Deep Creek Town Meeting held December 1, 2015

Status of AIW Deep Creek Bridge Project

The Deep Creek (AIW) Bridge Replacement Project will replace the existing obsolete 2-lane drawbridge with a 5-lane drawbridge and associated intersection/roadway improvements. This bridge is currently owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At the City's request, the bridge replacement project has been added to the current Hampton Roads Long-Range Transportation Plan. The project plans are now 90% complete. Although a Federal project, the City is seeking both State and Federal funding assistance for construction. A construction timeframe has not yet been established because full construction funding has not been secured.

The City of Chesapeake has expended over $25 million in recent years to address traffic congestion and safety in the Deep Creek Area. This includes construction of Moses Grandy Trail, as well as the widening of George Washington Highway. As such, the Deep Creek Bridge remains the sole bottleneck along this corridor.

In terms of diverted traffic due to future tolls on Dominion Boulevard, City Council adopted a toll rate schedule that provides the lowest possible cost to roadway users, while still covering the necessary operations and maintenance costs, as well as debt obligations. The initial toll rate will be $1 when the roadway is fully opened in early 2017. The City's traffic and revenue consultant prepared the graph below showing the cost of driving around the tolls to avoid Dominion Boulevard. In short, the cost of the tolls are largely offset by the cost of fuel consumption alone. Note this does not factor in time savings, which will be considerable during peak travel times.

Culpepper Landing Roundabout

The correct traffic control for a roundabout is yield-at-entry, where approaching drivers must give way to circulating traffic in the roundabout. Roundabouts have been shown to operate with fewer accidents and significantly less delay than intersections that have Stop control. Roundabouts are the preferred design for collector streets in larger neighborhoods in lieu of 4-way stop controlled intersections.

Although the new roundabout on Mill Creek Parkway in the Culpepper Landing subdivision is open to traffic, full construction of the roundabout has not been completed. An elevated traversable truck apron will be installed around the center circle that will reduce the roadway width to a typical single-lane width and will eliminate some of the incorrect driver behavior being observed. Full construction for the roundabout is required with the current phase of development and will be completed prior to any further development.

Speeding - Culpepper Landing; Weiss Lane

The Police Department has assigned an officer to monitor speeding at these locations.

Traffic Infractions George Washington Highway/Mosses Grandy Trail

The Police Department has increased patrol at this location.

Culpepper Landing Proffers

Under the parameters of the Virginia State Code, proffers can only be expended on projects within the same service districts in which the development is located. Also, the General Assembly passed legislation effective July 1, 2013, that limits the use of proffers only to projects that increase capacity, and not for maintenance and repairs.

Culpepper Landing is a Planned Unit Development located at end of Mill Creek Parkway in the Deep Creek section of the City. At the time of PUD rezoning in 2006, the developer offered: substantial road improvements to George Washington Highway; a dedicated and improved public park; a school site; cash proffers at $12,271 for schools per single-family units; $642 per single-family unit for Fire/EMS; and, $949 per single family unit for libraries.

In 2010, City Council approved a modification to the proffers as follows: $6,566 for schools per single-family units in Phases 2, 3, 4 and 5; $642 per single-family unit for Fire/EMS; $949 per single family unit for libraries; and $5,705 per single-family units in Phases 2, 3, 4 and 5 in lieu of the substantial road improvements to George Washington Highway. The dedicated land for an improved public park and school site remained part of the proffer package.

As of October 2015, a total of $3,511,360 has been collected, which are allocated as follows: $2,343,859 for Schools; $250,536.00 for Libraries; $169,488.00 for Fire/EMS and $747,477.00 for Roads. Of the proffers collected, $857,754.00,have been appropriated and expended as follows:

• Fire/EMS: $35,952– Supplement construction phase of 13,000 sf building located on the property of proposed new fire station 10 site. Used for storage of emergency equipment and supplies
• Libraries: $110,084 – renovation and repair of library facilities (prior to 2013)
• Schools: $711,718– pay a portion of debt remaining from construction of Grassfield High School

It should be noted that the Planning Department is currently reviewing a PUD Modification application request for the reduction of the proffers (CPL(M)-15-01). The application is schedule to be reviewed by the Planning Commission on January 13, 2016. If the Planning Commission takes action, the application will be reviewed by City Council on February 16, 2016.

Pavement Markings on Moses Grandy Trail

Staff inspected the roadway pavement markings along Moses Grandy Trail at the Food Lion shopping center entrance. The existing markings are standard materials that are retro-reflective. Inspection of the markings found that they are discernible and within acceptable standards. However, the markings were noted to be faded and cracking which has degraded the nighttime effectiveness. The Department of Public Works has scheduled maintenance crews to replace the markings.

