THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 1996 TAG: 9609180442
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 85 lines
As growth takes off in northern Suffolk and the western parts of Chesapeake, establishing the exact boundary line between the cities has become a matter of increasing importance.
Developers itching to take advantage of prime, raw land near the borders are confused over who should issue their building permits. And getting city services or collecting property taxes has been a problem for communities that straddle the boundary line.
To end the confusion, city officials in both cities now want to make sure they agree on the location of the line that divides them.
Today, Suffolk city officials will discuss in their work session whether to hire a surveyor and an engineer to map an undisputed boundary between the two cities.
Both Suffolk and Chesapeake would share the bill, estimated between $35,000 and $50,000, said Suffolk City Manager Myles E. Standish. Officials are considering the Chesapeake engineering firm of Horton and Dodd and the Virginia Beach surveying firm of Rouse-Sirine Associates LTD.
The surveyor would study land between Chesapeake and Suffolk from Portsmouth to the North Carolina state line. However, the area most in question is in and around Pughsville, a community near Interstate 664 that straddles the cities' border.
The problem surfaced last year when builders questioned Chesapeake officials about the exact boundary lines. In turn, city officials there began issuing conditional use permits, said Chesapeake Assistant City Manager Mary Ann Saunders. But most builders didn't want to take the chance on building without being certain which city their property was in.
Boundary conflicts are nothing new in Hampton Roads. The rush to annexation three decades ago gave birth to the current geography but left some borders vague or in dispute.
In February 1992, Chesapeake won a 10-year court battle with Portsmouth over 55 acres of industrial property and its $135,000 in annual taxes along their border south of Paradise Creek and Victory Boulevard. The dispute dated to 1960, when Portsmouth annexed the land from old Norfolk County.
In the early 1990s, a land survey was needed to determine that an illegal borrow pit was in Chesapeake, not Virginia Beach.
The proposed survey isn't over a land battle, say Chesapeake and Suffolk officials.
``It's not a matter of acquiring more property,'' said Chesapeake City Engineer D. Ray Stout. ``It's primarily to clear up regulatory functions.''
The confusion is nothing new for Pughsville residents.
Mary L. Deberry, of the 4900 block of Buchanan St., for years had difficulty getting street lights, trash collection and a paved road. Her mail was sent to Chesapeake and Portsmouth. Finally, her home was identified as being in Suffolk. A cluster of brush and trees a few feet from her home is the dividing line between the cities, she said.
``I don't want to have anything to do with that side,'' Deberry said, ``I don't want anything to do with Chesapeake.''
Percy and Naomi White have lived in Pughsville for more than 20 years. But when they first moved to the community, they had no idea whether they lived in Chesapeake or Suffolk.
They live on a street that is divided between the two cities. The James Street section is in Chesapeake. The other part, Cole Avenue, is in Suffolk.
The Whites' address is listed as Chesapeake, but they own the lot next door - and that is in Suffolk.
Tired of paying taxes to two localities, White filed for an exemption from Chesapeake last May.
Suffolk Councilman Leroy Bennett, whose borough takes in some parts of Pughsville, said many citizens don't feel they were getting equitable city services.
``They could be suffering because no one knows whether they live in Chesapeake or Suffolk,'' said Bennett.
Standish said Suffolk will host several public hearings to solicit input about the survey. Chesapeake City Council will consider hiring the firms at its next meeting, officials there said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by John Sheally\The Virginian-Pilot
Percy White, sitting in Suffolk, and his wife, Naomi, seated in
Chesapeake, live in Pughsville on a street that is divided between
the two cities. The Whites' address is listed as Chesapeake, but
they also own the lot next door, which is in Suffolk. Tired of
paying taxes to two localities, they have filed for an exemption
from Chesapeake.
Color Map
Area shown: Pughsville
KEYWORDS: PROPERTY LINE SUFFOLK CHESAPEAKE by CNB