Minutes 07/13/1971 - Laserfiche WebLink

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July 1S~ 1971 At a regular meeting of the City Council, hold on July 13, 1971, there wore present: Jack P. Barnes, James W. Holley, Burrell R. Johnson, Isaac W. King, R. Irvine Smith, Raymond Smith, Raymond Turner, A. P. Johnson, Jr., City Manager, and M. A. Kerb, Jr., City Attorney. The meeting was opened with prayer by Mr. King. Mayor Barnes extended a word of welcome to the visitors. Minutes of the regular meeting 6f the City Council, held on Juno 22, 1971, wore approve¢ as submitted. 71-294 The following report was ~resented by Mr. W. H. Blackwell, Jr., Chairman, Craney Island Study Commission: "As prescribed in Ordinance No. 1969-10 adopted by the City Council of Portsmouth on February 25, 1969, the Craney Island Study Commission has studied possible uses of the Crane~ Island disposal or land fill area. In this report the term "Craney Island" will be used to describe the fill area of approximately 2550 acres trapezoidal in configuration with an off shore east-west length of 1.7 miles and in shore east-west length of 2.1 miles and a north- south elngth of 2.1 miles. The Study Commission has toured the Craney Island area by both land and water as a guest of the Corps of Engineers and the Corps described to the Commissio~ on the engineering and economic studies and the design criteria when the fill area was creat- ed for deposit of spoils dredged from the Hampton Roads Harbor. We have also reviewed stud- ies and publications concerning Craney ~sland including the following: 1. The Hammer-Greene-Sile~Report on Impact of Thi Transportation S~udy Committee Hampton Roads 2. Proceedings of a Public Forum on Craney Island Virginia Planning District Commission. S. Portsmouth Problems, Prospects and Potentials Associates. 4. CManey Island Study Division of State Plannin rd Crossing to the Joint region. Fill Area Southeastern Hammer-Greene-Siler and g and Community Affairs. The Craney Island Study Commission recognizes the urgent~financial problems that face Portsmouth and the other Tidewater regional jurisdictions which will be affected by the de- velopment of Craney Island, therefore, we have adopted as a basic premise the facts that Craney Island must be completed as presently planned within the present boundaries; that development of Craney Island must result in strengthening of the economy of the Tidewater area; and that this development must result in expansion in the tax base of the City of Portsmouth in which Craney Island is located. Therefore, the following development alterna- tives weme considered for this area: Industrial Seaport Facilities Commercial Transportation Recreational Airport Facilities Housing In addition, the physical characteristics of the fill area, accessibility of the area to highways, railroads, and utilities and the impact which the various types of development might have on both areas contiguous to Craney Island and the regional surrounding areas were studied. From our consideration of the foregoing, the Craney Island Study Commission unanimously recommends to City Council of Portsmouth that industrial development of Craney Island be given the highest priority with port development next in order. We further conclude that there is adequate room for commercial and recreational development on the western side of Craney Island and that this will complement and enhance the industrial and port development of the center and eastern sections. We further recommend that a corridor for a major limited access highway, railroads and utilities will be necessary and will serve as a buffer zone be- tween the Industrial~Port and the Commercial-Recreational area. While the foregoing recommendations of the Craney Island Study Commission complete the duties of the Commission as outlined in the enabling ordinance, we feel that there are severa other major factors relating to development of Craney Island which should be of concern to the City of Portsmouth. The Craney Island area was conveyed to the Federal Government by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1948. There are some provisions in the Deed of Conveyance which could be con- strued to mean that the fill area will revert to the Commonwealth of Virginia when the pro- ject is completed. However, the Study Commission does not feel that this is sufficient to rely upon to make sure that this area with its tremendous importance to the future of Ports~ mouth and the Tidewater area indeed does become available for development as recommended by the Study Commission. We therefore recommend and urge that a concerted effort be made by the City of Portsmouth to assure the availability of Craney Island for development. Due to the economic'benefits resulting to the entire Tidewater area from such development, we further recommend that the aid of the other cities and counties in the Hampton Roads area be solicite in this effort. The River and Harbor Act of 1960 (Public Law 86-645) gives the Secretary of the Army authority to dispose of certain federal property. The following is quoted from that act: