Currently, in the community of Cavalier Manor resides Mayor Dr. James W. Holley III, Vice-Mayor Marlene W. Randall and Councilman Ray A. Smith Sr.. In the upscale community of Crystal Lake Estates, immediately adjacent to Cavalier Manor, resides State Senator L. Louise Lucas and State Delegate Kenneth R. Melvin. In addition, within the generally accepted physical boundaries that identifies Cavalier Manor as a residential community, there are at least seven churches led by various ministries. In spite of this presence of leadership within the community of Cavalier Manor, the environmental integrity of the community continues to take a back seat to the economic interests of the City of Chesapeake without a sustained bona fide challenge from the leadership noted above. This environmentally degrading situation we find ourselves in as a community is as much about our collective sense of self-worth as it is about shortcomings in leadership, for we enable our elected and spiritual leaders to serve by means of our vote and support, respectively. More thoughts in an upcoming topic. My family has resided in the southwestern quadrant of Cavalier Manor for better than 40 years. For many retired homeowners in Cavalier Manor, who are survivors of the Jim Crow era, this unchallenged encroachment and trampling upon our environment serves as a reminder of that recent dark era in American history. Except, this time, the only race the perpetrators and enablers on both sides of the city line have in common is the human race.

CAVALIER INDUSTRIAL PARK

In 1971, as part its comprehensive zoning plan, the City of Chesapeake designated approximately 600 acres of land south of and immediately adjacent to the long standing residential community of Cavalier Manor in Portsmouth for industrial development. In support of this industrial park, the City of Portsmouth then turned the southern cul de sac area of Cavalier Boulevard in Cavalier Manor into a thoroughfare for that city’s industrial park. The 18-wheelers started rolling through more than 30-years ago and continue to roll through to this day in spite of signs prohibiting overweight trucks and Portsmouth PD law enforcement efforts. In addition, we can literally set our clocks by the overweight service sector trucks that use our community daily as a thoroughfare to deliver goods and services to points beyond Cavalier Manor. The weight of the overweight trucks, when driven across imperfections in the roadway, rattles foundations, frame structures and dishes beyond homes on Cavalier Boulevard. Because the overwhelming source of the unlawful truck traffic is easily identified as traveling to and from businesses in the Cavalier Industrial Park, the City of Portsmouth could therefore be more proactive in its law enforcement efforts but has failed to do so. While complaints by citizens typically yields a traffic enforcement response from Portsmouth PD, more needs to be done and can be done. Case in point; more than a year ago I contacted the City Engineer’s Office regarding the need for a sign near Exit 2A/Greenwood Drive East on I-264 warning truck drivers of the weight restrictions on Greenwood Drive in Cavalier Manor because drivers have no advance notice of the weight restrictions until after they have exited I-264. Our then Neighborhood Impact Officer (NIO), Officer R Ferrell, now Detective R Ferrell, who had issued summons to drivers of overweight trucks passing through the community responded and concurred that this is an issue. Barring no responses from the City Engineer’s Office, I contacted the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). The reported collaboration between VDOT and the City of Portsmouth that ensued has not resulted in the placement of warning signs on I-264 as of this publishing. Similarly, the City of Chesapeake was asked to attach solar-powered or commercial-powered flashing lights to its, routinely ignored, sign warning truck drivers traveling northbound of the restrictions in Cavalier Manor. Again, as of this publishing, there has been no effort made to facilitate the placement of such lighting to help heighten awareness as to the truck traffic restrictions in Cavalier Manor. Furthermore, it is both abundantly and appallingly clear in looking at the daily traffic patterns and at the access infrastructure the City of Chesapeake has provided for its industrial park, that the community of Cavalier Manor in Portsmouth is a major part of that city’s plan for vehicular access to its 600-acre Cavalier Industrial Park. There are only two ways to access the industrial park; through Cavalier Boulevard at Military Highway and through Cavalier Boulevard in Cavalier Manor. As a result, residents living on Cavalier Boulevard find it difficult to exit their own driveways during rush hour. During morning rush hour the traffic is often backed up into the 55 mph eastbound/northbound travel lane on Military Highway as traffic is waiting in the entire left-turn lane to get into the industrial park.This Cul de sac area, turned thoroughfare, by the City of Portsmouth also created a train crossing on Cavalier Boulevard that placed train warning whistles within approximately 70 feet of homes in Cavalier Manor, thus permanently lowering the environmental quality for many residents and full appreciation potential for their property. The recent Ethanol Plant proposed by the City of Chesapeake, strongly and successfully opposed by the Cradock Civic League and neighboring communities, would have been served by that same rail line. The resulting increase in rail traffic through that crossing would have had a devastating impact on the environment of Cavalier Manor. This rail line continues to serve as an environmental and property value disaster waiting to happen for the residents of Cavalier Manor. Yet it appears to be of no particular concern to the City of Portsmouth. I have been told that Mayor Holley, a resident of Cavalier Manor, favored construction of the ethanol plant in spite of the vastly negative impact it would have on many homeowners and residents in Cavalier Manor. For sake of the taxpaying homeowners and voters in Cavalier Manor, let’s hope that I was misinformed. Even though the Cavalier Industrial Park consists of some 600+ acres of land, the first businesses were built within a few hundred feet of the homes in Cavalier Manor. These businesses are warehouse-based businesses with the loading docks facing the homes in Cavalier Manor that are less than 200 feet away.

