THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 6, 1995 TAG: 9508070185
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Long : 119 lines
For more than 30 years, Pughsville could get no one's attention. Now, with the growth that was sure to come with water, sewerage and the boom of neighboring, affluent Harbour View, the quiet of the community - founded by freed slaves in 1868 - has been replaced by turmoil.
This heavily wooded community of 300, straddling Suffolk and Chesapeake, has fought long for respect. Now, some residents say, that respect is being eroded by a developer who's taking advantage of them.
Frederick R. ``Rick'' Byers II is developing Pughsville Estates, about 100 houses priced from $90,000 to $100,000, in the existing neighborhood. Unlike builders of new housing developments, Byers is not required to provide site plans, said Scott Mills, a city planner. That is causing problems with longtime residents.
About 10 new families registered complaints with their city councilman, Richard R. Harris, during a civic meeting. They cited drainage problems, construction debris, misrepresentation of development plans and disputes over lots.
Byers said the houses are in good shape and denied that debris is being buried. He said some concern stems from buyers who opt for raised, solid foundations instead of crawl-space foundations traditional in Pughsville.
He holds that the city hasn't done its job to provide such infrastructure as street lights and paved streets. Realistically, he said, he can't do everything for Pughsville.
All parties may air their concerns to city planning and inspections officials Monday at 7:30 p.m. at New Hope Baptist Church, 4260 Pughsville Road. Assistant City Manager William E. Harrell said that city officials will inspect houses, and any that don't meet code requirements will be cited.
Understanding Pughsville's fight for respect requires understanding its troubled history.
In the early 1970s, a plan for scatter-site housing failed. With no water and sewer lines, residents complained of sewage backing into their new houses from septic tanks. They moved out, leaving the federal Farmers Home Administration to sell and close down the houses.
Twelve years later, the community was ravaged by a huge brush fire. The absence of water lines and fire hydrants hampered firefighting.
In 1983, after lobbying City Hall, the community won $2.8 million in federal and city money for water and sewer lines.
Last year, Byers began to build government-insured Pughsville Estates. And that's where this chapter of the Pughsville saga gets thorny.
Mary V. Richardson, president of the Pughsville-Suffolk Civic League, said the community welcomes development, but said Byers had misrepresented his plans to longtime residents.
Richardson said Byers at one time said he was building 30 houses, not the 100 envisioned now, and that he would pave streets and build a park for kids. She said residents have complained that Byers' contractors have built houses atop debris they have buried.
``We were ripe for the plucking. We wanted water and sewer. And we knew, with the interstate (664), the boom would come. But for this man to take advantage of us, we will not tolerate,'' she vowed.
Development has begun in northern Suffolk, yet Richardson fondly remembers it as the area where she picked snap beans and peaches as a youngster. Now, bright, two-story frame houses have sprouted, and the interstate closes off a cemetery where many Pughsville families buried their dead.
Richardson only hopes the development will better the residents she represents.
Larry Dillard who moved to Pughsville Estates with his family in June, said that his garage floor collapsed shortly after they moved in and that several fixtures, including a smoke detector, were missing. He said he's been persistent with the developer to get remedies.
``We agreed to raise the garage slab, and now everything is up to code,'' Byers said.
Deanna Bartee, who moved with her husband and two kids in March, said her dining room flooded before they moved in. Byers said the Bartees' waterbed caused the leak, but city officials say the Bartees' problem may have resulted because Pughsville sits on a low water table and is prone to flooding.
Still, ``It's the developer's responsibility to maintain the drainage on the site,'' said Susan Gardner, the city's housing plans reviewer.
Byers said the project has become a frustrating tug of war. He's the first successful developer in Pughsville, yet no one appreciates his efforts, he said. He did not take on the project for monetary reasons but to provide the revitalization residents wanted.
He also has projects planned for Fredericksburg and Richmond.
He said that Suffolk should have paved certain streets and provided street lights, but that he's providing that infrastructure. However, Assistant City Manager Jim G. Vacalis said it's Byers' responsibilities.
``I am emotionally exhausted with this project. It's just a constant fight,'' said Byers with a sigh. ``The whole city is overburdened. They have no money, and the developers are getting caught in the middle.''
But some believe in Byers.
Melvin Copeland, 52, has lived in Pughsville all his life. He remembers when the tiny community didn't have water, sewerage or paved streets, and he believes development enhances the area.
``It's given the community a brighter look, and we're thankful for that,'' said Copeland.
Jim Backus, an attorney who lent financing to the project, said, ``I was not optimistic about the project. But he's turning out some good houses out there. I have become a believer.''
Some longtime residents worry about the rapid change, yet some are quietly undergoing tough negotiations with Byers for their lots.
Harvey Epps has lived in Pughsville for 47 years. His grandmother, Susan Patillo-Godfrey, was one of the town's founders. Now he's negotiating to sell Byers property.
``I want to see progress,'' he said, ``but in a way I'm afraid. I'm afraid we'll get some things here we don't need.
``I just don't know what's coming in now. I know we're getting top people, but . . .'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
WHAT'S NEXT
All parties may air their concerns to city planning and
inspections officials Monday at 7:30 p.m. at New Hope Baptist
Church, 4260 Pughsville Road.
Assistant City Manager William E. Harrell said that city
officials will inspect houses, and any that don't meet code
requirements will be cited.
by CNB