In regard to improving the nighttime visibility for the median that runs along Moses Grandy Trail near the intersection of Diamond Avenue, the Department will install reflective markers around the nose of the median. In addition, a reflective strip will be installed on the post for the median sign to provide safe delineation to drivers during nighttime conditions.

Deep Creek Fire Station

Deep Creek Fire Station #8 is currently scheduled to be replaced and relocated in 2018. The Fire Department has the property for this project which is located at the intersection of Shipyard Road and Moses Grandy Trail. After over 55 years of service from the current station, the Fire Department is looking forward to a new station.

Thermal Imaging Cameras

All of the Fire Department's frontline fire trucks and ladder trucks are equipped with Thermal Imaging Cameras (TLCs), which are used to locate victims in rescue operations. In addition, these devices are also used to locate hidden fire in the walls of structures, overheated motors HVAC systems, and burnt out ballasts in fluorescent light fixtures in large commercial structures. In addition to the TLCs on the trucks, all of the Fire Department's boats are equipped with Forward-Looking Infrared Imaging Systems (LFIRS), which are used for search and rescue operations in the water.

Sidewalk Installation - George Washington Highway

A request was received that the City consider adding new sidewalks along George Washington Highway (Route 17) - the main concern being the segment of Route 17 running from Moses Grandy Trail to Margaret Booker Drive that presently does not have sidewalks on either side of the road. Adding new pedestrian facilities along this route is identified in the adopted 2050 Trails plan. However, the available public right-of-way that currently exists along this section is very limited and does not provide adequate width for the addition of sidewalks. Obtaining the necessary right of way to construct sidewalks is planned through policies and City Code that require new and re-development projects to dedicate or reserve land for sidewalks and/or as part of future roadway improvements projects along the corridor.

Traffic Pattern on George Washington Highway

Concern was expressed regarding the traffic congestion at the intersection of George Washington Highway and Old Mill Road. The root cause of the traffic issues and congestion experienced at the intersection of George Washington Highway and Old Mill Road/Mill Creek Parkway is directly related to the existing 2-lane Deep Creek Bridge. During peak travel times, the traffic demand will exceed the roadway capacity for this intersection resulting in a motorist sitting through several cycles and back-ups that block the 7-Eleven driveway and entrances to other businesses along the corridor. This deficiency will be corrected by the Deep Creek (AIW) Bridge Replacement Project. The project will include major improvements to the intersection at Mill Creek and George Washington Highway as well as the installation of a new signal at the intersection at South George Washington Highway and Moses Grandy Trail. These improvements will greatly improve the traffic conditions at these intersections. Until these improvements can be made, the Traffic Engineering Division does not recommend additional controls measures that would restrict legal access to existing commercial or residential sites.

Speed Limit Reduction

A request was made for the reduction of the speed limit crossing the Deep Creek Bridge. Specifically, the concern is with Deep Creek United Methodist Church located at the corner of George Washington Highway, adjacent to the Deep Creek Bridge, and traffic in the slip-lane crossing over the bridge possibly causing an accident with day care parents that are slowing to turn into the church parking lot from George Washington Highway. To address this concern, Traffic Operations will install an intersection ahead warning sign to alert drivers to above described condition.

Deep Creek Intermediate Property

The property is under contract and the developer (Deep Creek Associates, local developer) is in the due diligence period. Provided the sale of the property goes through, the proceeds will be used for the renovation/replacement of the stadium at Deep Creek Middle School.

Beautification of Deep Creek Schools

Chesapeake Public School Administration agrees additional beautification is needed at all of our schools. However, due to significant cuts from the Commonwealth of Virginia Schools has not been able to focus on beautification. Schools focus has been keeping the budget cuts away from classroom instruction and maintaining the required functions of buildings such as HVAC, etc. Citizen volunteers are welcome with regard to beautification projects.

Year Round Activities for Deep Creek Park

The following scheduled activities are taking place at Deep Creek Park year round as below:

• Lacrosse: January – May
• Soccer: March – June and August – November
• Football: April– July and September – November
• Deep Creek Baseball Association: April – July and September– November

Additionally, rental permits have been provided for soccer camps and tournaments for adult flag football, lacrosse, softball and baseball.

Condition of Deep Creek Community Center

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism is committed to repairing and enhancing current community centers, including Deep Creek. The focus has also been to renovate or replace existing City recreational facilities, such as aging playgrounds, athletic lights, tennis courts, fencing, shelters and other dilapidated park amenities. Security system installation and park/facility accessibility are also goals at this time.

