THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 5, 1995 TAG: 9502040074
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Residents from Chesapeake and Suffolk coverged Wednesday on the Suffolk City Council to ask that the body reverse its decision to approve a race track known as the Suffolk International Raceway.
Many Suffolk residents had been fighting the track since it was formally proposed in November, saying the track and an adjoining 684-acre industrial park would forever change their neighborhoods with increased traffic, noise and air pollution.
However, no one from Chesapeake had fought the track until after it was approved on Jan. 4.
The majority of the opposition from Chesapeake is coming from the upscale neighborhood of Jolliff Woods, a cluster of about 300 homes located a little over a mile from the track site.
Residents say they were given no opportunity to protest the track until it was too late. They also have said data from a noise test performed at the site is flawed.
But on Wednesday, the Suffolk City Council refused to reverse itself, saying the track and industrial park were properly announced, debated and approved. As a result, the people of Jolliff Woods and residents of Suffolk have formed C.A.R. - ``Citizens Against the Racetrack in our backyard'' - a group that is currently raising funds to fight the race track and the city of Suffolk in court.
Del. Lionel Spruill Sr., D-Chesapeake, who left the General Assembly early to attend the meeting, told the Council, ``I'm here tonight to ask for mercy. it'd be nice if you'd hold this on the burner.''
When the crowd applauded Spruill's statement, Mayor Chris Jones had said he would have police remove any demonstrator.
This was ``not a sporting event,'' he warned.
When Jones asked for applause for Christie Mizelle, who recently appeared on ``Wheel of Fortune,'' the Chesapeake contingent was largely silent. ``I think we should evict him,'' said someone in the audience. MEMO: A few of the voices from Wednesday's meeting . . .
I just don't want anyone to think that this was fast-tracked or that
people didn't have ample notice. S. Chris Jones Suffolk mayor
Don't turn a deaf ear to the people . . . (She urged council to find
a better site than adjoining Jolliff Woods) a wonderful neighborhood.
Susan Blankenship Jolliff Woods Civic League
If possible, it'd be nice if you'd hold this on the burner. . . .
It'd be nice if you found another site. But whatever you decide to do,
I ask that you work it out with the citizens. Del. Lionel Spruill Sr.
D-Chesapeake
Is somebody getting rich off the deal?. . . It's evident by the crowd
here tonight that this was a bad decision. But we might not settle it
here.. . . We may have to settle it across the hall - in the courtroom.
Paul C. Gillis Wilroy-Nansemond Parkway Civic League ILLUSTRATION: Photo
`You know you are not going to rest if I can't sleep at night.''
said Mary Richardson, left, of the Pughsville Civic League. ``I feel
the council has been lied to by the developer. . . . I'm just a
minority tonight. But don't feel afraid to be part of the minority
tonight by reversing yourselves.''
by CNB