Buckroe decision
By Wendi Powers
Daily Press
March 3, 2007
Yes, Virginia, we live in a watershed. A watershed being the land area that drains into a common body of water, be it lake, river or ocean. Most directly affected in our case is the Chesapeake Bay. The Hampton City Council's vote on Jan. 24 on Buckroe redevelopment was not conducive to "smart growth" in our community.
By voting for Option B it has (by selling off the rear B lot to developers and incorporating more roads into the other remaining B lots) maybe unwittingly increased the amount of impervious surfaces, meaning increased storm-water runoff into our bay. Sounds innocent enough, storm water, but what some fail to realize - or perhaps ignore - is that as rain washes over roads, parking lots and all other paved areas, it becomes contaminated with oil, grease, pesticides, litter, fecal matter and pollutants from vehicle exhaust, and it runs directly, untreated, into our bay.
Unless we acknowledge the importance of how our actions on land affect the bay, we will continue to pollute our local waterways and ocean areas. It is a sad time when our greatest natural resource and asset to our community is going to be compromised by either ignorance or greed. Do we really want to add to the problem, or do we want to become part of the solution? Our city has that option. Please ask the council to rescind its vote for Option B of the Buckroe Bayfront Initiative.
Wendi Powers
Hampton