Following are recent improvements to the Deep Creek Community Center:

• Replaced basketball score clock – July 2014
• Installed new fitness equipment and reconfigured fitness room – Summer 2014
• Replaced all ceiling tiles, painted ceiling grid and all walls and trim – October 2014
• Repaired gym ceiling and repainted ceiling, lower walls and trim – October 2014
• Refinished gym floors – November 2014
• Replaced carpet in office – March 2015
• Replaced art room cabinets – April 2015
• Repaired and painted front porch under-hang – June 2015
• Parking lot resurfaced – June 2015
• Security system installed in building – September 2015
• Refinished gym floors – November 2015
• Renovate tennis court playing surface – projected Spring 2016

Atlantic Coast Pipeline Location in Deep Creek

An environmental review process is underway by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a proposed 564-mile natural gas pipeline that extends from West Virginia to Virginia and North Carolina. Chesapeake is one of the localities in Virginia that the pipeline will run through. The current proposed route of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will go through or near the communities of Sunray, Oak Manor, Colony Manor, Forest Cove, Marsh Pointe Estates and McMillan trailer park in the Deep Creek section of the City and will end at an existing natural gas transmission station located at the intersection of Military Highway and I-464 in South Norfolk. The proposed line is south of the Fire Station 10 in Sunray and north of Fire Station 8 in Deep Creek.

Citizens can obtain information on the proposed pipeline from Dominion Power's webpage dedicated to the project, Atlantic Coast Pipeline. This site includes an interactive map where citizens can enter an address to see if the property will be impacted by the proposed route.

Crime Data Reporting

Concern was expressed with regard to the status of our Crime Report data that normally prints in the Clipper and also was accessible through the Police online portal, CrimeMapping.com. The safety and welfare of the community is the Police's first priority. Chesapeake remains one of the safest communities in the country and that distinction, in some ways, is closely tied to the public having access to accurate and timely crime information.

On Sept. 22, the Chesapeake Police Department replaced its legacy Computer Aided Dispatch system with a new product from a new vendor. The old CAD system was well beyond its life cycle and the provider no longer supported this outdated version. This is a condition that did not manifest itself overnight. In fact, planning to replace the legacy system had been in the works for nearly two years. Nevertheless, a new vendor and product have had significant impacts upon the dispatch operation as well as records and reporting capabilities. In consultation with various entities, including Police, Fire, EMS, the Sheriff's Office and Animal Services, the implementation team determined that it was best to deploy the most critical functions of the CAD system first, with other components to follow in sequential order.

It is important to understand that this new CAD system is a major project with multiple critical functions and capabilities that must be properly implemented to ensure success. We knew going into this project that interfaces with other systems, applications and processes would be affected and determined some of these components would have to be delayed while the more critical components continued. Such was the case with our Crime Report and our data interfaces with both CrimeMapping.com and COPLOGIC, our online reporting system. These applications were not included in the implementation phase as they would hold up the implementation of more critical components.

The public has the expectation that crime data provided by the Police Department be both timely and accurate. I believe it is important that the crime data we report to CrimeMapping.com, as well as the Crime Report that is printed in the Clipper, be accurate. Nevertheless, internally, each day, we review crime information about what has taken place over the last 24 hours, but with the caveat that it is not without error. To provide this information to the public could, in my opinion, constitute negligence, hence we do not publish this information.

The Police Department is working diligently and deliberately with the new CAD vendor to ensure that we restore our previous crime reporting capabilities as well as the installation of new and enhanced features. Our challenge is to get it right and to get it done in a timely manner. Internally, we are working on a process that can produce the daily Crime Report. We are testing it and hope to have it ready by January.

Yadkin Road Electric Power Transfer Station - Intense Lighting

An inquiry was made concerning the intensity of the lighting at the 3015 Yadkin Road electric power transfer station - several lights on the site that shined directly into the eyes of drivers along Yadkin Road. The referenced property was inspected on December 14, 2015. The lighting around the site is temporary construction lighting attached to generators. Two of the three lighting units are no longer in use. The third unit is currently in a position that could cause glare on Yadkin Road. There are provisions in the City Code that could possibly be used to resolve a hazard that may be resulting from the lighting. There are, however, no zoning ordinances to address this situation. The Zoning Administrator has contacted a representative from Dominion Virginia Power and transferred the concerns to them for possible adjustments to the lighting. The construction project representative has indicated that they will pursue having the lights adjusted away from the street.

