Virginia Beach off-topic

[varider]

I, too, was under the impression the mixed- use Homewood Suites was going right where the gas station was and would front the corner of 31ST/ Atlantic. That’s impressive if that’s actually going on the adjacent lot. All this new development will finally give us that Laskin Rd/ Central Beach corridor we’ve been aiming for. 

[urbanlife]

That sounds like some fantastic changes coming to Laskin and Atlantic. Really turning that area into a little urban district at the beach. It's really great to see things I imagined happening back in the mid 90s finally starting to happen.

[BFG]

Exciting stuff. One thing I've wanted to see is more development off Atlantic, and further along Laskin. This sounds promising, esp. if we can get some sleek architecture.

[Lluck002]

A preliminary design I made for a tower that would meet Form-Based Code for the corner of Laskin & Atlantic. I haven’t presented to the developer yet because our department wants to show how it integrates into the overall site before we show them. Gotta add the site work to the model, work on the ground-floor retail more, and will probably include the adjacent residential tower too so they can gain inspiration into how the various components might relate to each other.

Don’t wanna get anyone’s hopes up because as I’ve said before, the most we can do is offer suggested concepts to the developers and/or require certain alterations if they don’t meet Form-Based Code. We can’t require them to build something specific. But some developers have gone with slightly altered versions of my designs before. We’ll see what happens! 

Edited February 4, 2022 by Lluck002

[varider]

I saw this in person for the first time recently. It’s definitely an improvement, and the city could use more of these place making sort of things. It would have been nice if they could have went with the extra $4M for a better design, but it’s better than nothing 

https://www.pilotonline.com/news/transportation/vp-nw-greenwich-flyover-virginia-beach-20191205-nu4atq4auvfmdg6hshqvketpoa-story.html

Edited February 8, 2022 by varider

[Lluck002]

7 hours ago, varider said:

I saw this in person for the first time recently. It’s definitely an improvement, and the city could use more of these place making sort of things. It would have been nice if they could have went with the extra $4M for a better design, but it’s better than nothing 

https://www.pilotonline.com/news/transportation/vp-nw-greenwich-flyover-virginia-beach-20191205-nu4atq4auvfmdg6hshqvketpoa-story.html

I saw this too! While I dislike that so much infrastructure investment is funneled away from transit and into roads, I do like that this connection gives me a straight-shot from my apartment in Town Center to the Tide Newtown Station, bypassing Virginia Beach Blvd.

[Lluck002]

Just met with a developer today that wants to develop the surface lot at 20th & Boardwalk into a slender, funky, modern mixed-use tower. I wish I could share the renderings he had because it looked really cool! It’s gonna mostly be a hotel. They’re proposing a nightclub at the top. The building has a twisting, blocky shape where the levels are stacked at different angles.

They’re still in the very early concept stage and were disappointed with our height limit and some other restrictions with Zoning Ordinance that could potentially impact their design. The developer’s goal though is to have this be an iconic tower. I suggested they double the height, keep the funky design, and put it in Town Center!

Edited February 9, 2022 by Lluck002

[vdogg]

On 2/8/2022 at 2:57 PM, Lluck002 said:

Just met with a developer today that wants to develop the surface lot at 20th & Boardwalk into a slender, funky, modern mixed-use tower. I wish I could share the renderings he had because it looked really cool! It’s gonna mostly be a hotel. They’re proposing a nightclub at the top. The building has a twisting, blocky shape where the levels are stacked at different angles.

They’re still in the very early concept stage and were disappointed with our height limit and some other restrictions with Zoning Ordinance that could potentially impact their design. The developer’s goal though is to have this be an iconic tower. I suggested they double the height, keep the funky design, and put it in Town Center!

I was about to say have him put it at Town Center before I read the end of the post.  A rooftop club would be great at Town Center, especially seeing as there are no true nightlife options there other than bars. Hard to feel like a true downtown without a couple of nice clubs mixed in. I know they’re probably enamored with the oceanfront, but really hoping he takes your advice.

[Lluck002]

On 2/4/2022 at 4:15 AM, Lluck002 said:

A preliminary design I made for a tower that would meet Form-Based Code for the corner of Laskin & Atlantic. I haven’t presented to the developer yet because our department wants to show how it integrates into the overall site before we show them. Gotta add the site work to the model, work on the ground-floor retail more, and will probably include the adjacent residential tower too so they can gain inspiration into how the various components might relate to each other.

