June 2006 - City, State and Federal government stormwater management, water quality and management officials were notified of the creation of the Cavalier Canal Association and its Mission.
June 2006 - Letters sent to the Lake Cavalier Corporation requesting that the Association be supplied with options the Lake Cavalier Corporation might use to restore the Warfield Drive side of the canal embankment on the Cavalier Canal. Circuit court deed records (Book 1125 - Page 768) and the property card record in the City Assessor's office (Map 0659 Parcel 0010 - 3.35 acres), appears to indicate that the Lake Cavalier Corporation owns much of the canal embankment on the Warfield Drive side.
November 2006 - Meeting between officers of the Lake Cavalier Corporation and the Cavalier Canal Association.
December 2006 - Annual Potluck dinner and meeting.
April 2007 - Articles of Incorporation filed with the State of Virginia.
April 2007 - Complaint of Nuisance sent to the City Manager of the City of Portsmouth regarding the condition of Map & Parcel 0659 0010 pursuant to Chapter 23, Article II, Section 23 of the Portsmouth City Code.
June 2007 - Complaint of Nuisance sent to the City Inspector of the City of Portsmouth regarding the condition of Map & Parcel 0659 0010 pursuant to Chapter 23, Article II, Section 23 of the Portsmouth City Code.
August 2007 - City of Portsmouth, Department of Public Works/Stormwater Management, announces a sediment forebay construction/sediment removal project, primarily limited to the eight outfall and incoming stormwater pipe areas of the Cavalier Canal. The project is scheduled to begin in September 2007 with an expected duration of 45 to 60 days.
September 2007 - According to the City of Portsmouth's Code Enforcement Database, the complaint of nuisance (Ref. NQA2007-14650) regarding Map & Parcel 0659 0010 filed on behalf of the residents of Cavalier Manor, with a reinspection date of July 9th, 2007, was closed on September 6th, 2007. However, the nuisance was never abated. A repeated request has gone unfulfilled for a written explanation from the City of Portsmouth's City Inspector's Office as to why it elected to deny our community relief through abatement of this nuisance pursuant to city code.
September 2007 - The sediment forebay construction project with limited sediment removal, undertaken by the City of Portsmouth, Department of Public Works/Stormwater Management, began on or around September 19th, 2007.
October 2007 - Third request made to the City of Portsmouth's City Inspector's office for a written explanation as to why nuisance complaint NQA2007-14650 has been closed without the nuisance being abated.
December 2007 - Concerns communicated to Vice-Mayor Marlene W. Randall, Councilman William E. Moody Jr, Councilman Stephen E. Heretick, Councilwoman Elizabeth S. Psimas and Councilman Douglas L. Smith regarding the handling of nuisance complaint NQA2007-14650 by the City Inspector's office. Mayor James W. Holley III and Councilman Ray A. Smith Sr were excluded due to a potential conflict of interest.
December 2007 - Request made for a meeting in January 2008 with the City of Portsmouth's Stormwater Administrator, Cynthia S. Linkenhoker. Suggested agenda included Cavalier Canal Association involvement in community education, monitoring, cleaning, annual community "BMP Day" and currently perceived Best Maintenance Practice (BMP) maintenance shortcomings notwithstanding the current sediment forebay construction project.
December 2007 - After approximately two weeks of observing excavated sediment, trash and debris deposited onto the earthen embankment in the rear of 1314 Carrington Crescent South (Photo), likely during the ongoing sediment forebay construction project, the regulatory compliance violation was reported on December 20, 2007 to the Army Corp of Engineers and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) with copies going to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
January 2008 - Meeting took place on January 15, 2008 at City Hall with the Stormwater Administrator, Dept of Public Works, Dept of Inspections and Permits and the Clean City Commission. The agenda included
A) An annual "BMP Day" involving citizens in clean out of the Canal
B) Monitoring and periodic cleaning by the Cavalier Canal Association
C) Signing options to help deter dumping
D) Annual stormwater management community awareness and education program that could possibly be included in student newsletters.
E) Enforcement options (i.e. Chapter 31.1, Article 1, Sec. 31.1)
The Canal Association expressed concerns about the remain sediment buildup and elevation concerns at the culvert on Roosevelt Boulevard that were cited as concerns in a report by a Lake and Pond engineering firm, dislodged vegetation, trash and debris left in the wake of the floating crane navigating the canal during the excavation project and the still unabated weed nuisance along the north side embankment that is unnecessary for purposes of erosion control.
Another area of dumped materials excavated from the canal was discovered in the rear of 4 Carrington Court East.
Crew from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), in cooperation with the Clean City Commission and the Dept of Stormwater Management, provided cleanup of the canal on the east and west ends. This event took place on January 22, 2008.