The 2025 Pleasure House Point Wetlands Restoration Project has generated healthy engagement from the Virginia Beach community both in-person at the December 2024 Bayfront Advisory Commission meeting and online via City social media sites (Facebook and Instagram). For both supporters of the project and those who have expressed concerns, being knowledgeable and educated on the project is paramount in engaging with local government and the community at large. In this comprehensive blog post, we will debunk several prevalent social media myths about this flood protection project so residents can attain a stronger understanding of this important environmental initiative.

Myth #1: The City doesn’t need to do this Pleasure House Point project at all; there is another wetlands project available instead called the New Mill Creek Tidal Mitigation Bank.

Fact: Yes, another possible opportunity to buy tidal wetland mitigation credits came online last week called the New Mill Creek Tidal Mitigation Bank. However, this is not enough to meet the City’s program needs. Here’s why:

The preliminary estimate of the City’s need (as we know it today) for tidal wetland mitigation credits at 6.947 exceeds the total number of credits at the New Mill Creek Bank which is located in the Elizabeth River Watershed. Five years from now we will need even more credits for more flood protection projects if we go a short-term route this like this one.

The total cost of the credits needed by the City at today’s price is $10,420,500 and is an incomplete estimate. These credits just became available and are selling at $1.5 million per credit. That is expected to increase in January 2025.

These credits are subject to market conditions. For example, we don’t know who else wants them. We don’t know who is actively bidding on them. The time it would take to assess these credits may push the City beyond our contractual timeline.

Purchasing these credits, which are outside of the Lynnhaven Watershed, offer no ecological benefit. There are no known banks planned for the Lynnhaven Watershed.

If credits are exhausted, municipalities and private developers must either create their own mitigation solutions or wait for new banks, which can take over two years to establish. The City of Virginia Beach is the only locality with an approved municipal tidal mitigation bank, allowing it better flexibility for its projects. Moving forward with the Pleasure House Mitigation Bank would mean spending funds within the City rather than purchasing credits from other watersheds with no ecological gain for the Lynnhaven River.

Myth #2: This project is happening so the City can build luxury homes on wetlands elsewhere in Virginia Beach.

Fact: This wetlands restoration project is not tied to residential development since residential development is considered private development. The use of the credits created by the Pleasure House Point project are intended for public works projects including roadways, stormwater and flood protection. They cannot be used for any economic development or private-public partnership project.

Myth #3: More than 5,000 trees will be destroyed.

Fact: The City doesn’t know the actual number of trees that will be impacted... yet. Students in the Environmental Studies program are conducting a tree count and results will be posted when completed.

Below is a rendering of the project area. The full project site is approximately 13 acres. Because some of the site is forested, the City is required to replace 105 trees per acre according to the City arborist. The City can only plant in the yellow area as outlined below in the map. Anything we can’t plant in this area due to space restrictions, the City will fund what is required to plant in other areas of the city.

Image Caption: This photo represents the Pleasure House Point Wetlands Restoration Project tree plan with a legend that includes property boundary, Brock Trail, areas where existing trees will remain and areas were trees will be replanted.

Image Caption: This photo represents the Pleasure House Point Wetlands Restoration Project construction site with a legend that includes property boundary, construction entrance, perimeter trail, pedestrian bridge location, main channel and replanted tree sites.

Below is a detailed list of all of the future plantings that will occur with this project to add an important environmental resource:

377 live oaks trees, 190 water oak trees, 98 loblolly pine trees and 78 Virginia pine trees across nearly two acres

67,051 salt marsh/smooth cordgrass plants in the lower marsh planting zone across 3.5 acres

87,712 salt meadow hay plants in the high marsh and upper high marsh areas across 4.5 acres

1,009 salt bush, grounsel bush, marsh elder and high tide bush in the upper high marsh area across .77 acres

Nearly 4,000 grasses to include switchgrass, broom sedge, sea oat and/or seabeach grass across almost two acres

Myth #4: The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not approve this project.

Fact: The Mitigation Banking Instrument (MBI) was completed and approved in 2020. The MBI serves as a regulatory authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to establish, operate and maintain a Tidal Wetland Mitigation Bank. The MBI was signed in December 2020, by the Interagency Review Team (IRT), which consists of various federal and state agencies responsible for reviewing mitigation banks.

Myth #5: There was no advance notice of this project or the Dec. 19 meeting of the Bayfront Advisory Commission.

Fact: The agenda for the Bayfront Advisory Commission meeting was publicly posted online Dec. 13. The City let residents know that a recording of this specific presentation would be available for those who could not attend the public meeting on Dec. 19. Additionally, the Pleasure House Point Restoration Wetlands Project was publicly presented to City Council Nov. 26, 2024, and a video was posted to the City’s Instagram recapping the project on Dec. 2.

Residents can view Council agendas in advance via eDocs or view meeting agendas on the Bayfront Advisory Commission webpage.

Myth #6: The City didn’t gather input from individuals with environmental qualifications.