Don’t wanna get anyone’s hopes up because as I’ve said before, the most we can do is offer suggested concepts to the developers and/or require certain alterations if they don’t meet Form-Based Code. We can’t require them to build something specific. But some developers have gone with slightly altered versions of my designs before. We’ll see what happens! 

Updated to include the residential tower on the Bank of America parcel and the garage/retail podium between the towers. Again, this would be my vision for those parcels. Developer just wanted suggestions so who knows what they’ll actually go with at this early stage. Unfortunately though, upon closer inspection of the height map found in the Form-Based Code, the bank parcel only allows heights up to 121 feet, so I’ll have to halve the residential tower’s height  I mistakenly assumed the entire end of that block allowed 210 feet since the BP parcel is zoned that way.

[vdogg]

12 hours ago, Lluck002 said:

Updated to include the residential tower on the Bank of America parcel and the garage/retail podium between the towers. Again, this would be my vision for those parcels. Developer just wanted suggestions so who knows what they’ll actually go with at this early stage. Unfortunately though, upon closer inspection of the height map found in the Form-Based Code, the bank parcel only allows heights up to 121 feet, so I’ll have to halve the residential tower’s height  I mistakenly assumed the entire end of that block allowed 210 feet since the BP parcel is zoned that way.

What in the world? Can they rezone that? Seems to be a strange restriction on a high value parcel close to the beach. 200 ft is low enough. 120 is nonsensical. Awesome design btw. I hope they use it.

[Lluck002]

On 2/18/2022 at 4:01 PM, vdogg said:

What in the world? Can they rezone that? Seems to be a strange restriction on a high value parcel close to the beach. 200 ft is low enough. 120 is nonsensical. Awesome design btw. I hope they use it.

Thanks for the compliments! Here’s the Height Map used as part of the Form-Based Code. A couple of my colleagues who worked on the creation and implementation of the Form-Based Code and associated new OR mixed-use zoning told me they fought really hard for greater density and taller heights but Oceana threatened to relocate out of the city if the new code allowed density greater than what was allowed under the previous code. You can see that I highlighted the parcel in question with a red box. The purple allows for 200 feet Prescribed Form/210 feet Optional Form and the green allows for 110 feet Prescribed Form/121 feet Optional Form.

It’s especially annoying because some existing development that predates this height map located between Atlantic and Pacific in green 110-foot zones is way taller than that. For example, the older residential towers towards the north end of the resort strip. So I guess if those towers got demolished for new development, we’d have to replace them with buildings half the height?

My supervisors told me that it would take a City Council action to amend the Height Map in the Form-Based Code and that that would be really unlikely to go through, at least for now. It wouldn’t be something as simple as applying for a Rezoning or Conditional Use Permit, or going to the Board of Zoning Appeals. I forget the exact legal reasons for why those aren’t avenues developers can pursue in OR Zoning.

Let’s be clear, I absolutely love everything about the OR Zoning Designation associated with the Form-Based Code sans the height restrictions. Again, Planning Staff really wanted to see greater density and height at the Oceanfront.

Edited February 26, 2022 by Lluck002

[varider]

https://www.vbgov.com/news/pages/selected.aspx?release=5735&title=virginia+beach+annual+state+of+the+city+address+to+be+live+streamed+on+vbgov.com&fbclid=IwAR3uzDHl9Amlp97VVjw0Xktop1E3zC5VaCp3zIwmSVP63uLNVR7hA5MdvoQ
 

State of City is later today. 

[HRVA]

4 hours ago, varider said:

State of City is later today. 

Nothing particularly major announced. DroneUp has an agreement with Walmart and expects to add 500 jobs this year. 
Navy in agreement to lease 1,100 acres at Oceana for commercial use. 
Jackalope Festival (action sports) will be coming to the Oceanfront in Summer 2023. 

[varider]

State of City was very underwhelming. No new announcements nor mention of Atlantic Park. Most of the time was spent highlighting new drains and pump stations and excitement over the return of the air show or the endless possibilities with offshore wind. We’ve heard the same remarks year after year about how much potential there is, but it never manifests in really much of anything. VB is just as stagnant as ever before with absolutely no growth in the corporate/jobs, entertainment, or infrastructure front besides maybe a new warehouse and roadwork. A successful VB state of the city equates to preservation of the status quo (I.e. no growth, strong ties to military, NIMBY , “safest big city” suburbia). I don’t even know what I expected, but today was not it. 

