THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 17, 1996 TAG: 9607170331
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KATRICE FRANKLIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 38 lines
The Planning Commission on Tuesday delayed for 30 days considering changes to Hillpoint Farm, a proposed neighborhood of more than 2,000 homes.
The commissioners, wary of the owners' proposed changes and concerned over the financial impact such massive development would have on the city, directed city staffers to do their own fiscal analysis.
The developers submitted a financial plan that shows Hillpoint Farms would have a positive impact of almost $1 million at completion.
``Regardless of what the fiscal-impact models indicate . . . very few residential developments pay their way in taxes,'' Planning Director Paul E. Fisher told the commission. ``The reason is schools.''
City officials have been working for more than two years with owners of the development, which consists of 982 acres off Route 10 and north of downtown. With its movie studio, it was promoted in the 1980s as ``Hollywood East.'' However, the land stood vacant for years after its previous owners filed for bankruptcy.
A group of Hampton Roads businessmen and lawyers want to revive the project, eventually developing 2,052 homes and an 18-hole golf course.
The group wants to move the golf course to the north and reduce the number of homes by about 400. A plan that was approved by the city in the '80s had the golf course running throughout residential areas.
``This is very, very attractive to the city, and I applaud you for reducing the number of lots,'' Vice Chairman E. Dana Dickens said, ``but I feel like you've cut out a lot of the aesthetic appearance by moving the golf course out.'' It would be a typical subdivision, he said.
``The original plan was not developable,'' said Glenn Hampton, one of the landowners. ``It called for $200,000 and $300,000 homes. . . . Every single expert we've worked with says the Suffolk market does not warrant that (kind of) development.''
KEYWORDS: SUFFOLK PLANNING COMMISSION by CNB