THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 4, 1995 TAG: 9504040003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
Let us make no mistake. The debate about the one electronic sign proposed for Waterside Drive is more than about just one sign. It is about Norfolk City Council's possible approval of a zoning-ordinance change that will permit the placement of public-service boards throughout the downtown district, including the historical areas.
This proposal has been reviewed and rejected by all of the city's professional advisers including the City Planning Commission, the city's Urban Design Consultant and the Design Review Committee. Yet the amendment goes forward, propelled by erroneous charges of racism.
Norfolk has set an example for progressive city planning and economic development that is the envy of Southeastern Virginia. Years of effort to upgrade the downtown area and to make it an attractive center for commerce and tourism help to explain why companies like Nordstrom and Marriott have chosen to establish operations in Norfolk. If Norfolk will continue to advance its reputation for progress and professionalism, I am confident that more jobs, more tax revenue and more opportunity will come to all its citizens.
Approval of the zoning-ordinance amendment is a bad idea. It opens the city's front door to intrusive advertising and, more important, marks a subtle shift away from long-range planning to short-term profit. Now able to turn its attention to other Norfolk neighborhoods and to real city problems, the City Council is stuck downtown threatening to undo its own good work.
LISA SERVIA
Norfolk, March 31, 1995 by CNB