THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 8, 1996 TAG: 9607080044
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 131 lines
What's the right size for a homestead?
That's a question this city is increasingly being forced to grapple with as developments sprout on Suffolk's farmland.
The latest battleground is the proposed Pitchkettle Farms development just east of downtown.
The land is in a pastoral area where farms and large lots prevail. But the Williams family, which includes City Treasurer Ronald H. Williams, has a deal to sell their last farm to a developer who wants to divide it into smaller parcels.
First the farm must be rezoned, and the sale is contingent on the development plans being approved.
The planning commission unanimously endorsed the development in May, which caused some to question whether the Williams family had received preferential treatment.
The City Council, though, last month sent the rezoning back to the planners for more study and a possible compromise.
The battle mirrors one from last year, when the commission and City Council deliberated over lot sizes in the King's Fork corridor. Residents there had protested a developer's plan to build 15 homes on 20,000-square-foot lots in the Indian Point subdivision.
The City Council ultimately voted to increase the minimum lot size there to 30,000 square feet.
At its core, these debates are about what kind of growth Suffolk wants and what is realistic to expect of those who want to maximize the value of their property.
E.M. ``Buddy'' Joyner, who owns a farm near the site of the proposed development, doesn't want to live next to a community of small lots. He's afraid the development will degrade the quality of his life and the value of his property.
``I'm definitely opposed to seeing Suffolk becoming another Chesapeake or Virginia Beach,'' he said.
He is among about 300 residents of Meade Point, Pitchkettle Point and other communities along Pitchkettle Road who signed a petition opposed to the proposed development.
The lots at Pitchkettle Farms would range from 15,000 to 18,300 square feet, said John D. ``Jack'' Eure, an attorney representing the developers, Peter and Walter Segaloff of Newport News.
The Segaloffs want to build 140 houses that would start at $160,000 on the 85 acres of farmland.
Making the lots bigger would mean less money for the developer. Said Eure: ``We don't pretend to be a charitable organization. The developers would like a reasonable return on their profit.''
So would the Williams family, which could lose the sale to the developers if the rezoning is not approved.
Bruce Williams is president of the Harbor Corp. of Virginia which owns the farm. His brother, Ronald, is the corporation's treasurer and secretary.
This is the last of the Williamses' farms to be sold, and it was a decision they anguished over, said Ronald Williams.
``It's a sad time to make this transition,'' he said. ``But times change. We don't farm anymore.''
The planning commission unanimously approved the rezoning plan in May.
Ronald Williams denied exerting any improper influence over the matter. He called the commissioners ``independent thinking members of the community. They don't owe me anything.''
Williams said he spoke about the project with City Council members and commissioners, including Planning Commission Vice Chair E. Dana Dickens. But Williams said it was primarily to answer questions about the proposal.
Dickens said the plan was approved on its merits.
The commission voted unanimously to approve it because it would benefit the city, he said.
``The information presented showed that there was a positive fiscal impact to the city, and that's unusual,'' said Dickens. Residential developments can be a drain on the city's coffers, bringing less in taxes than they require in services.
In a city memo to City Planner Scott Mills, City Finance Director M. Christine Ledford estimated that the Pitchkettle Farms development could generate about $447,000 annually for the city.
``It really comes down to the assessed value of the house and how many there will be,'' Ledford said.
City officials are hoping the upcoming revisions to Suffolk's Comprehensive Land Use Plan will help set guidelines for lot size and other development matters. The plan will be drawn up this fall.
Planning Director Paul E. Fisher said officials may tweak building ordinances to require bigger lots.
Another option for preserving rural corridors is to limit development by not running sewer lines into certain communities, said Assistant City Manager William E. Harrell.
``One example would be the Holland area,'' Harrell said. ``You could put an on-site system there which would address the residents' concerns without drastically changing the character and charm of the community.''
Ray Oldenburg, an urbanologist who studies communities at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, warned there's a risk in using larger lot size as a rigid city policy.
``In St. Paul, Minn., what they did was made the minimum lot sizes so large that low income people couldn't afford it,'' said Oldenburg.
``Density per se is not as dangerous as it's perceived to be,'' Oldenburg said. ``But the average American wants as much space as he can afford - and as much privacy.''
Former Mayor S. Chris Jones said the City Council isn't moving toward a firm policy on lot size. The council needs flexibility for different communities, said Jones.
``I don't think there's a 30,000-foot lot policy etched in stone,'' he said. ``If you have a cookie cutter neighborhood, that doesn't have much value.''
Oldenburg said another method of ensuring residents have control over their neighborhood is establishing homeowners associations.
Ronald Williams said he worked to ensure that the Pitchkettle Farms development would include a homeowners association and architectural review board made up of members from the surrounding communities.
``I'm a city leader concerned about quality development,'' Williams said. ``My family thought this plan fit within the long-range city plan. Otherwise I wouldn't have let the application go forth.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
JOHN H. SHEALLY II
The Virginian-Pilot
E.M. ``Buddy'' Joyner, who owns a farm near the site of the proposed
Pitchkettle Farms development, is afraid small lots will lower his
quality of life and property value.
KEYWORDS: DEVELOPMENT by CNB