Tide LRT Vehicles Being Delivered

HRT has released their final “cost-to-completion” for the Tide light rail system currently under construction in Norfolk. The new final cost is $338,284,251. This is, of course, much higher than the $232 million that was originally promised. Despite claims that HRT’s new President and CEO Philip Shucet is responsible for the firming up of the new number, the consultant was actually hired for the job by Townes, who knew about the cost overruns but failed to live up to City Council’s standards. It actually would make sense to me that the numbers Townes was feeding council were the preliminary numbers from his consultant. The difference between Townes’s and Shucet’s communication is that Townes should have done what Shucet did: tell council to hold on for a couple weeks while the consultant finishes the estimate.

Regardless, I hope that the project can stick to these numbers until completion. Personally, if Shucet does a good job with costs, I think we should demote him to a position to simply control LRT construction. That way we can hire a President and CEO that actually knows how to operate a transit system.

The Waterside

Norfolk has finally announced that it will start a 10-month-long public input period for the future of Waterside. According to the Virginian-Pilot, Mayor Fraim wants to keep the facility open to the public. This could be a step in the right direction. First, Norfolk has finally decided to listen to its own residents instead of some consultant that lives in another state. I really think that the current structure of Waterside can be utilized with the proper renovations. Before I expand on my vision for Waterside, I want to quote the prayer that was said for Waterside’s opening. The prayer was delivered by then-Vice Mayor and Reverend for Grace Episcopal Church, Rev. Joseph N. Green Jr.

Almighty God, You have given us this good land for our heritage. Make us a people mindful of Your favor and glad to do Your will. Continue to bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Bless those whom You have given the authority of government. And bless this place, Waterside. Father, in the beginning you moved over the waters in creation to cause the whole world to come into being. You led the children of Israel out of their bondage and slavery to the land of promise through water. And just as You have created us and we went away from You, You welcomed us back, and called us whenever we went astray to come and return. We began at the water but went away from You, and You called us to return to this place, to this Waterside, to build our future. May it be a place of joy, a place where men and women, boys and girls, old and young, black and white, Jews and gentiles, will gather as one people and one city. Set it aside for our use and all our people we pray in your name. Amen.

We need to look back on this prayer as more of a prayer. This is a vision statement. Waterside was built as a place that all residents and visitors could come and have a good time, regardless of gender, age, race, religion, or economic standing. This is what we need to strive towards again. Waterside seems to have turned into a place where only young drunks can enjoy themselves. The city has shut down some of that, however, and with sporadic renovations, it has turned into a place where the homeless can enjoy a comfortable nap.

Waterside cannot and should not be turned into a shopping destination. It would only compete with (and most likely lose to) MacArthur Center. It has to become a mix of local places with the aim of having something for everybody. Small shops, a locally owned convenience store or newsstand, a locally owned seafood/fresh food restaurant, a couple of clothing stores, a bag/purse store, etc. Originally, Waterside had stores like gift shops, clothing stores, a kite store, a collectible store, an other hard-to-find places. It could be returned to that. Despite popular belief, our area is full of small entrepreneurs who would love to be in a renovated Waterside. The most important thing, in my opinion, is the view. Waterside was created to give the everyday resident access to the waterfront view that was too often too expensive to see in other cities. Waterside still has a good view… from the outside. The original Waterside had an open interior similar to MacArthur Center, allowing the second floor patrons to look down onto the floor below. The second floor, instead of being closed of and made up of one or two large businesses that are only open at night, was made up of small shops. Each of these shops had large glass windows on the inside and the outside, allowing visitors to see the river from any place inside Waterside.

View of Harbor from Waterside

Waterside can once again be a major attraction. If you add in the proper pedestrian connections between Waterside and MacArthur Center (and the LRT station), Waterside could once again spur an influx in investment. This time, however, in the street level spaces around the financial district.

The next Homerama will take place in East Ocean View for the second time. The East Beach development was designed as an urban neighborhood when it was built, rather than a suburban subdivision. If you have never been to East Beach, it is certainly worth a drive. The houses sit close together. They sit close to the curb. Parallel parking is encouraged. No garage is allowed to face the street but rather made to face the rear of the house, where access is permitted by alley. To keep the back alleys (lanes) safe, the houses have plentiful rear-facing windows and guest houses. Sidewalks and parks are plentiful. Contrary to the popular belief of Virginia Beach suburbanites, the sidewalks have not led to an increase in crime. My only hope is that they stick to the plan for the new Homerama and for future development. There is plenty of room for future development. Hopefully after all of the empty land is take up with this style of development, someone can do something about the suburb at the end of East Beach. I love driving through the area, but when I get to places like the suburb part, it really makes me cringe.

Image from PilotOnline.com

As you may already know, Downtown parking garages are getting cameras installed. I think that it is a great idea. The garages should have cameras. I do have a couple of concerns. My major concern is why they have clear domes? Everybody knows that a tinted dome on the ceiling is a camera. The clear dome simply allows would-be criminals to time their break ins to the camera. Whether you believe it or not, a car can be broken into and the criminal can escape in under 60 seconds. A few months ago, a couple of Downtown garages were hit by criminals that broke into cars and stole the GPS units out of the windshields. They would drive into the garage in a stolen car. They would drive slowly through the garage looking for GPS devices. When they found one, the passenger would exit the vehicle, smash the window, snatch the GPS, return to the car and exit the garage. Sometimes, they would hit three or four cars on the way out. They break-ins have stopped but more due to the increased diligence of patrolling police and security guards from Downtown buildings. This is not just Downtown, either. A similar thing has happened in garages in Portsmouth and at the Oceanfront. It has even happened in parking lots at malls such as Lynnhaven and Greenbrier, where you can see the flashing lights of security a mile away, making it easier to target, break-in, and get away without being caught. Crime knows no boundaries.

These cameras should have tinted or reflective domes. People would still know that they are cameras but they would not be able to see which direction they were pointed. This would deter crime. A criminal however, is just like any other businessman. A criminal will research opportunities, evaluate risk versus reward, and make his decision. The cameras and increased patrols, increase risk. In order to fight the other two factors (opportunity and reward), we have to make people realize that they cannot leave valuables in sight. A GPS is easily visible and would bring in $50 or so at a pawn shop. If people will lock their doors and hide all valuables from view, they criminal’s opportunity is greatly reduced. If you take valuables with you, you reduce the reward. Finally, keep your cars either clean or completely trashy. If you have a fairly clean car, something as simple as an empty bag on the seat or floor may look like it could contain something of value. If you have a car that is definitively trashy (like mine usually), a criminal would have to see something worth having before breaking in. Common sense and diligence is the only way to stop criminals who break into cars short of hiring your own security.

Proposed Nelson's Grant - York County

York County is in the works to get its first mixed use development. Called Nelson’s Grant, the development would include 66 town houses, 46 condos, and nearly 14,000 square feet of commercial space. The new development is designed to create a sense of place for those that will live there. It incorporates many of the concepts that real urban planners support, such as sidewalks, alleyways to support rear-entry garages, community spaces, parallel parking, and a mixed use area. If this development is successful, it should be a model for future development all around Hampton Roads. It is more efficient on city services and therefore less expensive to serve than the segregated-use, ‘traditional’ suburban sprawl.

Proposed Nelson's Grant - York County

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