Meeting Minutes - September 30, 2026

Social – Cash Bar (6:30pm)

Call to Order (7:01pm)

Welcome by President, Blake Roberson.

President welcomed city council member and Vice Mayor, Rosemary Wilson.

• Mrs. Wilson thanked members for attending.

• Mrs. Wilson commented on the success of the Winston Salem Project, the role the Civic League played in establishing the project as a city priority, and her appreciation for the neighborhood’s patience during this project.

• Member Comment: the bike path seems narrower than expected.

  • President and Vice President clarified that the initial plans did not change from plans to implementation.

  • President also clarified that the city only had a certain amount of space to work with.

    • Member Comment: the wooden part of the bike path is due for replacement.

  • President asked if the member would send that to the civic league and we will follow up with the city.

    • Mrs. Wilson also updated the Civic League that there will be 99 new parking spaces along Atlantic Avenue next year.

    • Mrs. Wilson asked if the members had applied for a VB parking pass currently offered by the city to local residents.

  • Member Comment: the process for signing up for this pass is complicated and difficult.

  • Vice President: will follow up with an email explaining the process in detail.

President also updated Civic League on a recent city council decision to change the Virginia Beach Fire Department’s schedule to a 4-shift schedule to reduce the total weekly and monthly hours firefighters are required to spend in active work.

Old Business:

1. Approve meeting minutes from March 2026.

   • Minutes approved.

2. Recap since our last meeting:

   • Welcome home committee

     • We welcomed CDR Kevin Swift this Spring. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped to set up flags.

     • Please let the civic league board know when you have a military member returning home from an extended leave so we can line the streets with flags for their return.

   • Shadowlawn Yard Sale

     • 20 homes registered.

     • Kids Market was a huge success and will be repeated next year.

   • Tour de Shadowlawn – will return hopefully in 2027

   • 4^th of July Shirts - great succcess! We sold over 100 adult and youth shirts.

   • Spring Fling - President thanked Big Sam's for hosting and donating food, in addition to Shadowlawn Eats, Gringo's, Rudees, and Pizza Chapel for donating food as well.

   • Adopt A Muster - President thanked Il Giardino's, Chix, Chicho's, Taste, and the Sawyer family for their donations.

   • Booze Cruise - another great success. Lower attendance was noted this year for this event so we may take a year off and bring it back in 2028.

   • Shadowlawn Surf Club – thank you to our flagship sponsor for Shadowlawn Surf Club, Daniel Parrish and the Parrish Real Estate team.

     • Surf Club was a huge hit, every week approximately 100 kids in attendance.

     • VB Surf Sessions offered free surfboard rentals and instructors.

     • Parrish Real Estate team was able to sponsor free t-shirts for all the kids.

   • National Night Out

3. Shadowlawn Scholarship – Scholarship Committee did an excellent job establishing the scholarship process. We will get it out this year and probably push it out in December.

New Business:

1. Membership Update, 315 current members. President established a goal to reach 25% of the neighborhood = 400 members.

2. Budget Update: $25k in bank account, increase of $5k due to memberships and merch sales. Booze Cruise was decreased in cost by approximately 50%.

3. Winston Salem Project

   • Ribbon Cutting Ceremony – Civic League’s plan was to host a large event on this date hosted at Big Sam’s but we were informed that Sam’s could likely not staff a large event on this date.

4. New Shadowlawn Sign Second sign will be on the corner of Indian and Norfolk Ave. or just west of that in a clear space of trees before Rudee Ave.

   • Second sign will be on the corner of Indian and Norfolk Ave. or just west of that in a clear space of trees before Rudee Ave.

5. Shadowlawn Christmas Party

   • Shadowlawn Eats will host the party!

   • Scheduled for Thursday, December 17^th

   • Adults only.

   • Appetizers will be provided by the civic league.

6. Committee Heads

   • Political Action Committee Head – we need individuals who are aware and involved in city council and local government activities so that we can inform our members about events and issues that impact Shadowlawn.

   • Beautification Committee Head – landscaping and planting flowers around our new Shadowlawn neighborhood signs.