Fact: The design of the Pleasure House Point Wetlands Restoration Project is a collaborative effort between Tom Langley of Langley MacDonald and Bob Kerr of Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI). With over 50 years of experience in waterfront engineering, Tom partners with Bob, who is well-known for his expertise in environmental engineering and permitting. WSSI has successfully designed and constructed over 1,000 acres of wetlands across 100 mitigation sites in the eastern United States.

Noteworthy accomplishments include the development of the first privately owned wetland mitigation bank in Virginia, as well as the first three such banks in Northern Virginia. This positions them as the leading firm in the region for wetland design, construction, maintenance and monitoring. The construction contractor for the project is Flatiron, who is utilizing local subcontractors to carry out the work.

Myth #7: This project doesn’t align with VB’s Tree City USA membership.

Fact: Virginia Beach has been a Tree City USA member since 1980. The City’s Urban Forestry Management Plan, updated in 2023, addresses Virginia Beach’s desire to greatly expand and proactively undertake tree replacement planting and reforestation efforts. More than 370 live oak trees, 190 water oak trees, 98 loblolly pine trees and 78 Virginia pine trees will be planted alongside more than 150,000 plants.

Myth #8: This project threatens the habitats of endangered species.

Fact: The City has conducted and updated a protected species analysis for both federal and state species and submitted its findings to various federal and state agencies responsible for reviewing mitigation banks. See the project website’s FAQs for more details on the analysis.

The City anticipates complying with any time-of-year restrictions for the Northern Long-Eared Bat, should the relevant agencies find it necessary based on their review of the City's findings. Importantly, the Pleasure House Point Mitigation Bank will not adversely affect any state or federally listed endangered or threatened species.

Myth #9: If there is a “yes” vote on Jan. 7 to appropriate funds needed for this project and construction will start in February, the necessary permits aren’t in place.

Fact: The City is actively seeking a renewal of the 2020 approved permit that has since expired. The renewal request was submitted Dec. 13.

Myth #10: Acres of native wetlands will be destroyed to meet a mitigation quota instead of buying land that’s going to be developed near the shoreline and using that.

Fact: Actually, buying land is exactly what the City did! This site was at risk of development and the City bought the land to preserve it and restore native wetlands.

The environment that you see now, while beautiful, is technically not “native” today at all – it was used as a dredging spoil site by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Lynnhaven Inlet with over one million cubic yards of dredge material placed over the original wetlands in the 1970s.

Myth #11: It doesn’t make sense that projects in place for a few years suddenly need wetlands credits and Pleasure House Point is the only place available.

Fact: The true impacts to tidal wetlands are rarely known upfront until a project is far enough along in the design process where specifics can be shared. For example, a project like a pump station that was funded years ago is known to need some tidal wetland mitigation credits... but the exact count is unknown until the design is complete. For many projects, the design process takes months and for others it may take years.

The North London Bridge Pump Station and Tide Gate project requires 2.3 acres of tidal wetland mitigation credits. It is scheduled to begin construction in November 2026, with an expected completion date in December 2031 and operational by February 2032. The construction of the Pleasure House Point Mitigation Bank is essential to ensure that projects already under contract with a Design-Builder can be completed within the 10-year timeframe set by the Flood Protection Program Bond Referendum.

Myth #12: Pleasure House Point is already a tidal wetland with native trees, shrubs, etc. that have been there for decades, if not centuries.

Fact: The environment that you see now in the project site area, while beautiful, is not native today at all. In 1954 Princess Anne County, Virginia Beach Erosion Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designated the area as a “spoil site” for use in dredging the Lynnhaven Inlet.

Before the 1970s, the site existed in its natural condition as a partially wooded inlet over-wash area with a broad expanse of wetlands. Between 1971 and 1972 it is reported that over one million cubic yards of dredge material was placed over the wetlands, raising the ground elevations of the site approximately 3-4 feet, and filling all of the historic tidal wetlands. This allowed trees to root that have been there for decades, not centuries.

Myth #13: There isn’t any reason a vote on this project is necessary in less than a month.

Fact: The City promised flood protection in ten years. It has already been three years since the bond referendum passed. The City has two major Flood Protection Program projects under design that will have an impact on tidal wetlands. These impacts cannot be mitigated without the Pleasure House Point Wetland Mitigation Bank, as there are currently no wetland mitigation banks in the Lynnhaven River watershed.

The project will take time for construction, planting, and subsequent review by environmental regulatory agencies before compensatory tidal wetland credits can be utilized. These tidal wetland credits are crucial for the City to continue with the construction of the essential pump stations for the Flood Protection Program, which are on an accelerated timeline due to commitments made in the bond referendum. Additionally, if the City cannot provide tidal wetland mitigation credits, the City could face delay claims from the contractor combined with future unknown inflation costs.

To learn more about the Pleasure House Point Wetlands Mitigation Project, visit the project webpage as it will continue to be updated. To view an environmental report showing how the Pleasure House Point parcel functions in its current state, visit the Great Neck Area Library to view a print version or email phpwetlands@vbgov.com to request copies via email. The report is unable to be posted online at VirginiaBeach.gov at this time due to ADA compliance requirements.

The Real Deal: Debunking 13 Myths about the Pleasure House Point Wetlands Restoration Project