DATE: Monday, November 10, 1997             TAG: 9711080019

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Editorial 

                                            LENGTH:   47 lines

GROWTH AND OPEN SPACES CAN CONTRADICTIONS BE RECONCILED.?

Virginia Beach, famous for suburban sprawl, has adopted a comprehensive plan that attempts to address the question of what to do about it.

The plan recommits the city to retaining its rural character in the south while calling for efforts to redeem the populous north that grew fast and often unattractively. But the means to that end aren't always clear, and contradictions abound.

Rapid development in Virginia Beach often favored quantity over quality. An aging housing stock of decaying, poorly made residential units presents a challenge. It's easy to call for higher quality in the future, but in a suburb where average income isn't high, it may not be realistic. The Dillon Rule also limits localities to the state's less-than-demanding building code.

If the city is to grow, and if the south is to remain rural, the north will presumably have to become more densely populated. But there's a palpable lack of enthusiasm for more and more high-density housing. Instead, the vision of residents and official alike seems to be of the prototypical suburb - mile after mile of subdivision, with each house on its quarter- or half-acre patch of green. That's hard to square with growth and preservation of open spaces.

It's hard to deny that large stretches of the Beach are a wilderness of strip malls and concrete. The city has permitted commercial development that is often an eyesore and traffic patterns that bewilder drivers when not bogging them down. But solving those problems could entail expensive tradeoffs.

Starting with a setting that abounds in sand, shore and wetlands, the Beach has created an environment where access for most residents to natural space is restricted and an interplay of developed areas and open land is lacking. Bike and walking trails are afterthoughts. Parks and plazas are in short supply. Planning henceforth should seek to redress the balance.

Tools to make progress are lacking. Some cities make aggressive use of zoning to shape the environment. Often private development is made contingent on setting aside a portion for public uses. Most localities find a redevelopment and housing authority essential to cope with blight.

After years of rapid growth followed by a breathing space, the Beach is groping its way forward. It may not be a surprise that the vision of what the Beach will look like in the 21st century remains unclear. But it's an important issue, not just for the Beach. Where it goes today, its fast-growing neighbors will find themselves in a few years' time.

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