dailypress080205ts

OK of Buckroe road leaves

redevelopment open-ended

HAMPTON -- In mid-December, the Hampton City Council witnessed a remarkable truce: A pair of community leaders stood together and pledged to try to meld their different visions for revitalizing Buckroe.

Amy Hobbs, former president of the Buckroe Civic Association and a development advocate, stood with Phyllis Flanders, one of the founders of the Green Space Gals, a group that's circulated a petition to keep 10 acres of grassy land in Buckroe public. The joint speech drew applause from the council and staff.

"That's wonderful," Mayor Ross A. Kearney II said at the time. "That's a great, spirited Christmas present." However, only faint signs of that armistice remained last week as the City Council voted to extend First Street through the open space near the beachfront. The project is expected to cost about $300,000.

Councilwoman Angela Leary was the only dissenting vote on the seven-member council Wednesday night.

She said she had reservations about the cost, given that a developer could pick up that bill if the city decided to move ahead with redevelopment plans.

At Wednesday's meeting, speakers returned to themes that have defined the debate since summer. Residents from the civic organization implored council members to push ahead, while the Green Space Gals urged patience.

"I'm a little anxious to see things rolling," pro-development Hobbs said. "Please don't wait too awful long because we've been staring at empty space for a long time." Trish Ferraro of the Green Space Gals appealed to the council's populist side.

"You must see the importance of keeping the space whole," Ferraro said, "as do the thousands of people who have signed the petition."

Terry O'Neill, the city's chief planner, explained that the road project had been in the city's long-range plans since 1986. "This project does not seal the fate of the property," O'Neill told the council. "If you decide to develop it, this works. If you decide to leave it as open space, this works, too."

Both sides agree that the park bordering the beach should remain untouched, but they differ on what the city should do with the three muddy open lots nearby. The civic group wants the city to turn the land into a mixture of houses and shops to help rejuvenate the area. The Green Space Gals envision a manicured park complemented by a few shops.

It's unclear when the city will decide the future of the lots, mainly because city officials are waiting for a more concrete concept for the future of Fort Monroe. It's possible that a road will link the Army post, slated to be closed, and Buckroe.

The Green Space Gals said a road would break the park up, endanger pedestrians and create a surface tailor-made for teenagers who wanted to cruise. O'Neill pointed out that many famous parks, such as the National Mall in Washington and New York's Central Park, had through streets. He stressed that crosswalks would be included and that the work should help solve one of Buckroe's longstanding problems by adding about 70 parking spots near the waterfront.

"If we're going to revitalize Buckroe," O'Neill said, "we've got to make sure that the surrounding neighborhoods ... are well connected."

Much of the debate, however, centered on what would happen on the open lots.

Joan Charles, a retired city employee who works with Councilwoman Leary, pointed out the possible political ramifications - given that the Green Space Gals had collected signatures from nearly 11,000 Hampton citizens who wanted to save the open space. "Except for you, Mayor Kearney, no member of council received as many votes as names are on that petition," Charles said. "In fact, four members sit on council with less than half that many."

Bill Ernst, another former Buckroe Civic Association president, said the names on the petition didn't represent true feelings about the area.

"If there were 9,000 people concerned with this, you would see them at City Council," Ernst said. "But you're seeing the same people with the same canned messages."

Even as she advocated moving forward, Hobbs mentioned the new effort, noting that "we were here in December talking about compromise and we all hope that still stands."

Like Hobbs, then Green Space Gals' Flanders is willing to talk compromise but not ready to give up. "We're not backing down on our stand. We're looking for a synergistic resolution," she said. "Yes, it's only 10 acres, but it's our 10 acres. The citizens paid for it."