THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: Wednesday, January 8, 1997 TAG: 9701080343 SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL SOURCE: BY LIZ SZABO, STAFF WRITER LENGTH: 45 lines
It's time to dust off those family histories and aging property deeds. Officials from Chesapeake and Suffolk want to have a look at them.
The cities are attempting to finally set a precise boundary line between western Chesapeake and northern Suffolk. The border now varies from map to map and has caused confusion for those attempting to build in the area.
Chesapeake and Suffolk held the first of two public meetings Tuesday night seeking comments and assistance from residents who live in border areas.
For years, no one gave much thought to the actual boundary. Much of the border lies in the heart of the Great Dismal Swamp. The line also runs through the community of Pughsville, where many older residents have been content to use names that predate paved roads and the creation of the two cities from Nansemond and Norfolk counties.
City officials became concerned about the ambiguous border after developers began filing building requests about a year ago when new sewer and water service made the land suitable for homes, said Chesapeake Assistant City Manager Mary Ann Saunders.
Some developers are unsure where to file their applications and are reluctant to build on land without knowing which city their property is in, officials have said.
Many who attended Tuesday's meeting, held at the Western Branch Community Center, 4437 Portsmouth Blvd. in Chesapeake, said that they wanted their children to continue to attend the same schools, that they didn't want the property divided or their addresses changed.
Some residents whose property straddles the border, which runs from Portsmouth south to the North Carolina state line, pay their taxes in one city but pick up their mail in another.
The survey - which will include information from personal records as well as more technical measurements - will be performed by Horton and Dodd, of Chesapeake, and Rouse-Sirine Associates LTD, of Virginia Beach. Chesapeake and Suffolk will share the cost of the survey - between $35,000 and $50,000.
Residents will have another chance to ask questions about the survey on Tuesday, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Driver Elementary School in Suffolk.
Citizen comments can be submitted up to one week after each meeting.
Dates for public hearings will be set this spring, before the city councils of Suffolk and Chesapeake vote on any boundary lines.
KEYWORDS: PROPERTY LINE SUFFOLK CHESAPEAKE