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Virginia Beach officials report steady progress on $1.5 billion flood‑protection program
Summary
City oversight board and Jacobs Engineering told council the flood‑protection bond program has advanced multiple projects into construction, reached nearly $200 million in expenditures, and currently carries an estimate of about $1.5 billion; staff said the city has secured $73 million in grants and will seek another $44 million.
Jeff Waller, chairman of the Flood Prevention Bond Referendum Oversight Board, told the Virginia Beach City Council on June 22 that the bond‑funded flood protection program now includes seven master projects, 21 subprojects and multiple support efforts and that the oversight board reports to council every three months.
"I'm Jeff Waller, chairman of the flood prevention bond referendum oversight board," Waller said as he opened the overview and described field visits and outreach since the last report. He said eight projects are moving forward and the board is keeping the public posted through blogs and videos that, together, have garnered thousands of views.
Lysa (Lisa) Pico, the Jacobs Engineering program manager, gave a second‑quarter status update on project milestones, design and procurement. "You can see the changes in blue," Pico said, describing project progress through preliminary engineering, 30/60/90/100% design, and procurement stages. She listed projects now in construction — including the Eastern Shore Drive bundle and portions of the Boow Creek Stormwater Park — and said Boow Creek phase two is at 100% design.
On finances, Pico said the program has recorded nearly $200 million in expenditures on the main master projects and that the overall program estimate is "right around 1.5 billion dollars," an increase of roughly $4 million since the previous quarter. Waller also said the city has been awarded $73 million in state and federal grants and plans to submit for an additional $44 million.
Council members pressed staff on trade‑offs and local impacts. One council member described an independent routing analysis that avoided constructing a road across a coastal primary sand dune for the Chub Lake pump station, saying the alternative would be "cheaper, faster" and less impactful to the environment and neighborhood. A city staffer summarized a longer budget shift: stormwater work has grown from less than 10% of the city's capital improvement program to roughly a quarter to a third of the CIP since Hurricane Matthew.
The presenters outlined anticipated Q3 milestones: Lake Bradford advancing to 30% design, Pungo Ferry Road moving toward 100% design, and initial construction activity on the Windsor Woods/Princess Anne Plaza/Lakes mega‑bundle. Pico said staff will begin advertising the Point Sienna pump station for construction in the coming months.
The presentation emphasized continued outreach: oversight‑board meetings are open to the public, staff encouraged councilmembers to visit work in their districts, and the program maintains a public website and email for comment. Council did not take any formal vote on project actions during the briefing; the session continued with other agenda items and later recessed into closed session for personnel and appointments.
The oversight board and Jacobs said they will return with future quarter updates and final results for planned procurement and construction milestones.