   • Volunteer Committee Head – send out emails prior to meetings and events to get the necessary volunteers for each event.

   • Social Committee Head – we need a group of volunteers to help with these events.

     • Ice Cream Social

     • Movie Nights

     • Shadowfest

     • Christmas Party

     • Spring Fling

     • Other events

7. Local Restaurant Updates

   • Kelly’s has a 7-year lease on the current Water Table building.

   • Pizza Pub is taking over Pizza Chapel.

   • Rockafeller’s is TBD.

8. Election Day is November 3^rd.

9. Meeting Location for future civic league meetings – TBD.

Member Questions:

• Member asked about the timeline on the Rudee Loop Project.

  • Mrs. Wilson answered that the rest of the design will be done shortly, and on October 20^th they will have a presentation to accrue additional funds for the park at the city council meeting.

  • Bruce Smith’s property, the council agreed to pay $3M for his property which will provide additional space for the park.

• Member asked if the new space was for the parking garage.

  • Mrs. Wilson answered that there is no parking garage in the current plans.

  • Mrs. Wilson clarified that the design has to be finished and then the city will put out bids for the development.

• Member asked about getting copies of the City Proclamation.

  • Vice President will follow up with the city to inquire about getting copies.

• Member asked about Shadowfest.

  • President updated civic league members with details on the event, which will also be sent out soon via email to the email list.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

·      10/3/2026: Winston Salem Ribbon Cutting

·      10/24/2026: Shadowfest

·      12/1/2026: Shadowlawn Shinedown

·      12/2/2026: Next meeting

·      12/17/2026: Christmas Party

Adjourn/Social (8:00pm)

We’d like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to The Water Table for hosting us this evening. 

Agenda - September 30, 2026

Social – Cash Bar (6:30pm)

Call to Order (7:00pm)

Old Business:

1. Approve meeting minutes from March 2026

2. Recap since our last meeting:

   1. Welcome home committee- CDR Kevin Swift

   2. Shadowlawn Yard sale

   3. 4^th of July Shirts

   4. Spring Fling

   5. Adopt A Muster

   6. Booze Cruise

   7. Shadowlawn Surf Club

   8. National Night Out

3. Shadowlawn Scholarship

New Business:

1. Membership Update

2. Budget Update.

3. Winston Salem Project

            a. Ribbon Cutting Ceremony   

4. New Shadowlawn Sign

5. Shadowlawn Christmas Party

6. Committee Heads

Adjourn/Social

We’d like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to The Water Table for hosting us this evening. 

**Please take care of your bartenders and tip generously!

Meeting Minutes - March 4, 2026

6:30pm - Happy Hour Social Gathering

7:03pm - Call to order

Old Business:

1. Approval of meeting minutes (October 1, 2025 meeting)

   • Minutes approved.

2. Shadowfest recap

   • Registered with the city as an official event, for the first time.

   • Added GaGa Ball for the kids and face painting.

   • Over 300 (approximately) in attendance.

   • Budget will increase each year as our membership numbers increase.

   • If members have new ideas for activities for Shadowfest, please let us know!

New Business:

1. Introduction of Andrew Rice, Republican candidate for the 98th House District

2. Winston Salem Avenue Project update

   • Updates from Dennis O.

   • Dominion Power is on site currently.

   • Trending toward completion date in July, opening road in April.

   • Please send questions to Dennis via email (preferably before emailing city council with your concerns).

3. Virginia Avenue development discussion

   • Presentation by Kathy Warren, Director of Planning

   • Left cards for herself and Theresa Holleran (spell check) who is the Project Manager.

   • Rosemary Wilson asked if the city could send someone to the meeting to present additional information, an engineer from the project may be available to attend the next meeting.

   • Provided a proposed site plan.

   • They do not have the elevations and do not know what it’s going to look like exactly at this time.

   • By-right development, zoned properly for this development, does not require public hearings or additional approvals form ciy council.

   • Zoned A-18, approved up to 28 units, 1.6 acres. Building 24 units.

   • Currently in 4^th site plan review (storm water modeling).

   • 35ft max height, 3 story with ground level private garages.

