THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 8, 1994 TAG: 9406080473
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940608 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH
The council voted 7-3 to participate in a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to widen the 4 1/2-mile beach subject to several conditions. The action reverses the council's year-old stand against sand nourishment.
{REST} But the council's position is about as stable as the sand.
Councilman John D. Moss, who opposes the sand haul, vowed to bring the issue back before the council in July after three new council members take office.
Because of the project's volatility, Sandbridge residents, while pleased with the vote, are not yet proclaiming victory.
``It's a first step,'' said Dick Dunleavy, president of the Sandbridge Oceanfront Property Owners Association. ``It's a never-ending battle. But I'm encouraged that some of the new council members have said they are supportive. . . . I think we'll win.''
The council's action financially commits the city to the 50-year project if three conditions are met:
A majority of the property owners at Sandbridge must agree to increased real estate and lodging taxes to help pay for the project. This would be done by mailed petitions. The special taxes would go into effect January 1995.
All oceanfront landowners have to grant easements on their property to the city, making the private beach public.
The state refunds $2.8 million to the city from the sale of 550 acres at Camp Pendleton. The General Assembly already has agreed to the rebate from the $4.7 million sale if it's used for sand at Sandbridge.
The beach replenishment project would be funded 65 percent by the federal government and 35 percent by the city. Virginia Beach's share would be about $3 million initially and about $1.8 million every two to three years thereafter.
The state refund from the Camp Pendleton sale, combined with revenues from the special tax district at Sandbridge, would cover the city's share of the project's costs. The city, however, would kick in about $100,000 a year to pay for the stretches of beach it already owns at Sandbridge (including Little Island Park), which is about 25 percent of the beachfront.
``All they're (Sandbridge residents) asking for is a chance to save themselves,'' Councilman Linwood O. Branch III said.
``There are still some hurdles,'' Branch added after the meeting. He said, however, that the council has at least overcome the misperception that the city's taxpayers living outside Sandbridge would have to foot the bulk of the local costs.
Council opponents to sand replenishment questioned the city's financial liability if storms carry off much of the sand early in the project. They also were critical of the lack of details and documentation and objected to bailing out private citizens who took the risk of building on the oceanfront.
Details of the project still must be worked out by the council before next fall. They must decide the frequency of replenishment - every two years or three years, or alternating two and three years. They must set the tax surcharges, with proposals ranging from 6 cents to 12 cents on real estate and 2.5 cents to 4 cents on the lodging tax.
Voting against sand replenishment were Moss, Robert K. Dean and Nancy K. Parker. Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf was out of town.
{KEYWORDS} SANDBRIDGE EROSION SAND REPLENISHMENT TAX
VIRGINIA BEACH - THE SANDS OF SANDBRIDGE SHIFTED AGAIN TUESDAY, THIS TIME IN RESIDENTS' FAVOR AS THE CITY COUNCIL ENDORSED A CONTROVERSIAL PROJECT THAT WOULD REPLENISH THE BEACH AND OPEN IT TO THE PUBLIC.
THE COUNCIL VOTED 7-3 TO PARTICIPATE IN A U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS PROJECT TO WIDEN THE 4 1/2-MILE BEACH SUBJECT TO SEVERAL CONDITIONS. THE ACTION REVERSES THE COUNCIL'S YEAR-OLD STAND AGAINST SAND NOURISHMENT.
BUT THE COUNCIL'S POSITION IS ABOUT AS STABLE AS THE SAND.
COUNCILMAN JOHN D. MOSS, WHO OPPOSES THE SAND HAUL, VOWED TO BRING THE ISSUE BACK BEFORE THE COUNCIL IN JULY AFTER THREE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS TAKE OFFICE.
BECAUSE OF THE PROJECT'S VOLATILITY, SANDBRIDGE RESIDENTS, WHILE PLEASED WITH THE VOTE, ARE NOT YET PROCLAIMING VICTORY.
