Happy New Year!
On behalf of the Board, I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to you for supporting the Concerned Citizens United for Belmont Bay during the last year. The Board is planning activities for 2024 and we look forward to continuing to bring issues of interests and importance to Belmont Bay to your attention. We would like to hear from you as what is on your mind that we should be engaged in.
I would like to welcome James Bieret, a resident of BBHOA, to the Board.
If you take a walk on Dawson Beach Road from the entrance of Belmont Bay Villas to the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge after the New Year, you would notice the abandoned cars that used to line up the side of the road with tires and scattered debris are gone. VDOT installed no parking signs at the end of the last year and have enforced the new restriction.
Thanks to Sonny Charmin (a resident of BBHOA) that VDOT has finally taken action to clean up the portion of Dawson Beach Road. You may see the “Adopt-A-Highway by Sharmin Family” sign which had been covered by overgrowth of vines and tree branches. Sonny Sharmin contacted VDOT a couple of months ago asking actions to be taken to remove the abandoned cars and used tires. The management of the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge also chimed in because the complaints they have received from the visitors who were forced to walk on the street absent a sidewalk.
In December, I contacted VDOT as well. VDOT dispatched a maintenance crew to clean up the stretch of road and worked with PWC Police Department to have the abandoned cars towed. As a temporary measure, VDOT installed barrels to prevent more cars to be parked. All parties agree that a sidewalk should be built between the entrance to Belmont Bay on Dawson Beach Road to the entrance of the OBNWR.
Rob Hartwell also contacted our Supervisor and the Park Authority to clean up illegal dumping behind Belmont Bay Elementary School and Riverbend Estates volunteers cleaned up the trash there and also at the entrance to Regency Road and spots along Dawson Beach to Express Way.
We’ll work with our State and County elected officials, VDOT, PWCDOT, OBNWR and other involved parties to move on the project. At this time, we would like to thank Richard “Dic” Burke of VDOT for his response and prompt actions to have the no parking signs installed.
Special kudos to Sonny Sharmin and his family for taking the initiative to keep Belmont Bay beautiful and clean. Thank you!
KP Lau
President
Concerned Citizens United for Belmont Bay