Lighting Along Yadkin Road

The City's Traffic Engineer reports that the street lights along Yadkin Road in the vicinity of the George Washington Commons Shopping Center are the recommended type of lights for a commercial collector street. The existing lights are adequate for the nighttime driving conditions and provide appropriate lighting to the commercial driveways along Yadkin Road. Yadkin Road does have a sharp curve section in this area. Currently, there are curve warning signs and a signal ahead warning sign properly posted to alert drivers to the change in alignment and the approaching signal. A retro-reflective chevron alignment sign will also be installed at the outside of the curve that will provide additional emphasis and guidance to drivers to the change in horizontal alignment.

Traffic Signal at Forehand Drive

The City's Traffic Engineer reports that the low traffic volume that currently uses Forehand Drive does not warrant the installation of a new traffic signal. To assist school traffic during the morning and afternoon periods crossing guards are used at George Washington Highway that provide safe access for pedestrians, buses, and parents that use this intersection.

Although a new signal is not recommended at the intersection for Forehand Drive, there is a plan to add a new signal at the I-64W (heading towards the High Rise Bridge) off-ramp to George Washington Highway. The new signal will be located a short distance from the Forehand Drive intersection. The primary purpose for this signal is to provide better traffic control for the high volume of traffic exiting I-64 at George Washington Highway; however, operation of this signal will also create breaks in traffic that will allow easier access for traffic entering and exiting at Forehand Drive. Construction for the new signal and improvements to the intersection is scheduled for summer 2018 and will be funded through the Highway Safety Improvement Program.

Lift Schedule of Great Bridge Bridge

The Great Bridge Bridge's lift schedule is on the hour from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on demand from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. The bridge tenders are required by Federal law to follow these rules, set forth by the U. S. Coast Guard. They do have a small bit of flexibility of a few minutes before or after the hour to accommodate marine traffic (marine traffic has the right-of-way in these situations), but for the most part, it's on the hour. There are situations that would require the bridge to lift regardless of what time it is. Those situations include red flag vessels (a vessel that contains hazardous materials) or a vessel in an emergency situation. All bridges must lift on demand for those vessels at all times.

Drainage

Ditches behind private property are the responsibility of the property owner to maintain.

Illegal Activity in downtown South Norfolk

The Police Department has increased patrol in the area and has notified the Vice and Narcotics Section in reference to this complaint.

Galberry Rd. – Sewer

Sewer service for Galberry Rd. is currently on the Unserved Areas list. A Cost Participation Program petition effort was unsuccessful in 2006/2007. There has been no recent contact from property owners from Galberry Rd. Another petition can be initiated. Tap fees that have been paid in advance can be returned by written request to the Director of Public Utilities. Should sewer services become available at a later date, the property owners would then have to pay the new tap fees.

Roadside Ditch Maintenance on Parr Lane

The roadside ditch is scheduled to be re-graded by the end of January, weather permitting.

Promotion of Economic Development Throughout the City

The economic development department promotes all sections of the City to attract commercial development; however some areas in the City have proven more conducive due to various marketing conditions (access, demographics and available property). The department is currently partnering with the Chesapeake Economic Development Authority (EDA) to develop a revised strategic plan that will target the entire City. The plan will leverage the City’s strength while addressing challenges that exist.

Volunteer Opportunities for Youth

Opportunities are provided to youth in the community such as, volunteering at thrift stores, churches, area non-profits, and other not-for-profit entities.

Plans to Widen George Washington Highway

The widening of George Washington Highway between Yadkin Road and Canal Drive is identified on the regional Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). This project will widen the existing 3-lane roadway section to a 4-lane divided roadway and will make associated intersections improvements at the Military Highway intersection. The City is seeking both State and Federal funding assistance for the construction of the project, however, no funding source has been identified at this time.

Widening of Interstate 64

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is currently undertaking an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the widening of I-64 from I-664/I-264 to

I-464, which includes the replacement of the High Rise Bridge and associated interchange modifications. The purpose of the EA is to evaluate alternative solutions to address insufficient transportation capacity and improve roadway and bridge deficiencies throughout the corridor. This report also includes a preliminary noise impact analysis that evaluates the need for the construction a noise barrier and/or other options for reducing noise levels along proposed federally funded highway improvement projects.

Toll Rates on High Rise and Veterans Bridges

Plans for the replacement of the High Rise Bridge on I-64 are still in progress. The Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission is currently developing a funding plan. Information about any potential tolls on the High Rise Bridge is not yet available.

The Veterans Bridge on Dominion Blvd is scheduled to be complete by April 2017, however, is tracking ahead of schedule and could be completed as early as fall of 2016. Tolls for the Veterans Bridge will begin as soon as the project is complete. Initial toll rates will be $1 for a two-axle vehicle with an E-ZPass and $3 for a two-axle vehicle without an E-ZPass. The full multi-year toll schedule can be found at www.CityofChesapeake.net/Dominion.