Virginia Beach National Golf Club off Princess Anne Road will soon undergo a first wave of repairs at a cost of $1.4 million. The Virginia Beach Development Authority, which leases the property from the city, greenlighted the work at its July 9 meeting.

According to a city audit, several lakes on the property are in “degraded” condition and need to be dredged and cleaned. And the clubhouse has rotting eaves and fascia board along the roofline; there’s mold and rotting baseboards in the clubhouse restaurant; and the ceiling is deteriorating due to leaks.

“It’s a beautiful golf course, but the building is a 23-year-old building,” City Auditor Lyndon Remias said in October when he presented the audit to the Virginia Beach Development Authority, a city agency tasked with expanding the tax base by attracting business investment. “It’s just like your house. You can have a beautiful lawn, but your roof is falling apart, your trim is rotting, and the AC’s out. Basically, that’s what is happening at the building.”

The golf course fell to the wayside when a longtime economic development employee responsible for managing the development authority’s assets left the city in 2019, Remias said.

“There was no one who picked up the ball and ran with it,” development authority chair Lisa Murphy said at the meeting last fall.

The city has since hired Pam Witham, a planner in the department, to oversee the authority’s assets, which include more than two dozen properties across the city.

“We’re going to move forward and correct the issues that need to be taken care of,” Witham said by phone this week.

The audit, available at virginiabeach.gov, also revealed discrepancies in the authority’s procurement procedures for previous improvement projects at the course.

Virginia Beach Golf Club LLC., a private company, manages the course and makes monthly payments to the authority based on a percentage of revenues generated to help fund capital improvements. In addition, the company annually remits 25% of the net income generated by the golf course in excess of $100,000.

In 2023, Virginia Beach National had a net income, or profit, of $740,000. Heron Ridge Golf Club, which is leased from the Development Authority by the same private entity, had $669,000 in profit, according to the city.

The scope of the October audit was from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2023 and included policies, processes, and procedures in place at the time of the audit. It was the first time Remias’ office has audited the golf course.

The auditor’s report noted that semi-annual inspections by the city or the authority as outlined in the management agreement were not being conducted. Also, approvals for previous improvement projects were made after completion rather than before and that city procurement procedures weren’t properly followed.

Over the past several months, the authority has paid more than $100,000 in facility assessments and inspections in preparation of fixing the issues.

Witham told authority members at their July 9 meeting that $1.9 million is needed for all the structural repairs to buildings on the golf course property, and it will cost an additional $5.7 million to bring all 11 lakes up to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s standards.

The facility spans over 300 acres of land and consists of an 18-hole golf course designed by Pete Dye and Curtis Strange, practice areas and a clubhouse which includes a full-service restaurant.

Remias also said annual inspections of the lakes at Virginia Beach National performed by Public Works had not been provided to the authority as they should’ve been. Public Works has deemed some of the lakes are in “serious” and “degraded” condition.

Murphy formed an asset management committee in October to help prioritize the golf course repairs.

“They were tasked with viewing the whole report with staff and talking to the operator as far as what the report showed and helping to prioritize the repairs based on recommendations,” Witham said.

The authority agreed to start with the clubhouse, providing roughly $400,000 to replace the roof and gutters and another $200,000 for new air-conditioning systems. Additional money has been set aside for contingencies because of moisture damage, according to Witham. Also, a lake near the back of the property will be improved at a cost of roughly $520,000, she said.

“The other items that were identified, they’re going to be repaired as funding becomes available,” Witham said Wednesday.

The authority’s current balance for capital repairs at the golf course is $2.1 million, Witham said, but money from the authority’s previous sale of land in Corporate Landing Business Park and the Innovation Park will fund the first wave of the work.

Virginia Beach National Golf Club, formerly Tournament Players Club of Virginia Beach, opened on a former bean field in 1999 with the hope of making the city a renowned golf destination. The city paid $3.5 million to help build the $15 million course, according to The Virginian-Pilot archives.

