Hampton Roads Regionalism

[rusthebuss]

Answer and give an explanation of your vote. Also, give your explanation of what we could do as citizens for this problem(if you see a problem). Thanks

I didn't mean to add the helps for the second question. Maybe Vdogg can change that for me.

[rusthebuss]

For all of those who voted, please explain why you voted the way you did. Thanks

[andyfried]

Our local governments need to follow the lead of a lot of its citizens,because we are already practicing regionalism in just about everything but our leadership.

[rusthebuss]

Our local governments need to follow the lead of a lot of its citizens,because we are already practicing regionalism in just about everything but our leadership.

Welcome and thanks for your input!

[Padman]

Given the wording of the questions, I have to say yes. We need more regional approaches to solving problems. I'm just not sure to what degree it hurts us relative to the whole range of impediments that prevent us from being as great as we could be. You could ask the more general question "Is inter-governmental cooperation a better way to solve problems than to go it alone?" and again the answer has to be yes for many issues. However, a quasi-democratic "something for everyone" regional approach won't always get things done. Sometimes strong, centralized leadership and action is needed. That is what turned downtown Norfolk around, for example. It depends on the issues, their costs and their beneficiaries.

[hoobo]

Is this a loaded question. If I vote no or not sure on the first question, I shouldn't vote on the second yet I have to for my initial vote to count.

Now for my explanation. What is regionalism? Is it attracting an F-500 HQ, attracting a pro team, or collectively funding a new arena? Or is it cooperating on sanitation, recycling, water, school supplies, and office supplies? For example, sewage is handled by the HRSD. Chesapeake doesn't have its own wastewater treatment plant. VB pays Norfolk to clean its water. VB and Chesapeake have an agreement on Lake Gaston water. Hampton gets its water from NN. When it comes to buying school and office furniture and supplies, cities get together to strengthen their buying power. There's cooperation on tourism and business marketing. The region has even outlined its major road construction projects. In day-to-day issues, HR cities work together. However, all we see are the high profile issues like pro sports or where 64 ends. But that doesn't affect anyone's daily life. Cheap trash collection through a regional authority does.

[rusthebuss]

Regionalism like transportation, roads and such. Coming together to help fellow cities when its needed.

[okinawatyphoon]

No offense at all Rus, but this is a somewhat redundant question that we've discussed before and all pretty much know the answer to. There is a topic just like this going on in Norfolk Sports too.

[rusthebuss]

No offense at all Rus, but this is a somewhat redundant question that we've discussed before and all pretty much know the answer to. There is a topic just like this going on in Norfolk Sports too.

I created a poll and wanted to get everyones opinions. We always get the same people bringing this up and discussing it.

[odumonarch]

Now the cities are more concerned about themselves rather than cooperate. We've seen a potential NFL team get killed in the 1970s due to bickering between Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Greenbrier Mall sits on what was once a proposed NFL stadium, with Virginia Beach and Chesapeake's backing. Norfolk wanted a stadium in downtown Norfolk.

So, lack of regionalism has killed a potential NHL team, and a potential relocated Expos franchise. It is obvious when it comes to sports. A lot of people say our area has a ton of drawbacks due to clogged tunnels, polarized cities, military stuff and all that.

[Cadeho]

Wow and I thought we had problems with reginalism... I still say mother (Henrico) and sister (Chesterfield) are plotting to kill Richmond by the way they act and compete against the city. But at least you guys get considered for pro sports. Then again, we're not a sports town, I'm not sure how you guys are.

[okinawatyphoon]

Wow and I thought we had problems with reginalism... I still say mother (Henrico) and sister (Chesterfield) are plotting to kill Richmond by the way they act and compete against the city. But at least you guys get considered for pro sports. Then again, we're not a sports town, I'm not sure how you guys are.

It's not that Richmond isn't considered a "sports town", its the fact that Hampton Roads's has the largest metro area with no major league team. Richmond metro is a quite a bit smaller than Hampton Roads.

[hoobo]

Regionalism like transportation, roads and such. Coming together to help fellow cities when its needed.

Doesn't HR have a transportation plan? I thought the planning district listed the 3rd Crossing, 2nd Midtown tube, SE Parkway, widening 64 to Richmond, and upgrading 460 as the regional road items. Even several HR politicians from across the aisle banded together to get a toll initiative only to get shut down by politicians from Bedford and Winchester. The only things that the cities really seem to be fighting over are jobs and pro sports. The latter will have to be a one city show because how do you divide tax revenue generated off-site from increased traffic? Or how do you decide who pays for road repairs from the extra cars around the arena? Would you expect Norfolk to pay for the garages at TC or for the new VB Convention Center? Should VB help pay for MacArthur Center?

