THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 17, 1994 TAG: 9411170491
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B01 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Marc Tibbs
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
Spend any time in Portsmouth, and you're likely to see Councilman Cameron Pitts in Olde Town, down on the waterfront, or at the Municipal Center, snapping away with his camera.
Or, you might see him hustling up the street, projector in one hand and hordes of his prized color slides in the other, running off to make another presentation.
Cameron Pitts is a man of vision. He's traveled the world, and has big plans for this beleaguered city that sits hard by the Elizabeth River. Where others see Portsmouth as a place whose time has come and gone, Pitts sees a town brimming with potential.
All the city needs is something eye-catching - like a landmark.
New York has the Statue of Liberty. Seattle has the Space Needle. Even Portsmouth's arch rival Norfolk has the MacArthur Memorial, the naval base and Harbor Park.
Never mind Portsmouth's failed bid at getting the state's only horse-racing track. Or, the still-empty King's Crossing condominiums, or even the scrapped plans for an outdoor amphitheatre.
Pitts still dreams big dreams, and he can tie you up for hours showing them to you. Feign the least bit of interest and he'll unleash that 100-slide show arsenal of his that'll make your eyes glaze over.
``We've got to do things to make this a desirous place for tourists,'' Pitts says, his voice desperate.
He admits some of his ideas may seem a little far-fetched.
Like the plan he had for a replica of the Eiffel Tower that would sit on a raised platform at Riverfront Park.
``Instead of just talking about it, I thought it might have been accepted better if I showed the thing.''
But when Pitts crisscrossed the city showing his crude sketches of the Parisian landmark, he was met with snickers.
Yet he keeps plugging away. And for good reason: Some of his ideas have come to fruition.
He proposed both a Ferris wheel and carousel for downtown. The Ferris wheel idea made its way into the city's new master plan, and the carousel is under consideration.
He thought an atrium for the Children's Museum of Virginia would be a good idea, so he took a picture of the building, had it enlarged, then glued to it an atrium he'd drawn and colored himself. He took another picture of the doctored photo and made it into a slide.
The atrium, like the museum, is now under construction.
But what gets Cameron most excited is his latest idea. Something he says could be the ``signature'' attraction that Portsmouth so badly needs.
He calls it the ``King's Mast.''
A 50-foot high, four-story restaurant, observatory, lounge and lighthouse. Can't picture it? Don't worry. Cameron can show it to you.
He clipped a magazine picture of a similar tower in Geneva, Switzerland, added a few of his own touches, then superimposed it on a photo of the city's landscape.
``Some people object to it because it looks like a cross,'' he said, ``but it's a yardarm concept. Portsmouth is a nautical town.''
Don't like that idea? Pitts has a million of 'em.
Everywhere he goes, he comes back with an new idea for Portsmouth. He saw a mechanized water spout in Sydney, Australia, and thought it would be a good thing for the Elizabeth River.
So he got out his trusty camera, a bottle of white correction fluid, and .
Why does he do it?
The 58-year-old retired businessman has been laughed at, ridiculed and, when some people see him coming, they go the other way.
``Some of these ideas seem strange,'' he said matter-of-factly. ``Sometimes an idea might seem ridiculous. But I can endure the criticism.
``I'm bouncing ideas off people. It helps bring change. Somebody has to spark a thought.''
Cameron Pitts has made a lot sparks around Portsmouth. You never know when one will catch fire. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by CAMERON PITTS
Councilman Cameron Pitts says Portsmouth needs an eye-catcher like
Seattle's Space Needle, left. His idea: a four-story restaurant,
observatory, lounge, and lighthouse shaped like a yardarm.
Photo
Pitts
by CNB