DATE: Sunday, May 4, 1997                   TAG: 9705020196

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 09   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letters 

                                            LENGTH:   76 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - VIRGINIA BEACH

I have lived in Virginia Beach and old Princess Anne County since 1942.

Since Virginia Beach is my home and such a fine place to live, I prefer to stay here. The current lack of desirable areas for retired seniors to live locally has caused me to seriously consider other places that have communities designed specifically for seniors.

My visits to Del Webb's Sun City in Nevada have shown just how desirable a senior community would be.

Baymark Construction is proposing to build a complete self-contained retirement community, Coastal Green, for seniors in Virginia Beach. Baymark Construction has a reputation for exceeding expectations on those projects they undertake. This project is planned for an area south of the Green Line, which will require changes to the Virginia Beach Master Plan. Coastal Green would cover approximately 900 acres bounded by Indian River Road to the north and the Northwest River to the west and south. As planned, the project would preserve the existing wetlands and add virtually no pollution to the river.

Coastal Green, which will be a gated community, not only will offer single family housing, multiple family housing, an Arnold Palmer Championship Public Golf Course, a full service recreation center and a town center, but will also include assisted care as well as nursing facilities. This will allow seniors to have a place to live and enjoy an active life in their own community. Additionally, such a community would present a minimal infrastructure burden. For example, Coastal Green streets would be private and maintained by Coastal Green.

The absence of such a community, I believe, has caused many seniors to relocate out of the area to other states when they would prefer to remain in their hometown. I know that is the case with me.

James B. Loftin

March 21 Development should preserve city's beauty

Where is Virginia Beach headed in 10 years? Will we be just another big city or will we preserve our natural beauty and be unique in our growth?

Living here just six years, I have seen a tremendous disregard for our natural assets as growth continues and yet, there has been a tremendous neglect of existing structures.

Take a drive down Holland Road from Lynnhaven Parkway towards Pembroke Mall and count the empty store fronts and businesses. Then take note of the new buildings about to be built or in process both along that stretch of road and just off the stretch.

Why are we allowing the pattern that blights big cities to begin in ours? Where is the creativity in redeveloping and remodeling?

Construction is good for today's economy but what is best for the long run in our neighborhoods and for our environment?

Colleen James

April 1 It's time for the city to invest in South End

I salute the fine citizens of Virginia Beach's South End area for finally coming forward and speaking out.

They have earned the right to ask for something. They are the citizens who truly love Rudee Inlet. They are the citizens who look forward to saying hello to tourists each summer as they walk down their streets and park in front of their houses.

They are the ones who are the real ``resort'' people.

They are proud of their resort and proud to be a part of it. It does seem, however, that few people act as though they are proud of them. They deserve descent sidewalks, curbings, roads, landscaping and a restoration of Cooke School.

Cooke School is the oldest elementary school in Virginia Beach. It is a part of the resort area's history. Research will reveal that many of Virginia Beach's outstanding citizens attended this school and started out down at the South End.

The city needs to invest in this area now. It has been neglected long enough.

Shelley Fox

April 22

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