We live in Denby park. If you stand in our drive way and look down to your right, you will see a beautiful tree lined street, the trees bloom beautiful in the spring. The yards are kept up and the homes charming. People walk their dogs, kids play in their backyards. Neighbors know and take care of each other.
If you turn and look the other way you will see run down apartment buildings on Galveston. People sitting outside drinking beer, yelling and loitering. If you looked at night you would likely see a young lady or two walking up and down the street offering her services. You would be brave to cross from our side to the other side. We just don’t do it.
My children cannot ride their bikes, play out front and climb those beautiful blooming trees in the spring, and we sure can’t leave our doors or cars unlocked. We are awakened by gun shots and sirens on a weekly basis it seems.
City of Norfolk, you disappoint me. When we were looking for a home we found this charming 5 bedroom, we were told the projects were coming down, the city installed cameras. 4 years later, we are still waiting. We have witnessed no improvement.
Wards Corner has so much potential. While I am excited about the upcoming improvements I think the city is wasting their money until they deal with Denby Park. It just festers like a boil in the community. IF I had my wish they would tear it down tomorrow and build a nice park complex or new homes. We are tired of the excuses, we are tired of a slum lord that keeps passing by. Why are these projects still here?
So Norfolk, I would appreciate it if you would come and tell my children the reason they can’t play in their own front yard safely is because the city keeps finding excuses to fix this problem. Please tell them that you cannot keep their street safe enough for children to play outside. Please don’t tell me again after a group of teens almost robbed my child of his bike and I stupidly chased them down into the ghetto that there is nothing you can do about it. Please tell my neighbors who were robbed point blank at 7 am in the morning last year that it happens. Stop making excuses and clean it up already.
-Tricia in Denby Park. Tricia asked that her last name be kept anonymous to protect herself and her loved ones.
The 300 blocks of E. Little Creek Road, Fort Worth Ave, and San Antonio Blvd continue to be a criminal cancer for Wards Corner. In the month of November there were 15 reported crimes in those three blocks. The crimes committed included aggravated assault, burglary, narcotics, robbery, larceny, vandalism, home invasion, and fraud.
The revitalization of Wards Corner must start with the blighted substandard apartments in these 3 blocks. The City of Norfolk must continue to purchase those substandard housing blocks. The result will be less crime in Wards Corner, less substandard housing in our City, and the ability to attract new businesses to the adjacent business district. The statistics for the month of November 2011 are below:
Crime Description: Location: Date/time:
ROBBERY-HOME INVASION 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 11/29/2011 17:50:00
NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS 300 BLOCK FORT WORTH AV 11/28/2011 21:35:00
VANDALISM 300 BLOCK E LITTLE CREEK RD 11/27/2011 16:50:00
LARCENY (ALL OTHERS) 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 11/26/2011 10:45:00
ROBBERY-INDIVIDUAL 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 11/21/2011 22:05:00
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 11/21/2011 21:54:00
STOLEN VEHICLE 300 BLOCK E LITTLE CREEK RD 11/20/2011 20:00:00
LARCENY-FROM AUTO 300 BLOCK E LITTLE CREEK RD 11/20/2011 13:20:00
LARCENY-FROM AUTO 300 BLOCK FORT WORTH AV 11/19/2011 21:51:00
FRAUD, CREDIT CARD/ATM 300 BLOCK E LITTLE CREEK RD 11/19/2011 0:01:00
BURGLARY-RESIDENCE 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 11/17/2011 20:20:00
VANDALISM 300 BLOCK FORT WORTH AV 11/15/2011 19:20:00
VANDALISM 300 BLOCK E LITTLE CREEK RD 11/15/2011 18:00:00
BURGLARY-RESIDENCE 300 BLOCK E LITTLE CREEK RD 11/6/2011 9:00:00
LARCENY-FROM BUILDING 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 11/1/2011 12:00
November 2011 crime stats for the 300 blocks of San Antonio, Forth Worth, and E. Little Creek Road
An officer was sent to the South Wind complex in the 400 block of Fort Worth Ave. around 7 a.m. on a report that someone was tampering with a vehicle, said Officer Chris Amos, police spokesman. The officer parked perpendicular behind the vehicle, had gotten out of his patrol car and began verbally challenging the man when he put his vehicle in reverse.
The car went backward and hit the police vehicle, pushing it into the officer, who fired, Amos said. The officer wasn’t hurt.
The man pushed the patrol car out of the way and was able to turn around and head west on Fort Worth a short distance before crashing into a vehicle parked on the street, Amos said. The officer followed, but no other shots were fired.
Police broke out the driver’s side window of the vehicle to try to help the man, who died inside the car.
The city found a way to accomplish what it intended for Denby Park, even without eminent domain powers: It negotiated with property owners to buy derelict apartments so it could tear them down.
Wards Corner residents hailed the move as the beginning of change. That’s what it is: a beginning. If tearing down the Denby apartments helps reduce crime, that also removes one more obstacle to investment.
Residents should keep up the pressure on current property owners to improve their buildings, especially in the neighborhood’s commercial core. So should city officials.
Wards Corner’s future depends on using the momentum created by the purchase of Denby Park to accelerate improvement. Don’t coast now and squander that opportunity.
316, 320, 324, 336, 340, 360 and 362 San Antonio Boulevard, highlighted in blue, are being purchased by the City of Norfolk
In accordance with the 2004 Wards Corner Comprehensive plan, the City is purchasing property in Denby Park.
Below is the full press release:
NORFOLK – City Council members and the Wards Corner Task Force have partnered on the need to acquire properties within the Denby Park neighborhood, specifically the Texas Streets section. The acquisition is part of the city’s plan to build safe, healthy neighborhoods that will sustain future generations.
Total units being acquired are 68 apartment units located in seven buildings and the grounds. The parcels include 316, 320, 324, 336, 340, 360 and 362 San Antonio Boulevard.
The acquisition price is a total of $2,686.000. The City Council appropriated in the past two fiscal years for this purchase and those funds were made available July 1. Additionally, the city is seeking council permission to encumber an additional $30,000 ($15,000 for each Agreement) for any related closing costs bringing the total to $2,716.000.
Of the 68 apartment units, 16 are currently occupied. The landlord has agreed to work with the tenants to provide them with equal or better apartments within different properties he currently owns. All of the current leases expire no later than July 2012.
As apartments become vacant or are vacant upon the City taking possession, each unit will be boarded, secured and monitored. Once the buildings are vacant, an environmental study will be conducted and the buildings demolished.
Councilman Andy Protogyrou made the redevelopment of Wards Corner the focus of his 2010 election campaign. Although his ward does not include Denby Park, he represents much of Wards Corner.
“This is something we’ve waited for years to happen in the Wards Corner area. It’s the beginning all of us have looked forward to,” he said.
“Marcus really deserves a lot of credit for making this happen. This shows we can make things happen when we have the political will.”
Crime in Denby Park has been a major factor in the deterioration of the Wards Corner commercial area, city leaders have said.
“Until we take care of the crime issue in Denby Park, we’re not going to make progress in the Wards Corner commercial corridor,” said Martin Thomas Jr., vice president of the Wards Corner Civic League. “So this sounds like really good news.”
Much has been said about the crime (and/or perception of crime) emanating from the three criminal cancer infected blocks of 300 E. Little Creek Road, 300 Forth Worth Ave, and 300 San Antonio Blvd.
Below is the crime report for the 300 blocks from June 1, 2011 – July 9, 2011.
