THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 14, 1995 TAG: 9507140418
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
A citizen committee studying the idea of a government complex for Dare County has for the second time in as many meetings, put off recommending a site.
The delay came after residents from the area of one of the possible sites raised concerns about the need and location for a government center.
About 70 people, including members of the citizen panel, attended the meeting. The panel is considering three parcels: an 11-acre tract on U.S. Route 64/264 known as the Louis Midgett site; the Midway site, near the Dare Campus of the College of the Albemarle; and a downtown location where the county administrative offices are located.
Residents who live on or near the Midgett tract say construction of a government complex will cause increased traffic, endangering the children who live nearby. They also contend that the facility will destroy a Roanoke Island neighborhood where families have lived for generations.
Jenny Zdanski, whose home is on the Midgett site, said that she was ``fighting for her life,'' to protect a parcel that once belonged to her grandparents.
``My home will be under a 500-car parking lot,'' she said. ``This parcel of land was given to me by my mother. It belonged to my grandmother. In the last two weeks, this situation has caused us to lose business. It's caused stress for my family, and for our employees.''
She urged the committee to include ``none of the above'' on its list of choices. When Clarence Skinner, chairman of the Capital Improvements Committee, said a vote of that type would mean the project would not move ahead, she responded, ``That would be fine with me.''
Residents opposed to the project say they have collected 600 signatures on petitions opposing the project.
Some residents expressed concern about flooding in the area. Butmany expressed concern about the entire process surrounding the proposed complex.
Dare County Commissioner Shirley Hassell accused the Capital Improvements Committee of operating in violation of the state's Open Meetings Law.
``I've been called down, criticized, thrown out of meetings, and told not to say anything unless I had something constructive to add,'' she said. ``This committee has held 19 meetings without minutes being taken. This is a violation of the citizens' rights.''
Louis Midgett, owner of one of the tracts being considered, said he only considered selling his property after consulting with attorneys about possible problems with his estate. He owns 9.5 acres of the proposed 11-acre site.
``I've had developers from Charlotte, Wilmington and other places talk to me about selling my land,'' Midgett said. ``I don't want to do anything that's going to hurt the people who live around me.''
Midgett said the idea of building a government complex on the building, ``didn't look bad in the beginning,'' and that he was not advocating that the county should buy his land.
Skinner reiterated that construction of the complex would be subject to a countywide bond referendum. by CNB