DATE: Wednesday, June 4, 1997               TAG: 9706040461

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: SUFFOLK                           LENGTH:   76 lines

SUFFOLK PLANS NEW POLL SITES TO EASE CROWDS SOME OFFICIALS ARE WORRIED THAT THE NEW PLACES TO VOTE WOULD BE HARDER TO REACH.

Tuesday's primary won't be affected, but voters in White Marsh, Harbour View, Kilby's Mill and Driver will likely be casting their votes at new polling places come November.

The changes are the result of Suffolk's growth outstripping the capacities of the old locations, election officials said.

The City Council will hold a public hearing today to review the following precinct polling changes:

A new polling place to be created for Harbour View in the gymnasium of the Portsmouth campus of Tidewater Community College.

Moving Kilby's Mill precinct from the Public School Communications Center to Forest Glen Middle School.

Moving Driver precinct from Driver Fire Station to John Yeates Middle School.

Moving White Marsh precinct from the Public School Maintenance facility to the East Suffolk Community Center.

The changes are needed because the old locations are crowded and don't have adequate parking, said Electoral Board member Gary H. Wyse.

``There were people literally circling the school to find a parking space,'' Wyse said of the Driver precinct. ``Our charge is to make sure elections are safe and convenient, and safe and convenient for voters as well as poll workers.''

Suffolk has seen a rapid increase in registered voters. Last year there were 25,452 registered voters in Suffolk, said the city's Voter Registrar Patsy A. Parker. This year, there are 30,285 voters, an increase of nearly 19 percent.

Some city officials aren't happy about the recommended changes.

Vice Mayor Charles F. Brown, who represents the Cypress borough, is worried that moving the White Marsh polling location to the East Suffolk Community Center will create traffic and safety problems.

Brown said a number of children participate in an after-school recreational program at the center. The additional voters driving to the polls will present a hazard to children who have activities inside and outside the center, he said. Furthermore, Brown said he doesn't see any reason to change the location, because the current polling place is within minutes of the center.

``We have plenty of parking at Finney Avenue. The rooms are large enough; it's not congested. I wish we could work together to find a better solution,'' said Brown.

In a report the board wrote for the City Council, it specified several reasons for recommending changing the White Marsh site, including: a large auditorium space for polling, handicapped accessibility and more parking space within the grounds.

In the northern end, there are also concerns.

Councilwoman Marian ``Bea'' Rogers said most citizens in her Sleepy Hole borough do not want to travel to Tidewater Community College off Interstate 664 to vote.

They say Northern Shores Elementary on Respass Beach Boulevard is closer to their neighborhoods. Rogers said she will recommend that the site be changed to the elementary school.

In addition, she said, TCC is state-owned, not city property.

``My concern is no one on the electoral board asked me,'' said Rogers. ``Absolutely no one can walk to TCC, whereas they can ride their bikes to Northern Shores.''

If the City Council approves the plan, it must then be sent to the U.S. Department of Justice for review. The precinct polling changes will occur prior to the Nov. 4 general election.

Ruby Walden, chairman of the electoral board, could not be reached for comment. David Sylvia, secretary of the electoral board, also couldn't be reached. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

DETAILS

What: Public hearing to solicit input on precinct polling

location changes

When: 7 p.m. tonight

Where: 441 Market Street

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