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WHEREAS, The Board of Directors being of the opinion that a planning mhd zoning engineer
<br /> or corporation can adequately solve the question In dispute,
<br /> BE IT RESOLVED, By the Portsmouth Chamber of Oommerce th~ we petition the Honorable
<br /> 0ouucil of the Oity of Portsmouth to take under serious consideration
<br /> the advis~biiity of securing a planning and zoning engineer or corporation
<br /> to conduct m prelimins~y survey of the Scott's Creek area to determine
<br /> the advisability s~ud practicability of the development of this a~ea either
<br /> as a residentia~l or industrial section, and,
<br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Honorable 0ounoil of the City of Portsmouth after this
<br /> preliminary survey, seriously consider the advisability of a per-
<br /> manent survey for the entire City."
<br />
<br /> On motion of N~. Oast~, the privilege of the floor was granted to the Committee from the
<br />Oh~mber of Commerce and any others interested in this matter.
<br /> Whereupon, B. B; Ferg~Aso~, H. E. Dorin, and T. B. Ooker, from said body, spoke for
<br />the resolution and S. R. Brittingham spoke against.
<br /> M~. ~hite then moved that the matter be referred to .the City Man,get for investigation
<br />and report. The motion was adopted.
<br /> A report was presented from the Portsmouth ~ter Department showing cost of operation for
<br />the month of N~rch, 1923.
<br /> On motion, the :eport was ordered to be filed.
<br /> The following report, w-s read from the Rotary Club; and same was ordered to be filed:
<br /> "Portsmouth, Virginia, April 9th, 1923.
<br />To the President and Members of the
<br />Rotary Olub of Portsmouth, Virginia.
<br />
<br />Gentlemen: -
<br /> You~ Committee, appointed for the purpose of tsd~ing action in the matter of the
<br />recent removal of certain offices of the Seaboard Air Line Railway from this City, begs
<br />submit the followi~ ~epo=t.
<br />
<br /> ~. ~vestigmtion ~s convinced us ~hmt the Sembo~d Air Line Railway is merely
<br />b~d by promises made by its high officials in exo~nge for ~t~i~ concessions, to keep its
<br />general offices here mhd Poxtsmouth's claim to the Gene=~ Offices is based upom,~ct~l benefits
<br />esteemed upon ~d ~ccepted by the Road.
<br /> Not o~y~s this Oity given to the Railway the use of its st=eot
<br /> olp~ tho=~ghf~es, i~time past ~d mt present, to be used ~ switch ~,
<br /> employed and p~d-co~sel to defend the Road's position in the enjo~ent of thosep=i~leges,
<br /> ag~t the protest mhd leal ~tlon cf its citizens, the value of whose p~ope~ty was bei~
<br /> dep~eoimted thereby.
<br />
<br /> ~e town of Portsmouth gave outright ~he Port,curb ~nd Roanoke Railroad to the
<br /> B~boa=d mhd Romuoke Rmi~oad Oo~y, togethe~ with the ~tght to use High Street ms a means
<br /> of ~emchi~g the wmte~ f=on~. At the s~e time it ~o ~e m ~rge piece of wmte~fzont ~oper~
<br /> mt the foot of ~gh Street. The property, ri~ts mhd f~nchises then ~mmted'the~Oo~any were
<br /> ~lued mt $200,O00.0~.
<br /> As mn evidence of the fao~ tha~ the Sembo~d Air Line Railway recog~med the ob-
<br /> ligation to~ ~ntmin the General Offices here, we quote, - below, a letter by President R.
<br /> Hoffmmn te~ J~ L. Nmtson~ then C~i~n of the Portsmouth Business Men's Associ~tion:-
<br />
<br />:"~o~ L. W~tso~, ESQ.,
<br /> O~ir~n, Portsmouth ~si~ss Me~'s Association,
<br /> Po=t~outh, Vir ginim.
<br />
<br />Dear SLr: --
<br /> I am in receipt of you~ lotto: of Jmn~ ~ls~, in regard to the understanding
<br />between the Seabird and Roanoke Railroad s~nd the City mutho~i$ies of the City of Portsmouth
<br />ms to the Gene=mt Offices bei~ locmted mt Portsmouth, Vi=ginim. My =ecottectie~s of this
<br />m~tte~ ~re i~ ge~r~ ~ccor~ with wh~t ~eu s~y, ~nd while I do not ~ the lock,ion of the
<br />offices was ap~t of the~itten a~eement, the ~de~stan~ ~doube~y ~as, that thc.Offices
<br />of~the line were to be established in Portsmouth, Va., ~d t~t an office ouildi~ was ~0 ~e
<br />erected on the site ~ed for t~t p~pose. It is also t~ue t~t we ~d the lo~l ~o~t of
<br />the citizens amd the City muthorities i~ the ~=oubles we had with th~ few prope~y holders
<br />on Ormwford St=set, who objected to the trac~, which differences were fi~l[~ Se~tled, mhd
<br />the contract and ~derstmn~ om=tied out.
<br /> Very respectfully,
<br /> R. O. Hoff~n (Sl~ed)
<br />
<br /> Protests to the N~nagement of the Road against, violation of its obligation have been made
<br />from time to time, as offices have been removed from the Oity bmr probm~ty the most elmbo~m~e
<br />p=~sen~tio~ of f~ts ~d details- ~d the mo~t co~v~noi~ m~n~ ~s ~e~ fo~h i~ ~_~we~y~
<br />p~e t~ew~itte~ eO~u~cation p:esented in ~ov~be~, 1912, to ~es~denm ~r~n oy ~ae
<br />m~ Busi~ss Men~s Association,- ~t to no ~1.
<br />
<br /> Within t~ p~st 60 d~ys ~ oo~i~tee from the Oity Council ~tt~pted to open negoti~tio~
<br />wi~h the Na~emen~ of the Road, looking towed the e~ection of an office ~ildi~g by the Oily,
<br />~ the preposition wms ~eJected mhd the oo~ittee received no eneo~mgement, w~tsoever, to
<br />oomtin~ its efforts.
<br /> Yo~ go~ittee is of the opinion t~t m:y further effort by it, in this direction will
<br />
<br />
<br />
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