Minutes 01/26/1971 - Laserfiche WebLink

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January 26. 1971 At a regular meeting of the City Council, held on January 26, 1971, there were present: Jac~ P. Barnes, James W. Holley, Burrell R. Johnson, Isaac W. King, R. Irvine Smith, Paymond B. Smith, Ray~ond Turner, A. P. Johnson, Jr., City Manager, and M. A. Kerb, Jr., City Attorney. .The meeting was opened with prayer by Mr. King. Minutes of the meeting held on January '12, 1971, were read and approved. 71-25 -zMsss Sharon Craig, the winner ~n the "Voice of Democracy'"contest was presented by Ur. Prank Cadleon. Miss Craig read the follow, lng: - "Freedom, that's really everything, isn't it? We have so much freedom here in the United States, yet we take ft for granted until it is threatened. ~ere did this freedo~ begin? Come back, come back with me to the year 1776. As we go back,,we pass many people and events. We pass the Korean War, World War II, World I, the Civil War and many other events such as these and all through them, we see men fighting and dying. For what? For Freedom. Ah, we have arrived at our destination and look, there's Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. ?~y, they're all here. All. the men that cried "Freedom". /~ey're all so happy, why shouldn't they be? It is July 4th and the 13 colonies are unanimously declared free. _~h, we seem to have stopped too quickly. How did we get here? On June 7th Richard Henry Lee of Virginia moved in Continental Congress that these United Colonies are and of right Ought to be free and indenendent states. Congress named John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman and Thomas J~fferSon to form the committee that would pre- pare a draft of this declaration. Many people were strongly against this declaration but the simple beaut~ of its words stirred the hearts of men and women from-Maine to Georgia and they could not resist the smell~ the sound, and the cry of freedom. On July 2nd, Congress approved Lee's resolution and July 4th, 1776, the United States was born. Almost 200 years ago this happened and for 200 years men have fought and died to protect our freedom, It is not only the men fighting wars, it is the people left behind. People like the old man bent over the grave of his only son, his only reason for living~ people like the wife who knows here husbandlis miss- ing in action but does not know if he is alive or dead; the mother weeping over a tear stained photograph, knowing her little ~oy may never come home again~ These people are not fighting in hand to han~ combat and they are not dying of battle wounds, but all the same they are fighting and dying too. Is Freedom worth al/ this? Is going to any church you like worth some sacrifice? Is being able to watch T.V. programs knowing the government has not censored them worth a fight? Isn't the sound of children playing in a park important, run- ning like mad to get nowhere, little girls playing school or nurse and knowing they can grow up to any profes- sion, being able to eat .tutti~fru~i ice cream instead of raspberry ripple because you like tutti-frutti. Aren' all these things important? Are all these things worth ~/~eir price? Our country is like a family; you lowe your family, protect it, defend it, right or wrong, fight for it and die if you must. Our freedom is our family, our contry, our heritage." Mayor presented Miss Craig with a Merrimac Pin and congratulated her for her award. 71-26 - The following ~earing on zoning changes was held: Zoning Petition Z 71-1 - Kenneth F. Hall and George Zetts Richard Bartlett spoke, representing Mr. Hall. Mr. Bartlett requested a delay of thirty days to enable the petitioner to consider an amendment to, or withdrawal of, the petition. Mrs. Evelyn Hoffler, 414 Mt. Vernon Ave., spoke, and presented the following petition: "We, the undersigned property owners, request that the ~etition of Kenneth F. }{all and George Zetts, by Kenneth F. Hall, contract owner, to rezone property approximately 40 feet from the southeast corner of Detroit. St. and Mt. Vernon Ave,, fronting 80 feet on ~4t. Vernon Ave~, east 142 feet to an alley, along said alley tO Detroit Street and fronting 53 feet on Detroit Street;from Residential R-60 and Commercial C-1 to Industrial i{~i!BE~D~N!ED~!.~Sig~ed~Bye~ !.~Hoff!e~an~ Others" Rev. Clayton R. Pitts spoke. Motion of Mr. Johnson to grant the extension of time to Februa~z 25, 1971. Substitute motion of ~r. Smith (I) to deny the petition was adopted, and by the following vote: Ayes: Holley, King, Smith (I), Turner Nays: Johnson, Smith (R), Barnes Zonipg Petition Zl~-2 - Collinswood Freewill Baptist Church Mrs. Audrey Felton gpoke, and presented the following petition: "We, the undersigned property owners and/or Fesidents of the Park Manor area of the City of Portsmouth, at the addresses shown opposite our names, respectfully petition the Planning Coramission and' City Council of the City of ~ortsmouth, Virginia to deny the pending zoning application of Collinswood Freewill Baptist Church of property located in Park ~anor area of the City of Portsmouth near Linda Road and ~undora Road ~rom its pre- sent zoning classification of R-75-S to R-60. It is our belief that such retorting would materially affect property values in the adjoining area and would not be compatible with the uses of existing property in the area. The roads and streets servmn the su eared area o~ - ' g gg ~ rezoning are, in our opinion, inadequate to handle apartment use of the area in question and tax the existing road use to the detriment of existin~ property o~'mers[ It should be called to the m~micipal authorities' attention that t~e great majority of surrounding ~roperty is presently restricted to single family residential Use by deed restrictions and any change of this u~e classi- others."ficati°n would be inequitable to the property owners in the immediate area. Signed - Mrs. G. O. Parker and Motion of 5~r. Smith (R) to concur in the Planning Commission recommendation to deny the petition, was adopted, and by the following vote: " Ayes: Holley, Johnson, King, Smith (!), Smith (R), Turner, Barnes Nays: None