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!32
<br />
<br />October 8, 1973
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Early
<br />the Planning Commission,
<br />the following vote:
<br />
<br />and seconded by Mr. Wentz, to concur in the recommendation of
<br />the following ordinance was approved on first reading, and by
<br />
<br />"ZONING AMENDMENT ORDINANCE Z 73-22"
<br />
<br />Ayes: Early, Johnson, King, Smith, Wentz, Barnes
<br />Nays: Holley
<br />
<br />Zoning Petition Z 73-23 Petition of Willis D. Jenkins
<br />
<br />Mr. Alex T. Mayo, Jr., Attorney, spoke for the petitioner.
<br />
<br /> Mr. Joseph Preziotti, Jr., spoke on behalf of Mr. Joseph Preziotti, Sr., 425 Edwards
<br />Street, in favor or petition.
<br />
<br />Mr. Dave Williams, representing Southside Workshop, sp~e against.
<br />
<br /> The following letter received from Mrs. Anne H. Long, President, Wesley Boardg$f Di~
<br />recmors, was presented:
<br />
<br /> "On March 12, 1973, at the public hearing on the Effingham Project, a letter from the
<br />City Planning Commission to members of City Council was read. The letter~ stated that the
<br />Planning Commission had resclved to accept as part of its work program the tagk of prepar-
<br />ing an updated neighborhood plan for all of Southside. Also, the Planning Commission
<br />pledged itself to "work very closely with the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authori'
<br />staff, local groups in the neighborhood such as the Southside Assembly, officials of the
<br />U. S. Naval Shipyard, municipal agencies such as the Portsmouth School Board and economic
<br />development groups such as the Portsmouth Industrial Foundation".
<br />
<br /> To date, no member of the Planning Department or the Planning Commission has approachc
<br />the Southside N&~ghborhood Assembly, the Wesley Board, or the Southside Workshop, to dis-
<br />cuss or plan an updated General Neighborhood RenewaI Plan for Southside. Therefore, this
<br />Board stands opposed to the rezoning of the area of Southside bounded on the north by
<br />Edwards Street, on the east by Third Street, on the ~outh by Portsmouth Boulevard and on
<br />the west by Fourth Street.
<br />
<br /> Furthermore, we believe that the rezoning of this area of Southside from C-2 to M-2
<br />conflicts with the official GNRP for Southside in several ways: (1) Rezoning would cause
<br />the connecting link between Portsmouth Boulevard and Third Street to be shifted to Fourth
<br />Street, placing the major traffic artery adjacent to the green core area, and would elimi-
<br />nate any buffer sone between the heavy vehicular traffic and pedestrian~rights of way.
<br />(2) The fourth Street thoroughfare would effectively split the community residential areas
<br />(land west of Third Street has been zoned residential R-60). (3) Access to the areas east
<br />of Fourth Street thoroughfare would require an additional service read along the existing
<br />shipyard wall, causing additional cost to the City. (4) The proposed Third Street thorougt
<br />fare along with the existing shipyard wall provided an excellent buffer between residential
<br />areas and industrially zoned areas.
<br />
<br /> These changes are also in direct opposition to the "input" for the Workable Program
<br />which we sent to you, with a letter, on January 30, 1973. We are appalled that the City
<br />of Portsmouth can legally ignore the citizen participation required by th~'~O.epartment of
<br />Ho~sing and Urban Development.
<br />
<br /> It is our understanding that there are no funds in the budget of the Planning Depart-
<br />ment for updating the GNRP, but that there are funds available in the Portsmouth Redevelop~
<br />ment and Housing Authority. We request, therefore, that you call together as soon as
<br />possible the Director of City Planning~ the Executive Director of the Portsmouth Redevelop-
<br />ment and Housing Authority, the Chairman of the City Planning Commission an~ the Chairman
<br />of the Board of Commissioners of the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Homsing Authority and ast
<br />them to begin a cooperative effort which would result in an updated plan for Southside
<br />before any further changes are made in the official GNRP. Further, we certainly expect th(
<br />Pl~ng Commission to honor its pledge to work closely with the people of the Southside
<br />community."
<br />
<br />The following letter from Mr. Richard J. Davis, Community Action, Inc., was presented:
<br />
<br /> "In a letter to you dated October 2, 1973, Mrs. Anne Long, President of the Wesley
<br />Community and Child Service Center, Inc., requested that you convene a cooperative effort
<br />between the Commissioners and Directors of the City Planning Commission and Portsmouth
<br />Redevelopment and Housing Authority. This effort would be directed at updating the Gene~a]
<br />Neighborhood Renewal Plan (GNRP).
<br />
<br /> The Directors of Community Action,
<br />urge that you initiate such activities.
<br />always, available to assist you."
<br />
<br />Inc. concur with the need for such cooperation and
<br />The offices of Community Action, Inc. are, as
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Johnson and seconded by Mr. Smith, the following ordinance was approved
<br />on first reading, and by the following vote:
<br />
<br />"ZONING AMENDMENT ORDINANCE Z 73-23"
<br />
<br />Ayes: Early, Johnson, King, Smith, Wentz, Barnes
<br />Nays: Holley
<br />
<br />
<br />
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