THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 21, 1994 TAG: 9408190313
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Bad feelings between the residents of the Camelot neighborhood and developer W.W. Reasor are not getting either side any closer to what it wants.
The residents want a playground so their kids won't have to play in the street. They say they were promised one when the community was first built 28 years ago.
Mr. Reasor wants to build another 78 homes in the neighborhood. He needs the authorization from City Council to do that.
The issue has deteriorated into stubbornness and name-calling.
Mr. Reasor, denying that he ever broke a promise to the residents of Camelot, insisted that the need for a park there is none of his concern.
``It is not my responsibility . . .'' he declared. ``That's why we pay taxes . . . so we can get services from the city, and having a park is a city service.'' The statement was a little reminiscent in its tone of Ebenezer Scrooge's response when asked for a donation for the poor at Christmas: ``Are there no poorhouses?''
That attitude soon had Camelot residents up before City Council calling Mr. Reasor unpleasant names and implying that it would be an act of racism for council members to support him in his endeavor.
The council, understandably, is reluctant to jump in the middle of such a nasty fight. It has postponed consideration of the rezoning request for a month in hope that the builder and the homeowners can come to terms.
If they know what's good for them, they will.
Whether or not Mr. Reasor accepts moral responsibility for the well-being of the children or Camelot, it may be in his best interest to include a park in his plans. He has already offered to widen Camelot Boulevard to handle traffic to the development, and there is talk of placing stipulations on the development in regard to schools as well. Agreeing to build a nice playground for the children of Camelot certainly would make his application more attractive to City Council. And without the council's approval he can't do business.
The residents of the neighborhood, for their part, can help by tempering their strident talk and rising above their grudge.
Both sides of this disagreement can get what they want, but not if one or the other insists on winning the argument first. by CNB