Virginia Beach approves filling of borrow-pit despite residents' concerns

Yahoo3 days ago

VIRGINIA BEACH — In a 9-0 vote Tuesday, the City Council approved a permit modification that will allow the city to fill a human-made lake with dredged material.
Councilman Worth Remick, who represents the district, made the motion to approve it. Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson and Councilwoman Jennifer Rouse were absent.
The Department of Public Works plans to dump dredged material from navigation channels and stormwater projects into the lake. The approval came after nearly a dozen people including neighboring residents spoke against the plan citing concerns about water contamination, flooding and impact on wildlife.
'Filling this pond is a short-term solution that creates long-term problems,' said Lisa Johnson, a representative of the Virginia Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental organization.
The lake, on the east side of Oceana Boulevard across from Naval Air Station Oceana, was formerly a borrow-pit for sand. Rainwater filled it, transforming the site into an oasis for migratory birds and other animals.
In 2016, the City Council approved the purchase of the property for the 'deposit of dredged spoils,' according to a city resolution. Filling the lake with dredged material is not expected to increase flooding in the area because it will become more pervious, City Engineer Toni Utterback told the City Council last week.
Public works will test and remove contaminants from the material before it's dumped, according to the city. The department has also installed three monitoring wells on the site and plans to build a 2-foot berm around the eastern end of the lake to protect adjacent properties along Birdneck Road.
Councilman Stacy Cummings said Virginia Beach is obligated to provide a place for dredged material.
'We have to dump it somewhere, and this site works perfectly for that purpose,' he said.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

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