THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 6, 1995 TAG: 9512060475
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN WEINTRAUB, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
The City Council was still divided Tuesday about how much power it needs to spur economic development.
As part of its annual wish list for the General Assembly, the City Council plans to ask for the ability to condemn land for economic development. But council members have been unable to decide how much power they want.
Five members of the council want extremely limited power, if any at all. The others favor broader controls, but don't want to send a divided message to the General Assembly.
The City Attorney has already drafted three versions of a condemnation law; the council Tuesday directed him to come up with a fourth.
The council wants the power to deal with a specific problem that has arisen in the redevelopment of the Burton Station neighborhood. Without condemnation, the city won't be able to buy the remainder of the neighborhood, located next to Norfolk International Airport, and turn it into an industrial park.
With broader condemnation powers, the council would be able to condemn land in other parts of the city if it decided the area was needed for economic development.
Under all three drafts, the council would first have to hold public hearings to get the redevelopment proposal included in the comprehensive plan and provide relocation assistance for any displaced residents or businesses. The council could not condemn property for the benefit of an individual or company.
A handful of Burton Station residents attended Tuesday's meeting to tell City Council that they don't want their homes condemned.
E. George Minns, president of the Virginia Beach chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and spokesman for the residents, said he didn't think it was legal for council to get condemnation powers simply to deal with Burton Station landowners, who are mostly black.
``Economic development has not been fair to people of the black community,'' he said.
After the meeting, five homeowners said they would be happy to sell to the city ``this afternoon'' if they could buy another house without having to assume a mortgage.
``We're mortgage free, and we want to stay mortgage free,'' said one woman, who would identify herself only as the wife of 60-year Burton Station resident Melvin Elliott. ``They don't want to pay us enough.''
The council will discuss condemnation at a work session Tuesday morning, before deciding whether to make a formal request for the power.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL by CNB