THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 21, 1994 TAG: 9408200129
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL REED
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
The city will clamp a tight lid on the Oceanfront during its Labor Day weekend music extravaganza in an effort to control traffic and potential behavior problems.
Police will block off all but business traffic on Atlantic Avenue and funnel most inbound traffic to satellite parking lots, for ticket holders to the American Musical Festival.
Portable message boards placed along main arteries to the Oceanfront will advise approaching motorists of available satellite parking and warn them if all lots are filled.
Stepped up trolley and shuttle service will provide transportation to and from a variety of surfside concerts and to resort businesses.
At a meeting of the Virginia Beach Hotel and Motel Association Thursday Deputy City Manager Oral Lambert conceded that the plan was ``not without controversy.''
``There are people who do not agree with the plan,'' he noted. ``On one end of the spectrum there are some who feel we shouldn't do anything. Others feel that it's not enough.''
The plan will severely restrict traffic and parking within an 80-block area along the resort strip - most of it residential - on the four-day holiday weekend.
It was prompted by unruly crowds that inundated the Oceanfront on July 4th weekend and was the result of extensive planning by the city staff, Lambert said.
Despite its restrictive nature, Lambert called the plan ``responsible, balanced and flexible.''
The festival, billed as the largest in the city's history, is expected to draw 10,000 to 20,000 to the Oceanfront to watch top national acts like Billy Ray Cyrus, The Beach Boys, The Four Tops, The Temptations and a series of lesser-known musical acts.
Precautions are being taken, said Lambert, because of the expected crowds. They also are being taken to ensure that law and order prevails on resort streets, he added.
Several innkeepers at the Thursday meeting said they were concerned about oceanfront access for their employees and potential customers. How, they asked, would these people negotiate the police check points controlling traffic onto Atlantic Avenue?
Henry Richardson, association president, advised them and other business owners to provide passes for all employees. Potential hotel and restaurant customers would be allowed onto Atlantic Avenue with proper identification, or on a case by case basis, said Lambert.
Prospective hotel and motel customers arriving at the beach without reservations would be rerouted to the Visitors Center on Parks Avenue, off the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway exit ramp, to make room rental arrangements.
S.A. ``Carrie'' Karageorge, a resort hotel and restaurant operator, protested that the plan was too restrictive.
``It's not a friendly atmosphere for tourists,'' he said. by CNB