Crime description: Location: Date/time:
LARCENY (ALL OTHERS) 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 7/9/2011 11:00:00
LARCENY-PARTS FROM AUTO 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 7/8/2011 6:00:00
ROBBERY-INDIVIDUAL 300 BLOCK FORT WORTH AV 7/6/2011 21:50:00
NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS 300 BLOCK FORT WORTH AV 6/30/2011 20:55:00
LARCENY (ALL OTHERS) 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 6/29/2011 18:40:00
LARCENY-PARTS FROM AUTO 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 6/29/2011 7:20:00
ROBBERY-INDIVIDUAL 300 BLOCK FORT WORTH AV 6/26/2011 1:30:00
VANDALISM 7800 BLOCK GALVESTON BLVD 6/25/2011 16:00:00
VANDALISM 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 6/22/2011 12:06:00
BURGLARY-RESIDENCE 7600 BLOCK GALVESTON BLVD 6/22/2011 7:30:00
VANDALISM 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 6/21/2011 14:00:00
VANDALISM 7800 BLOCK DALLAS ST 6/12/2011 11:00:00
VANDALISM 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 6/9/2011 20:00:00
LARCENY-PARTS FROM AUTO 300 BLOCK E LITTLE CREEK RD 6/7/2011 6:00:00
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT 300 BLOCK E LITTLE CREEK RD 6/6/2011 23:20:00
BURGLARY-RESIDENCE 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 6/4/2011 22:00:00
VANDALISM 300 BLOCK SAN ANTONIO BLVD 6/1/2011 5:00:00
Crime in the 300 blocks of E. Little Creek Road, Fort Worth Ave, and San Antonio Blvd
Again highlighting the City’s failure to adequately address the criminal cancer in Denby Park, the Virginian-Pilot printed an editorial in today’s paper stating, in part:
As it has been for years, though, the solution to Denby Park’s problems is not a playground. Or removing a playground. The solution is in a relentless attention to the problems of Wards Corner: a concentration of poverty, crime.
And that will take much more effort than moving a playground from one lot to another.
The following are the full comments sent to Pilot writer Harry Minium by Martin Thomas, Jr.
The Wards Corner area neighborhoods have been begging the City for years to do something about the criminal element in Denby Park. The 2003 Wards Corner Comprehensive Plan called for the demolition of the
substandard housing in the 300 blocks of San Antonio Blvd, Fort Worth Ave, and E. Little Creek Road. Not a single one of the approximately 47 buildings in those blocks has been demolished at this point.
We should not expect the citizens of Norfolk to have to raise their families in a neighborhood, which in those three blocks, is infected with a criminal cancer.
The park, almost immediately after construction, became a hangout for criminals. I support the Denby Park/Monticello Village civic league in their request to move the park to a safer area where the families in those neighborhoods can enjoy the use the park without concern for their safety.
Pertinent quote from page 28 of the Greater Wards Corner Comprehensive Plan :
[T]he high-density walkup apartments constructed in the Texas Streets section of Denby Park are, for the most part, not desirable housing. They have been built too close together, without appropriate provision of open space, and without amenities. The maze-like character of the resulting development, its proximity to highly-travelled Little Creek Road and to Interstate – 64 make it unfortunately suitable for drug dealing and for serving as a base for other criminal activity. The Norfolk police report that the situation in these buildings is getting worse. They recommend major change: the acquisition and demolition of these buildings, before the situation has even more adverse impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods. The many respectable people who are living in these buildings are being victimized by the current situation.
Citing continued crime at the KaBoom park, the City and the Denby Park Civic League are making moves to close the park and relocate it to a safer portion of Monticello village.
The park was built in August 2008 by over 400 volunteers and with a grant from the Chrysler Foundation. It is located at 352 San Antonio Blvd.
As a reminder, page 28 of the 2003 Greater Wards Corner Comprehensive Plan:
[T]he high-density walkup apartments constructed in the Texas Streets section of Denby Park are, for the most part, not desirable housing. They have been built too close together, without appropriate provision of open space, and without amenities. The maze-like character of the resulting development, its proximity to highly-travelled Little Creek Road and to Interstate – 64 make it unfortunately suitable for drug dealing and for serving as a base for other criminal activity. The Norfolk police report that the situation in these buildings is getting worse. They recommend major change: the acquisition and demolition of these buildings, before the situation has even more adverse impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods. The many respectable people who are living in these buildings are being victimized by the current situation.
In 2004, the Comprehensive Plan stated: “ The blighted high-density apartments that have become a high-crime area at the western end of the Texas Streets district in Denby Park are . . . the highest priority location for a new initiative.”
Norfolk police are seeking assistance from the public in locating an individual wanted in connection with a murder that occurred in October of 2010.
