DATE: Thursday, May 22, 1997                TAG: 9705220474

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY KIA MORGAN ALLEN AND JENNIFER JACOBSON, STAFF WRITERS 

DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG                      LENGTH:   39 lines

FEE IDEA DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH VISITORS, MERCHANTS

A plan to charge admission to Williamsburg's historic area would be like charging admission to a mall, visitors and business owners said Wednesday.

``I wouldn't want to put an additional price tag on someone coming to my store,'' said Kathryn Culpin, manager of Casey's of Williamsburg, a 128-year-old specialty shop in the heart of the historic area's retail district. ``I think it's ludicrous. Colonial Williamsburg is making a lot of money already. This will hurt our customer base.''

The fee might net profits from tourists, who come to Colonial Williamsburg ready to spend money. But the cost likely would scare away local residents who view Colonial Williamsburg as part of their community, as well as people who just want to shop there, opponents of the plan said.

``I don't think you could shut part of your town off to your residents,'' said Kim Philson, a visitor from Indiana. ``That doesn't seem right.''

Dave Schulz, manager of R. Bryant Ltd., a clothing shop in Merchants Square, predicted Colonial Williamsburg's ticket sales would drop.

``It would just keep people away,'' he said. ``It would be murder for the merchants.''

Dana Lofgren, a student at the College of William and Mary and a cashier at the Toymaker shop in Merchants Square, said the plan runs counter to the philosophy behind Colonial Williamsburg's restoration.

``I thought the vision for Williamsburg, Rockefeller's vision, was to restore Williamsburg so people would come and learn about America's history,'' Lofgren said. ``It makes the (Colonial Williamsburg) Foundation look greedy.

``That's not going to enlighten people. I would be embarrassed to have people pay to walk in my town.''

Pat Williams, a Yorktown resident who works at Binn's Fashion Shop on Duke of Gloucester Street, said workers had many questions about how the plan would affect them.

``The employees have a parking lot five blocks away,'' Williams said. ``Are they going to charge us to walk through?''

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu