THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 10, 1994 TAG: 9412100195
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
Architect Andres Duany and Norfolk redevelopment officials are discussing sparing a handful of private homes out of the hundreds of buildings scheduled to be demolished in upper East Ocean View.
The proposal, if accepted, could allow some homeowners who have lived in the upper Bay streets for decades to stay put.
Previously, officials from the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority had ruled out anything but total clearance of the neighborhood.
The housing authority also announced Friday that bulldozers are scheduled to move into upper East Ocean View to tear down two motels the agency bought, the Sea King and the Haven. Demolition will begin at 3 p.m. Tuesday, an hour before Duany is to present the results of the charrette.
The question of whether to save some homes came up several times Friday at the charrette at the Senior Center on East Ocean View Avenue. The task of the charrette is to come up with a new design for the area of East Ocean View from 23rd Bay through 30th Bay streets.
Duany discussed the issue at some length with planning and redevelopment officials, including Planning Commissioner Robert Layton; Barry Bishop, executive vice president of the Greater Norfolk Corp.; Wayne Brown, a housing authority commissioner; and Doyle Hull, the authority's chairman.
Duany said it may be possible to save four to six homes, but only if they did not obstruct the design of a new plan for East Ocean View.
``There is no reason we should knock down homes for the hell of it,'' Duany said. ``But if one house is precluding a great idea,'' it would have to go.
As of last year, 18 families owned homes in the area. Since then, several have sold the homes to the housing authority.
Afterward, Layton said the choice was in Duany's hands.
``He's the doctor,'' Layton said of Duany. ``If he says this leg is gangrenous and has to be taken off, you take it off. If he says that leg has potential, then you go with his advice. I don't think he's going to be ashamed to say, `Fellows, you can use those little houses there.' ''
The group also discussed how inclusive the new neighborhood would be. Duany favored homes selling from $70,000 to $500,000, and including rental housing. Some officials agreed. Others worried that rental housing would keep down profits or drive away buyers.
KEYWORDS: EAST OCEAN VIEW REDEVELOPMENT DEMOLITION CHARRETTE by CNB