THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 24, 1995 TAG: 9503240218
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
Again this week, a band of indignant citizens stormed City Hall in defense of their own convenience, safety and peace of mind. Again, they prevailed.
The City Council turned down a request by BJB Partnership to dig a 30-acre borrow pit along South Battlefield Boulevard, an enterprise critics called a ``death sentence'' for more than 17,000 commuters who travel along the crowded, dangerous highway.
Common sense alone would seem to argue against adding an additional 250 dump truck trips a day for seven years to a road that is already carrying nearly three times the traffic it can handle safely.
But citizens know that common sense is not enough when economic growth is at stake. Sometimes, the powers that be need to see the seats in Council Chambers filled with scowling voters before common sense kicks in.
So, issue by issue, citizens have learned to mobilize crowds whenever council may be tempted to overlook the safety and convenience of folks who already live here in their effort to accommodate those who may settle here in the future.
The citizens got what they wanted this time, but their victory can't last forever. The demand for construction sand in Virginia's fastest-growing city gets greater every day. We've just embarked on $180 million worth of road and school projects that require sand - sand that will have to come from somewhere.
In this struggle for the future of our city, the anti-borrow pit forces are at a definite disadvantage. They must win every battle. The forces of development must win but once. by CNB