But the course underperformed, and Virginia Beach bought it for roughly $4.5 million in 2006 to maintain control of the land.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

Rigney put in his notice of resignation on Wednesday, city spokesperson Tiffany Russell confirmed in an email. Rigney was hired by the city in March 2023 and had been director of economic development since February.

Deputy City Manager Amanda Jarratt is serving in the interim role now, and a national search will occur for a replacement, Russell said.

It’s unclear why Rigney resigned.

“Details are not available to the public as it is a personnel matter under the City’s HR policy,” Russell wrote in the email.

Virginia Beach’s new economic development director on regional cooperation, booming investment interest

Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson on Friday said she was aware of Rigney’s resignation but wouldn’t comment on why.

Rigney, 68, replaced Taylor Adams, who left for another job in 2023. Before coming to Virginia Beach, Rigney worked in economic development for several Hampton Roads cities, including Hampton, Norfolk and Portsmouth.

Rigney could not be reached Friday.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

Concerts will be held on the beach Oct. 12 and 13, the association’s executive director Terri Wiley wrote in an email to members Tuesday afternoon. The Virginian-Pilot obtained the email after WVEC first reported the dates.

“The Something in the Water dates are being released and will be held the weekend of October 11, 2024,” Wiley wrote in the email. “There will be concerts on the beach Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13. There will also be the World Premiere for Pharrell’s new movie that weekend. The movie chronicles Pharrell’s childhood in Virginia and Virginia Beach.”

Wiley went on to write, that “there will be activations along the oceanfront, oceanfront parks, and in other areas of the city. Details will be released soon, but we wanted to give our membership time to plan once we learned the date. VBHA hotel members are looking forward to SITW’s return and welcoming SITW back to the city!”

The popular festival, founded by rapper, mogul and Virginia Beach native Williams, was last held in April 2023.

This year, it was moved to the fall and will coincide with the release date of the new movie about Pharrell’s life, “Piece by Piece,” which will use Lego animation.

Something in the Water promoters are planning a “creative” save the date post on social media today, according to Robby Wells, the Virginia Beach-based festival organizer.

The festival attracts some of music’s biggest names.

Last year’s run included performances by hip hop legends Lil’ Wayne, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul and Williams, along with favorites from the new generation like Lil’ Yachty and Lil’ Durk. The festival spans genres, also including acts The Jonas Brothers, indie rockers Arcade Fire and jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington.

The Pilot reported in December that October 2024 was a likely time for the next festival. After weather disrupted the 2023 festival, Williams wrote in a letter to fans he wanted to shift the festival to a different season due to a higher likelihood of better weather, adding there would be “more acts, more merch, more food … just more!”

Something in the Water originally was planned for the weekend of Oct. 18, said former City Councilmember John Uhrin, who manages the Schooner Inn hotel at the Oceanfront. The organizers canceled the rooms recently, though, Uhrin said.

The Schooner Inn is next to the main concert stage area at 5th Street and has provided rooms for festival workers in the past, said Uhrin.

He’s adjusting now to the last minute change of date.

“I’ve been in touch with the promotor about rooms,” said Uhrin. “But I already had two-thirds of building sold. What I’ve got left I’m holding for the workers. We’re excited to have them back.”

Staff writer Gavin Stone contributed.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

This includes water near the Neptune Statue and boardwalk in the popular tourist area.

During the advisory, swimming and wading are prohibited.

The Virginia Department of Health measures public waters regularly for enterococci bacteria during the warmer months. Enterococci bacteria are a group of organisms used to measure fecal contamination in recreational waters.

While they do not cause illness, the health department reports that their presence is “closely correlated to the presence of other disease-causing organisms.” People swimming or playing in waters with higher bacteria levels have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness.

Beachgoing fun was spoiled for those seeking relief from the late July heat and humidity.

