CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Residents in the Sunrise Hills neighborhood of Chesapeake are so concerned about a lack of sidewalks and other safety issues, they’re taking their message to City Hall.
They also called 10 On Your Side to get out the message out and outline their concerns.
Hundreds of people live in the Sunrise Hills neighborhood, many of whom are poor and some of whom have no car. That makes it hard for them to navigate, especially with no sidewalk on the area of Campostella Road where Tabathia Speach, one of those without a car, rides her electric wheelchair to get to places.
On one particular day, Speach can be seen making her way on Campostella Road as a truck is approaching from behind. It’s nervy to watch as the truck only moves around her at the last instant.
“There’s no sidewalk, [and] iIt is very dangerous for me to ride in this chair like this where people are not paying attention to handicapped people or kids who are walking,” Speach said. “That truck that just rolled past me was riding too close to me. This is a 35[mph] speed limit and they were doing more than that, and that is why we need a sidewalk to keep us safe.”
Speach is not alone.
Many others walk along Campostella Road in the same area — people young, old, on bikes, and children on the side of the ditch just off the road.
Residents here think safety calls for sidewalks are reasonable.
Local Pastor Jeremiah Farrow of Light of the Word Church is taking the issue to City Hall,
“People use it every day to commute, to go places,” Farrow said. “They need some help, and so we are petitioning the city. We have over 200 signatures from Sunrise that agree that they need this.”
They want a new sidewalk that will connect to other sidewalks already here.
“What are we waiting for? Are we waiting on a little child or Ms. Tabathia or somebody to have an accident before we do anything,” Farrow said.
The residents travel this road to the Family Dollar, the food mart, and children walk alongside the road to get to the local recreation center.
Farrow will take what he calls legitimate concerns to Chesapeake Mayor Rick West
The city, in response to a 10 On Your Side inquiry, was noncommittal on the idea.
“Public Works received the concern last week and spoke with the Pastor,” the city said in a statement to 10 On Your Side. “This project will be evaluated in keeping with the city’s ongoing process of determining sidewalk needs. That evaluation will then be used for the project to compete with others for available resources. As with many things, there are more project needs than dollars.”
Farrow, in response to the statement, said the need for a sidewalk is too strong.
“This is a life and death situation,” Farrow said. “I know there’s a lot of other needs, but they may not be a life-and-death situation, just desire. But this is a life-and-death situation.”
Farrow thinks it is important to spread the word about the issue.
“I believe you guys can get the message out,” Farrow said. “We need all the help that we can get, and I talked to so many people in the community that have been wanting this to happen. It is designed for this to happen. God is leading us this way and led us to you and leading us to talk this out with the city.”