DATE: Sunday, April 20, 1997                TAG: 9704180203

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 08   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letters 

                                            LENGTH:  276 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - CHESAPEAKE

In the Hampton Roads section of The Virginian-Pilot April 5 there appeared an article entitled ``Dock Landing may get grocery it's longed for.'' As a resident of this area, I along with hundreds of registered voters, do not want a grocery store built along Dock Landing Road and Emerald Woods Drive.

Since ``Bud'' West was the only resident quoted, it is imperative to note that he was not speaking for most residents who live on Dock Landing Road.

Just as Mr. West opposed the city when it tried to build a grocery store near his home on Dock Landing Road, I likewise oppose a grocery store/strip shopping center near my property on Dock Landing Road.

Just one of the erroneous statements in the article I'd like to address: For example, it was stated that Dock Landing Road residents have ``to go all the way to Portsmouth'' to grocery shop, and that ``others in his Western Branch neighborhood are at least five miles from the nearest supermarkets.'' False. The fact is there are two Portsmouth grocery stores less than one mile from the area, and four Chesapeake grocery stores under five miles from his front door step. Mr. West told me that he and his wife ``go to BJ's and the commissary to do our grocery shopping.'' So what gives?

Since Portsmouth Boulevard corridor is already zoned for commercial use, why not find a spot in that area for the needed store? Dock Landing Road is already over capacity for traffic level, and guess what this means for you property owners. Widening the road which means taking your property! Heck, just about a year ago Mr. West didn't want the road widened for a proposed bike path, but now he does for a grocery store.

Residents of Dock Landing Road, Chadswick Terrace, Bailey's Creek, Raleigh Place, Woodland Drive, lori Place, Colony Pointe, Walker Farm, River Bend, Forrest Hills and Dock Landing neighborhoods had better speak up if they want to be heard. Do they know that this so-called ``Dock Landing Associates'' developer mentioned in the April 5 article is in fact the big developer Armada Hoffler? You betcha!

Start watching how your elected council members are voting to develop the land in your back yard. From what I'm hearing, they will plow through what they can to get the revenue. Stores, homes, apartments, condos, etc. Did you see the word schools? No, but remember that right now, Western Branch Middle School, the only middle school in the area, is already 127 percent over capacity. Wake up!

I and hundreds of other council members will be watching the council members, five of whom are up for re-election., As a life-long Democrat, if I find it's true that the Democrats are the ones who are pushing for all of this commercial development and revenue, then they'll never get my vote again. And I pledge to lobby against them.

Elizabeth Axson Aronson

Ames Court Misleading letter

The letter entitled ``Extra lanes needed'' by Tom Martin that appeared in the April 13 issue of The Clipper, clearly gives one the impression he is speaking for all citizens of Chesapeake. Although we, the Kemp Woods Civic league, commend Chesapeake City Council for letting us speak, we do not commend them for their decision to overturn their previous support and vote concerning the widening of Kempsville Road, specifically, Phase III of Project 33-79. You see, we in Kemp Woods, as a community, spoke in front of the City Council back in 1994 on this same issue when, at that time, the City Council heard what we had to say and voted to expand Kempsville Road to only four lanes.

With every intent to remain non-emotional in this letter, I will attempt to focus on the content of Mr. Martin's letter because I feel there are some perceptions here that will mislead the readers.

First, I would like to address the general election bond referendum, about which Mr. Martin states ``citizens have already said yes to.'' If I am not mistaken, the bond referendum only dealt with purchasing right of way for the city roads such as Volvo Parkway, Indian River Road, Johnstown Road, etc. it did not apply to state roads such as kempsville Road, which by the way is 80 percent federally funded, 18 percent state funded and 2 percent city funded. Another point I would like to make here is Kempsville Road was not even considered part of the bond referendum and therefore was not considered for vote as Mr. Martin leads one to believe.

Second, the letter provides accolades to Councilman W. Joe Newman for bringing the measure to the council for vote and then reminds councilmen Dalton S. Edge, John M. de Triquet and Alan P. Krasnoff what they forgot. With the utmost respect to Councilman Newsman, my personal research when this matter was originally coming up to be revisited revealed VDOT submitted a package back to Public Works, who brought it to the city manager, who in turn placed it on the City Council agenda. Although this is not a six-lane expansion project, I praise Councilmen Dalton S. Edge John M. de Triquet and Alan P. Krasnoff for standing by the City Council's original four-lane vote made to the citizens along Kempsville Road back in 1994. They heard what the citizens were saying!

