VIRGINIA BEACH RESORT AREA STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN 2030 FEBRUARY 2020 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PREPARED FOR: STEERING COMMITTEE: City of Virginia Beach Guy King Tower, Virginia Beach City Council Mina “Gary” Ryan, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art Rosemary Wilson, Virginia Beach City Council PREPARED BY: Mike Standing, Jr., Virginia Beach Development Mike Inman, Virginia Beach Planning Commission The Strategic Growth Areas Office, Planning & Authority Elizabeth “BJ” Baumann, Resort Advisory Community Development Department Randy Thompson, Virginia Restaurant, Lodging Commission & & Travel Association Star Boyles, Shadowlawn Civic League THE CONSULTANT TEAM Gerrie West, Resort Advisory Commission Linwood Branch, Virginia Beach Hotel Association Kristina Chastain, 17th Street Gateway Association CITY STAFF: Sal DaBiero, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Ronald H. Williams, Jr., Deputy City Manager Center Foundation Robert “Bobby” J. Tajan, AICP, CFM Planning Bill Gambrell, Virginia Beach Restaurant Director Association, Historic Preservation Commission Kathy Warren, SGA Manager Laura Wood Habr, Virginia Green Alliance, Green Deborah Zywna, SGA Planner III Ribbon Committee Emily Archer, SGA Planner III / Urban Designer George Kotarides, Atlantic Avenue Association Ashby Moss, SGA Planning Evaluation Preston Midgett, Virginia Beach Vision Coordinator Elizabeth “GG” Mills, Seatack Civic League Karen Creech, SGA Planner III Nancy Parker, Resort Beach Civic League Jenizza Badua, SGA Planner I / Urban Designer Kate Pittman, ViBe Creative District Resort Area Strategic Action Plan 2030 2 CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 4.4 Sense Of Arrival 1.0 The RASAP Steering Committee 4 & Welcome 43 1.1 Executive Summary Of The Consultants 5 4.5 public & private Development opportunities 46 4.6 Residential & Mixed-Use Development 50 2. REVIEWING THE 2008 RASAP PLAN 7 2.0 Resort Area Development — 2008 7 5. IMPLEMENTATION 52 5.0 Project Matrix 53 3. THE RASAP 2030 PLANNING PROCESS 10 3.0 RASAP Steering Committee Vision and Goals 10 6. Appendix 54 3.1 Districts & Connecting Corridors 11 6.0 Glossary 54 3.2 Planning Process Phases 13 6.1 List of Figures 55 3.3 Public Input & Engagement 14 4. Priorities 15 4.0 Central Management Entities & the TIP Fund 16 4.1 Mobility Planning 20 4.2 Streetscape Design 28 4.3 Connected Green Open Spaces 39 Resort Area Strategic Action Plan 2030 3 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.0 THE RASAP STEERING transparent process/environment that was indicative of the resort COMMITTEE demographic — businesses, residents and visitors. Further The 2008 Resort Area Strategic outreach was completed with two Action Plan was created with the well attended public workshops intent to provide a document to which resulted in approximately 350 guide future growth and high quality attendees and 1,487 participants development within the Virginia responding to the public surveys. Beach Resort area. Challenges and opportunities were identified, One of the first accomplishments studied, documented and vetted by from this committee was to the RASAP Steering Committee, city recognize that all elements of the staff members and stakeholders and resort were connected and that it resulted in a successful guide for the was important to review all issues resort in the subsequent years. with connectivity and balance in mind. Using that premise as a The 2030 RASAP Steering Committee guideline, the resulting document FIG. 1.0.0 RASAP STEERING COMMITTEE was purposefully designed to became a comprehensive and provide input from all areas of collaborative visionary plan that the residents, improving business opportunities and creating a vibrant the resort including stakeholders, entire community supports. resort professional organizations, community that all citizens of Virginia Beach can be proud of. museums, neighborhoods, the The RASAP Steering Committee has Resort Advisory Commission, a worked tirelessly with a talented city Virginia Beach Planning Commission staff, additional stakeholders and member and City staff. The intent professional consultants towards the was to create an inclusive and goal of enhancing the lifestyles of Resort Area Strategic Action Plan 2030 4 1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE to vacation in a place where the locals love resulting in a clear set of priorities to guide the their everyday experience? Resort Area to 2030: CONSULTANTS The 2019 RASAP Plan is a strategic plan that • Adopt the best practices of a Central The Virginia Beach Resort Area has seen sets goals for the year 2030. The RASAP Management Entity with increased funding tremendous progress and success since Steering Committee began with a clear vision: for beautification, placemaking, wayfinding, the