Areas of public access to public waterfronts in Norfolk will be restricted by activity and time frames when they are defined as public parks. Portions of Haven Creek, Knitting Mill Creek, and the Lafayette River along the bulkhead of Colonial Place in Norfolk will be impacted. The area along the bulkhead on Mayflower Road, including access to both of the steps will be closed from dawn to dusk for activities. Specific activities that could be impacted include being present (loitering) between Mayflower Road and the bulkhead, fishing, dog walking, kayak launching or landing, watching the sunset or sunrise, and walking. Signs will be posted establishing that the "park" along the bulkhead will be closed to the public from dawn to dusk. Fishing, in particular will be banned at all times along portions of Knitting Mill Creek and Lafayette River, and all of Haven Creek.
Instead of defining this public waterfront as a park with all of a park's restricted uses, this area can be defined as a public trail. Norfolk public trails (such as the Elizabeth River Trail) do not have restricted use and are not closed to the public from dawn to dusk as parks are in Norfolk.
Please sign the petition requesting the following actions by Norfolk City Council:
1) City Council should NOT define portions of Knitting Mill Creek and portions of Lafayette River in Colonial Place, and the entirety of Haven Creek as a Norfolk City Park.
2) City Council should INSTEAD define the entirety of Knitting Mill Creek, Lafayetter River in Colonial Place (bulkhead) and Haven Creek as a public trail (possibly a spur of the existing Elizabeth River Trail).
Please sign the petition requesting City Council does not proceed with its plans to define portions of the public access waterfront in Colonial Place as a park and recommending the area be defined as a trail or possible spur of the existing Elizabeth River Trail.
City Councilwoman, Andria McClellan, may be contacted directly at andria.mcclellan@Norfolk.gov in regards to this matter (which is to be addressed at the July Norfolk Council Meeting).