Third, Mr. Martin indicates in his letter that ``emotional atmosphere generated by a misinformed and vocal minority'' were carried away on this issue. I submit the following to support our sensitivities and to

project just how well informed we are:

No one is against the widening of Kempsville Road for many of the same reasons Mr. Martin himself raises in his letter. We are against making the Phase III Kempsville Road project a Battlefield and Virginia Beach Boulevard-size thoroughfare that will run right through our (yours and mine, Mr. Martin) major residential corridor.

Four major Kempsville Road civic leagues, representing Kempsville Road residents from Greenbrier Parkway to Volvo Parkway, were present at the March 25 City Council hearing in opposition to the six-lane expansion. Considering the number of communities up and down that section of Kempsville Road, that is a majority for Kempsville Road residents, not a minority.

VDOT's argument to expand to six lanes is based on estimated traffic projections, zoning's and projected rezoning out to year 1015. Kemp Woods representatives on the other hand presented to the City Council an actual traffic survey conducted by an independent source that shows the VDOT estimates to be inflated and misleading. I also bow to Councilman de Triquet, who stated so eloquently, although I cannot quote him exactly, ``the City Council should remember what we promised back in 1994 and that the City Council themselves had the ability to control what is placed on Kempsville Road in support of the size of the road in years to come.''

Since the City Council vote to support four lanes back in 1994, the Chesapeake Capital Budget from 1994 to represent reflected four lanes vice six lanes. I refer you to Page 92 for 1994; page 93 for 1995; page 76 for 1996; page 52 for 1997; and page 309 of the City Operating Budget for 1997.

No, misinformed we are not. I personally believe we, as a community, are well informed.

For those of you who, like Mr. Martin, are unfamiliar with where Sanjo Farms Drive is located, it is directly across Kempsville Road and Hunningdon Woods. I, too, resident on Sanjo Farms Drive, an, yes, it is in fact located in a new section of Kemp Woods. We in Kemp Woods enjoy the opportunity to show off our community so please come and drive through anytime.

I would like to say that Kemp Woods has an extremely active and supportive civic league that tries to represent the proper perspective of the entire community whenever possible based on the community's feedback. I close with this question: Does Hunningdon Woods have a civic league or homeowners' association?

Mike Sciancalepore

President, Kemp Woods Civic League

Sanjo Farms Road ``Pave paradise''

Our elected officials are again showing their true colors. They are about to, as in the song, ``pave paradise and put up a parking lot,'' despite all the objections, alternatives and compelling reasons not to. I refer to the lovely, pristine woods behind Great Bridge Elementary School and the Holt Drive recreation center, bordering on Albemarle Drive. it is a virgin stand of mixed hardwoods, and includes a wide variety of native flora, including the wild dogwoods currently in bloom, and includes a beautiful nature/exercise trail. Regrettably, it has been a well-kept secret, under-publicized and therefore under-utilized, by design, in my opinion. Apparently, the operative theory has been that fewer people enjoying these woods would mean less resistance to taking them.

When the public learned of the long-term plan to destroying these woods to create a massive west-side municipal center parking lot, several years ago, there was considerable outcry, including articles in The Clipper describing the woods' uniqueness. It was not a case of a few immediate neighbors objecting to a sensible project on the basis of its location, the ``not in my backyard'' phenomenon, but a group of concerned citizens who genuinely value this irreplaceable resource and want to see it preserved.

It's not clear to me that any additional parking is needed. I'm always able to, at least, park on the huge east side lot and walk a few hundred yards to any city office. if west side parking is needed beyond the new 100-plus-space lot on Albemarle, several hundred spaces could be created by taking the ball field (as is happening anyway in the current plan), and the space beside and directly behind the rec center, without disturbing these woods. Apparently, there is a good likelihood of developing the old landfill across Albemarle into a Mount Trashmore-type park in the near future. This could obviously include significant duel purpose west-side parking, and these woods would be an integral and valuable park of such a park.

Unfortunately, all these concerns and suggestions have fallen on deaf ears in the City Council. The project is currently out for bid, and includes 471 additional parking spaces, the whole enchilada! Unless somebody stops it, it will be goodbye ball field, goodbye woods, hello pavement! Instead of looking out at these peaceful woods, the elementary school children will look across asphalt to the new concrete courthouse and prison. There was apparently no problem funding this $30 million prison, which could have been built out by St. Bridges for half that cost. And the $5 million engineer's oversight in the new courthouse budget didn't seemingly faze anyone. But, I'm told, there are insufficient funds for a west-side parking garage, so we apparently just can't cut down these trees fast enough. The clear message is that unbridled development and the business of governing and bureaucracy are the only priorities, and preserving the resources in Chesapeake which many of us value don't count. At best, our concerns will results in a smattering of trees left to die on islands in this parking lot, which totally misses the point.

