THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 23, 1995 TAG: 9509230243
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE KNEPLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Civic leagues throughout Hampton Roads will continue their efforts to share information and ideas across city lines when they convene the second ``grass-roots regionalism'' forum at 10 a.m. today in Oscar Smith High School, Chesapeake.
The keynote speaker will be Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, who will lead a discussion on ``managed growth.'' The forum is sponsored by the Hampton Roads Coalition of Civic Organizations, which represents civic-league umbrella groups in Chesapeake, Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.
Growth and development issues are of particular concern to neighborhoods in Chesapeake and Suffolk, two of the state's fastest growing communities. Civic activists say they hope to learn from Virginia Beach's experiences over the past two decades.
``Meyera is very good on that,'' said Gene Waters, president of the Chesapeake Council of Civic Organizations. ``Her city went through major growth for many years, so she knows the pitfalls, and we hope she can recommend ways to avoid them while still getting the benefits'' of growth.
Oberndorf said she plans to discuss several lessons:
That there must be a balance between development and its impact on existing or future infrastructure, such as water, schools and public services.
That the cost of infrastructure continues beyond its construction and includes salaries and maintenance fees.
That city governments need to keep citizens well informed about development issues to get their cooperation in paying for new infrastructure.
Oberndorf also said citizens need to become even more informed on development and budget issues because of federal and state cutbacks on funds to local governments.
``People at the local level will have more to decide about supporting programs or deleting them,'' the mayor said.
While Chesapeake and Suffolk face the most direct issues on growth, citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth also should be concerned, even though their cities are mostly developed, Oberndorf and forum organizers said.
For example, massive growth in one city often has repercussions, such as traffic congestion, in a neighboring community, said Tommy White, president of the Norfolk Federation of Civic Leagues.
There also are a set of regional questions concerning the types of jobs Hampton Roads may need to attract to complement residential development, Oberndorf said.
Another issue, she said, is potential creation of a regionwide program for cities to share revenues from each other's development.
Besides growth, the grass-roots forum also will include a discussion about development of a ``Home Page'' for civic leagues on the Internet, Waters said.
The computer effort, he predicted, will help civic leagues stay better informed on issues and to communicate with each other.
After the forum, from noon to 2 p.m., many Hampton Roads regional agencies will have staff on hand to answer questions about their programs.
The groups will include the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, Tidewater Regional Transit and Peninsula Transit, and the Girl Scout Council. MEMO: THE FORUM
What: ``Grass-roots Regionalism Forum'' on managed growth.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday.
Where: Oscar Smith High School, 1994 Tiger Drive, Chesapeake.
Sponsor: Hampton Roads Coalition of Civic Organizations, which
includes the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake councils of civic
organizations, and the Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Hampton
federations of civic leagues.
Addendum: noon-2 p.m., booths with staff and information representing
several regional agencies.
Information: Les Fenlon, 481-2501. by CNB