Marine Resources Commission approves small dredge cut to connect proposed Pleasure House Point mitigation bank after weeks of public protest

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission on Feb. 25 approved a permit allowing the City of Virginia Beach to mechanically dredge a 19-foot-by-63-foot subtidal channel in Pleasure House Creek to create a tidal connection to a proposed Pleasure House Point mitigation bank, saying the limited cut is within the commission’s jurisdiction and should be conditioned to protect nearby resources.

Why it matters: The proposal and a months-long public debate spotlighted tensions between a city-led plan to restore tidal wetlands and residents and conservation groups who said the project risks trees, oysters, and hydrology on the 16-acre bank site. The commission’s approval—conditioned on pre-dredge coordination, turbidity controls and other measures—allows the city to proceed with the narrow dredge cut the staff described as necessary to flood the bank site and establish tidal marshes used for mitigation credits.

Staff summary and recommendation: VMRC staff told commissioners the dredge cut is limited to state-owned submerged lands and would re-establish a hydrological connection between a stormwater outfall and the inland bank site. Staff recommended approval and proposed specific permit conditions: a pre-dredge meeting, turbidity curtains and silt booms…