Railroad Crossing into Industrial Park on Cavalier Boulevard (previous Cul de sac)

QUIKRETE OUTDOOR MANUFACTURING PLANT

Around 1996, the Quikrete Company purchased a concrete mix manufacturing business in the Cavalier Industrial Park. The manufacturing plant was located within 1000 feet of the homes in Cavalier Manor. As i understand it, shortly thereafter the City of Chesapeake granted a zoning variance to Quikrete to expand the facility. This outdoor manufacturing plant now stands several stories high and as a result a considerable amount of noise travels unfettered into Cavalier Manor. The plant often operates 24 hours a day. Several attempts were made, unsuccessfully, through the City of Chesapeake, Chesapeake PD and the City of Portsmouth to address the unabated noise. Special appreciation goes to Lt. E. McIntyre of Chesapeake PD who made several attempts to address the concerns to management at Quikrete. In January 2008, I, along with Pastor Bruce E. Childs, D.Min. who also lives in the southwest corner of Cavalier Manor, met with Wayne Thompson, plant manager and Russ Smiley, Quikrete regional vice-president (Atlanta) to discuss our concerns. As a result, we have observed a noticeable reduction in noise levels, especially during the night time hours. However, consistency in abatement measures remains an issue as of this publishing. Hearing this outdoor manufacturing plant running at 3 AM in the morning serves as a constant reminder that our pre-existing residential community is not to be provided the proper due respect when it comes to the economic interests of the City of Chesapeake.

Quikrete Plant

MEEKS DISPOSAL - YES, IT CAN GET WORSE

Just when we think we’ve seen the City of Chesapeake demonstrate such institutionalized disregard for our community, along comes Meeks Disposal in 2007 with an outdoor rock crushing business that is located even closer to Cavalier Manor than the outdoor Quikrete plant. Noise measurements reportedly taken show intermittent noise levels that greatly exceed that of the Quikrete plant. With the constant hauling of dump trucks to/from the outdoor rock crushing business, it is like living next to a highway construction project that never ends.

Meeks Disposal

WASTE MANAGEMENT AND WASTE INDUSTRIES

While performing weekly volunteer work for the Cavalier Manor Motor Patrol, I noticed trucks from Waste Industries in the Industrial Park emptying large metal trash dumpsters around midnight for businesses located in Cavalier Manor. These business are located as close as 50 feet to homes. Similarly, Waste Management was emptying large metal trash dumpsters in the Industrial Park within approximately 100 feet of homes in Cavalier Manor around 3 AM in the morning. Special thanks to then Officer R. Ferrell, now Detective R. Ferrell of Portsmouth PD, then Lt. S. Dunn, now Captain S. Dunn of Portsmouth PD, Lt. E. McIntyre of Chesapeake PD and another Chesapeake PD officer, whose name I unfortunately can’t recall, for their efforts in addressing these issues. The pickup schedules were changed to more suitable hours. These waste collection trucks routinely using Cavalier Manor as a thoroughfare in the middle of the night remains an issue as of this publishing.

LAKE FOREST SUB-DIVISION

When the current Mayor of Portsmouth, Dr. James W. Holley III, served as mayor during the 1980’s, the Lake Forest residential sub-division for the City of Chesapeake was developed in the southwestern corner of Cavalier Manor. As of this publishing, more than 20 years later, there are still no roads connecting this sub-division with the City of Chesapeake. The only access to this sub-division by road is through the streets of Cavalier Manor in the City of Portsmouth. For some residents of Cavalier Manor this has meant seeing duplicate sets of public service vehicles rolling down their street every week. Warfield Drive, for example, is not designed to function as a thoroughfare.

