The Buckroe plan
By Cecile Trevathan
Daily Press
July 10, 2005
In response to the June 27 letter ("Buckroe and change") from Amy Hobbs, president of Buckroe Civic Association: I applaud Hobbs' civic mindedness, and am confident she has accomplished many positive things for her neighborhood. However, I must respectfully disagree with her support of the Bay Front Initiative of the Buckroe Master Plan.
I am not opposed to the plan; it has many fine points. The Bay Front Initiative is the portion of the Buckroe Master Plan that plans to develop the last three large green blocks at Buckroe Beach, site of the former Buckroe Beach Amusement Park. The Bay Front Initiative plan is to build 423 residential housing units, i.e., condos, duplexes and homes in the $135,000 to $450,000 price range. No, the plan does not include developing the area which is now home to the pavilion and playground. However, that acreage will be diminished by added parking needed to replace the parking area lost to development.
I live within walking distance of Buckroe Beach, but I enjoyed the beach long before I became a resident of Buckroe. The plan to build residential housing on these blocks will make it more difficult for the average non-Buckroe Hampton citizen to enjoy the beach. Consider Salt Ponds, Bay Shores and Grandview beaches. How accessible are those beaches to Hampton citizens?
There is plenty of private property in Buckroe that can be sold by its owners to developers who are itching to get into Buckroe. These green spaces that the city wants to sell to developers for condos and other housing were paid for by Hampton taxpayers. This land should be developed in a fashion that benefits all citizens of Hampton.
Hobbs says, "Be the change you want to see." By supporting keeping the green space at Buckroe Beach I am doing exactly that.
Cecile Trevathan
Hampton
Buckroe and change
By Amy Hobbs
Daily Press
June 27, 2005
I have always been a firm believer in "be the change you want to see." So I became involved in Buckroe after a summer of knife fights, gunshots and prostitutes outside my door. I don't have horns, I don't believe that the citizens of Buckroe are bad, and I don't fly a broom. I'm a stay-at-home mom with a high school education trying to make a difference where I live. I know how much the people of Buckroe love where we live and what we have here; I have only to look at the number of people at the public meetings.
Condos are not being built on the 10 open acres from First Street to the beach. The homes being built will have a starting price of around $135,000. Numerous community park areas are being added throughout Buckroe. The master plan for Buckroe will improve our area and bring people to our neighborhood who will also love to live here and who will help in our efforts to control blight, crime and slumlords. I urge anyone who doubts that to do what I have done: research, talk to the police, look at other communities such as Oceanview to see the facts.
Personal attacks, misinformation and the extreme negativity coming from a few individuals is not creating change or discussion, just divisiveness within the area. Be the change you want to see. If people don't like what they hear about a civic organization, join it, join its committees, help steer them.
Amy Hobbs
President, Buckroe Civic Association,
Hampton
