THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 21, 1994 TAG: 9412210256
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: VIRGINIA
SOURCE: BY KAREN JOLLY DAVIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
The state slashed Brown & Root's request for a 494-slip marina in Cape Charles, casting doubt on the Texas engineering firm's plans for a 2,000-acre resort on the Eastern Shore.
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission gave permission to expand its 64-slip marina on Kings Creek to 224 slips. The expanded facility was intended to be the centerpiece of a vacation-retirement community called Accawmacke Plantation.
``I don't think it fits in with the land plan or the economics of the project,'' said Leo Weinberg, manager of the Cape Charles project, about the 224-slip marina.
Weinberg said Brown & Root would re-evaluate the plan to see if it is financially feasible with fewer slips. If not, he said, then there will be ``a different project.''
Key opponents of the expanded marina were pleased with the VMRC vote.
``I think it was a reasonable compromise,'' said Mike Peirson, manager of Cherrystone Aquafarms. Peirson's clam hatchery uses a lot of water, and its main intake pipe is only 250 yards from the proposed marina.
There was much discussion about whether pollution from the marina construction would harm Cherrystone's hatchery. Environmentalists were concerned about copper from anti-fouling boat paints, plus pesticides and heavy metals that have settled over the years into the underwater sediments. Those pollutants could be stirred up and stay in the water during dredging.
Experts from several environmental protection agencies and universities acknowledged that they didn't know what will happen once the dredging begins.
``You're in effect playing Russian roulette with the environment and an existing business,'' said Peter Rowe, a VMRC commissioner. If pollutants are re-suspended during dredging, it will be too late to protect the hatchery, he said.
``Cherrrystone is going to take the bullet, or the environment will take the bullet, rather than the marina,'' Rowe said.
Rowe proposed that the VMRC approve 120 slips, then monitor the environmental impact before granting more slips. The commission rejected his motion by a 4-3 vote.
Brown & Root's environmental consultants insisted that the 494-slip marina would not produce enough fecal bacteria to harm Cherrystone Aquafarms. But they did not look at how the marina project would change levels of heavy metals, pesticides, and petroleum products in the water.
Most of the people who supported the marina permit were businessmen and residents of Cape Charles.
``Cape Charles is tired of the title of being the poverty capital of the commonwealth,'' said Town Manager Dick Barton. ``In 40 years of experience, I have never seen a community support a project of this nature like the town of Cape Charles has.''
After the vote, Barton would not say if the reduced number of slips would hurt Cape Charles' hopes for an economic boom. by CNB