The sensible course would be to scale this project back, build an adequate parking lot, improve the paths within and encourage use of these woods, and defer a decision on sacrificing them. We do not need 471 spaces now and, once destroyed, the woods can never be recreated.

It seems that we elect the officials, who hire the professional bureaucrats, who retain consultants to perform studies telling them what they want to hear, so they can all justify making decisions contrary to the interests and desires of us, who they are supposed to serve. I guess, in our officials' minds, we're in competition with Virginia Beach, and they won't be happy until we have a huge high-rise municipal center, surrounded by acres of pavement, and suburban sprawl as far as they eye can see.

The destruction cannot begin until the City council votes to award a contract. please go take a walk in these woods, and let your council members know what you think, and they they will be held accountable.

Carl Edwards

Saber Drive Pay for lights

The city of Chesapeake offers league play for youth soccer in spring and fall, youth basketball and girls softball. The city also offers courses in gymnastics, karate, golf and tennis for our youngsters. As a taxpayers, I am happy to support these worthwhile programs.

My daughter and son, along with the 1,400-plus other children in Great Bridge and Hickory who want to play baseball, must do so within private organizations such as Great Bridge Baseball since the city of Chesapeake does not offer them such a baseball program.

As a taxpayers, I believe it is only right for the city to pay to light three fields at the Charlton-Mott Youth Complex. Consider these facts: the city has taken away two lighted fields within the past few years (Hickory Elementary and Great Bridge Middle School North), and plans to destroy the lighted Mustang Field in order to pave it over to make more parking spaces for the new City Jail.

The city has an obligation to provide for the baseball needs of its boys and girls, but since this was neglected, Great Bridge Baseball, through its own initiative built a baseball complex for the young people in the community. Through Great Bridge/Hickory has the largest concentration of population in Chesapeake, the city keeps taking away baseball fields in these areas.

Great Bridge Baseball saved the city more than $750,000 by building its own baseball complex. Had Great Bridge Baseball not built this complex using private funds, the city would have had to provide facilities in southern Chesapeake.

Great Bridge Baseball showed its cooperation with the community by sharing its complex with the Hickory High School football team without asking for compensation. Other baseball organizations in the area should, in the spirit of this cooperation, join us in this effort toward the ultimate goal of having more facilities for all of our players to use.

Do the right thing for our children and light three fields at the complex!

Laura M. Macchia

Avon Road Favorite feature

Just a note to let you know I thoroughly enjoy ``Mark Carey's Chesapeake'' drawing and look forward to seeing them each week. He does a great job.

Ruth S. Anderson

Cutspring Road Fewer fields

The past few weeks I've read several letters on this page regarding the possible lighting for the Charlton-Mott Youth Complex. Most seem not to like the idea. At first glance, I can understand why one might wonder why the city should help light fields for a private organization.

I believe it's important to remember, however, that while the land was purchased and developed by Great Bridge Baseball through donations and fund-raising, it is open to every citizen in Chesapeake between the ages of 5 and 18 who wishes to participate in youth baseball. And it's my understanding that the league is also looking into the possibility of beginning a girls' fast pitch softball divisions next year.

The number of fields available seem to be getting fewer even as our population grows. The field at Great Bridge Primary School, which has been used for baseball and youth activities for approximately 30 years will soon be torn up and paved over for a City Jail parking lot. This lighted field will be gone forever.

As a parent of three children attending Chesapeake Public Schools, there are many other things I'd rather they not be doing in the late afternoon and early evening than playing baseball or softball with adult supervision under the lights.

Carroll L. Miles

Cedarwood Court Signs of spring

We look out the window to our backyard all winter and watch the birds come to the bird feeder - finches, blue jays, black birds, doves and cardinals. But this time of year, a transformation is taking place. The dandelions are blooming, and the ground is covered with yellow. No, I don't go to the garden shop and get the weed-and-feed to stop their growth. Dandelions are very pretty, and they bring with them a display that captures your attention.

Gold finches come and go from the feeders all winter long in their drab olive colors, but they are changing into their summer plumage of bright yellow and black. That little black cap that the male displays along with his bright black wings and yellow breast, the white stripes he has for wing bars. This little bird just captures my heart.

The dandelions begin to turn to seed and display that wonderful white ball atop a stem four or five inches tall. The wind comes and white seeds are dispersed to parts unknown. Then, before you in the yellow and white dandelions, you see movement - not a dandelion but a gold finch. The bird picks out each individual seed of the dandelion, eats it and throws the white parachute over its wings. I have seen as many as 50 beautiful finches all at the same time, feeding on their dandelion seeds.

This is just one of Mother Nature's ways of helping the gold finches make their way migrating to as far away as Canada.

Francis E. Nugent

Sharon Drive

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