THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 19, 1994 TAG: 9406170189
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
DATELINE: 940619 LENGTH: Medium
\ This declaration of regional cooperation came from a committee of 430 area leaders who gathered last year to create Plan 2007, a vision of what the region could become in the 21st century. The report, presented in abbreviated version by banker Jim Babcock to Portsmouth city officials last week, probably is the strongest plea ever made for regional cooperation.
{REST} It is impossible to separate cities and counties into their own isolated jurisdictions . . . Dreams and aspirations for Hampton Roads as developed by the authors of Plan 2007 rely heavily on regionally cooperative efforts and partnerships.
\ That makes sense. It's what we all know in our hearts is the only way to put Hampton Roads ahead in competing for business and industry, for progress in the 21st century.
But during Babcock's presentation, I kept thinking about actions that speak louder than those words.
Take the race track, for instance. Virginia Beach's bid against Portsmouth is probably is going to cost Hampton Roads the track.
A race track on Interstate 264 would benefit everybody. A race track buried in Virginia Beach mainly would benefit that city.
Whether the race track is a good thing is a moot question. The point is, Virginia Beach was unwilling to cooperate with Portsmouth. As a result, other Hampton Roads cities were unwilling to invest in or openly back either location - although I'm sure there's plenty of back-room activity going on.
And what about Norfolk's desire to grab off all the downtown harbor events - even to the point of wanting to move the Cock Island Race across the water. That, of course, is rather ludicrous considering the idea and the organization originated in Portsmouth. However, I'd bet some Norfolk folks are courting the sailing club trying to lure them away from Portsmouth's event.
I remember being chastised in very strong language some years ago by a Harborfest official when I wrote a story saying the Seawall Festival Committee reluctantly had agreed to give up its name to become part of Harborfest. Portsmouth volunteers felt that making the festival the same around the harbor would make more sense to visitors.
Norfolk folks didn't say great, that will make the festival better. Instead, they started screaming about ``owning'' the name Harborfest and threatening to sue Portsmouth.
The examples are many. None of them makes much sense. But separate political entities are like that.
Babcock frequently referred to the Research Triangle concept as a model for regional cooperation.
Interestingly enough, 30 years ago Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill sometimes seemed like they were a hundred miles apart, more at odds than Portsmouth and Chesapeake. Their personalities were as different as those of the Hampton Roads communities.
Although many Triangle residents were skeptical, many also recognized the sensibility of the Triangle concept with Research Triangle Park as the centerpiece. Among the believers were the movers and shakers who also controlled a lot of the money. Still it took a good 20 years to get Research Triangle Park off the ground.
From 1966 until 1978, as co-owner of a weekly newspaper based in the Research Triangle Park, I watched it happen.
The Triangle was an old idea by the time it began to work. The late Luther Hodges started pushing the concept during his tenure as governor in the 1950s, and he took a lot of flak during all the years the notion seemed to be going nowhere.
Triangle Park began to thrive in the 1970s, but it was only in the 1980s that the big payoff in jobs came to the region.
It took perseverance and real leadership to overcome natural political resistance to crossing county and city lines. It didn't happen overnight or even in 13 years as the committee here is proposing as a time frame for Hampton Roads.
But the Triangle concept is a model of regional cooperation that ultimately proved itself. We would do well to emulate it.
The committee that put together Plan 2007 must convince politicians and those who really control things that they will benefit from traveling together in the same direction.
That will be a problem, judging from history.
by CNB