Committee Chair: Jess Wilkins, 851-4624
A BIG "THANK YOU" TO ALL WATERFRONT RESIDENTS! 100% OF YOU SIGNED THE LETTERS OF AGREEMENT!
General Information: The City provided an updated briefing on the Hampton River Navigation Improvements project on February 25th at Kecoughtan High School. City Council has approved a plan to use public funds to dredge the Hampton River, including the upper part and some of the ancillary channels. The plan includes the dredging of the lake and the canal up to Bromley Street.
The plan does not include dredging of "driveways" from the main channel to individual piers. After obtaining items of cooperation from waterfront residents, the City will apply for the applicable environmental permits. Application of permits for "driveways" will be the responsibility of the individuals concerned and this should occur after the City obtains permits for the major dredging project.
Items of cooperation include the following:
- Access and Maintenance Agreement (for dredging private property)
- Agreement to allow access onto private property to dredge, i.e. the waters of the lake and canal
- Granting of an easement for future navigation maintenance and access for public use of the waterways (as they do now)
- "Hold Harmless" Agreement (for all properties with structures within 50 feet of dredging limits)
- Agreement to hold the City harmless for any damage to adjacent piers or bulkheads (the dredging contractor will have normal liabilities stipulated in their contract
Requirements for Stakeholders:
- All property owners must agree or dredging will not take place for that channel.
- All property owners on the canal must agree to all of the items of cooperation.
- ELECA, as the owner, must agree to the items of cooperation for Elizabeth Lake
- Property owners at 508 through 530 Elizabeth Lake Drive may be required to sign "Hold Harmless" Agreement if the main dredging channel passes within 50 feet of private piers or bulkheads.
- Property owners who live on the Lake may be required to sign a “Hold Harmless” Agreement if the main dredging channel passes within 50 feet of private piers or bulkheads.
- There is no requirement for dredging private driveways, it is an individual choice.
Schedule:
- Letters of Agreement (LOA) and copies of legal documents (easements, etc.) were mailed to all affected property owners the week of March 10th.
- Copies of the LOA and legal documents will be posted on the City web site, www.Hampton.gov
- The City has established a deadline of April 10, 2008 for returning the signed LOAs. Signing the LOA is an indication of the home owners’ agreement with the plan.
- Execution of legal documents will occur after the permits are obtained. A listing of returned agreements will be posted to the City web site.
- Third quarter of 2009 is the current estimate for dredging bidding.
NOW LET’S DO OUR PART AND GET THE LOAs SIGNED AND RETURNED!!
If you have questions, please call Jess Wilkins at 851-4624.
Additional Links of Interest
You can see what the City of Hampton has published regarding the project at their website, Hampton River Navigation Improvements
If you wonder why tax dollars are going to be spent to dredge the river, the short answer is "because a big chunk of the city's streets are silting it via storm sewer runoff." For a longer answer, read the document that was presented to City Council that illustrates it in great detail: Why Hampton Must Dredge the Northern End of the Hampton River (PDF)