JUNE 14, 1994 BOAT LAUNCH
VIRGINIA
BE-AiLCH
Office of the Citv Managet
Municipal Center -
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9001
(804) 427-4242
FAX (804) 427-4135
TDD (804) 427-4305
June 10, 1994
The Honorable Meyera E. Oberndorf nd
Members Of City Councjl
RE: Bayside Boat Launch/Pleasure H,,se Creek Boat Rainp
Dear Mayor and Members Of Council:
Enclosed for your review is a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the referenced project.
There will be a staff briefing on the project at the June 14 City Manager Presentations.
If you need additional information before the meeting, please let tne kn,w.
Sincerely,
Ja S re
C, a gpeor
JKS/JRF/nfe
Enclosure
PLEASURE HousF, CREEK
BOAT RAMIP @Y
DRAFr ENVIRO AL
Prepared For:
THE CITY OF VIRGIMA BEACH, VIRGINIA
June 1994
Langley and McDonald, P
Engi@e.,s ',@44 C@111,@,llh R.ad Vi,ginia E3@ac@ iA 23462
S@,,@,Y.,s (804) 473 2000 FAX (804) 197 933
Plann.,s
L.,d@cap Archlects @")l P@,kets Co@,t Willia@@bu,g. /A 2318b
E@vi,,,@me@tal Co,sult@,ts 1IM4) @153 2975 FAX (804) @' !@ C,@049
TABLE OF CO
SECTTON
PAGE
1.0 @ODUCTION
2.0. PROJECT DFSC@ON
2.1 LOCATION AND P CipAL 3
2.2 CONSTRU ON RIN op DESIGN FEATURES ........3
Cn AND ERANON 3
2.3 ESTIMATED pRojECT COST AND SCHEDULE ..........7
3.0 PURPOSE AND NEED
3.1 PROJECT IUSTORY .... . ..................8
...................... .
3.2 WATIERSHED CHARA ST 8
CTERI ICS .................. 10
3.3 STATEWM OF PURPOSE
3.4 PROJFCT NEED 12
3.4.1 ...................... 12
3.4.2 Exist'ng Launching Facilities .......... 12
Demand for Boat Launching Facilitils ..... 12
4.0 ALTERNATTVFS .........
..............................
4.1 FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN THE DEVELop OF 15
ALTEP,NA
.............................
,R
4.2 ALTERNATIM CONSIDERED BUT NOT FURTHF 15
EVALUATED
4.2. i 15
Crab Creek ..................... 17
4.2.2 Great Neck Park .................. 23
4.2.3 Seashore State Park ................ 23
4.2.4 Existing Launc@g Facilities .......... 27
4.2.5 Little creek ..................... 27
4.2.6 PleaSure House Point ............... 28
4.3 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED FOR FURTHER STUDY .... 30
4.3.1 No-Build Altemative
4.3.2 ............... 30
Pleasure House Creek ............... 30
5.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT
5.1 AIR, NOISE AND CL@TE 31
...................
5. 1.1 Air 3 1
5.1.2 Noise 31
5.1.3 Climate 31
5.2 GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY AND SOUS 31
5.2.1 ............... 32
Geology
5.2.2 To graphy ....... 32
5.2 Po .................. 32
.3 Soils
5.3 13ATHYMETRY . ........ 32
................ 33
5.4 HYDROLOGY ................................ 33
5.4.1 Groundwater .................... 33
5.4.2 Surface HYdrOlOgY and Water Quality ..... 34
5.5 AQUATIC ECOLOGY ........................... 35
5.5.1 ]3enthic Resources ................. 35
5.5.2 Fsh ResOurces and Marine Mammals ..... 39
5.5.3 Waterfowl ...................... 42
5.6 WETLANDS, SUB@GED AQUATIC VEGETATION AND
SHALLOW WATER HABrrAT ..... ....
........... 42
5.6.1 Wetlands ....................... 42
5.6.2 all
Sh ow Water Habitat .............. 46
5.7 5.6.3 Submerged Aquatic vegetation ......... 48
TERRESTRIAL FLORA AND FAUNA ................. 48
5,8 AND ENDANG@ SPECIES ......
