Voices not heard at Master Plan meeting
By Trish Ferraro
Daily Press
October 20, 2005
I trust that citizens of Hampton will not lose hope in our democratic process by the display presented at the Buckroe Master Plan presentation held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center on Oct. 11.
People who attended were not allowed to speak.
Their only method of communication was to write "clarifying questions" on paper to submit to a panel to read and answer. The panel, consisting of members of the Planning Department, a member of Parks and Recreation and guest speaker, sorted and grouped the questions. General questions were surmised from groups of questions, and the answers were general and some were off the subject.
The audience had specific questions and expected specific answers.
This public display was controlled, unfair and unbalanced. It showed a manipulation that glossed over efforts to save the "Lots B," as they have become known, at the bay front from condominium and other housing development.
Surveys were passed out for folks to voice their concerns. Can we trust that they are being processed as they should?
We will be lucky if the public ever again trusts that they have a voice on anything in this city and that they can make a difference by attending public meetings. Getting close to 500 people to come out, and on a rainy night, to try to make a change is huge, and for them not to be heard was a disappointment. We are hearing this everywhere we go. This meeting is a prime example of how the planning process for the Buckroe Master Plan has been handled. We are continuing efforts to save Lots B. Information is available at www.buckroebeach.org.
Trish Ferraro
Hampton
Copyright (c) 2005, Daily Press