Jeff Lucas, 40, of Ohio, and his family had been swimming in the ocean when lifeguards ordered everyone out of the water. His son then dug a hole in the sand and his nephew fed potato chips to a flock of seagulls.

“We paid a lot for a vacation,” he said. “We’re just trying to make the best of the day.”

Some people walked along the water’s edge while others packed up their umbrellas and lumbered back to their hotel rooms.

Peter Dubois of Quebec walked several blocks south with his grandchildren to swim where it was allowed. But he was parked on 28th Street where they returned to spend the rest of the afternoon playing in the sand.

“The water looks the same down here as it did there,” Dubois said. “If the lifeguard wasn’t here to whistle, we’d be swimming.”

Lifeguard Benjamin Bermudez, 19, fielded questions from people asking why the water was off limits.

“Our job is just to keep people out of the water to keep people healthy and safe from any potential sicknesses the bacteria may cause,” he said.

The swim advisory will be lifted once levels drop below the standard level. Signage was posted in the affected areas.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

Virginia Beach Housing & Neighborhood Preservation is currently collecting information online from organizations that could make land they own available for the development of affordable housing.

“We have heard from churches over the years that have brought this up that they’d like to be part of the solution,” said Sharon Shoff, the city’s housing finance coordinator. “The first thing we want to know is who is really interested in doing something about affordable housing with their land.”

One in three Virginia Beach households (about 59,000) are housing cost-burdened, which means they pay 30% or more of their income on their total housing costs, according to a recent city housing study. Increased competition in the housing market is making it harder for first-time and moderate-income buyers to purchase homes, and for many renters — especially seniors who live alone — to find quality, affordable units, according to the city.

“We have significant housing affordability challenges, and there’s just demand for more options for low-income renters,” Shoff said.

After gathering information from area nonprofits, city staff will consider the location, the amount of land available and the current zoning of each property. The city can provide resources to help nonprofit organizations interested in developing their land for affordable housing, Shoff said.

“The city would not be purchasing the land,” she said. “It’s really about them taking the next step.”

Virginia Beach has more than 200 churches, according to the city.

Several state groups are pushing for legislation that would cut through some of the red tape that religious institutions face if they want to offer affordable housing on land they own. A bill introduced this year in the Virginia General Assembly session that would streamline the process for faith communities to build affordable housing on their land was referred to a subcommittee and continued until next year.

About 12 religious organizations in Virginia have built affordable housing on their land, according to Sheila Herlihy Hennessee, an organizer with Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

“It’s really exciting when government works with faith communities because so often the process is so confusing and so expensive the good intentions get lost along the way,” Hennessee said.

Virginia Beach recently updated its housing study to analyze the current housing market and identify strategies to address housing needs. In May, the City Council directed the city manager to advance discussions with the Virginia Beach Development Authority to fund new, large-scale, mixed-use development projects; design a housing education campaign with community engagement; and research opportunities to simplify the permitting and review process.

Permanent affordable housing has not yet been built on a religious organization’s property in Virginia Beach, according to the city.

The Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, a nonprofit organization, recently broke ground on a supportive housing project for people experiencing homelessness. JCOC already owned the property near the Oceanfront and previously operated an emergency shelter there.

Shoff said it’s an example of a nonprofit using its land for affordable housing, but the city is also interested in helping to facilitate projects for the broader community, including low-income seniors and families.

In a public survey conducted last fall on what should be the City Council’s top priorities, respondents ranked “affordable housing/housing affordability and homelessness” among the top five.

The city is offering an online quiz at www.speakupvb.com to help gain insight into the community’s understanding of what affordable housing is and why it is important to have an adequate supply. The quiz is open until Aug. 11.

For those organizations interested in developing their land, a request for information form is available online at VirginiaBeach.gov/HousingRFI until 5 p.m. Aug. 14.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

“We’re going to put it on pause right now and try to work together,” said Wilson.

