Minutes 02/09/1954 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mrs. Cooper presented the following petition: "We, the undersigned residents of Roanoke Avemue, Harrison Ward, Portsmouth, Virginia, do hereby respectfully petition the City Council of Portsmouth, Virginia, to correct the dan- gerous and unsightly condition oS the two (2) blocks of Roanoke Avenue, which lie between Jef£erson Street and Gosport Road. This street has been in bad condition for many mouths past, although a number of the un- dersigned persons b~ve called this to the attention of the Councilman from this Ward,the City Manager and the City Engineer at different times. The street is filled with holes, the largest o5 which'have a depth of from between 2 and 4 1/2 inches as shown on a sketch attached to this petition. In addition to the number of holes, the surface of the street is covered with large, loose rocks, which, in the absence of a sidewalk, make walking very di£ficult. In addition, these loose rocks are being constantly thrown by PaSSingantomobiles upon the property of the residents o5 the street. These flying rocks are likely to cause both personal in0uryand property damage unless attended to. The holes in these streets have caused and are likely to cause dam- age to automobiles passing over the street. In rainy weather, it is almost impossible To walk on this street because of water. We are attaching a photograph showing the condi- tion of this street as of January 2S, 1954. We feel that the condition of this street is not only a source of danger and inconvenience to the property owners, but that the failure of the City to correct these conditions may bring about ~amage suitsagainst the City which might require the City to pay damages out of our tax funds. ~ We therefore, respectfully request the Council to order an investigation of this matter, and correct the conditio~s which exist and have existed for too long a time. until such time as it (Signed) Floyd L. Cooper and numerous others." Motion of Mr. Howard To refer to the C&ty Manager to have.this street repaired.temporarily can be permanently surfaced. 54~43. Motion of Mr. Howar~ td suspend 'the lulls ~o h~ar fMom Horace Wise was adopted. Mr. Wfs~, r~prese~ting res£de~ts of TaylorsPille, presented the following petition: '~e! the ~ndersigned residents and hdme owners in that section of the Cit~ of Portsmc~h known as Taylorsville, do hereby subsc~ib~ ~ur name~,as opposing the expansion of the Portsmouth S~lvage Company or affy other ~jum~ yard 0} the erection and operation of any ~lvage company br junk yard whatsoever in our vicinity which is that of Taylorsville . We respectfully and specifically oppose the expansion of the Portsmouth Salvage Company said expansion to be placed in that part of Taylorsville bordering Leheight, Oust, Gibney and Columbia Streets, which we undeMstand is now being cleared preparatory to erecting thereon an expansion or branch of the ?said Portsmouth Salvage Company. (Signed) Willis Southall, and numerous others." Motion of Mr. HOward to refer to ~he City Manager for a repor~ at the next meeting of the Council on the legality o5 this junk yard being operated at this location, was adopted. 54-44 Motion of Mr. Grimes to suspend the rules to hear from Luther Johnson was adopted. The following petition was read: "We, the members of the respective Civic Leagues of Wilson and Harrison Wards, in the City of Portsmouth, do hereby petition the City Kanager, the Mayor and members of the City Council to take immediate action on the following conditions as set forth in the resolutions herein attached. Said resolutions having been authorized by said Civic Leagues in theabove named wards~ WHEREAS, by reason of the Widening of Gosport. Road thoroughTare, running through the residential sections of Wilson and Harrison Wards, embracing the communities of Glendale, ~ pie wood Park, Douglas Park, Fairsville, Arcadia Heights, Truxton, Piedmont Heights and Brighton; and .~REREAS, ~lso along said highway there are four elementary schools --Douglas Park Gosport Road, Truxton and Brighton; and ' WHEREAS, there are no adequate signs indicating School Zones, and the accompanying ~speed limit (15 M.P.H.); and WHEREAS, students of prmmary and elementary~ age are attending these schools, we deem it necessary thatmppropriate ~chool ma~kingm and signalsbe ptacedat strategic points for the protection of our youngsters, and that proper speed limits be posted, and law enforcement officers Continue their patrol to enforce said speed limits; and WHEREAS, the "Wklk" lfnes fdr theschddl Childre~ attending T~uxtnn School at the intersection ~f Deep Creek~Boulevard 7amd Gosport Road, mn our opinion, are improperly drawn, causing children ~o walk from a grass plot, along a line within a few feet of the~ center of the intersection, (see diagram at~ached~',we propose the "Walk" line robe changed according to the diagram attached; and WBEREAS, there, have been placed in the afore-mentioned residential seDtions along said' highway "No Parking at ~ny Time" signs on both sides of the highway; and ~WIIEREAS, the homes in the Truxton area are closely built, most of them without driveway accommodations, thereby leaving the residents without theconvenience of garage to park their automobiles; and WHEREAS, the emforbement of "No P~rking a~ Any Time" would deny the residents bf th~ s~id~ commUn~i$ies of ~he'norm~l services f rom delivery men, doctors, journey- meh,' as ~ell~ as the~r social activities;~and WHEREAS, the a~oresa~d parking regulations place a greater restraint ~nd mncon - venience upon the residents, along Gosport Road than upon the residents on any other thoroughfare or street in the City;