Save the 🗓️ Date! Ocean Park Civic League Membership Spring Fling Picnic 🧺 is April 25th at 🐄 TASTE 😋!

Would you like to help out at the Spring Fling Picnic on the 25th of April? We needs some helpers to greet guests and hand out food tickets, sell raffle tickets and help out at the merchandise table. Meet your neighbors! Sign up HERE for a 45 min. shift! Thank You! You can also sign up for a Vegan meal or a Gluten Free Meal! Please sign up by Thursday, April 23 so we can let Taste know. Your meal will be held for you- just ask!

This is a OPCL members only event so pay your 2026 dues today! ( dues are current ONLY if paid since January 2026. Dues are by calendar year regardless of when you paid in 2025). All residents of Ocean Park are invited to become members of the civic league and join us on April 25th! Only $25 for the household!

Treasurer Shane Abell can help if you have a question about your membership! Contact him: treasurer@opcl.org

⚓️ Lynnhaven Boat Ramp Report

This is the first weekly report for the 2026 season.

Friday, April 17 –        92 total launches, car parking did not fill up there was available parking throughout the day. The overflow lot was not used. We did not have to close using the barricades at any time.

Saturday, April 18 –    151 total launches, car parking did fill.  Barricade operations were implemented beginning at 11:05 am and ended around 1:20pm. The existing 4 boat ramp full signs were changed to full; we put the 6 additional neighborhood signs out. The overflow lot was not used due to the sand haul operations making the site unusable for parking. We anticipate this being an issue on future weekends as well.

Sunday, April 20 –       3 total launches, car parking was not full. The overflow was not used. Barricade operations were not needed. Small craft advisory, temperatures, and wind created a poor day for the beach and boating.

Parking – Meters went active April 1.

Incidents to report:

  • On the evening of Friday, April 17th, 2026, a significant number of individuals, primarily college and high school-aged, began showing up at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp. Security was on post, regular vehicle parking areas were near full capacity, and the boat and trailer parking section was more than half occupied with trailers. Security was dealing with the parking demand that was quickly exceeding capacity, resulting in increased attempts by standard vehicles to utilize the restricted boat and trailer parking area. Elevated vehicle and foot traffic was observed in the adjacent beach area throughout the evening. At approximately 8:30 PM, I, Mike Parkman, stopped by the boat ramp just to check on things since I was in the area. I spoke to security and decision was made to contact Virginia Beach non-emergency dispatch and the Real Time Crime Center to advise them of the developing conditions. I also spoke directly to Lt. Kosmas from the 3rd precinct. At approximately 9:00 PM, multiple Virginia Beach Police Department units arrived on scene and established a visible presence in the area. Additional units arrived shortly thereafter, increasing law enforcement visibility and resulted in the gradual dispersal of the crowd by approximately 10:00 PM. No incidents of note were reported, and conditions returned to normal operations for the remainder of the night.
  • No additional issues on Saturday or Sunday evenings.

Bayfront Advisory Commission Update

The Bayfront Advisory Commission met on April 16th at the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad. City Staff presented the following updates:

  • The Comprehensive Plan will be considered by the City Council on April 23rd.
  • The Planning Department liaison Hank Morrison solicited input from the Design Committee regarding scope of work for the upcoming work on the new Shore Drive Guidelines
  • Public Works Deputy Director Katie Shannon noted that a major shift in traffic for the Phase III project will come on April 20th. She responded to concerns about tree cutting by Dominion Power which proceeded this year without input from the COVB. This falls under the purview of the Parks and Recreation Dept. In regards to Phase IV, there have been amendments to the Preliminary Engineering Plan which will be briefed soon to the Dept of Public Works and the project will shortly move to 30% design.
  • The footings for the new electronic signs for the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp are in place, sign to follow shortly. The signs will say ‘open’ or ‘full’.

