THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240367
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
The Chesapeake City Council faced a dilemma Tuesday night.
Should it save some money and just soften a dangerous curve on Centerville Turnpike, or spend $1.5 million to dramatically realign the road, a move that would oust two longtime families from their homes?
In the end, the council voted 6-3 to, in their words, put public safety ahead of public money and eliminate the curve.
The vote ended a yearlong battle over how to fix a dangerous S-curve on Centerville Turnpike, one blamed for two deaths in the last two years. On average, five accidents have been reported annually, for the past five years, at the blind curve.
The issue has been divisive. Tuesday, Mayor William E. Ward asked all involved to leave the council chambers as friends.
``We're not going to leave here in anger,'' he said. ``But there will also be no win-win situation here.''
The city will now begin designing the road and purchasing the land. Construction could begin in about nine months and the work is to be completed in about 1 1/2 years, according to John O'Connor, Chesapeake's director of public works.
Two homeowners, including Mary C. Martin of Woodmont Drive, faced losing their houses as a result of the road's realignment. She pleaded with the council to choose an alternate that would leave her home intact.
``A lot of the people in my neighborhood are older residents,'' she said. ``We can't start over, and we know how hard it can be out there.''
But Ray Pafford, who also would lose his home in the chosen plan, said the danger would not be eliminated by just softening the turn and installing rumble strips and warning lights.
``I don't think an $850,000 Band-Aid is the answer,'' Pafford said.``We need an operation.''
Pafford said he was sorry to lose his home but was willing to do so for the sake of safety.
Mayor Ward, Vice Mayor Robert T. Nance Jr., and Councilman John M. de Triquet voted against the realignment. Nance said he did not believe enough had be done to avoid destroying the two homes. Mayor Ward had expressed similar concern.
In other council action, the Chesapeake City Council unanimously approved reducing the personal property tax on recreational vehicles to $1.50 per $100 of assessed value, a move applauded by a large contingent of RV owners attending the meeting.
Over the past four years, six local cities have reduced the personal property tax on such vehicles. Chesapeake was the only community in South Hampton Roads which had not.
The city was charging $4 per $100 of assessed value on the vehicles. The second highest tax rate was Norfolk at $2.50 per $100 assessed value.
Calling the matter ``an issue of fairness,'' the council approved the change, even though it means losing $81,884 in taxes to the city. by CNB