5.8 CULTURAL AND M RI RES ES ..... 49
5.9 AESTIjEnCS ..... STO COURC ............. 49
5.10 ............................ 50
CURRENT LAND uSE THE STUDY ARF-A ....... 50
5.11 SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTFYJSTICS ............... 50
6.0 ONMFNTAL F-FFFCTS
6.1 AIR, NOISE AND CLIMATF ... 51
.................... 51
6.1.1 Air ...... ................... 51
6.1.2 Noise ......................... 51
6.1.3 Chmate ....................... 52
6.2 GEOLOGY, TOPOGRApHy AND SOILS ... ....
6.2.1 Geology ....... 52
....................... 52
6.2.2 Topography ..................... 52
6.3 BA 6.2.3 Soils ......................... 52
6.4 THYMETRY ............................... 52
HYDROLOGY ................................ 53
6.4.1 Groundwater .................... 53
6.5 A 6.4.2 Surface Hydrology and Water Quality ..... 53
QUATIC ECOLOGY ........................... 54
6.5.1 Benthic resources ................. 54
6.5.2 Fish Resources and Marine Mammals ..... 55
6.5.3 Waterfowl ...... ....
6.6 ........... 55
WF-TLANDS, SHALLOW WATFR HABITAT AND
SUBMERGED AQUAITC VEGFTATION ............... 55
6.6.1 Wetlands ....................... 55
6.6.2 hall
6.6.3 S ow Water Habitat .............. 56
6.7 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ......... 56
TRIAL FLORA AND FAf A
6.8 JN 56
6.9 FTHREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ........... 57
UTURE LAND USF
............. ..
6.10 SOCIO-ECONONUC IMPA S ... ....... 57
6.11 CT ................... 57
CULTURAL AND HISTOR'C RESOURCES .............. 57
6.12 AESTHETICS ................................. 57
7.0 @GATioN ........................................
8.0 RELATIONSHIP OF SHORT-TERM USES AND LONG-TERM
PRODUCTIVrrY .................. .................... 60
9.0 IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENT OF
RESOURCES ... ................. .................... 61
10.0 REFERENCES .................... I .................... 62
11.0 LIST OF AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND PERSONS TO VMOM
COPIES OF THIS DOCUMENT WERE SENT ..................... 65
12.0 COMMENTS AND COORDINATION .......................... 66
12.1 GENCY cooRDINATION ................... 66
12.2 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ........................ 66
APPENDIX A ENGINEERING EVALUATION
APPENDIX B TRAFFIC/TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS
APPENDIX C WATER QUALITY TiGATioNs
APPENDIX D SCOPING COMMENTS
APPENDIX E AGENCY RESPONSE LETRERS
APPENDIX F PUBLIC COMMENTS
LIST OF TABLES
PAGE
TABLE 1 C"ACrrY ESTIMAT'F-S FOR THE LESNER BRIDGE
STOCKPELE SITE .................................. 19
TABLE 2 @IENT WATER QUALXRY TEST RESULTS ............... 37
TABLE 3 F-LUTRIATE TEST RESULTS ........................... 38
TABLE 4 FISH SPECIES KNOWN TO OCCUR IN PLEASURE HOUSE CREEK . 41
TABLE 5 AVIAN SPECIES KNOWN TO OCCUR IN PLEASURE HOUSE CREEK 43
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
FIGURE 1 VICINrrY MAP ..................................... 2
FIGURE 2 PLEASURE HOUSE CREEK SrM LOCATIION ................. 4
FIGURE 3 PROPOSED CHANNEL LAYOUT .........................5
FIGURE 4 PLEASURE HOUSE CREEK FACILrrY LAYOUT .............. 6
FIGURE 5 LYNNHAVEN SYSTEM ......................... I 1
FIGURE 6 ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS ........................... 16
FIGURE 7 CRAB CREEK FACELrrY LAYOUT ....................... 20
FIGURE 8 CRAB CREEK PHOTOGRAPHS ......................... 22
FIGURE 9 GREAT NECK PARK FMSTING USES .................... 24
FIGURE 10 GREAT NECK PARK PHOTOGRAPHS ..................... 25
FIGURE I 1 LRITLE CREEK PHOTOGRAPHS ........................ 29
FIGURE 12 WATER QUALYFY SAMPLING STATIONS .................. 36
FIGURE 13 OYSTER LEASES .................................. 40
FIGURE 14 WETLANDS ...................................... 45
FIGURE 15 SHALLOW WATER HABrrAT ......................... @ 47
PLEASURE HOUSE CREEK
DRAYr ENVIRO AL ASSESS
1.0 @ODUCTION
In July of 1993, the City of Virginia Beach (City) engaged Langley and McDonald, P. C.
to prepare an EnvirOnmental Assessment (EA) for the construction of a municipal boat launching
ty in the Lynnhaven Basin that would Provide direct access to the lower Chesapeake Bay
for recreational boaters (Figure 1). 'Me EA consists of - alternatives analysis for siting the
facihtY and an assessment of the environmental impacts of the prefenrd alternative.