So now we're left with one regional issue over which the cities fight: jobs. Does it hurt if the area fights over a company looking to move into the area? HR is in competition with over regions. Having the local cities fight for a company may only sweeten the tax incentives for that company who will eventually choose an HR town or another area. Chesapeake may lose, and Newport News may gain. But in the end, HR wins. The only thing I don't like is poaching when HR cities steal jobs form one another. That seems to have ended only with companies chosing to move themselves like Dominion Pictures moving to Suffolk and Trader.com consolidating in Norfolk instead of VB.

There will always be competition between the cities. But there is competition between cities everywhere. It's healthy, otherwise complacence will set in.

The so-called bickering between HR cities is nothing like I see out here in Orange County or even up in L.A. County. There are threats and name-calling on a dialy basis even between neighboring cities. The Santa Ana mayor called for a boycott of businesses in Costa Mesa because Costa Mesa planned to pass an illegal immigration enforcement plan. Costa Mesa has threatened to sue Newport Beach because the latter planned to annex a neighborhood within unincorporated county land whose residents voted in favor of annexation by Newport Beach. This lack of regionalism is all over the OC Register or L.A. Times local sections. Yet, no one says that L.A. is killing itself with lack of regionalism.

[Glassoul]

HR lacks a strong regionalism. Its not only the politicians, but the general populace as well shows little interest in areas outside their own neighborhoods.

When I worked at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, 90% of the people who did not live in Portsmouth or western HR (western Chesapeake/Suffolk/points further west) had no idea how to go anywhere or knew anything about that part of the area, other than how to make it back to I-64 to go home. They also showed no interest in learning about the area either, and often made deragatory remarks about Portsmouth. This was essentially the same story when I attended ODU. People from southern Chesapeake (Great Bridge/ Greenbrier/etc.), Virginia Beach, and to a lesser extent Norfolk, also had little clue about western Hampton Roads. Even people from other parts of Chesapeake knew little about Western Branch. Growing up there, I had learned to navigate most of the region (except for a for neighborhoods in VA BCH) because most of the services, shopping, and amentities were elsewhere, and because I like to go to different areas to see what was going on (probably one reason i ended up on this forum!).

One funny story was a friend of mine had met a guy at ODU during our first semester and he brought them back to our neighborhood to work on a project. The guy was talking to his mother on his cellphone during the drive over. He lived in Virginia Beach and his mother was telling him on the cellphone to, "be careful" and "be on the lookout for dangerous types", and to call her when he arrived at my friend's house. It was hilarious, when we got to the house, he was like, "Mom, his house is way nicer than ours, and his neighborhood is a lot nicer too." My friend just laughed, and said loudly enough so that the guy's mother could hear, "yeah most of Western Branch is nicer than where you live".

That said, my experience with regionalism here in Montreal is anything but positive. Based on that experience, I would urge HR to simply stick to economic cooperation and leave mergers/municiple service sharing out of it.

[skylinefan]

The problem with regions thinking regionally is not unique to Hampton Roads at all. Here in the DC reqion you not only have 10 major counties and cities but two states and one city. No one from MD knows anything about Va. and vice a versa. For years there have been talk of a regional transportation authority, but because of meddling from Annapolis and Richmond this proposal has gone nowhere. This regions transportation problems are mired in parochialism.

As for Hampton Roads, it appears to me that the region is more united than when I was growing up there in the 60's and 70's. When I was growing up the only thing I knew about Hampton and Newport News was one had a Coliseum and other a Shipyard. Now it appears that people regularly cross the HRBT to go to work. There will always be a need to improve regionalism, but I believe Hampton Roads has made tremendous strides in coming up with regional solutions to problems since the 60's, 70's and 80's. When I was growing up there we never referred to area as Hampton Roads it was Tidewater (Norfolk, Va. Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk) and the Peninsula (Hampton, Newport News). Now there is a southeastern regional jail, the Hampton Roads Partnership, Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and many more regional organizations working to make the area better. Like I said before there will always be room for improvement, but look at how far the region has come in the last 4 decades.

[Padman]

The problem with regions thinking regionally is not unique to Hampton Roads at all. Here in the DC reqion you not only have 10 major counties and cities but two states and one city. No one from MD knows anything about Va. and vice a versa. For years there have been talk of a regional transportation authority, but because of meddling from Annapolis and Richmond this proposal has gone nowhere. This regions transportation problems are mired in parochialism.

As for Hampton Roads, it appears to me that the region is more united than when I was growing up there in the 60's and 70's. When I was growing up the only thing I knew about Hampton and Newport News was one had a Coliseum and other a Shipyard. Now it appears that people regularly cross the HRBT to go to work. There will always be a need to improve regionalism, but I believe Hampton Roads has made tremendous strides in coming up with regional solutions to problems since the 60's, 70's and 80's. When I was growing up there we never referred to area as Hampton Roads it was Tidewater (Norfolk, Va. Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk) and the Peninsula (Hampton, Newport News). Now there is a southeastern regional jail, the Hampton Roads Partnership, Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and many more regional organizations working to make the area better. Like I said before there will always be room for improvement, but look at how far the region has come in the last 4 decades.