``IT'S A FIRST STEP,'' SAID DICK DUNLEAVY, PRESIDENT OF THE SANDBRIDGE OCEANFRONT PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION. ``IT'S A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED THAT SOME OF THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SAID THEY ARE SUPPORTIVE. . . . I THINK WE'LL WIN.''
THE COUNCIL'S ACTION FINANCIALLY COMMITS THE CITY TO THE 50-YEAR PROJECT IF THREE CONDITIONS ARE MET:
A MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS AT SANDBRIDGE MUST AGREE TO INCREASED REAL ESTATE AND LODGING TAXES TO HELP PAY FOR THE PROJECT. THIS WOULD BE DONE BY MAILED PETITIONS. THE SPECIAL TAXES WOULD GO INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1995.
ALL OCEANFRONT LANDOWNERS HAVE TO GRANT EASEMENTS ON THEIR PROPERTY TO THE CITY, MAKING THE PRIVATE BEACH PUBLIC.
THE STATE REFUNDS $2.8 MILLION TO THE CITY FROM THE SALE OF 550 ACRES AT CAMP PENDLETON. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ALREADY HAS AGREED TO THE REBATE FROM THE $4.7 MILLION SALE IF IT'S USED FOR SAND AT SANDBRIDGE.
THE BEACH REPLENISHMENT PROJECT WOULD BE FUNDED 65 PERCENT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND 35 PERCENT BY THE CITY. VIRGINIA BEACH'S SHARE WOULD BE ABOUT $3 MILLION INITIALLY AND ABOUT $1.8 MILLION EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS THEREAFTER.
THE STATE REFUND FROM THE CAMP PENDLETON SALE, COMBINED WITH REVENUES FROM THE SPECIAL TAX DISTRICT AT SANDBRIDGE, WOULD COVER THE CITY'S SHARE OF THE PROJECT'S COSTS. THE CITY, HOWEVER, WOULD KICK IN ABOUT $100,000 A YEAR TO PAY FOR THE STRETCHES OF BEACH IT ALREADY OWNS AT SANDBRIDGE (INCLUDING LITTLE ISLAND PARK), WHICH IS ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF THE BEACHFRONT.
``ALL THEY'RE (SANDBRIDGE RESIDENTS) ASKING FOR IS A CHANCE TO SAVE THEMSELVES,'' COUNCILMAN LINWOOD O. BRANCH III SAID.
``THERE ARE STILL SOME HURDLES,'' BRANCH ADDED AFTER THE MEETING. HE SAID, HOWEVER, THAT THE COUNCIL HAS AT LEAST OVERCOME THE MISPERCEPTION THAT THE CITY'S TAXPAYERS LIVING OUTSIDE SANDBRIDGE WOULD HAVE TO FOOT THE BULK OF THE LOCAL COSTS.
COUNCIL OPPONENTS TO SAND REPLENISHMENT QUESTIONED THE CITY'S FINANCIAL LIABILITY IF STORMS CARRY OFF MUCH OF THE SAND EARLY IN THE PROJECT. THEY ALSO WERE CRITICAL OF THE LACK OF DETAILS AND DOCUMENTATION AND OBJECTED TO BAILING OUT PRIVATE CITIZENS WHO TOOK THE RISK OF BUILDING ON THE OCEANFRONT.
DETAILS OF THE PROJECT STILL MUST BE WORKED OUT BY THE COUNCIL BEFORE NEXT FALL. THEY MUST DECIDE THE FREQUENCY OF REPLENISHMENT - EVERY TWO YEARS OR THREE YEARS, OR ALTERNATING TWO AND THREE YEARS. THEY MUST SET THE TAX SURCHARGES, WITH PROPOSALS RANGING FROM 6 CENTS TO 12 CENTS ON REAL ESTATE AND 2.5 CENTS TO 4 CENTS ON THE LODGING TAX.
VOTING AGAINST SAND REPLENISHMENT WERE MOSS, ROBERT K. DEAN AND NANCY K. PARKER. MAYOR MEYERA E. OBERNDORF WAS OUT OF TOWN.
by CNB