THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996 TAG: 9607040243
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY IDA KAY JORDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 141 lines
AT LEAST FOR the moment, everybody seems happy about the future of Craney Island - a field of dredge spoils long coveted for development by the city and the Virginia Port Authority and feared by the residents of the upscale Churchland area bordering the James River.
The happy state of affairs follows an agreement between the state and the city and apparent acceptance by the Army Corps of Engineers, which now owns the four-square-mile fill area.
Elder Lash, a resident of nearby River Shore Road and chairman of the Craney Island Study Commission, said both residents and citizen members of the commission are ``completely satisfied.''
The agreement provides for construction of a fourth marine cargo terminal by the Virginia Port Authority on the east side of the filled area, where the Corps would continue to dump dredging spoils from Hampton Roads.
Meade Stith, chief of operations for the Corps, said the proposed plan to put the Port facility on the east side of the dump site extends the life of the fill area by 10 to 15 years. The port plan would permit the Corps to extend the east side by as much as 1,000 feet.
``We're excited about it,'' Stith said.
The use of the east area for dumping and development of the port site would put the piers closer to the Hampton Roads channel.
The agreement comes after many years of agitation on the part of Portsmouth citizens, Lash said.
At one point, the Corps planned to expand the fill area to the west blocking the homes on River Shore Road from the James River.
Then state Del. William S. Moore of Portsmouth stopped that plan by introducing a bill prohibiting the expansion to the west. Stith said the Corps must abide by the state's decision.
``The (river) bottom land still belongs to the state and the state would have to lease it to the federal government,'' Lash said. ``The state leased the original bottom to them.''
Lash said Moore was the person responsible for harnessing the power to lease the bottom to the west of Craney Island.
``He really picked up the ball and ran with it,'' Lash said.
At one time many years ago, Portsmouth citizens were not happy with the idea of a port terminal at the site but there seems to be no opposition at this time. The city wanted to use the land for economic development to bring tax money into the city.
Part of the sweetener in the recent agreement was an offer from the Virginia Port Authority to pay a fee to the city for placement of dredge materials on the site. In addition, the law provides for transfer of a major portion of Craney Island to Portsmouth in the somewhat distant future.
Construction on the portion that would be conveyed to the city seems ``impractical'' to Lash.
``It's settling 24 inches per year now,'' he said. ``It just would not withstand heavy development.''
City Attorney Tim Oksman drafted the budget amendment that provided for a study committee and listed the committee's guidelines. He said Wednesday that he has no idea what amount of money would be involved in the fees proposed for the city.
``We all would like to know how this will work out,'' he said.
Oksman's amendment calling for a committee to study the potential expansion on the east side of Craney Island for a fourth marine terminal specifically said the city as well as the Virginia Port Authority should have representatives in the group.
In addition, Oksman inserted a proposal for a fee and also called for ``obtaining greater certainty about the means and schedule by which Craney Island will revert from the federal government to Virginia and the subsequent transfer of a major portion of it to Portsmouth.''
Although the amendment specifically prohibits consideration of both westward and northward expansion, as banned by Moore's earlier bill, it does provide for some ``adjustment'' of the northern boundary for purposes of environmental mitigation but not for expansion of capacity.
Lash said the city's Craney Island Commission was ``delighted to be included'' on the study committee headed by State Secretary of Transportation Robert Martinez. The committee will include two representatives of the city and two from the port authority, one each from the Corps of Engineers and one person representing the State Secretary of Natural Resources.
The first report from the committee is scheduled no later than Dec. 1, 1997.
``This is the first time the state has been upfront,'' said Lash. ``In the past there have been various studies but they didn't include Portsmouth.''
Stith of the Corps staff added, ``It's nice to see the state and local governments working together.''
The cooperative mood has a practical basis, however. When the port terminal is constructed, the state will need the help of the city in constructing highways, railroads and water and sewer lines to the site.
``We don't want to be at odds with the city,'' Transportation Secretary Martinez said at a May meeting here. ``We will do this only in ways the city is comfortable with.''
The Corps continues to develop ways to extend the life of the fill area before any expansion on the east.
The area has been used as a dumping ground since 1958 and an average of 5 million cubic yards of material has been dumped there each year. However, Stith said there has been a slowdown in use with the last 10 years averaging about 3.5 million cubic yards per year.
Meanwhile, he said, the Corps' ``cutting edge research'' has developed a strip drain for water trapped 135 feet below the surface in the sand layer.
``It's not dredge water, but water from a 20-million-year-old river bed,'' he said.
By removing the water, the fill will settle more and create more space in areas already in use, extending the life of the existing fill area by 20 years.
The Corps divided the fill area into areas called ``cells'' and now has three cells in use. A fourth cell would be added for the eastern expansion, running two miles north and south and about a half mile east and west.
Craney Island also is the site of a Navy refueling depot and a city trash dump. In addition, it is a rare bird habitat and a favorite place for fishermen.
``Craney Island is open to the public during our normal working house,'' Stith said. About 7,500 visitors signed in last year for fishing or bird-watching.
Craney Island has been part of local history for centuries. During the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War, it was an important point in many naval maneuvers.
The first lightship in the United States was put in service off Craney Island in 1819. In 1836, the city established a ``pest house'' for isolating persons with pestilential diseases, such as small pox, yellow fever and cholera. MEMO: [For a related story, see page 9 of the Currents for this date.] ILLUSTRATION: [Cover, Color photo]
CRANEY ISLAND
Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
Elder Lash
Craney Island has been used as a dumping ground since 1958. The new
agreement provides for construction of a fourth marine cargo
terminal by the Virginia Port Authority on the east side of the
filled area, where the Corps would continue to dump dredging spoils
from Hampton Roads. Years ago, residents were not happy with the
idea of a port terminal at the site, but there seems to be no
opposition now.
Staff photos by MARK MITCHELL
William L. Rawls, chief project officer, on Craney Island, which has
been part of local history for centuries.
Each year, an average of 5 million cubic yards of material are
dumped at Craney Island. by CNB