Wilson and Councilman Worth Remick, serving as liaisons to the aquarium foundation, will ask their colleagues to support their recommendation when they reconvene later this summer.

The City Council decided last year to explore the option of private ownership of the aquarium after learning the tanks that hold the animals are deteriorating and will cost millions to repair. Two private entities, the owners of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Dollywood, expressed interest.

The city’s consideration of alternative facility ownership or operators created turmoil among aquarium staff and members of the Virginia Aquarium Foundation, which owns the animals. Foundation Chair Dan Peterson said in March that several employees have left the aquarium due to the uncertainty of its future. He wrote to the council asking members to “not take any direction towards possible privatization” until hearing from stakeholders.

“They want the community to have a voice in this, not just to be a council decision,” said Virginia Beach communication specialist Joel Rubin, who is working with the foundation.

Rubin was not at last week’s meeting but said a foundation board member informed him of what took place.

“Out of that meeting, it was ‘Let’s slow this down,’ ” he said Wednesday. “They’re trying to come to grips with the political implication of outsourcing the attraction or at least the management of it. My sense is that things have stopped at least, and that the manager is going to give some guidance to the City Council on how to move forward, and the foundation will be more engaged in this conversation.”

Virginia Aquarium, which opened in 1986, is the third-most visited attraction in the state behind Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens theme parks. It holds 650,000 gallons of water in exhibits and has more than 250 species — including mammals, fish, birds, and reptiles.

Rubin also confirmed what several other sources have told The Virginian-Pilot — that a letter on the outcome of the meeting is forthcoming from the city manager to the City Council. It’s unclear if that letter will outline a plan to shore up the aquarium’s financial needs.

The city and foundation recently invested $47.9 million for three aquarium projects, however major renovations and an expansion of the main building are needed, with cost estimates between $50 to $200 million depending on the scope of work. Meanwhile, it costs more to operate the facility than it brings in. The city allocates roughly $2 million each fiscal year for aquarium capital improvements and subsidizes operations with roughly $7.4 million a year.

The city is working with a consultant to create a baseline financial model for the aquarium and to hold one-on-one-discussions with potential operating partners. An update is planned at the end of the summer.

The City Council is on summer recess for the next several weeks, and will reconvene in mid-August.

“That’s when a decision would have to be made,” City Manager Patrick Duhaney said Wednesday. “The council will definitely have to have a public discussion and say they acquiesce to the recommendations of the liaisons or say no, they don’t.”

The city owns and maintains the aquarium’s buildings and grounds and provides administrative support for the facility’s accounting and human resources divisions. The foundation procures and maintains the aquarium’s collections.

“The aquarium is an incredible and valuable educational and community asset, and we want to continue to support it and celebrate it,” said Councilman Michael Berlucchi. “We have to find ways to deal with the financial and capital needs that exist while continuing to provide the services that Virginia Beach citizens rely upon and to maintain affordability for Virginia Beach residents.”

In March, Duhaney recommended the city continue engaging the interested firms to figure out what kind of offer can be brought forward while communicating with the foundation; the council agreed.

In a letter to the council in June, Peterson reiterated the foundation’s concerns stating that the process was being “rushed” and has affected trust between his group and city leaders.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

A block of Winston Salem Avenue is closed between Baltic and Mediterranean avenues, leading to confusion among drivers trying to access businesses at either end of the street.

“In the first hour, we had 10 cars stacked up,” said Carter Turpin, owner of Rudee’s Restaurant. He and others have asked the city to add more detour signs so drivers can adjust before they have to make a U-turn or get trapped in a restaurant’s valet system.

Winston Salem Avenue runs alongside the Rudee Inlet marina district, stretching from Pacific to Mediterranean avenues. It’s a short, busy stretch of road used by locals and tourists and is home to a fishing center, marinas, restaurants, water sport rental companies and private residences.

Businesses remain open during the construction, and operators hope customers won’t mind the extra effort to reach them.

