THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 19, 1995 TAG: 9505180290
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
Why move Linkhorn students from one plot under flight path to another?
Regarding the relocation of Linkhorn Park Elementary School to First Colonial Road near Virginia Beach General Hospital:
Rather than sounding like whining homeowners with a case of Not In My Back Yard Syndrome (NIMBY), I would like to provide several comments about the acquisition of land on First Colonial Road.
1. The relocation of the school would not remove it from the landing pattern flight path of NAS Oceana. Routinely, all types of naval aircraft fly directly over the proposed site while landing.
2. A new, large, branch NationsBank at Southall Drive/First Colonial Road will replace three existing branches (Great Neck Road, Laskin Road at Hilltop and London Bridge. Considerable traffic in and out of Southall Drive is anticipated, thereby compounding the traffic congestion problem which exists on First Colonial Road.
3. A 19-acre site, behind Virginia Beach General Hospital, was proposed as an alternate site for the school. This site was apparently rejected by city officials because they did not want to bus the children one more mile. This site appears to be outside the normal landing pattern.
4. First Colonial Road is extremely congested during the morning and evening rush hours. I am surprised that officials at the hospital and the nearby Oceana fire /rescue station on Old Donation Parkway have not expressed their concern about the additional congestion.
5. At a Southall Quarter Civic League meeting on March 21, Mrs. Margaret Johnson, owner of six acres of the selected site, gave an emotional appeal for support to allow her to remain in her home of 40 years. She received a standing ovation from the civic league membership.
I strongly believe we should hold public hearings on this school relocation. Moving the school from one location in the flight path to another also in the flight path does not appear to be a practical solution.
O. M. Whipple Jr.
President, Southall Quarter
Civic League Inc. by CNB