The need for a municipal boat ramp in the Lynnhaven Basin can be @ back to the
1970's when the City established the first of @ boat ramp committees to begin looldng for
candidate sites. Since that time, the need for such a facility has increased s@y. According
tO the Department of Game and Wmd Fisheries (DGIF, 1994), there are currently 21,373
registered boats in the Cities of Ch , Norfolk and Virginia Beach, with over 11,500 in
Virginia Beach alone. These numbers represent 10 % and 5.5 % (respectively) of the entire state, s
bOating POpulation (210,000, as of December 1993). llese numbers do not reflect the actual
number of boaters which Might use Virginia Beach Iaunching facilities, since there is currently
no system for tracldng out of town boaters. The numbers also do not distinguish between
trailered boats, those kept in slips or those kept in dry stack storage.
Major boating centers in the City of Virginia Beach have emerged in the Lynnhaven and
Rudee Net areas, with many boaters seeldng the waters of the Lower chesapeake Bay
(Particularly around the south end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel) for sport fishing.
There are cuffently 25 boat rainps located in the City of Virginia Beach. Only two out
of the 25 are located in the Lynnhaven Basin. Both facilities are available to the general public,
Offering direct access to the lower Chesapeake Bay. The City's population increased
approximately 367% from 1960 to 1992 and continues in an upward trend. The i9go population
was 393,069 (CYty of Vlrginia Beach, 1994(a))- With an increasing population, the number of
boat owners is @ expected to rise.
Tbe City has determined that in order to meet the recreational boating needs of the area,
an appropriate location for a municipal boat ramp must be found. As such, an EA pursuant to
the National Environmental Policy Act NUA) has been prepared. Components of this
assessment include a thorough altematives evaluation, engineering calculations, natural resource
investigations and overar environmental analysis.
PLEASURE HOUSE CREEK
tqcinity Map
Vitlantic
Ocean
l@94 CW
Larigley McDonald, P.C.
IFI@u IL;t ]E 1 E.gi.- - S.-y- - Pi-@-.
L.@d ... p. Alhlt-t. - E.A,-@-t.1 C.n..it.,t.
ARGINIA BEACH WLUAMS8URG
2.0. I'ROJFCT DFSC"MON
2.1 LOCATTON AND FRINCI]PAL DESIGN FEATURES
The site Preferred by the City of Virgi h for the
in Pleasure House Creek, near the in nia Bea, Proposed
on of Shore Dnve boat ramp is located
't 's aPPrOxinlateIy 1.3 nwes from the Ch y and AWlin Bay Drive (Figure 2).
land adjacen, to the north shore of plea,,m House Ba - @er 13 dge) on a slx acre cel of
Creek. r' par
lle Project involves the construction of a two lane t P, grav
aPPrOximately 225 vehicles ith @ers boa el parkin2- for
and a mall boat c Ti,
of two doubfe ramps with four launchinr acces @el e fa,,ty will consist
concrete and wiu be 32 feet wide and 106 of reinforced
al,)ng lotl ides of each ramp for lmftg win extend
a roximately 225 vehicles (172 pu -
',p li_throu Provided for
Will ble located on site, inciuding per. amenities
recreational activities (such as volleybau o] other light
17igure 3. The access channel win be appro) t is shown on
One fOO! Of Overdrdging by the con@tr to-one side slopes.
ata ' win be a The bottom channel width win
mmlmum, 60 feet- Fifteen foot buffers will be be,
to reduce impacts to wetland are along either side of the channl
reSUlting from the dredrin as. Figure 4 details the Proposed c@el layout. Tile material
APPendix A contains @e 9 operat'On will be placed on the adjacent upland parce (Figure 3).
engineering evaluation completed for s - I
thi project.
2.2 CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION
COnstruction and operation activities include the ac cons c 0 of
Par"ng areas and any n s ctu will tual tru ti n the amps,
foot long ece @ tru re- as well a, al
will be elevated abo ot'er recreat'on amenities. One h.dred
consist of ve wetland areas. The parldn surface will
parlong area will be co.@ gravel. This surface will mii@ s - 9
'or,nwater runoff. The
tructed so that storm@ runoff is directed away from PI U House
Creek. Shielded lighting fixt-ures will be con, eas re
tructed on site for 24-hour usue. The g ng
evaluatiOn in Appendix A contains additional constructin details. en ineeri
Tbe on-site dredged ma@ mntainment area must be constru ted Pri dred in
aCCess channel in Pleasure House Creek. The containment area i c Or tO 9 g the
wi" be enclosed ly a sevn foot high earthen bern with ' aPProx'matelY eight acres and
channel will be hydraulicauy dredged and the @to-one side slOPes- The access
T'me-of-year restricttons wm be impoed m ment area.