first Resort Area Strategic Action Plan 1. Create a unique sense of arrival. events and programming, incentives programs, (RASAP) was written in 2008. This success can enhanced infrastructure and green infrastructure be credited to dedicated citizens, property 2. Provide safe and comfortable places for to alleviate coastal flooding problems. residents and visitors. owners, business owners, stakeholders, and city • Complete a Mobility Plan for the Resort staff who have spearheaded and supported 3. Retain the feel of an oceanside resort with a Area to form a strategy for traffic calming, the growth and transformation of the area. sense of community. pedestrian circulation, bike circulation, shared However, not all goals were realized, and the 4. Preserve the feeling of Virginia Beach mobility devices, curbside management, need for the resort area to transform and adapt vehicular circulation, public transit, and parking. to changing lifestyles and preferences persists. identity, culture and history through art and design. • Complete detailed Streetscape Designs for In 2008, the Resort Area was focused on high-priority streets such as Atlantic Avenue, attracting and retaining seasonal visitors, 5. Provide a simultaneous sense of calm and renewed energy for residents and visitors. Pacific Avenue, 17th Street, and the Central primarily through striving to become a world- Beach district. This design will be used to class oceanfront resort. Over a decade later, 6. Address sea level rise and coastal resilience. reinforce a unique sense of place filled with the goals have shifted slightly as the tourism 7. Rehabilitate and preserve historic structures public art, great lighting, resilient landscaping, industry has changed. Cities that focus on and properties. and outdoor amenity spaces that are easy providing the highest quality spaces and to access and navigate with all modes of experiences for locals are seeing the highest The Consultant team tested these ideas transportation. return on investment with increasing property through a three-part planning process and a values, talent attraction and retention, and series of public workshops and surveys. Total visitors who return annually. Who doesn’t want public engagement counted over 3,000 people, Resort Area Strategic Action Plan 2030 5 • Provide Connected Green and Open Spaces necessity to achieve the goal of a year-round that connect west into the neighborhoods. resort and will enable the Resort Area to It will also provide spaces for residents become a walkable community, aiding in the and visitors to enjoy the outdoors in both alleviation of congestion and parking issues. programmed park spaces and natural, passive The coordination and implementation of green spaces that slow, store and filter storm the priorities will take time, but it is critically water. It will also provide a connected, urban important to begin with big-picture items wildlife habitat. such as the Mobility Plan that affects all other • Create a Sense of Arrival and Welcome by goals for the RASAP 2030 plan. Other priorities designing and constructing a large public art should take advantage of market timing gateway. There will be a primary gateway at and when new projects are presented to the 21st Street with secondary gateways into the Resort Advisory Commission (RAC), the RASAP Resort Area. Steering Committee, Planning Commission, City Council, and City Staff. The question should • Support Impactful Projects that benefit be asked, “Does it support one of the seven the Resort Area and the City of Virginia priorities of the RASAP 2030 plan?” If these Beach. The focus will be to adaptively reuse steps are followed, and the hard work of the and rehabilitate historic properties whenever RASAP Steering Committee and the citizens of possible, as well as respect those buildings Virginia Beach are respected, the end result will with new, contemporary compatible urban hopefully be a thriving, resilient, coastal resort infill projects. This type of development is both community that is a great place to visit, and a sustainable and authentic and will preserve the place we’d all love to live in 2030! sense of place that so many residents love. — WPA | WPL | SGA | Yard & Co. • Support Residential and Mixed-Use Development in the Resort Area. This is a Resort Area Strategic Action Plan 2030 6 2. REVIEWING THE 2008 RASAP PLAN 2.0 RESORT AREA The top priorities of the 2008 RASAP and current status: DEVELOPMENT — 2008 1. Develop Dome site as The Resort Area Strategic Action Plan major entertainment venue. (RASAP) was adopted in December (underway) of 2008. Since its adoption, a great 2. Build the Convention Center deal of development has occurred. Hotel. (not yet started) Virginia Beach City and Resort Area 3. Complete the Laskin Gateway leadership have agreed that it is street project.