This is a very revealing post, and I agree with it wholeheartedly. We seem to have greater difficulty getting cooperation at the State and Federal levels. We've got a transportation plan, but little to no authority or means to implement it. We are a lot more regional in our actions than we were in the past, although I do question the need for two large convention facilities, although they are impressive--the one in VB might be our best example of modern architecture in the region. Then there is the X factor. You never know what works in the economic development area. Did Norfolk get so much positive attention from James Rouse because he married a Norfolk girl? You and I know the answer to that one.

[skylinefan]

This is a very revealing post, and I agree with it wholeheartedly. We seem to have greater difficulty getting cooperation at the State and Federal levels. We've got a transportation plan, but little to no authority or means to implement it. We are a lot more regional in our actions than we were in the past, although I do question the need for two large convention facilities, although they are impressive--the one in VB might be our best example of modern architecture in the region. Then there is the X factor. You never know what works in the economic development area. Did Norfolk get so much positive attention from James Rouse because he married a Norfolk girl? You and I know the answer to that one.

I believe what happened was that James Rouse just happenned to be vacationing in Va. Beach in and around 1980 and Norfolk officials found out about it possibly through his wife. They had to beg and plead for Rouse to come to Norfolk and design and develop what we now know and love as Waterside. I believe because of improved regional cooperation and marketing Rouse would come to Norfolk to get a piece of the action. Yes, like I said before there is a long way to go on regionalism but I think HR has made significant strides in this arena.

[Padman]

I believe what happened was that James Rouse just happenned to be vacationing in Va. Beach in and around 1980 and Norfolk officials found out about it possibly through his wife. They had to beg and plead for Rouse to come to Norfolk and design and develop what we now know and love as Waterside. I believe because of improved regional cooperation and marketing Rouse would come to Norfolk to get a piece of the action. Yes, like I said before there is a long way to go on regionalism but I think HR has made significant strides in this arena.

Also, in the mid 60s he tentatively proposed to develop the area that is now MacArthur Mall as a shopping mall. The project would have included two office towers. He couldn't get anchor stores to commit, so the project was dropped.

[skylinefan]

Also, in the mid 60s he tentatively proposed to develop the area that is now MacArthur Mall as a shopping mall. The project would have included two office towers. He couldn't get anchor stores to commit, so the project was dropped.

Wow I didn't know that! Maybe we can find a rendering of this project somewhere online.

[Padman]

Wow I didn't know that! Maybe we can find a rendering of this project somewhere online.

Virginia Pilot microfiche archives? I remember roughly what it looked like. The SMA building remained in place (called the Maritime Tower then). To the right, was a rectangular, sprawling structure with some skylights (I think)..not too dissimilar from the current mall in shape. But there were twin, black rectangular towers, of international style, about 15 stories or so. I can't remember whether they were oriented east-west or north-south. The rendering in the paper wasn't too sharp, and didn't make a great impression. Locals were not optimistic about prospects for the project.

[johnk812]

I'd like to see one newspaper cover the entire HR region. Southside has Virginian-Pilot. Peninsula has Daily Press. I'd like to see one step up and call itself something like, "Hampton Roads Tribune" or something and cover all of Hampton Roads. I understand there's a gentlemens agreement in place. Whatever! That's BS for the rest of us. There needs to be more to support the idea that we're all in this together. I live in Portsmouth and work in Newport News. People on both sides of the water have no clue what's going on on the other. I grew up in Portsmouth and had no idea there was such a thing as a Daily Press until I was about 31. No wonder I know nothing about the Peninsula even though I work here. When I read the paper I read V-P. When I look at the real estate section, I see only Southside properties. Am I the only one who is unhappy about this?

[erdogs]

I'd like to see one newspaper cover the entire HR region. Southside has Virginian-Pilot. Peninsula has Daily Press. I'd like to see one step up and call itself something like, "Hampton Roads Tribune" or something and cover all of Hampton Roads. I understand there's a gentlemens agreement in place. Whatever! That's BS for the rest of us. There needs to be more to support the idea that we're all in this together. I live in Portsmouth and work in Newport News. People on both sides of the water have no clue what's going on on the other. I grew up in Portsmouth and had no idea there was such a thing as a Daily Press until I was about 31. No wonder I know nothing about the Peninsula even though I work here. When I read the paper I read V-P. When I look at the real estate section, I see only Southside properties. Am I the only one who is unhappy about this?

I totally agree. Also if you notice the local tv news stations give very little coverage of the Peninsula. There are bennefits to having more than one paper. All major metro areas have more than one main paper to give different coverage and perspectives. Both papers should increase there circulation to all parts of HR. That would give them more of an incentive to cover HR as a whole. But this is all wishfull thinking