THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 28, 1996 TAG: 9610280047
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KATRICE FRANKLIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 51 lines
City officials this week will begin studying a report that examines Suffolk's current state and looks toward its future.
On Tuesday, the Planning Commission will be the first to flip through the State of the City report, the first part of the city's Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
Put together by LDR International, a Columbia, Md., based company hired to develop the Comprehensive Plan, the report contains information on census trends, growth areas, population and per capita income.
City officials say the report is the first step in preparing for growth that is expected to intensify in the once-rural area. The report will pinpoint the growth, offering such information as where additional schoolchildren are concentrated and where city services are needed.
Since 1989, when Suffolk's last Comprehensive Plan was done, the city has experienced a tremendous increase in development.
For example, the Planning Department had requests for seven new major subdivisions five years ago. Last year: 41. Last year, the Bureau of Inspections issued 883 residential building permits, compared with 500 in 1993.
Debates over growth controls are common. While some residents fear losing Suffolk's rural characteristics, such as homes on large lots, others push for development.
City officials say a good land plan is the key to resolving such conflicts. The plan is used to help make city zoning decisions.
Four months ago, the city kicked off the Comprehensive Plan with a bus tour that showcased areas within Suffolk's 430 square miles.
City officials had hoped to start a series of citywide community meetings this month to receive input from residents on how they want Suffolk to develop. The meetings have been pushed back to November.
No dates have been set, but the city has been divided into five areas - northern, central, downtown, southeast and southwest. There will be one meeting in each section.
The State of the City report is ``the material that we will take to citizens to help display facts about our city,'' Planning Director Paul E. Fisher said. ``Using that, citizens can determine where the city should go.''
Uri Avin, one of the partners with LDR, said the company compiled data for the report from census information, the city's assessor's office, the Virginia Employment Commission and zoning records.
The Planning Commission will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 441 Market St. The commission is an advisory agency to the City Council. by CNB