THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 13, 1995 TAG: 9512130375
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
The City Council on Tuesday approved spending $6.2 million to relocate a downtown fire station to make way for the planned $300 million MacArthur Center mall.
Twice.
The first vote, a slim 4-3 in favor of the move, was indicative of the deep split not only on the council but also among those who spoke at the 2 1/2-hour public hearing on moving Fire Station No. 1.
The second vote, which was unanimous, indicated the council's desire to go forward on the mall project with a united front.
The vote on the fire station had become indicative of mixed feelings about the proposed mall and the risk the city is taken by backing it with $97 million in public funds - $103 million including the fire station relocation.
The relocation should clear the way for the coming of the mall, city officials said. Although a third anchor still needs to be selected, a formal ground-breaking is planned for next month.
Supporters of relocating the fire station outnumbered opponents by roughly 2-to-1 at the hearing. About 40 people spoke, with each person limited to three minutes.
Numerous downtown, city and business leaders, from a former mayor to real-estate and bank executives, said they were eager and ready for the mall to come to town and that they were willing to spend the necessary money to relocate the fire station.
Several supporters emphasized that the city has been trying to develop the 17-acre site for 35 years.
``The council has waited for the big fish, which is almost in the boat at last,'' said former Norfolk mayor Vince Thomas.
But virtually all the civic league leaders who spoke opposed the expenditure and said they were suspicious of how the issue came before the public.
Some said the mall developer should pay the expense; others said the city couldn't afford it.
``Money on economic development should only be spent after basic city services are provided,'' said Aaron Marshall, president of the East Ocean View Civic League. ``We aren't convinced that replacing the fire station is the best use of our money. . . . City Hall must pull us in sooner if it wants our support.''
The city has stressed that downtown development generates taxes which pay for city services in other parts of the city.
The council was as split as the public. While professing support for the mall, Councilmen Paul R. Riddick, W. Randy Wright and Herbert M. Collins opposed the fire-station move at first, saying the administration had not been open or forthcoming to the public, and perhaps with the council itself.
Before changing his vote in favor of the expenditure, Wright said he was only voting this way if the administration promised to keep holding town meetings on the mall such as the two that occurred last week.
``This will be a wake-up call for everyone,'' he said. ``I want a commitment from this administration that we will continue our road shows to any civic league that requests it.''
But Mayor Paul Fraim countered that city staff has always held a town meeting when any council member requested it.
The second, unanimous vote to move the station came after Riddick asked the body to go back into a closed, executive session.
Ten minutes later, the council returned and voted 7-0 to reconsider their earlier vote. Then they voted unanimously to provide the money for the move, Riddick, Wright and Collins saying some of their concerns had been addressed.
The three councilmen did not give exact reasons for switching their votes or reveal what was discussed in executive session.
Riddick, before his first vote, criticized the priorities of city spending.
``This money (for the fire station) will come from people in Berkley who do not have a recreation center,'' and other neighborhoods which need services, he said. ``It's the same neighborhoods who have been ignored, year after year.''
Wright asked if the relocation of the fire station could be put to a public referendum. City Attorney Philip R. Trapani said the state constitution would not allow it.
Collins said he had been given assurances that a minority business owner who would be affected by the relocation, would be given attention by the administration.
Councilman Rev. Joseph N. Green said the council should not forget that the mall was the best way to provide jobs to low-income residents whose needs were often ignored. ILLUSTRATION: B\W Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
Dell J. Carpenter, center, does a bit of knitting after her husband,
Al, at her right, spoke at the public hearing on Norfolk's planned
relocation of its Fire Station No. 1 to clear the way for the
MacArthur Center mall. About 40 people spoke. Supporters of
relocating the station outnumbered opponents by roughly 2-to-1. Some
said the mall developer should pay the expense; others said the city
couldn't afford it.
Color photo by L. TODD SPENCER
Norfolk downtown and business leaders supported city funding to move
Fire Station No. 1 at the edge of the MacArthur Center site, while
civic league leaders questioned how the plan came before the
public.
KEYWORDS: NORFOLK CITY COUNCIL MACARTHUR CENTER MALL FIRE STATION
RELOCATION by CNB