plant pallets include a substantial emphasis on using plants native to our region, helping promote biodiversity.

We thank the Planning Department and the consultant team for their diligent work on these guidelines and their strong emphasis on getting community input. 

Indian River High School Scholarship

Congratulations to Katherine Hamburg, winner of the Friends of Indian River 2025 Indian River High School Education Scholarship.  The scholarship recognizes a senior who excels in leadership, citizenship, extracurricular activities, and academics.  Katherine demonstrated exceptional academic performance, leadership abilities, and a remarkable commitment to our community.   She is looking forward to majoring in biology. Thank you for your efforts and best wishes for college and beyond!   

Chesapeake VoiCeS

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is holding a virtual session of its Volunteers as Chesapeake Stewards (VoiCeS) program.  This multi-week adult education course is designed to deepen your understanding of the Chesapeake Bay and how you can make a difference in its restoration.   A number of our members have taken this class and recommend it highly.  Held virtually over six consecutive Wednesday evenings, this interactive course features expert speakers covering a wide range of environmental topics relevant to Virginia, plus chances to get out in the field.   Dates: Wednesdays, July 9–August 13, 6:00–8:00 p.m. Online via Zoom.

Register at https://events.cbf.org/vavoices25

Oyster Gardening

Live along the water? Want to help restore the oyster population in our river in the Chesapeake Bay? The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is hosting Oyster Gardening training in June and July. Sign up at https://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/virginia/oyster-restoration/oyster-gardening/hampton-roads-oyster-gardening-seminars-new-gardeners.html

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Oyster Gardening Program gives citizens an opportunity to help bring back this vital species by growing oysters alongside their docks. Once grown, the adult oysters are returned to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for planting on sanctuary reefs. Learn more at https://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/virginia/oyster-restoration/oyster-gardening/

May Recap

The guest speaker at our May meeting was Lisa Renée Jennings, Hampton Roads Grassroots Coordinator for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Lisa Renée leads advocacy and volunteer efforts for the Save the Bay program in our region.    Many of our founding members have gone through the Chesapeake Bay Foundation volunteer training and the meeting was a great chance to hear the latest from the organization and share all our local efforts and successes.

From The Nature Conservancy

Have an idea for an article for our newsletter?  Send your submission, max 250 words, to us at info@friendsofindianriver.org along with a photo and we'll consider it for our next edition.