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89 December 12~ 1967 WHEREAS, the Portsmouth City Council is believed to be honestly committed to steady progress in Human Relations and to the orderly growth of th~ City; and WHEREAS,' it has been established that citizens properly look to the Honorable City Council for leadership in civic progress; THEREFORE, be it resolved and known that the City Council of Portsmouth, Virginia, supports the concept of open occt~ancy and equal opportunity for all citizens to obtain housing according to their financial abilities; an~ THAT, the Honorable Council thus follows the example of such otker City Councils in Virginia as those of Fairfax, Vienna, Alexandria and Fredericksburg where such resolutions have been found to meet the qualifications of legality; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Portsmouth City Council make a. public request of all persons and agencies negotiating the sale and/6r rental of dwellings within the City, that they voluntarily adopt the policy of selling and renting such properties to persons who quali~without regard to Race, Creed,or National Origin, except where an unsolicited written statement from the owner of such properties forbids such sale or rental." Dr. GladstomHill spoke for the resolution. Motion of Mr. Knight to refer to a conference of the Council, in the hope that action can be taken at the December 26th, meeting was adopted, M~? Smith voting "no." 67-368 - The following letter from Robert W. Wentz, Jr., Chairman, ChnrchlJnd Area Citizens Advisory Planning Committee, was read: "With the cooperation of the City Manager and~ the Planning Director, our committee has made an extensive study of the' requirements for the replacement of the bridge over the western branch of the Elizabeth River at West Norfolk. It is our understanding that the firs% step toward nrogress in this direction is the passing, by the Portsmouth City Council, of a resolution, in th~ proper form, which is a prerequisite of the planningand engineering studies. We further understand that no action can be taken until after January 1, 1968. Our Committee, by unanimous vote, recommends that the Portsmouth City Council, at its first meeting in 1968, adopt the proper resolution, which it is hoped, will culn~nate in the eventual replacement of the present West Norfolk Bridge with a safe modern structure. Prompt action by the City Council will go far to weld the Western Branch Area to the City of Portsmouth." Motion of Mr. Barnes that proper resolution be prepared for ~resentation at the next regular meeting, on January 9th, 1968, was adopted, without dissenting vote. 67-369 - The following letter from W. T. Goode, Jr., Chairman, Planning Commission, was read: "At its regular monthly meeting on December 5, 1967, this Planning Commission publicly considered street name duplication issues which will cpnfront the City of Portsmouth on January, 1, 1968, when ten square miles of land are annexed. In performing what many consider a thankless ta~k, the Commission was motivated by thoughts of how to expedite provision of emergency public services. In this connection, the Commission and its staff exten~dappreciation to Fire Chief OdelI Benton, Police Chief Henry Crowe, Assistant Postmaster John Hall, and the Churchland Area Citizens Advisory Planning Committee who assisted so ably and unselfishly. Without their assistance, we could not approach solution of a oroblem of this magnitude.. During the evening of December 4, 1967, the Churchland Committee held an open public meeting at Centenary Methodist Church to ConScder "A STREET NA~E S~UDY" sffbmitted by its Street Name- Subcommittee. Thereafter, the Committee resolved to transmit to this Commission a proposal for street name aJjustments in the area being annexed. A document was submitted personally by Chairman Robert W. Wentz, Jr., at the outset of the Planning Commission public hearing. You will find in this report recommendations that coincide with those of the Churchland Committee excent in three instances; in each case, the Commission recognized a sensitive area. Relative to Western Branch Boulevard and High Street, this Commission reiterates its 1961 recommendation, subsequently implemented satisfactorily, that our historic main street be recognized as such and extended across the full width of the municinality. Colonel Crcw~ord, in 1752, quite logically named the major street of his new town "HSG~' because it was, and is, "the high roa~' extending fron waterfront to farmland. The Commission recommend~ a designation of "HIGH STREET, WEST" for Route 17 from the Churchland Bridge to the Chesapeake City Line. Relative to "DUKE", this Commission senses necessary action. Duke Street in Prentis Park and Fisher's Hill is separated by a permanentvv6id along Interstate 264, and this creates confusion and poses a threat to citizens. The isolated stretch terminating Pulaski Street should be renamed "PULASKI COURT". Duke Drive in the annexation area might be redesignated by some attractive name such as "DIB{BARTON DRIVE" (taken from a list of Portsmouth, England, street names obtained at the suggestion of our local D.A.R..Chapter). The Commission went further and suggests that Duke Street in Westhaven be dropped in favor of "DAR~{OUTH STREET". Moreover, the Commission respectfully suggests that at some future date, after urgent issues have been resolved, City Council consider a request for study of "permanent void" problems in connection with parallel Nelson, Brighton, Scott, Race, Griffin, Clifford, Bart, South, Columbia, County and K~ng Streets. Relative to "DOGWOOD", the Commission feels this duplication should be eliminated. To surmise that there exists and will develop no public safety problem is unrealistic. E~ergencies create confusion which may becompounded in summoning assistance i.f identification uncertainties persist. The Commission notes that this ten square mile annexation area has grown since 1950 from 2,600 ~ersons to its present ~opulation of 11,000. Complexity accompanies expansion, and the new Portsmouth ~f 150,000 persons and 29 square miles of land must be considered. Therefore, the Commission resolved to recommend that "SIESTA DRIVE" replace Dogwood Drivecwhi~h would eliminate the duplication and identify the major street serving Siesta Gardens subdivision. Once again, the Planning Commission expresses appreciation for this opportunity robe of service to our growing community."