THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070078
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Although City Council finally voted 4-2 in the affirmative, some members understandably were reluctant to approve construction of 112 apartments on 10 acres of land at Williams Court with no concurrent plan to begin construction of single-family homes on the other 15 acres behind the shopping center built by Farm Fresh.
The Cradock area already has more than its share of apartments and residents are not happy to add more renters to their population.
The apartments are not subsidized, the council was told, but they are ``a tax credit project'' for moderate income housing.
Former City Councilman Bob Gray, a resident of Cradock, said he was concerned about the future because ``there's nothing that says they can't turn them into subsidized housing down the road.''
In addition, residents claimed that some people who qualified for the housing would move from other rental property in the area, causing deterioration of other apartment complexes.
Perhaps residents are overreacting, but their concerns should raise a red flag for city officials.
Now that the project is approved, the city must encourage the owners to press on with the single-family owner-occupied housing that would complete the 25-acre project.
Generally speaking, new apartments built in mixed neighborhoods maintain their value and their desirability longer than rentals built in isolation from owner-occupied housing.
From now on, the city should withhold approval of rental units that are not part of a larger construction project.
Portsmouth does not need any more deteriorating rental property and any apartments that do not have the restraints of nearby owner-occupied homes are likely candidates for future problems. by CNB