Public Works Project Update Spreadsheet for April:

Committee Reports:

  • Design and Project Outlook Committee Chair Joe Bovee reviewed the Shore Drive Condo project and led a discussion of the project with regard to the Shore Drive Design Guidelines followed. The project is likely to be on the June Planning Commission Agenda.
  • Infrastructure Committee Chair Sandy Cohen attended a workshop on the Bikeshare Feasibility Study contributing to the discussion of local needs and priorities.
  • Communication Committee Chair Morgan Ayers-Comegys related the the Shore Drive Business Coalition will meet Monday, April 20th at 3:30 pm at Hot Tuna. In addition, Westminster Canturbury will have an Open House for viewing the ships.
  • Lynnhaven Boat Ramp Committee Chair Windy Crutchfield related that the weekly reports will resume May 1.

Project Briefing: Westminster Canterbury representatives gave a presentation on a plan to construct a parking garage. The plans were originally approved in 2008 but the project did not move forward. The change from the 2008 plan is an additional story: from two to three stories on the space where open parking lot is now. The goal is to provide enough parking so that surrounding neighborhoods will not be impacted: 346 more spaces. Tower expected finish is Nov. 2026. Noise mitigation: auger piles instead of driven/pounded piles and use of precast concrete.

🙏Thank you all! PHP 🌱Cleanup on Saturday April 12!

From Mary Faust, our Adopt A Spit Coordinator:

Many thanks to our great volunteers today for a terrific job clearing the trash from an abandoned encampment. We had 25 volunteers and cleared an additional 45 lbs. from the rest of the preserve. Bay Benefactors members were here early and jumped right in! All of the following folks, many of whom are dedicated volunteers here, including OPCL board members Danny Murphy and Andrea Lindemann with her husband Tim! Mary Vail and Eleanor, Amy M., Jeff and Blair Horth Valdivieso with “Mayor” (who watched the table so I could go change because whew!, it was hotter than I’d expected!), Camden Rosado and Robert Mititelu, Ali Fortier, Ashley and “Levi”, and the incomparable Cindy Caskey, showed up and picked up! Even a trio of Germans (Karl, Krista and Horst) who just came for a walk took a bag and came back with some trash and glasses (I have them if they are yours!)! So, in the spirit of my new German friends, I’d like to say “Danke zu alles!”

Danny Murphy, OPCL president made a few phone calls after the cleanup. By 8 PM, nearly half the pile and our orange bags had been picked up! Thanks Danny!

Screenshot
Bay Benefactors and President Danny Murphy

🐣Thank You to All! Another Great 🍬Easter Egg🐰 Hunt!

Huge Thanks to all the Volunteers who make this event happen! Thanks to our wonderful Easter Bunny! And to all our generous neighbors who donated candy, eggs, prizes, refreshments and time: egg stuffers and hiders we see you and all those who help set up and clean up!

Hello to new neighbors! We met lots of new families and welcome them!

Thanks again to Peyton at Beach Built on Shore Drive for serving as a donation collection point!

Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 4th at Lockhaven Park. Start is at 10:00 am!

All neighbors welcome! We have treats for all ages! We love to see new neighbors! Start for the hunt is 10:00 am. Join Us!

Thank you to all who generously donated candy and prizes for the eggs! Thank you to Beach Built on Shore Drive for being a collection point! (Stop in and see their fun things and Ocean Park T-shirts too! ).

Thank you to our volunteers! We stuffed 500 eggs!

🐣Easter Egg Hunt! 🍬Candy Donations and Helpers Needed on March 30 and April 4th!

We are asking for donations to stuff the Easter Eggs for one of our favorite events: 4th Annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 4th! On March 30. Monday at the Ocean Park Rescue Squad from 6:00-7:00 pm we welcome donations of individually wrapped candies, stickers and toys for the eggs. Please come help us stuff the eggs!

If you would like to donate candy, toys or stickers but can’t come on March 30, you can drop them off before March 30th in our basket at Beach Built on Shore Drive! ( and do a little shopping too!)

Here is our Sign up Genius page to sign up to help out with this event!

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