THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 27, 1996 TAG: 9601270231
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KATRICE FRANKLIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Concerned that city plans for land once owned by the Navy don't represent the needs of the African-American community, local and state NAACP president Paul C. Gillis is lobbying the Department of Defense and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for an investigation into the proposal.
Gillis said in an interview Friday that he is writing a letter that he plans to submit next week to the agencies because city officials have ignored the African-American community's desires for the former Navy Radio Transmitting Facility near Driver.
The land, which has been surplus since 1993, has been a source of friction among city officials for the last two weeks. The City Council voted earlier this week to extend the planning period for the vacant 597 acres to try to include YES, an organization that is seeking 50 acres for its inner-city youth programs, in the proposal.
Suffolk Mayor Chris Jones said Friday that he was not aware of Gillis' actions.
``He (Gillis) certainly has a right to express how he feels,'' Jones said. ``But it was a fair and open process with input by all. We had many public meetings.''
William Harrell, assistant city manager for development, agreed and stressed that the city is now restudying the proposal to include YES.
Council members Richard R. Harris and Charles F. Brown called Wednesday's meeting on YES. The council voted unanimously to spend an estimated $15,000 to restudy the program.
The city, which is competing with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department and the Department of Interior for the property, used grant money to hire a consultant last year to conduct a series of meetings with residents to consider their desires for the land. The Navy will decide among the proposals. It is unclear when the service will award the land, but city officials have filed for a 90-day extension.
The consultant, EDAW Inc., suggested dividing the site among Old Dominion University for an environmental education center, a Little League athletic field, a city park and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Gillis said he wants to see the land used for affordable housing and an alternative school that would serve as a year-round ``boot camp'' for children on the verge of dropping out.
``I was interested in the project when it first came out,'' Gillis said. ``I attended the first meeting and worked in one of the work groups, and as I offered projects that would be representative of what I thought the African-American community would be interested in, they were pushed down on the list.''
Gillis said he is sending a letter to HUD to inform the organization that the city is not looking at the vacant land as a solution to Suffolk's serious housing problems.
The city has long had housing problems. Affordable housing is dilapidated, and the Housing Authority has been told to repay $157,000 in mismanaged funds.
Gillis said YES, formally known as Youth Entertainment Studios, is a good program for the city. But he said the program does not address the community's other needs.
``If it wasn't for Councilman Brown taking a strong stance, this (YES) thing would have died,'' Gillis said.
Gillis has long been at odds with the council, especially Harris, over a number of issues, including redistricting. The National NAACP recently granted membership to Harris, who had been blocked from joining the organization by Gillis.
Gillis has petitioned the national office to reconsider Harris' membership, saying the council member has ``racist ideas.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Local and state NAACP president Paul C. Gillis says housing should
go on some of the surplus land.
by CNB