Suffolk Meadows neighborhood suffers site visitors, truck points – The Suffolk Information-Herald

Suffolk Meadows, a North Suffolk residential neighborhood with a complete of 240 houses divided by the railroad tracks, has been coping with problems with practice and site visitors build-up and warehouse vehicles driving by way of their space.

Suffolk Meadows resident Thomas Rein stated these points increase issues in regards to the security alongside the roads locally.

Rein spoke in regards to the historical past of the railroad tracks throughout his time dwelling at Suffolk Meadows and the way points have elevated over time.

“The railroad tracks have been there, they have been very seldom used,” he stated. “After which I feel it was about 14 years in the past, I’ve been dwelling right here for simply lower than 20 years. So about 14 years in the past, if my reminiscence serves me, there was a few conferences with, I feel the port, the railroads which is Norfolk Southern and CSX concerning them beginning up from VIG, which is the Virginia Port in Craney Island, that they had already achieved that…it’s not my experience.”

Whereas individuals spoke out about it, he stated he doesn’t wish to say they completely ignored what residents have been saying however their issues weren’t addressed.

“They actually didn’t do something for the neighborhood that point by way of serving to us cope with the adjustments that have been coming,” he stated. “These trains have been coming by way of and clearly since they’ve dredged them, I assume it’s the bay over there within the channel… These trains are coming by way of way more ceaselessly. The homes shake, the foundations crack, the noise, it’s just about at the least, I’d say between a dozen to twenty instances a day these trains are coming forwards and backwards there.”

Rein stated a few of the trains are greater than 3 1/2 miles lengthy, with them touring by way of the center of their neighborhood.

Together with the problems that the practice offers, the neighborhood has additionally seen site visitors points.

“Our neighborhood, Suffolk Meadows, is the one neighborhood that has a reduce by way of between Nansemond Parkway and Shoulder’s Hill,” he defined. “So, all that site visitors cuts by way of our neighborhood. There’s not one other neighborhood and there’s not one other highway. You need to go all the way in which right down to Venice Pasture Highway or all the way in which again as much as 664 to get from one facet of Suffolk to the opposite,” Rein stated.

Rein talked extra about how this impacts these dwelling within the Suffolk Meadows group.

“From only a driver’s standpoint of their automotive, they’re sitting there 5, 10, quarter-hour typically. They’re like ‘I’m not sitting right here any longer,’ they journey on the improper facet of the highway on Nansemond Park and Shoulder’s Hill Rd placing different individuals in danger, in addition to themselves, reduce into our neighborhood, they’re annoyed. They gotta get from level A to level B, wherever they’re going, I don’t know. They’re rushing by way of our neighborhood as much as 50-60 mph in a 25 mph zone,” Rein stated.

He stated indicators are posted saying “No Vans.”

However he stated he nonetheless sees vehicles, dumptrucks, tractor trailers and industrial vehicles of any type that reduce by way of the neighborhood.

“We attempt to discuss to them and inform them ‘Hey, you’re not alleged to be right here,’ and we get yelled at… however, the town up thus far, has achieved nothing,” he stated.

Points with Amazon vehicles

Rein additionally described how for the reason that Amazon warehouse opening, the neighborhood has had will increase in Amazon vehicles coming by way of the neighborhood.

“Each morning I test my Ring cameras to see if anybody’s been tampering with my car or what’s happening exterior… and hastily I see ‘Oh, right here comes one other tractor trailer,” he stated. “Right here’s a tractor trailer, tractor trailer, tractor trailer.’ It was like, all night time. I counted a minimal of 21 tractor trailers with Amazon emblem on the facet, coming by way of our neighborhood, simply in a single day from final Friday to Monday morning.”

He stated he didn’t rely the numbers throughout the day.

Likewise, Rein reaffirms that he helps Amazon and the opposite warehouse companies offering jobs to the town.

“I’m simply asking them to be good neighbors, that’s all,” he stated. “We’re not anti-Amazon, we’re not anti-trucks, anti-business. Be good neighbors, sit down with us, let’s work collectively to construct a greater mousetrap, a greater neighborhood, a greater group.”

Working with the town

Rein stated he has been discussing the issue with metropolis officers to see in the event that they will help resolve his points.

“I reached out to the town, I reached out to Amazon. Once more, I’ve been speaking to the town,” Rein stated. “Vice Mayor Bennett and in addition Robert Lewis, who’s the director of public works, have been nothing however implausible in serving to us attempting to mitigate a few of these problems with late. However they’ve all seen the problems themselves. They only don’t have the ability to do a lot with it proper now. So, the town’s been attempting to work with me. I really feel they’re honest. However nothing’s actually getting achieved.”

Rein expressed his frustration with nothing attending to be applied to assist them.

“Everyone’s received concepts, however no person appears to have the ability to implement something, and it’s very, very irritating for us,” he stated.  “We’ve labored very exhausting. Now we have our households there to guard. And it’s like, the one factor I hear is about what number of jobs Amazon brings.”

He stated no person’s speaking in regards to the detrimental affect that these warehouses have on our households which have lived there, some of all of them their lives.

“It’s not simply Amazon, it’s all of the warehouses up there,” Rein stated. “It’s the dump vehicles from building. It’s not simply Suffolk Meadows, it’s the individuals who dwell up off of Shoulder’s Hill Highway. It’s the housing developments they’re trying to put down at Kilby Shores and Cahoon – the Port 460 undertaking they’re speaking about. No person’s listening to the residents who dwell right here.”

Likewise, Rein described his understanding of endurance, however notes the excessive significance of the state of affairs.

“We have been sending emails, we have been making cellphone calls to the town, and we’re simply studying the method too,” he stated.

On Aug, 31, he stated he and his spouse met with the town supervisor, the director of public works, the vice mayor, and Chief Chandler from Suffolk Police Division. “We sat down earlier than we went there, we put down a couple of dozen issues on a bit of paper, ‘Right here’s what’s happening’ after which a dozen requests of ‘Right here’s what we’d wish to see,.’”

“Once more, everybody was very honest and responsive, however they’ve achieved a pair research up there, however nothing’s been applied,” Rein stated.

Hopes for the long run

Rein spoke about his needs for the way forward for Suffolk Meadows and the way he needs everybody to succeed.

“Once more, we’re 100% for all these companies to achieve success. Completely,” he stated. “We simply wish to dwell safely. I’ll simply say to have an excellent, if not the identical high quality of life that we have now proper now with them being there and sharing it, we wish them to work with us to assist present that to us.”

He stated the Port of Virginia must become involved as a result of their trains are coming proper by way of the neighborhood, including that they’ve achieved nothing.

“I’ve not seen one individual from the Port of Virginia, I’ve seen no person from Norfolk Southern,” Rein stated. “The vegetation, the roads, the railroad tracks, the railroad crossings are simply horrible. All we’re asking is to be good neighbors in live performance with all these companies.”

He stated he would love to sit down down with all of them and provide you with a plan that meets all of us.

“That’s what I’d wish to see. Let’s all work collectively, being extra proactive in planning these items, all people must take a deep breath proper now and work out what we have now, the place we wish to go earlier than we do the rest,” Rein stated.