Norfolk Daily News

Thursday – February 7, 2008

Special to the Daily News

Development of the river corridor through Norfolk will never happen without the blessing of city officials.

Members of the NorthFork Development Foundation board of directors reiterated that sentiment at their meeting Tuesday — and expressed pleasure with the favorable signals coming from city officials.

The board pledged to continue efforts to win — at the very least — official municipal endorsement of the concept. Efforts will continue to secure a financial commitment from the city to pool with funds from other sources that have pledged support for a river corridor development study, board members said.

Commonly referred to as the river walk board, a group of volunteers has been meeting for several months to foster plans to develop the long-neglected river that bisects the heart of the city.

Led by former mayor Jim Miller, the board includes two current mayoral candidates, several economic development officials, natural resource specialists as well as business, community and recreation leaders. Their fund-raising efforts have generated commitments of about $40,000 to fund the corridor study.

A subcommittee has narrowed the field to four the engineering firms that are being invited to submit proposals for completing the plan. It is anticipated that more than $100,000 will ultimately be needed for the engineering and planning document.

Tom Schommer and Sue Fuchtman, both of whom are running for mayor while also serving on the NorthFork board, told fellow board members they have been pleased in recent days with discussions they have had with various city officials about river development ideas and keeping city offices in the downtown area.

Both said they have received positive comments from city officials about the concepts being supported by the NorthFork board.

Characterizing it as a new spirit of cooperation between people who have the same objectives — feasible community improvement — both Schommer and Fuchtman said they are pleased to allay concerns that the board and the city were in conflict over river and municipal office development ideas.

Meanwhile, the NorthFork board also finalized bylaws and agreed to a policy similar to that of public bodies of keeping meetings open to the press and public except when issues such as legal or personnel negotiations need to be settled.