Pastor urges city partnership to stabilize eroding Danesville bluff near Constance Road

A pastor and community leader asked council to act after environmental assessments documented accelerated erosion at the Danesville River bluff behind United Full Gospel Revival Center, where the land reportedly has receded about 1 foot per year and in places drops 16 feet from the public sidewalk.

"We've lost nearly 4 feet of land. The erosion there drops off nearly 16 feet straight down from the edge of the public sidewalk," said Pastor Dallas Ellis Jr., who presented an executive summary of assessments and said the condition poses a direct danger to citizens and adjacent properties.

Ellis said the church has commissioned assessments from several organizations, including Terracon and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and submitted grant applications to EPA, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. He said the church and volunteers have documented flooding and near-miss injuries on the property and that the erosion threatens the Nansemond River shoreline and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

"This is not a hypothetical risk. It is already affecting people and property," Ellis said, asking for city partnership on a long-term stabilization plan before the situation becomes a larger public-safety emergency.

Council members acknowledged the urgency and said staff would review the submitted report. Vice Mayor Ward later said he and staff had seen the site and expressed willingness to coordinate; council did not take immediate action but staff indicated they would review the executive summary and consider next steps, including potential cooperation with regional partners.