THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 12, 1996 TAG: 9607120460
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SCOTT MCCASKEY, STAFF WRiTER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 52 lines
More than 120 residents from Deep Creek, Great Bridge, Camelot and Southern Chesapeake packed a citizens workshop Thursday night to help planning officials map the city's future.
The meeting was one of a series to get citizens' input on an update of Chesapeake's 20-year Comprehensive Plan.
``This isn't our plan,'' Chesapeake's planning director, Brent Neilson, told the crowd at the Deep Creek Community Center.``It's your plan.''
The group was quickly divided into separate workshops for each community. So many people came from Deep Creek that three of the four groups dealt with problems in different areas of that community.
Planning officials wrote complaints on sheets of paper tacked to the walls. There were plenty of concerns.
``Chesapeake is growing so fast, and without any plans for traffic congestion and overcrowding in the schools,'' said Deep Creek resident Cathy Hogan. ``You're not taking steps to see that all this building will benefit the city because you can't provide the support services.''
Doris Taylor, also of Deep Creek said: ``There's been such rapid change, we hardly recognize the area since we came here six years ago.''
Traffic congestion, uncontrolled residential growth, poor drainage and loss of historic sites were among long lists of concerns. Planning officials had to tack extra sheets to the walls to get everything down.
At the end of the meeting, the planners gave a report on the top three concerns expressed in each group.
``Number one was growth management,'' reported Rhonda Smith, a city long-term planner. ``Number two was growth management, and number three was growth management.''
Smith had helped gather concerns and solutions from residents of the northern, more urban section of Deep Creek. After listing the specifics - roads, schools, transportation - she stopped to praise those who had come out.
``They showed some real serious concerns and a love for their community,'' she said. ``It can only get better with this kind of interest.''
Pett told the group that the staff would use their input to develop a draft comprehensive plan for Deep Creek and the other areas in southern and western Chesapeake.
That plan, she said, should be ready for review by the Planning Commission by the end of the year. The commission will then hold public hearings to get feedback and to modify the plan. Once the commission approves the plan, it will go to the City Council, which will also hold public hearings before ratification.
The planners urged anyone who felt that they were unable to give input because of the crowd to call with suggestions or concerns. The number is 382-6176. by CNB