HomeMy WebLinkAboutII. B. Oceana Dredged Material Mangagement Plan 5.13.2025Oceana Dredged Material
Management Area
City Council Briefing
LJ Hansen, P.E. | May 13, 2025
1
What is a Dredged Material Management
Area (DMMA)?
•A DMMA (Dredged Material Management Area) is used for the long-term
storage or disposal of dredged material.
•Dredged material consists of silts, clays, and sand removed from the
bottom of waterways.
•DMMAs are crucial for effective management of dredged material and
promoting positive environmental outcomes.
•Today, the City utilizes the Whitehurst DMMA for disposing of dredged
material.
2
Why we are here
•Whitehurst DMMA is reaching its capacity
•City staff submitted a Modification of Conditions to the existing Conditional
Use Permit (CUP) for a Borrow Pit at 560 Oceana Boulevard to create a new
DMMA
•Planning Commission voted to deny the request on April 9, 2025
•Public Works is requesting City Council approval to modify the CUP at 560
Oceana Boulevard for a new DMMA at the meeting on May 20, 2025
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Planning Commission Hearing, April 9, 2025
•Planning Commission voted 9-0 (1 abstained) to recommend denial of
the modification of the CUP.
•Denial reasons:
•There are concerns that the material used to fill the pit (e.g., clay, silt, sand) will
differ from the material that was excavated (mainly sand).
•Even though the material will be tested before dredging,there are ongoing concerns
about the potential leaching of contaminants into the subsurface.
•Before considering any modifications to the CUP, the proposed east/south perimeter
berm should be constructed to ensure stormwater runoff is contained.
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▪District 1: 3 projects
▪District 2: 4 projects
▪District 3: 10 projects
▪District 4: 0 projects
▪District 5: 4 projects
▪District 6: 0 projects
▪District 7: 3 projects
▪District 8: 11 projects
▪District 9: 2 projects
▪District 10: 12 projects
Lakes/Canals
Navigation
SSD
Legend:49 Dredging Projects
Completed (2018 – 2024)
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Whitehurst DMMA
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Whitehurst DMMA
MARCH 2025Whitehurst DMMA
•31-acre site
•Conditional use permit for filling the site was
approved in 2007.
•The site became operational in 2012 with a fill
capacity of about 650,000 cubic yards.
•Initial intended uses included
•Private dredging
•Stormwater lake dredging
•City navigation dredging projects
•Whitehurst DMMA is nearing capacity sooner
than projected.7
Whitehurst DMMA Projections
•Projected dredge volumes for
the Neighborhood Navigation
Dredging program adopted in
2011 were not part of the
projected capacity calculations.
•Citywide stormwater lake and
canal dredging was accelerated
due to flooding from Hurricane
Matthew in October 2016.
•~595,000 cy of dredged material
placed in the DMMA as of
January 2025.
•Over 60,000 cy of lake and
navigation dredging planned for
calendar 2025/26.
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New DMMA
560 Oceana Boulevard
9
Whitehurst DMMA
560 Oceana Blvd.
•560 Oceana Boulevard
•City Council District 6
•Zoned I-1 Light Industrial
•19.50 Acre Site
•Noise Zone – greater than 75 Db DNL
•Currently an Inactive Borrow Pit (lake)
•Requires a modification to the existing
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to fill the Borrow
Pit
New DMMA Location
10
560 Oceana
Boulevard
History
•Prior to 1985, the
site was used for
agricultural
purposes.
1958
11
560 Oceana Boulevard History (continued)
•In 1985, a CUP was
granted allowing
the site to be used
as an 11-acre
borrow pit.
•In 2001, an
expansion of the
borrow pit was
approved,
increasing the
borrow pit size to
16.5 acres
2014
Oceana Blvd.12
560 Oceana Boulevard History (continued)
•In 2016, excavation
within the borrow
pit was completed,
and it remained a
lake in accordance
with the approved
conditions.
2025
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Why 560 Oceana Boulevard?
Site was identified as a potential Dredged Material Management Area
(DMMA) site due to the following:
•Like the Whitehurst DMMA, it was a borrow pit and can provide
capacity for City dredge projects.
•The borrow pit is not a stormwater facility – it does not receive or
discharge stormwater. It is an appropriate use.
•It is in the same truck trip corridor as the Whitehurst DMMA (less than
2,000ft to the south).
•Its proximity allows planned/future dredging projects to remain
economical as trip distances will be similar.
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560 Oceana Boulevard Site Acquisition
•An agreement for the sale of the property was submitted to the
City in December 2015 on behalf of the seller.
•City Council approved the acquisition of the property by
Ordinance dated January 19, 2016.
•The purchase of the 19.5-acre site was finalized in March 2017.
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Conditional Use Permit Process
•May 9, 2018: Planning Commission voted 6-3 to modify the
CUP (Borrow Pit - Fill).
•May 22, 2018: City Council requested more information on
well monitoring for stormwater and groundwater.
•June 2018 to October 2024: Studies conducted on well
water and stormwater runoff.
•Feb 12, 2025: Planning Commission deferred the
modification, seeking clarification on well water issues.
•April 9, 2025: Planning Commission voted 9-0
(1 abstained) to recommend denial of the modification of
the CUP.
•April 14, 2025: Monitoring wells installed to address
Planning Commission concerns.
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DMMA Design
•Fill capacity: approx. 350,000 cy (8-10 yrs)
•Monitoring wells installed to address
concerns raised by the Planning
Commission
•3 wells extend 30 feet below the ground
surface to evaluate water seepage
•Wells will determine the direction of
groundwater flow and collect baseline
samples to develop a monitoring program
•Dredge material will be tested for
contaminants before using the pit
•A 2-3ft berm will be built on the east perimeter to provide additional storage
during large rain events
•Haul roads and ramps will be built before dredge placement operations start
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Alternatives – costs impacts:
•No other City-owned DMMA sites available to receive non-beach quality
dredged material.
•Local privately owned fill sites are available but are located at a +20mile
one-way travel distance from most planned dredging projects.
•Cost to dredge/haul/dispose to Whitehurst DMMA averages $53/cy.
•Cost to private fill sites is about $140/cy. (Travel + Disposal)
•Example:
Project Contract
Volume
Low Bid Unit
Price Dredge Price
Private Fill
Site Unit
Price
Dredge
Price
Percent
Increase
(%)
Western Branch
Lynnhaven
River/Old Donation
Creek Navigation
Dredging*
50,479cy $52/cy $2,523,950 $140/cy $7,067,060 180%
* Bids received in January 2025. Total bid price = $2.9Mil. Project will begin in May 2025. 18
Next Steps:
•Request approval of modification to the CUP to
allow filling at Oceana DMMA – May 20th.
•If approved, site work will begin on the east
perimeter berm and access roads.
•Oceana DMMA to be operational by late fall
2025.
•Current lake and navigation dredging projects
can transition from Whitehurst DMMA to
Oceana DMMA without disrupting their
schedules.
•PW Engineering staff will research future
DMMA sites.
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THANK YOU!
Questions?