endangered species that may forage in, or oc or
The boat ra-np wffl be a
days a week. A no-fee' fac"'ty and will be in operalion 24 h
ccess to the site ill OUrs a
Traffic controls will b b, day, seven
e established to rs Provided from Shoz-e Drive, via Marlin Bay Drive.
t'ict access through residential side streets, thus
3
bR
F4
m
m
m
lynnhaven River
04
L2
minimizing neighborhood 'mPar-ts- Trash rem?tacles, which wiU be malntamed and emptted
-gularly by City staff, wiU be placed throughout the site. Water and sewer service will also be
provided by the City, however, pumpout fkcilities wffl not be available. A no-wake zone wffl
be established by City Ordinance along the access channel.
2.3 ES@TED FROJECT COST AND SCHIEDULE
T'he total construction cost for the Pleasure House Creek boat ramp project is estimated
to be $854,205. An itemized project cost estimate is included in the engineering analysis
(Appendix A). The estimated construction time for this project is six months. This includes all
site work, utilities and dredging.
7
3.0 puRpOSF
AND NEF
'D
3.1 MO@T IMTORY
Tbe history Of an altempt to constru
B=h, near the walers of the lower Chesa ct a m,nicip ir
when the City appointed a' boat ramp in the City Of V ginia
Ba an b' @ ac
the first of @ bmt ramy, b k , the early
1970's, was cbwged with detrmi@, th, n forpacommittm Th fir Ppoin - 1970 s
e st, a
sPec'ficaUY, in the Lynnhaven y,tem. ed unicipal boat ram ted in the
existed. At that time The comnuttee nc, p 'n the CitY and.
, the CitY Of Virginia Bmh modif 10 uded that the need for such a iac i '
23, 1967) tO inclde dedgin led an y exis .9 pe it (dated ii ty
tin rm
of a boat ramp on the same g a, access channel in Pleas tiouse C k for
s,te sho June
submitted in December of 1976 to twn ree the construction
he S application fol the f ili w
an -n ac ty a,
not issued d F v'roplan, Inc. was h afen@ies. A permit was
S'atement (FIS) and dete@e e im
channel in Pleas th pa ar r-nvironmentai Impact
ure HOuse Creek, the si DMt ramp and dred -
the committee. glng ah access
The findin
Slalement gs of EnvirOPlan's stud culminated in a Preliminary En
(PFJS)- 'rb' PEIS, Om.pleted iny May of 19 vffonmental Impact
,he Proposed Pleasure Hou.,e Creek site. Alt-rnative al@tive sites to
C.,eek, adjacent t. @ner Bridge and the NO-Build Little Ceek, Long
Pleasure House Creek terznined th
environ locat'on would be tlie most p le si de at the
tal ractiab te from an engineerin
regula'Ormen and soc'o-ecOnOfnic standpoint. Upon je
Y and resour w of the PF-IS 9
environ,nei,tal sludies (ce aglncie, d , State and Federal
COVB, 1976). etermined that the project would require additioW
a phcati tle U Nonetheless, in June of 1976. the City su6mi
p t Arniy corps of Engineers (US a permit
Hou C
CO
se ik @t@ ACE) for dred
ay dorm tor between the agencies and the city ging a chmnel in pleau,
years. could not be resolved and the project
In 1984, pblic c ncerns g
about the lack Of boat lauonching were onc' ' an raised with the Virginia Beach City Council
this conceni un facilities in the marine waters around the City. As a result of
in Virginia ' C'ty CO cil appo.inted a second dress
develop, Bmh. rbis committee evalua COmmittee to ad the saltwater marina needs
ent of a mltwater marina that w @ several PrOPerties that smmed suitable fOr the
"Ould be noted, that the commi a Oul(I Provide access to the lower Chesapeake Bay. It
Atlantic ocean (COVB , ,,. ttee Iso evaluated ]OcatiOns that would provide access to the
'n the cour@ of identi ng tial main
Th fYi poten a tes
House Creek site. e Property owner had offered ts' , the committee examined the pleasu,
COnstructing a City-o o . donate a five parcel for Purpo of
In relurn, the City would secu @ ses
re the nees@-perniits for
cOmmittee researched the
order tO Pursue the site,
The comrnittee,s final
8