THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 25, 1996 TAG: 9604250398
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: DECISION 96
PART 2: THE ISSUES
SUFFOLK
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Long : 112 lines
Deep within the King's Fork corridor, a past zoning debate goes to the essence of Suffolk's most pressing issue.
Residents in this pastoral community of huge lots and big farms say it's the type of place people seek to escape the bustle of booming cities like Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
Many people in this area - nestled just north of downtown Suffolk and 10 miles outside Windsor - have worked hard to retain the rustic nature of their land.
When the Planning Commission recommended last year that a King's Fork developer be allowed to build homes on smaller lots, nearby Suffolk residents protested, saying they wanted to preserve their treasured green space. The council listened, and larger lots were among conditions of approval.
Such debates are becoming more common as growth continues in Suffolk and officials struggle to find ways to control it.
New utility lines, highway construction and a population boom are driving demand for once rural land. Suffolk's current population of about 54,000 is expected to double by the year 2015, according to the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.
Already, the planning department is caught up with reviewing current proposals, with scant time to take the longer view.
``Right now, we are primarily reactive,'' Planning Director Paul E. Fisher said.
``We are devoting all of our time to developer proposals, but we have very little time to do the things planners do, like sitting back and looking into the future and making recommendations to the City Council on how we can improve,'' he said.
In the past few years, the city has seen a steady climb in development.
In 1991, the planning department reviewed 2,152 requests for zoning permits, ranging from changes in homes to building new houses. Last year, that number grew to nearly 3,000.
The department also has had to spend more time reviewing applications to build new subdivisions. In 1991, the city had requests to build seven new major subdivisions. That number swelled to 41 in 1995.
In 1995, the Bureau of Inspections issued 883 residential building permits, up 77 percent from 1993, when 500 were granted.
Suffolk citizens have said they want the jobs and businesses that come with growth. But they say they don't want the quiet, rural flavor of this region to dissolve into suburban sprawl. And longtime residents say they don't want to be forgotten when the city decides on funding for utilities, recreation and fire and police services.
Suffolk officials are considering several growth-controlling options, including the creation of a public-private partnership with businesses and the redirection of the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority from its emphasis on public housing toward redevelopment.
Next year's operating budget also proposes spending $250,000 on industrial development and marketing. City officials are hoping the planned $14 million downtown courts complex also will attract business there.
But perhaps the city's most significant initiative is revising its land-use plan with the aid of community involvement. The plan will be a blueprint for future development.
In neighborhood meetings this summer, citizens will be able to voice preferences on such matters as lot sizes and zoning options.
``That's when a good, comprehensive plan comes in, where you have areas designated for green space and setbacks,'' said Suffolk Mayor S. Chris Jones. ``It requires discipline on the council to say no to some projects.''
Assistant City Manager William E. Harrell, who handles development issues, said the new land-use plan will complete an inventory of the entire city and examine areas primed for development and utilities.
``There may be some areas in the city that we don't want to promote growth,'' Harrell said. ``There may be certain areas where you won't want to extend utilities. An onsite sewage treatment system may serve some communities.''
City officials are hammering out policies, but it's only a start.
The city is developing a utility policy that is to be adopted by the summer. It would serve old and new neighborhoods as well as upgrade existing water and sewer systems.
To increase firefighting services, Standish also has recommended adding three firefighters.
But services are only half the equation: Neighborhood decay and housing also are problems.
For months, Wendy Hill has made appeals to the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority for conservation funds that have been marked for her Hall Place neighborhood. Citizens in Huntersville also are awaiting the funds.
Although money has been appropriated, policy guidelines for spending the funds have not been finalized, Harrell said.
About 20 other communities have been designated conservation districts or areas in which housing stock has fallen to decay. In addition, the Health Department lists 29 communities without access to the water system and 59 neighborhoods without sewer connections.
City officials are awaiting the naming of a new housing authority director. They also said they want the authority and the city to focus on redevelopment efforts rather than primarily funding housing projects.
``Although we don't have the urban core that Norfolk has, we do have a defined downtown, and we can work with the private sector,'' Harrell said. ``We need to create a partnership.''
Transforming a largely rural community into one that attracts industry and provides jobs without losing its charm is a difficult task.
Experience in other areas indicates that the zoning disputes will continue as long as there is demand to build in Suffolk. But by asking residents what they want their city to look like in the next decade or two, Suffolk hopes to be able to make the right decisions when rezoning applications arise.
``The answers aren't easy,'' Mayor Jones said. ``You have to work toward an ultimate goal.''
KEYWORDS: PUBLIC JOURNALISM COMMUNITY CONVERSATION GROWTH DEVELOPMENT
by CNB