Wards Corner Civic League

Clearing out some clutter ahead of the holiday season? Some items can’t be tossed in the garbage but you can dispose of it the right way at Keep Norfolk Beautiful’s Special Waste Collection event on November 4 from 9 a.m. to noon at Southside STEM Academy (1106 Campostella Road).

Accepted items include:

• Household Hazardous Waste
• Electronics
• Grocery Bags & Clear Film
• And much more!

This Special Waste Collection event also includes on-site, secure document shredding and a tree giveaway.

Please share this with neighbors, friends and colleagues. Norfolk residents only and proof of residency is required. 

For more information on acceptable items, visit www.norfolk.gov/knb.

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The Department of Utilities has seen a recent increase in customer questions and concerns related to their HRUBS bills. The following provides some background and plans to address customer questions moving forward.

Background:

• Rates for all City of Norfolk services on the combined utility bill, including water and wastewater, went through a regular annual increase in July (www.norfolk.gov/utrates).
• HRSD similarly increased their rates as part of their annual schedule (https://www.hrsd.com/sites/default/files/assets/Documents/pdfs/finance/RateSchedule/HRSD-FY2024RateSchedule.pdf).
• In the same month, we experienced inclement weather events and meter reader staffing shortages from our vendor, both resulting in longer billing periods (some as long as a 48-day cycle). This staffing shortage also impacted the neighboring cities of Virginia Beach and Suffolk.
• Historically, water usage is higher in the summer months (i.e., lawn watering, washing cars, pools, etc.)

Way Ahead:

• The Utilities meter reading contractor is working to stabilize the work force and get back to the normal billing schedule. Utilities staff is in communication with the contractor daily on these efforts.  In an effort to communicate with our customers, Utilities posted an advisory explaining this to the webpage www.norfolk.gov/5191/Question-About-My-Billon Friday, September 23^rd.
• The Utilities Department is working with Communications to share this information on social media and the information will also be shared with our customers on upcoming HRUBS bills. Customers can reach out to utilities customer service at (757) 664-6700 for more information, or they can visit www.norfolk.gov/5191/Question-About-My-Bill.
• In the long term, the Department of Utilities is improving operational efficiency, resiliency, and customer service through an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project for water meters. AMI enables the application of technologies, such as advanced meters and other sensors, to enable improved flow of information between customers and the City of Norfolk and to provide customers and the utility with data on water usage. With AMI, customers can better manage water usage and protect against high bills. The AMI project is funded in the CIP from FY24 – FY27.

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Sam Hundley’s art celebrates the traditional folk art Halloween decorations of our childhood.

Visit the Titustown Recreation and Visual Arts Center to enjoy HUNDLEY HALLOWEEN: A Folky Family Tradition.

Sept. 22 – Nov. 10
7545 Diven St.

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Design-build contractor Allan Myers for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Interstate 64 (I-64) Express Lanes Norfolk Segment will hold a citizen information meeting Tuesday, Aug. 22, to share information on construction soon to be underway on I-64 in Norfolk.

The primary purpose of this $163 million project is to convert the existing shoulder lane to a high-occupancy, part-time shoulder Express Lane that will run alongside the three existing general purpose lanes in both directions on I-64 from Tidewater Drive to Patrol Road. Additionally, five existing bridges will be rehabilitated and widened on I-64 east at I-564, Granby Street, Little Creek Road, as well as the east-and westbound bridges at Tidewater Drive. Three existing bridges on I-64 west will also be rehabilitated at Little Creek Road, Granby Street, and the I-64 Reversible Roadway over I-564 and Granby Street. 

The purpose of the meeting is to give citizens an opportunity to review project exhibits on display and meet with representatives from the design-build team and VDOT to learn about construction updates and projected traffic impacts. The citizen information meeting will be an open-house format meeting with no formal presentation. Media are invited to attend.

This project is part of the future Hampton Roads Express Lanes (HREL) network, a continuous, 46-mile network of Express Lanes on I-64 from east of Denbigh Boulevard in the city of Newport News to the I-64/I-264/I-664 Bowers Hill interchange in the city of Chesapeake. The network, being constructed in multiple segments over the next several years, is designed to transport motorists safely and efficiently through the region while helping to alleviate congestion at key locations along I-64.

To learn more about the details of the project, visit https://www.64expresslanes.org/under_construction/norfolk.asp. 

In case of severe weather, the meeting back-up date is Aug. 23 from 5-7 p.m. at the same location.

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The city is holding a public forum at the Lambert’s Point Community Center at 1251 W 42nd St Clubhouse at 4301 Powhatan Ave on Wednesday, August 9th July 19th from 6pm-8pm (parking is available) to discuss what should be done with this property. There are several interested parties who are expected to attend to voice their opinion.

Some concerned citizens in Norfolk have formed a committee to explore the possibility of a new park at Lambert’s Point where the old golf course existed. A large portion of the property has been sold to HRSD for a SWIFT water treatment plant but 20 acres remain that have not yet been spoken for. This committee is proposing that this acreage become a park along the Elizabeth River with cool breezes and water views. There are preexisting walkways that wind around the property that could be used for walkers, joggers and bike riders. They envision a wonderful venue for concerts, picnics, etc. This committee reached out to our civic league to share their vision and a petition that they have started for like-minded individuals: https://chng.it/X5WXYP5x. (This is for information purposes only; our civic league has not taken any vote or official stance on the matter as of this posting.)

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The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) is responsible for assessing and planning the transportation needs of the Hampton Roads region. They are currently working on updating the region’s Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), a blueprint that will guide transportation investments through the year 2050. The HRTPO aims to support transportation projects that reduce congestion, improve accessibility – especially for underserved communities – address regionally significant concerns, and advance our region.

Your input will directly influence the transportation planning process for Hampton Roads!  When planning, it is important to gather feedback from those who live, work, and play in the Hampton Roads region. This is how the agency can identify, plan for, and meet the needs of Hampton Roads. They believe that effective transportation planning reflects a wide range of input from our Hampton Roads residents. The HRTPO would love for your organization to participate in the current 2050 LRTP planning process and have created a public survey to gather input on influences, or “drivers of change,” that can impact how, where, and why we travel in the future. This survey will be active from July 1 through August 15, 2023.

https://metroquestsurvey.com/32ez?c=F

Thank you in advance for your active involvement in helping to create a better-connected future for us all.

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Make your landscape STORM READY!

See this flyer from the Virginia Department of Forestry for information on how you can make sure your property’s trees are ready for extreme weather this hurricane season.

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Black Rifle Coffee Company, located at the site of the former KFC, is now open for business!

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If you missed the June 6th meeting, Norfolk councilmembers will be hosting additional community meeetings to introduce Norfolk’s new Chief of Police, Mark Talbot. The meetings will be held on June 28 at 6pm at Jordan-Newby Library and July 24 at 6pm at Lambert’s Point Community Center.

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