The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Outside Norfolk State University's Board of Visitors conference room are cranes and other heavy equipment busy building a section of the city's starter light rail project.
Inside the conference room, the board on Friday came short of fully supporting the $232.1 million rail line that will run past the campus.
City and Hampton Roads Transit officials had hoped to get authorization for easements and land transfers needed for construction of the 7.4-mile line to proceed on schedule. The line is scheduled to begin operating in 2010.
The board instead voted to authorize its executive committee and NSU president Carolyn Meyers to work with Norfolk and HRT to find a way to accommodate the rail while maintaining the safety of students as well as the college's "living and learning environment."
The decision was made after nearly five hours in closed session.
NSU officials are concerned about campus security with two nearby light rail stations as well as sharing parking at one of the stations.
They also are not happy that the maintenance yard would be within sight of the president's campus home.
Meyers wrote in a letter to city leaders this week that "many on this campus question its benefits to NSU" and stated that it would have been "neighborly if NSU had been given notice of the start of construction."
Meyers declined to comment, referring questions to Rector Bobby Norris Vassar.
Vassar said it was the board's first opportunity to discuss light rail and that he was not aware until recently that the city expected action soon.
"I'm encouraged that we will be able to work out the details," he said, adding that there have been some misunderstandings.
Meyers stated in her letter that university officials had assumed that land transactions for the project had already been executed.
City manager Regina V.K. Williams told the board, "I
regret the fact, as time goes on, that perhaps we have not been communicating with all the stakeholders in a way which we should have."
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
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NSU Notified
NSU was notified AGES ago. In fact, they even signed a Memorandum of Understanding a long time ago. They knew it was coming and even agreed to it a long time ago. The Tide is NOT news to NSU.
Reply to Charity
Your rationale for NSU's "concerns" only makes sense if you believe a gunman would take light rail in to shoot up the campus.
For all the shootings we've had in the country, when did anyone take mass transit to get there? :)
NSU Concerns are Valid
In the last twelve months there have been several university campus shootings across the state of Virginia and this country and you don't think NSU should be concerned. They should have been notified about the construction long time ago. For those of you who keep saying NSU is an open campus its not, they have security on the gates and asked to see identification when on or inside campus buildings. I do believe that NSU should hae a say so in the matter.
Amazing
I find it unusual that if this property was owned by citizen of Norfolk, they would be in there setting easements, and demanding access to the property rather than asking or haggling. If I, as the property owner in this were to complain about the view of something visible from my house, the city would tell me to get stuffed and deal with it. The same would be said of security concerns as well.
This is a shakedown, pure and simple.
Anyone can see that. NSU is trying to shake down the system to get whatever it can from this project even though the project itself benefits them immensely.
Well this didn't take long....
already behind plus the city foot the cost of the redesign....I can't believe that they started construction and didn't have buy-in from effected land owners....this is a lose-lose proposition....should be abandoned
They're worried about security concerns now?
NSU has long had holes in security, way before there was any talk of light rail. That's why I find this so laughable. Were there not tow or more violent incidents on campus in the last 10 to 15 years. They seem to forget. When I was attending, people from God-knows-where would walk through the campus unchecked, on many occassions; and they were definitely not students or faculty. I've been things stolen while I was a student there. I find it odd that the Board of Visitors is all of a sudden crying about security concerns as if it's a new thing. This sounds like Monday morning quarterbacking. That campus is always open to the public! Are they joking? This sounds very suspicious to me.
WHAT????
How is NSU an open campus? Entry to the campus is controlled through gates that I normally see either gated or guarded. As for the location of the maintenance yard, move it down so it's in the Harbor Park area. Sounds like a much better option to me with all the rail tracks there.
Sounds like Norfolk is trying to tweak the plans and force the changes on NSU.
Whats in it for me
Whats in it for me seems to be the attitude at NSU. The benefit to the school by light rails proximity to campus should by obvious to well paid college administrators. I hope the city leadership that negotiates this deal doesnt offer any additional incentives for the project.
Paranoid for what?
Why is the NSU staff so against access to the Tide? Their campus is an open campus, where anyone can visit by any means at any time. It makes perfect sense that the school should have access to allow non-campus based students and faculty to commute via the Tide, and it would give those located on campus easy access to downtown (and Town Center and the Oceanfront, if the VB council ever pulls their collective heads out of the sand). After all, the train is really just a bus on rails, and buses already stop at the school, allowing anyone access by that means. Anyone can get on campus by walking, driving, or riding a bike, so why not the Tide? Seriously, the paranoia of some people truly amazes me.