THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 23, 1995 TAG: 9507210183
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Leave the resort beach to tourists
Concurring wholeheartedly with Mr. Luman about the importance of tourism to the Virginia Beach economy I oppose his proposal. In fact I believe his parking garage would lose many dollars in tourism revenue for every dollar it generated.
The beach in the resort area has a limited capacity. Overcrowding it will make vacationing in Virginia Beach less attractive, driving business to beaches that do not have 400,000 locals competing with tourists for the same space. In fact, the competition is not necessary, as there are other less-crowded beaches in the city available for use by our residents.
When I was a member of the Resort Area Advisory Commission, I consistently opposed proposals that would encourage use of the resort area beach by local residents. At the same time I recommended that improved facilities be provided for use of non-resort beaches by our citizens.
The other morning I counted the cars in the public, free parking lot at Croatan Beach and found 11. The attendant told me she had never known the lot to be completely filled, although on weekends and holidays it might be nearly so. Why do locals want to go to the resort beach more than the less-crowded areas available at Fort Story, the North End, Croatan and Sandbridge? My assumption is that the difference is related to accommodations.
Accordingly I recommend applying ingenuity to making the non-resort beaches more attractive to residents, leaving the resort area attractive to visitors.
Tom Aiken
Virginia Beach
In response to ``Police priorities'' (letter, July 7): As an Oceanfront employee since 1990, I have seen the effects of the anti-cruising ordinance firsthand. It seems that cruising-ordinance opponents get rose-colored glasses when it comes to the issue of cruising Atlantic Avenue. Yes, it gives teenagers a place to go and, some people think, an outlet to keep them away from drugs and alcohol. All the cruisers, however, create a traffic gridlock. When a cruiser's car is stuck in traffic, people tend to forget that emergency, fire and police vehicles are stuck in it too. Many times before the ordinance a building could have burned to the ground or a heart attack victim died before emergency vehicles could have broken through the traffic.
I am only 24 now, so I was at that ``cruising age'' when it became illegal. Since then, I haven't withered and died because I couldn't cruise anymore. If anything, I have opened my eyes and seen that Virginia Beach is an area full of things to do and places to go. Expand your horizons to include other activities, and every person who will ever need the timely services of an emergency vehicle on Atlantic Avenue will thank you.
Sondra D. Gadd
Virginia Beach
Resort parking, restrooms a `ripoff'
Oceanfront business want to know why the economy is slow? Here are two good examples:
My brother and his family came down from New York. They stayed at a beach hotel. When they drove to the 14th Street fishing pier, they were told it was $8 to park in the lot across the street for only a couple of hours. Disgusted, they parked at the meters - another ripoff at 25(CT) for 20 minutes. My husband drove over to meet them and was charged $2 to park at the same lot! We're Virginia Beach residents.
On an evening stroll down Atlantic Avenue, my sister-in-law (50 years old and by no means drunk, obnoxious or otherwise) needed to use a restroom. She was charged $1 at a pizza restaurant because she wasn't a customer. What an out-rage!
With this kind of treatment, word gets around. The families who vacationed here before, or thought about it, will reconsider. Virginia Beach's Oceanfront has become the typical ``resort ripoff'' area.
Carol Titsworth
Virginia Beach by CNB