THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507140242
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 117 lines
ELECTORATE AROUSED
In a 5-4 vote on July 11 the City Council voted down a request from Chesapeake citizens for a referendum to pressure the General Assembly to grant local authority to keep residential growth in line with available public facilities needed to support new residences.
In the period of staged debate (meaning the members' minds were never really open to contrary persuasion) we winced and cringed at each demonstration, in turn, of the embarrassingly low intellectual level at which the affairs of our city were being conducted. It was appalling to us how little substance, analysis or disciplined reasoning guided the often incoherent and irrelevant rambling of the anti-referendum faction.
One member insisted that the growth concerns taxpayers, who bear its cost, is really good, and that it would guarantee that Chesapeake would remain a pleasant place for his children and grandchildren to live, work and play. Well, if he has his way, his grandchildren will live to suffocate in a wretched, cheek-to-jowl Chesapeake of more than five million people, if the referendum opponents' ``ideal'' growth of ``3 to 4 percent a year'' is allowed to continue.
What's wrong with this picture? Five faces on City Council who have been there too long, doing the bidding of the relatively small local plutocratic network that installed them. We believe the problem will be corrected at the ballot box.
Dave and Kathy Goodridge
Bunch Walnuts Road
CITIZENS' EXPECTATIONS
Observers of local government in Chesapeake must be confused. Our ``we make the rules; we break the rules'' City Council is at it again.
Confusion factor No. 1: For the past two General Assembly sessions Chesapeake has asked for enabling legislation to carry out an adequate public facilities ordinance.
The request was a mere three-sentences suggesting ``at minimum, the legislation should address school needs'' and ``should provide exceptions for small developments and other reasonable categories.''
It should not be surprising that our state delegation does not take these requests seriously.
Not one delegate can pretend to comprehend the unspecified maximum or what defines a ``small'' development, let alone the meaning of ``other reasonable categories.''
Confusion factor No. 2: Some council members would have us believe that they are helpless to manage growth without a similarly ill-defined advisory referendum.
This council appears long on the political gains obtained by speaking out in favor of managed growth, but short on the skill to craft a meaningful ordinance and shorter still on the will to see that it gets a fair hearing in Richmond.
Concerned citizens expect council to represent their interests.
First, we expect council to submit something to Richmond that actually has the appearance of legislation - that is, a fleshed-out ordinance. .
Second, we expect council to manage growth with or without an advisory referendum. Deliberations of the Growth Commission and endless public hearings have provided unmistakably clear direction.
Finally, we expect our delegates to act in good faith. Once they have a comprehensive, well-reasoned and clearly defined ordinance for consideration, they must ensure that their colleagues in the General Assembly give the proposal a fair hearing.
For citizens, there are only two alternatives to adequate public facilities: do without or borrow millions for new roads, schools, libraries, fire and police stations, jails, sewers and water mains.
We have borrowed quite enough, thank you, and it is doubtful that our new neighbors will warm to the idea of doing without.
Edward Weidner
President
Chesapeake Taxpayers' Association
eweidner(AT)ix.netcom.com
INCONSIDERATE NEIGHBORS
When the Great Bridge boys baseball complex was under construction in this rural country setting, I was told, ``We are going to be good neighbors.'' I was hopeful.
Since the games began a few months ago, this promise has not been kept.
On Sunday, April 30, at 2:30 p.m., my dog began barking frantically. I opened my back window and heard screaming and yelling. Walking to the back of my pasture, I was able to observe approximately 11 ball players on the field nearest to my pasture. Their ages ranged from adult to very young lads. It appeared to be a practice game. We were promised that there would be no Sunday games unless it was a rain make-up day, and it had not rained in the week prior.
A few weeks later at 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday, the silence of the morning was broken with revved-up dirt bike motors. This was the second dirt bike incident. Again, Great Bridge Baseball was in violation of its use permit.
Some residents on Hickory Ridge Road have reported trespassers parking on their street and walking through the woods to get to the ball fields. We were assured this would not happen.
To my knowledge, no speaker systems are currently being used by Great Bridge Baseball. In spite of this, some residents on Hickory Ridge Road have resorted to closing their windows and turning up the radio or TV volume to block out the noise. We were promised that buffer trees would be planted; they have not been.
Late on one recent Saturday afternoon my next-door neighbor was visited by two police officers in two patrol cars. He was told that the baseball people complained that bullets were landing in the dirt around them. The investigation determined that my neighbor had fired a few ``rounds'' at a safe target in order to adjust the sight on a small firearm. After investigating, the officers were satisfied that no violation had occurred. My neighbor is a firearms expert and always practices only the safest procedures. However, the hunters in this city should be aware that their sport is in jeopardy due to injudicious zoning.
It is my hope that Great Bridge Baseball's advisory board will make every effort to meet with hunters before the season opens in a few months.
Being good neighbors takes a consistent, united effort with continuous communication aimed at reducing friction.
Betsy Patterson
Benefit Road by CNB