Lake Forest Sub-division

This also means that Chesapeake Police Department vehicles, responding to the Lake Forest sub-division, must similarly travel through the streets of Cavalier Manor. A few years ago, a neighbor with school age children indicated that she had safety concerns when Chesapeake PD was responding to the Lake Forest sub-division. Later, while out walking my dog and performing weekly volunteer work for the Cavalier Manor Motor Patrol, I observed similar safety concerns while observing Chesapeake PD responding. Multiple emails sent in early 2007 to then Police Chief Richard A. Justice and then acting City Manager Anne F. Odell regarding these concerns were never replied to. Further, it seems to me that if proper inter-jurisdictional notification is not being given to Portsmouth PD, the safety of our own officers is being put at risk. Notwithstanding the need for inter-jurisdictional communications, however, the very same safety concerns observed by citizens in Cavalier Manor do not appear to be present when Chesapeake PD runs radar near the Chesapeake/Portsmouth border and speeding motorists headed for Cavalier Manor and points beyond are stopped by Chesapeake PD in Portsmouth. While the system may not always be perfect, Cavalier Manor almost always seems to be the exception in any situation involving the interests of the City of Chesapeake.

Chesapeake PD traffic stop, 1100 block of Warfield Drive, Portsmouth

RESPONSES AND THE LACK THEREOF

At the Green Lakes Civic League web site states “Our League was formed partly in response to concerns over a desire to rezone a parcel of property on Airline Blvd. from residential to commercial. This occurrence would have negatively impacted the quality of life of the Green Lakes subdivision since any additional commercial activity within or adjacent to the boundaries of the neighborhood would create a disturbance, which could not be tolerated…”. The Cradock Civic League responded similarly to the Ethanol Plant proposal by the City of Chesapeake, ” We have found there WILL be increased traffic at least 100 truck trips a day on Victory Blvd (possibly many more) not including the employee traffic, increased train traffic on GWHY (at least 3 to 6 a week), constant noise (24/7 350 days a year) from the plant with the Hammer mills, dryers and cooling fans…”. Both civic leagues were successful in their efforts to deny these environmental intrusions into their respective communities. Then Councilwoman Marlene W. Randall, now Vice-Mayor Marlene W. Randall, was advised during her re-election bid at a civic league meeting in 2002 of the concerns facing the citizens of Cavalier Manor as it pertained to the interests of the City of Chesapeake. During the town hall meeting held on September 20, 2004 at Wilson High School, Cavalier Manor residents from Carrington Crescent South, Cavalier Boulevard and Warfield Drive again expressed concerns about noise and traffic in the community generated by the businesses in the Cavalier Industrial Park in Chesapeake. Below, are email responses I received from Portsmouth City Councilman Ray A. Smith, Sr. on May 4, 2005 and Chesapeake PD Third Precinct Commanding Officer Captain D N. Draper on December 19, 2007 respectively,

Robert, I am very much concerned by the points you raise. We told you in the community meeting that we would look into this at a later date. I will be very honest, our main goal for our neighbor is to get those ditches closed. With so many things on our plates across the city, this one is just not high on our agenda. At this period you are the only one (to my knowledge) complainting about this issue. The civic league certainly isn’t. I am very interested in knowing exactly how many residents are concerned as you are. I have lived along and even nearer to the tracks over the past 15 plus years before I recently moved. I personally think you are blowing this way out of the realm of possibility. I mean simply that it is no way we could have dictated then or now to another city. There are hundreds, even thousands of residential homes/developments next to commercial and/or industrial parks.

It is my belief that we are not in a position to force anything at this point nor could we afford some mega expense to remedy the situation. I believe there is no way to stop the sounds from traveling. The business could be asked to limted the noise to certain times of the day, possibly. I have heard some of that noise, and really didn’t find it to be that annoying. I personally know many persons who live along that boundary or near it. They have never complainted to my knowledge. There is simply not an outcry of residents complainting. Your accusations are just extremely off base and unfounded. We need to talk and I will come to see you.

Ray Smith

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Lt. McIntyre has been working on this for over a year. The City Attorney has given guidance on this issue. The bottom line is the noise is coming from our city but the victim lives in Portsmouth. No noise ordinance has been violated. McIntyre has worked with Waste Management & Quickrete to try to have a volunteer resolution. However, if a truck does make noise this complainant calls again.

Bottom line is there is no violation as the businesses are working in an industrial area. Only one person seems to have a problem with the noise and calls each time he hears something.

DD

Captain D Draper

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These rather glib responses from public servants to a citizen of Cavalier Manor typifies and goes directly to the very point of the matter.

Robert Harris Jr