   • 53 parking spaces (only required to have 48)

   • Traffic analysis is not required because it does not exceed 150? Trips during peak hours.

   • Storm water modeling will be completed using the city’s current model. Current plan is to fill in the existing pond. “They can’t make anything worse.” They have to account for all of their water on site. Includes all recent modeling that the city has worked on during the recent years.

   • Developers will be required to provide elevation certificates at foundation installation and final inspection.

   • Resident Questions:

     • When was the last update done?

     • Resident concerned with water drainage from the pond, as the water frequently goes up to the level of the house.

     • Resident worried that the drainage will be redirected into the creek/culver, which is the ditch that currently floods, 10-12” of water over the roadway. Bank degradation also results in additional flooding from other recent issues.

     • How does this development comply with the city’s plans to protect wetlands?

     • Resident identified a group of Virginia Ave residents in the meeting, reported that she has emailed city officials about their questions that have been previously submitted.

     • What is the best way to submit questions to the city regarding this project?

     • Resident concerned that the FEMA flood plane map is from 2015.

     • Is there an elevation study and how the raising of that property will impact the drainage, the condos next to it, and the homes across the street?

     • How can residents be protected? Are they going to do inspections after a storm?

   • SCL President to obtain questions from residents and facilitate a smaller meeting with the city officials involved in the project.

   • SCL President will also request GIS data to determine overall number of properties, etc. to give data for a GIS study.

     • Requested during peak season.

   • Anyone with specific questions will be provided the information in writing.

   • Kathy Warren suggested setting up a smaller meeting to go over to storm water runoff plan with residents.

   • SCL President will compile all questions and send them in a single email to the Project Coordinator and Director of Planning to ensure that all questions are received and will ensure an effective and thorough meeting.

   • If you cannot feasibly submit your questions to us via email due to numerous attachments, forwarded emails, etc., you can submit those directly to (1) Theresa Holleran, Project Coordinator: thollera@vbgov.com and (2) Kathy Warren, Director of Planning: KMWarren@VBgov.com

4. Membership update

   • 315 currently.

5. Budget update

   • $15k in Jan 2025, $19k in Jan 2026.

   • Budget will be added to the meeting minutes for members to review.

   • President reviewed sponsorship opportunities. These will also be listed under meeting minutes.

6. Introduction of Cheryl Smith, Democratic candidate for the 98th House District

7. Secretary Nomination

   • Tabled until the next meeting due to time constraints.

8. Committee Head updates – tabled until the next meeting due to time constraints; however, we are currently accepting volunteers for all positions.

   • Volunteer Lead - responsible for emailing current list of volunteers prior to events and creating SignUp Genius lists for larger events, coordinating volunteers in 30min shifts.

   • Military Homecoming Lead - responsible for arranging volunteers to set up flags lining the street to welcome home our military members, set up banner, pick up and drop off materials from President's house (where they are currently stored).

   • Thank you to Daniel Parrish for volunteering to fill the position of New Neighbor Welcome Lead - responsible for dropping off welcome gift bags to new neighbors.

   • Scholarship Committee Lead - responsible for leading Scholarship Committed Volunteers in creating the application and reviewing applications for the Shadowlawn Civic League Scholarship, making a determination on the recipient.

9. Scholarship – will be available soon.

   • Applicants' families or household must have a current membership of at least 6 months.

   • We will send out more information when available.

10. Winston Salem Development

    • SCL President met with Whit Sessoms recently and discussed potential plans for single family homes.

    • He will be invited to attend the next meeting, as well.

11. Final comments by Rosemary Wilson.

Important Dates:

• March 17, 2026 - 98th House District Vote

• May 6, 2026 - Spring Civic League Meeting

• May 11, 2026 - Booze Cruise Tickets on Sale

• May 20, 2026 - Spring Fling at Big Sam's (Collect Adopt-a-Muster Snack Donations)

• May 23, 2026 - Adopt-a-Muster at Police Station

• June 4, 2026 - Shadowlawn Booze Cruise

• June 10, 2026 - Ice Cream Social

8:14pm – Adjournment, followed by social. Cash bar open.

137 in attendance.