“The clock’s ticking,” said Tim Oswald, manager of Rudee’s. “We only have so many weekends in the summer.”

Improvements will make the corridor more accessible, safer and attractive, according to the city. The work will include undergrounding utilities, upgrading storm water drainage, designating on-street parking, widening sidewalks and adding lights. Construction is expected to take 2½ years with the bulk of the work taking place during the offseasons.

Years ago, city planners tossed around the idea of creating an elaborate “marina walk” on Winston Salem Avenue where pedestrians could meander along the waterfront, but those plans didn’t make the final cut.

Money was appropriated for the road improvement project more than a decade ago but was delayed several times.

In 2020, the City Council moved funds from the Winston Salem project into a reserve for revenue shortfalls from the pandemic, halting its progress. The following year, the money was released, and the design was completed in 2022. But it was put on hold again as costs increased and construction bids came in $5 million higher than budgeted.

This spring, after hearing support from Shadowlawn residents who use the road to reach area restaurants and the beach, the City Council agreed to appropriate $4.6 million from the Tourism Investment Program fund to cover the cost increase and finally break ground before the price rose again.

But the decision came with the caveat that construction would begin this summer.

“It was lose it or take it in July and just bite the bullet,” Turpin said.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

The venerable neighborhood market known for its fresh local produce, baked goods, meats and flowers is moving a block south to 18th Street starting Aug. 3.

Tents will be set up between Cypress and Mediterranean avenues next to the newly-refurbished 18th Street ViBe parklet.

“That one long linear block is almost going to be like an arcade for everybody,” said Duff Kliewer, a co-founder of the market and president of the board of directors. “It’s going to be interesting to see how some of the vendors who have been cramped in the rear section of the Croc’s lot will have a little more space.”

Old Beach Farmers Market began 16 years ago with a couple of vendors in the parking lot of Croc’s 19th Street Bistro. It now has 50 vendors, and the new spot will have space for even more. The market is held most Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

“We knew we would grow, and we were trying to figure out where we could grow,” said Laura Wood, who also co-founded the market.

In recent years, the market spilled onto 19th Street, requiring a section of the thoroughfare to be closed. Emily Archer, city project development administrator, collaborated with the farmers market organizers on the relocation within the ViBe Creative District.

Traffic from events at the convention and sports centers will be improved with the market moving a block away, Archer said.

The city is wrapping up improvements to the 18th Street area, including new sidewalks, pedestrian lighting, bicycle facilities, on-street parking and crosswalks. The $10 million project spans three blocks on 18th Street from Cypress to Arctic avenues and two blocks of Cypress Avenue from 17th to 19th streets. Work to improve the 18th Street parklet, or mini-park, was completed two months ago. It features a winding treed path flanked with local artwork.

“Before, there used to be ditches on the side of the road; now, there are nice wide sidewalks and is more accessible,” Archer said. “It’s much more conducive for events.”

The Old Beach Art and Eco markets will continue to be held in the larger ViBe park on 18th Street, behind Wareing’s Gym. The city recently relocated the original Neptune Park stage canopy to the ViBe park stage, where live music is performed during the market events.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

The city budgets, that fund local governments for the fiscal year, set rates for real estate and personal property taxes. Here are tax rates adopted by seven Hampton Roads cities, and the revenue those taxes are expected to generate in the new fiscal year. Personal property tax varies by property type and the rate charged for personal vehicles is included.

Cities may offer different relief programs that can reduce tax liability.

Chesapeake

Real estate tax rate: $1.01 per $100 of assessed value, same rate unchanged for a few years. The city is expected to collect $390.5 million in revenue in fiscal 2025.

Personal property tax rate for vehicles: $4.08 per $100 of assessed value. Same as previous years. The city is expected to collect $76.2 million from all personal property taxes in fiscal 2025.