[BFG]

Apparently a sports festival known as the Jackalope festival is coming to VB. According to the Pilot, "The Jackalope Festival, which will be held from June 3 through 5 next year, will feature, skateboarding, BMX, surfing and other extreme sports."

https://www.pilotonline.com/entertainment/festivals/vp-nw-vb-state-of-city-0317-20220316-pdqlkrjwqfef3ihn3uuygb5zre-story.html

I wasn't expecting the return of SITW or a light rail extension, but I turned it off after 20 minutes. Hopefully Norfolk will offer some major post(ish)-pandemic announcements.

[vdogg]

4 hours ago, varider said:

State of City was very underwhelming. No new announcements nor mention of Atlantic Park. Most of the time was spent highlighting new drains and pump stations and excitement over the return of the air show or the endless possibilities with offshore wind. We’ve heard the same remarks year after year about how much potential there is, but it never manifests in really much of anything. VB is just as stagnant as ever before with absolutely no growth in the corporate/jobs, entertainment, or infrastructure front besides maybe a new warehouse and roadwork. A successful VB state of the city equates to preservation of the status quo (I.e. no growth, strong ties to military, NIMBY , “safest big city” suburbia). I don’t even know what I expected, but today was not it. 

VB never puts anything big in the SOC, doesn't mean nothing big is happening, just that they never include their major projects. That's why I usually just ignore VB's and wait for Norfolk's, because Norfolk always includes their major projects.

[mintscraft56]

5 hours ago, vdogg said:

VB never puts anything big in the SOC, doesn't mean nothing big is happening, just that they never include their major projects. That's why I usually just ignore VB's and wait for Norfolk's, because Norfolk always includes their major projects.

I see it as VB gives the fact and real stuff that it needs to give and they do a good job at it. Norfolk as much as I absolutely love the city sometimes makes these legendary state of the city announcements that seem to fall apart or never happen. Im not saying it always happens but sometimes it puts our hopes a little to high for anything realistic to be achieved. However the feeling of when they actually do what was promised in the SOC the feeling is always great. 

[Norva757]

per Pusha T it looks like something in the water is moving to DC....way to go Vabeach....they screw up everything. They want all this business here like the Amazon HQ2 but shoot down the things that bring those businesses here like the light rail. We need a new city council

[zeppelin14]

Is anyone surprised?

[BFG]

I listened to part of Pusha T's interview. He said "this year" it's going to DC, which to me leaves the door open for a future return to Hampton Roads.

Hopefully one of the other cities can work something out with Pharrell, and maybe even VB extends an olive branch. Otherwise this is yet another major project that's failed due to backwards leadership. Regardless of what happened that night on the Strip, it should never have gotten this far.

[baobabs727]

No, I’m not surprised. They could never have made any money here. Look at the talent roster in name recognition/fame, size and scope, and then look at the ticket prices and the ticket sales. There needed to have been a lot more people attending paying a lot higher ticket prices. Pharrell kept prices artificially low.  Ticket scarcity was a manufactured marketing move. Demand was actually met, and that was a problem. There was also the problem of the open container law in Virginia and alcohol on the beach. They need to sell a lot more alcohol 

No one else is going to tell you this. 

[vdogg]

Some rare good news to share about the oceanfront.

https://www.pilotonline.com/government/local/vp-nw-police-substation-folo-0428-20220427-mgnxcxjurzb6tkyoaoa5iahb5e-story.html

"The chief said calls for service in The Block, comprised of the 2100 block of Atlantic Avenue and its side streets, have dropped 21% since the city bought the property, as compared with the previous year.

He also noted there hasn’t been a homicide at the Oceanfront in more than a year, and it’s been 311 days since a person has been shot there — thanks to the presence of the substation, the chief said."

[baobabs727]

Chief Neudigate made a nice presentation to Council during a workshop session wherein he reiterated these successes  and presented some opportunities for additional investments in this “Block” facility. He seemed to have strong backing from CC for whatever he needs. Chief has been a great asset to Virginia Beach along with his partner in governance  from Cincinnati, City Manager Duhaney. 

[mintscraft56]

Every VIrginia Beach resitent´s feverdream:

  

 

Everyone can agree on this one. That taco bell is nearly invincible.

Edited May 9, 2022 by mintscraft56

[zeppelin14]

Long live Taco Bell.