THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611010217
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 90 lines
After more than 25 years of doing business at the same old place, the Kempsville branch of the City Treasurer's office is moving to new digs.
None too soon, it would seem.
The old place was between an ambulance service's no-frills operations base and a tastefully decorated florist's shop at the southwest corner of Princess Anne and Kempsville roads, an area known with no particular fondness as the corner of Traffic Jam and Gridlock.
It offered confusing traffic flow, minimal space, little parking and no protection from the weather for the thousands of taxpayers who passed through its door each year.
And that was inside.
``It leaked every time it rained,'' sighed Jennifer Johnson, assistant branch superintendent, ``and in bad weather, we couldn't hear anything because of the rain beating on the metal roof.''
One door served as entrance and exit for staff, customers and delivery people. Less than 700-square-feet of public space left little room to route decal seekers, water bill payers and food stamp recipients through the facility.
Outside was worse.
The shopping center, which dates back to about 1960, had no overhang to offer even minimal shelter when lines were long. Parking in a lot crowded with the remains of an abandoned car wash and gas station had passed inadequate years ago.
Getting into the small shopping center, which had two entrances on Kempsville Road and one on Princess Anne, was difficult. Getting out, for those wanting to go west on Princess Anne or north onto Witchduck, was next to impossible.
At 8:30 tomorrow morning, all of that changes.
This weekend, city employees are busy moving their records, computers and supplies a mile down the road. Tomorrow, when the first taxpayer arrives at the door, they'll be open for business at the northwest corner of the Fairfield Shopping Center near the intersection of Providence Road and Lord Dunmore Drive.
It's a day that can't come soon enough for Chief Deputy Treasurer Richard Harrall, the man who shepherded the project through the system, did the drawings for the new space and supervised the work done by general contractor R.D. Skenes Inc.
``We've needed this for a long time,'' Harrall said.
Located in 1,690 square feet of space, which previously housed a sandwich shop, the new office will have separate space to simplify distribution to the 4,000 people who receive food stamps at the Kempsville branch office each month.
Separate entrance and exit doors will allow for a single line system without traffic jams. It also will mean that far fewer customers will find themselves waiting outside. Those who do will have a canopy to offer protection from the elements.
Parking also will be simplified.
``This is a corner location,'' Harrall said. ``We have plenty of parking on two sides of the building.'' With multiple shopping center entrances and curb cuts on Kempsville and Providence Roads and Lord Dunmore Drive, customers will no longer have restricted exit options.
All of that should make it easier to serve the 40,000 people who pick up auto decals in the office each January and February and the additional thousands who go there annually to pay water bills or explain why they shouldn't have to pay taxes on a vehicle they forgot to tell the city they got rid of six months ago.
While the office's customer service area has increased significantly, the staff has lost a large part of its work and break space.
According to Johnson, that's fine with them. The efficient set-up behind the counters in the public area makes up for lost work space and the access to restaurants, shopping and services more than makes up for lost break space.
One thing will be missing when the new office opens Monday morning.
``We won't have a ribbon cutting ceremony,'' said Harrall. ``That's the first day of the (monthly) food stamp distribution and we're going to be too busy to take the time.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
The new Kempsville branch of the treasurer's office is at Fairfield
Shopping Center near Providence Road and Lord Dunmore Drive.
Jennifer Johnson, assistant supervisor, packs records in preparation
for the office's move.
Dick Harrall, chief deputy treasurer, will be among the employees
helping move the Kempsville branch of the treasurer's office into
its new digs this weekend. At 8:30 Monday morning, he'll be ready to
greet the first taxpayer arrives at the door of the office at the
northwest corner of the Fairfield Shopping Center. by CNB