Chesapeake adopts $1.6 billion operating budget that will expand some tax relief, increase city worker pay

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Hampton

Real estate tax rate: $1.15 per $100 of assessed value, a 1-cent decrease from last year. Real estate tax revenue is anticipated to total $176.5 million in fiscal 2025.

Personal property tax rate for vehicles: $4.50 per $100 of assessed value, no change. Hampton is expected to collect $50.8 million in all personal property taxes in fiscal 2025.

Hampton adopts $643 million budget boosting employee pay, adding speed cameras and increasing waste fees

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Newport News

Real estate tax rate: $1.18 per $100 of assessed value, no change from last year. The city is expected to collect $266.4 million in real estate taxes in fiscal 2025.

Personal property tax rate for vehicles: $4.50 per $100 of assessed value. Personal property taxes for all items is expected to total $69.2 million in fiscal 2025.

Newport News adopts $1.14 billion budget, raises salaries for city workers and public safety

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Norfolk

Real estate tax rate: $1.23 per $100 of assessed value, a 2-cent decrease from last year. Real estate tax revenue is anticipated to total $328.1 million in fiscal 2025.

Personal property tax rate for vehicles: $4.33 per $100 of assessed value. Norfolk is expected to collect $61.8 million in all personal property taxes in fiscal 2025.

Norfolk passes $1.9 billion budget with city worker raises, real estate tax cut

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Portsmouth

Real estate tax rate: $1.30 per $100 of assessed value, with a 5-cent credit bringing the effective tax rate to $1.25 per $100 of assessed value. Same as last year. The city is expected to collect $130.5 million in fiscal 2025.

Personal property tax rate for vehicles: $5 per $100 of assessed value. The city is expected to collect $36.9 million from all personal property taxes in fiscal 2025.

Portsmouth adopts $934 million budget reducing real estate tax, fully funding schools

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Suffolk

Real estate tax rate: $1.07 per $100 of assessed value, a nominal 2-cent reduction. Last year the rate was $1.09 but the city offered a 2-cent tax credit, putting the effective rate at $1.07. The city is expected to collect $165 million in real estate taxes in fiscal 2025.

Personal property tax rate for vehicles: $4.25 per $100 of assessed value. The city is expected to collect $36 million in fiscal 2025 in personal property taxes.

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Virginia Beach

Real estate tax rate: 97 cents per $100 of assessed value, 2-cent decrease from last year. The city is expected to collect $700 million in real estate taxes in fiscal 2025.

Personal property tax rate for vehicles: $4 per $100 of assessed value. The city is expected to collect $206.7 million from all personal property taxes in fiscal 2025.

Virginia Beach adopts $2.6 billion budget, cutting taxes and increasing city worker pay

For those who have curbside recycling as part of their trash collection, they will see the largest fee increase of $3.05 a month, bringing the solid waste collection fee to $30.55.

Recycling costs were expected to double when the city renewed its annual contract with TFC Recycling of Chesapeake at the end of June. The average number of homes using curbside recycling in Virginia Beach is 125,000.

The city conducted a survey to gauge whether residents would accept higher bills to ensure curbside recycling remains an option.

The survey of 9,948 residents found a wide majority of respondents, 86.9%, consider curbside recycling “essential” or “important,” and many were willing to pay more for the service. Of those, 55.6% responded that they were able to pay $1-4 more per month, according to the survey.

Water and sewer fees or rates have also grown as part of a multi-year, phased effort to help maintain the current level of utility services, including employee compensation costs. The increases, which started last July, will be spread out over five years.

The storm water fee has not increased.

New fees/rates effective July 1:

• The new water service fee will be $5.53 per month, an increase of 53 cents.
• The new water usage rate will be $5.74 per 1,000 gallons per month, an increase of 54 cents.
• The new sanitary sewer fee will be $32.37 per month, an increase of 79 cents.
• The new solid waste collection fee will be $30.55 per month, an increase of $3.05.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com