THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 28, 1996 TAG: 9607270092
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 155 lines
Managing growth
Hampton Roads planners have predicted that Chesapeake will exceed Norfolk in population by the year 2001 and be the second-largest city in Hampton Roads. If you think fire and police protection are stretched to the limit, major roads are at capacity and portable classrooms have reached a high of 350 trailers citywide, then you ain't seen nothing yet if we don't get the tools to properly manage our city!
Here is the reason for the concern. Initially, the City Council rezoned 5,000 acres of land when we completed our first comprehensive land-use plan for the city in 1969. Through the years, other city councils continued to rezone land and increase the availability of land for building residential houses. The problem is once a parcel of land is zoned it can be built on at any time!
That empty lot or wooded area beside you may have been zoned residential 10-20 years ago and the city has no way to know when a developer will build. Once a large tract of land is built on, population increases and the city must provide more fire and police personnel, schools to educate the children, roads and other infrastructure needs.
Do you know that the city has borrowed almost $500 million in the last three years to build schools in Chesapeake? It is because of the lack of state legislation to manage growth in our city that City Council members have a very difficult time doing long-range planning or have a realistic five-year Capital Improvement Budget.
Can you imagine allowing your son or daughter to say on a moment's notice, ``OK, that car you promised me, I want it now.'' No matter what your finances look like, would you feel you had to provide that car? The same is true for unexpected development. No matter what the city finances look like, citizens have to pay for additional fire and police protection, for kids to be educated and for additional traffic flow when an unexpected development occurs.
So, what's the point of all this?
Wouldn't it be nice to plan for community centers, wider roads and other infrastructure needs with new development? We need to continue to ask our council members to do more to manage our growth in Chesapeake. We need to call them, write them, fax them and tell them at city council meetings to do more to get tools to properly manage growth in Chesapeake.
We're not asking them to stop growth, but to manage it!
Gene Waters
President
Chesapeake Council of Civic Organizations
White elephant
I am writing this in response to a letter printed here on July 12. I agree with the writer of the letter in The Clipper July 12 that condemned the actions of developers in putting in a Rite-Aid and Commerce Bank (soon to be BB&T) on Battlefield Boulevard and Cedar Road. I can't believe the narrow-minded selfishness of those who want to shove this development down the residents' collective throats. A little group of willful men, representing no opinion but their own, have rendered residents and City Council helpless. This is ridiculous!
If City Council members would read the city's Comprehensive Plan, which many of them, especially Mayor William E. Ward, say they support wholeheartedly, they would see that the health, safety and welfare of the community take clear precedence over anything else to stop stupid, detrimental developments like this one.
I would advise the developers, Rite-Aid, and Commerce Bank (or BB&T or whatever the bank calls itself this week) to think again and back off. Otherwise, people traveling by the corner of Battlefield and Cedar Road will think that the circus has come to town. Why? Because if this development goes through, which the ``good ol' boy network'' seems to have assured, it will inevitably become a big white elephant sitting there on the corner. It's big, it does what it pleases and it may be impressive, but most folks would rather steer clear and have nothing to do with it.
Timothy Martin
Great Bridge
Loss of history
Part of our physical history is starting to disappear! The obliteration has started. The ground where the American patriot forces camped during the Battle of Great Bridge is in the first stages of development.
This property at Cedar Road and Battlefield Boulevard could have been a memorial park or village green. In my opinion, an ugly combination of greed, apathy and procrastination by the developers, City Council, the historical society and residents has resulted in the loss forever of a physical connection to our history - the first battle of the American Revolution fought on Virginia soil.
The only recourse left for me and my family is the time-honored tactic dating back to our forefathers in 1775 - the boycott. I challenge the residents of Chesapeake and especially of Great Bridge to boycott any and all businesses to be built on this site.
Diane O. Mahoney
Warhawks Road
New allies
Citizens Against the Racetrack (C.A.R.) was grateful to learn that the Virginia Supreme Court found merit in our arguments and they will hear our case in the fall. We will continue our fight, and Suffolk has provided us with new allies.
The real estate insert recently featured new residential housing areas in Driver and on Shoulders Hill Road in close proximity to the proposed automobile race track. Which came first - the housing or the race track permits? Is this a compatible use of land? It appears that Suffolk is no more concerned about its own citizens within hearing distance of the proposed race track than it is about its close neighbors in Chesapeake! The election of Leroy Bennett and the ouster of Richard R. Harris for that district should convey a strong message to the City Council.
The option to purchase the 50 acres of land for the automobile race track at Nansemond and Shoulders Hill Road close to the Chesapeake line (Portsmouth Boulevard in Chesapeake) has not been renewed, but the sign is still posted saying there will be a race track built there in 1996. Something is up!
One can only wonder if the city of Suffolk has plans about the race track they haven't told the public!
Susan C. Blankenship
Treasurer
Citizens Against the Racetrack
Barn Swallow Drive
Crying `wolf'
Carl Cahill's letter, entitled ``Lack of communication,'' (The Clipper, July 7), wherein he personally attacks Mayor William E. Ward as unresponsive and ``anxious to spend the public's money on a raise for himself.'' Cahill further bemoans the fact that Mayor Ward ``seldom replies to letters and phone calls from citizens'' (meaning himself, I am sure).
While Mayor Ward hardly needs any defense from Mr. Cahill's attacks (like other city politicians, I'm sure he has developed a ``Cahill callous'' over the years), I do feel that someone must call Cahill to task for the personal attacks he makes against members of council. With one recent notable exception (who did not get invited back to the dance), council members do not choose personal attacks as a means of accomplishing their goals. For Mr. Cahill to continue in that vein is uncalled-for.
While I certainly do not write to speak to council nearly as much as Carl Cahill, I have always enjoyed a response from Mayor Ward when I did. While I do not always agree with that response, I have always found the mayor to be respectful and polite - always realizing he is a public servant.
One wonders if Mr. Cahill read, with true comprehension, ``The Boy Who Cried Wolf'' when he was younger. While ``the squeaky wheel'' does often get the ``grease,'' Mr. Cahill, often times a chronic ``squeak,'' gets ignored.
While I proudly spent many years protecting Cahill's freedom of speech, and would never infringe upon it, perhaps he should realize that the Constitution does not necessarily grant him the right always to be heard.
A.C. ``Andy'' Black Jr.
Hornsea Road
Efforts appreciated
I know you often receive letters of complaint concerning our fine city and its staff, but I would like to express my gratitude for a job well done by our dedicated workers of the Parks and Recreation Department.
It was with the help of director Claire Askew's forces that the South Norfolk Civic League was able to put together such a wonderful celebration on the Fourth of July at Lakeside Park. I inadvertently neglected to recognize their efforts in our ``thank you'' ad.
I would like to take this opportunity to first apologize for the oversight, but, more importantly, to commend them for their professionalism and community pride!
Jeff Rowland
Event chairman
July 4 Celebration
Edgewood Avenue by CNB