THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606230046
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 54 lines
Think you've found the perfect home next to a nice forest or an empty field?
Beware.
In a fast-growing city such as Chesapeake, vacant land doesn't stay that way for long.
It's up to you, the homebuyer, to find out what could become of empty tracts adjoining your lot or your neighborhood. That pleasant wooded glade could someday hold a condo complex, or an on-ramp to a new highway.
``We're always finding people that don't check into everything,'' said Brent R. Nielson, Chesapeake's planning director. ``They take the word of the Realtor who's selling the property.
``It is very good for people to check with their city or county to find out what the plans are for adjacent property.''
In Chesapeake, Nielson said, officials make it pretty easy. Prospective homebuyers can call the Planning Department and make an appointment to talk to piece of property in Chesapeake - what the land is zoned for, what the city's long-range plans are for the land and whether any building projects are in the works.
Planners also will point citizens toward other helpful departments.
The city's Public Works Department, for example, can explain any road projects that are planned, Nielson said. The city's real estate assessor's office keeps records of who owns each piece of property in the city; those records are public.
Nielson also recommends that property owners monitor the newspapers; city planners are required to advertise proposals for permits or zoning changes on a piece of property. That gives residents a chance to offer comments to the Planning Commission or City Council.
Orange signs, posted by city officials alongside a vacant tract, also signal that some type of development is probably in the works. MEMO: FINDING DETAILS
Chesapeake's City Hall, 306 Cedar Road in Great Bridge, is a mecca of
information about vacant property. Before you call or visit, it's a good
idea to have the address of the land you're inquiring about, or at least
the address of an adjoining lot.
The Planning Department, which can offer information about zoning and
land-use plans, is on the second floor. You can either stop in or call
for an appointment, 547-6176.
The Public Works Department, which has information about road
improvement plans, is on the third floor, 547-6101.
The Public Utilities Department, on the second floor, has information
about planned water and sewer projects, 547-6671.
The real estate assessor's office, on the fourth floor, has records
of who owns every piece of property in the city, 547-6235.
- Elizabeth Thiel by CNB