THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 8, 1995 TAG: 9508080244
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT AND SHAWN M. TERRY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Citizens who hope to create a wildlife sanctuary in this urban core got a shot at their dream Monday when the City Council gave them the go-ahead to begin plans for the Hoffler Creek preserve.
Citizens told tales Monday about the herons, the egrets and the eagle one man recently spotted on the 142-acre wooded area in Churchland that includes a lake and wetlands. One woman brought a small red Eastern screech owl to the council chambers to show city leaders what they would be preserving if they allowed residents an opportunity to protect the area.
The two dozen residents at the meeting did not come seeking money, staff support or even supplies. They wanted the opportunity to do something for the city, for themselves and for their children.
They asked the council to tell the Virginia Department of Transportation, which owns the Hoffler Creek property, that the city wants the land for a preserve. State officials have offered to sell the land to the city for $1 if the area is dedicated as a wildlife refuge. The city at first rejected the offer but reconsidered after residents got involved.
The council voted 5-0 to expand a committee designated to explore the options for the Hoffler Creek area and to come up with a proposal for preserving the land. The committee now includes a variety of environmental and building experts and one neighborhood resident.
Committee member Randi Strutton, who has been at the forefront of the effort to save Hoffler Creek from development, said it's now time for citizens ``to put up or shut up.''
``The cost to the city is minimal or zero,'' Jerry Nickerson of River Shore Road told the council before the vote. ``In return, this could put Portsmouth on the map for something positive.''
A core group of citizens has already gotten involved in planning for the preserve. They've researched ways to develop and maintain the refuge. They've looked at one model near Charlottesville - the Ivy Creek Wildlife Preserve, operated by a private, nonprofit foundation. They've talked about educational programs, hours of operation and even staffing the preserve to prevent vandalism.
The council informally indicated it will give the group a year to raise money and get the project off the ground; after that, if the project stalls, it would consider a portion of the land for residential development.
The council was particularly concerned about the city's liability for the land and ensuring that the property remains pristine.
``I'm concerned about ownership, control, funding and management,'' said Councilman P. Ward Robinett. ``It has to be placed in the right hands or it could turn into a nightmare.''
Some organizers of the committee who vowed to oversee the site's use anticipate a groundswell of participation from local environmental groups.
``We have a chance to do something new and exciting,'' said Cynthia Horen, a resident of the nearby River Shore neighborhood. ``We want a free facility for all citizens.''
Strutton said that by approving the grass-roots project, the city would reap the benefits of an involved citizenry and ``strengthen the social fabric of our community.''
Mayor Gloria O. Webb urged council members to give the project over to the citizens, saying: ``This is a citizen-generated issue. It should come from the citizens to us, not us to the citizens.''
KEYWORDS: WILDLIFE PRESERVE PORTSMOUTH PROPOSED by CNB