On October 17, 8:45 P.M., police responded to the 3900 Blk E. Princess Anne Rd. in reference to an unconscious person. Officers located a gunshot victim that was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was identified as Travis Taylor, age 19, 1500 Blk. Rush St.
Investigators have secured warrants for Murder and Use of a Firearm against Ali Ridley aka “Bull”, in connection with this death. Ridley is described as a black male, age18, 5’5″, 140 lbs., with short, natural black hair. He frequents Rush St., Peacan Point, Nicholson St., Denby Park and the surrounding areas.
Anyone with information on Ali Ridley’s whereabouts is asked to call the Norfolk Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
A number of neighbors have been talking about an idea that was discussed in our article “Replace Texas Streets with new ballfields.” After further discussion it appears that neighbors, including some residents of the Denby Park neighborhood, are interested in further exploring the idea of building baseball fields in Denby Park to replace the fields lost at Fleet Park. Below you will see a slideshow of the following images: Current Map of Denby Park, Current Satellite view of Denby Park, Proposed Denby Baseball Park, and Fleet Park superimposed over the proposed Denby Baseball Park.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
You can see above that the proposed Denby Baseball Park is about the same size as the current Fleet Park.
The proposed Denby Baseball Park is 23.73 Acres and the total of the assessed value of the properties in the park area is $19,534,000. Please provide your thoughts in the comments section, below.
The Navy is shutting down Fleet Park and displacing 6 baseball fields used by the Fleet Park Little League with its 550 Little Leaguers. The Ocean View Little League lost their playing fields last year as the Navy is no longer allowing them to use Navy fields either. This was reported on by the Virginian-Pilot here.
. . . the high-density walkup apartments constructed in the Texas Streets section of Denby Park are, for the most part, not desirable housing. They have been built too close together, without appropriate provision of open space, and without amenities. The maze-like character of the resulting development, its proximity to highly-travelled Little Creek Road and to Interstate – 64 make it unfortunately suitable for drug dealing and for serving as a base for other criminal activity. The Norfolk police report that the situation in these buildings is getting worse. They recommend major change: the acquisition and demolition of these buildings, before the situation has even more adverse impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods.
Texas Streets Section of Denby Park
The City of Norfolk now has a need for new ballfields for our children. Let’s consider following the Comprehensive Plan, acquire and demolish the sub-standard housing in the Texas Streets, and build ballfields to replace those lost at Fleet Park. It would create a centralized place for Fleet Park and Ocean View Little Leagues to call home.
Update: This is an idea that is being floated to gauge support. This has not been voted on or endorsed in any way by Wards Corner Now or any civic league.
Alton Joe “AJ” Lacy was sentenced on Friday to 50 years in prison. He received 20 years for second-degree murder, five years for the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and 25 years for probation violations.
Lacy, who is 30 years old, plead guilty in January to shooting Troy Booker on Fort Worth Avenue in the Denby Park neighborhood of Wards Corner. The murder occurred on September 13, 2009.
Alton Joe “AJ” Lacy, pictured to the right, was first reported on by WardsCornerNow back on September 13, 2009 and September 18, 2009 when he was wanted for the murder of Troy A. Booker.
Booker, who was 22 years old, was murdered in the 300 block of Fort Worth Avenue in Denby Park.
A dispute and threats among street cocaine dealers led to a September 2009 fatal shooting and a guilty plea to second-degree murder and a firearm charge Thursday in Circuit Court.
Alton Joe “AJ” Lacy Jr,, 30, admitted to shooting twice at Troy Booker, 22, on Fort Worth Avenue in Denby Park. Booker died at the scene; a bag containing crack cocaine was found on him, according to facts stipulated to in court.
Lacy told police he had been selling cocaine in the area and that, after threats and attacks on previous days, he believed it was “him or me,” according to the stipulation.
Sentencing was scheduled for March 26, according to online court records.
The Virginian-Pilot is reporting that Alton Joe “AJ” Lacy is wanted on murder and firearms charges.
Lacy is accused of killing Troy A. Booker, 22, in the 300 block of Fort Worth Avenue in Denby Park on Sunday night.
Police described Lacy as a short-haired, dark-skinned black man, 5-feet-7 and 210 pounds, with at least two tattoos: “wisdom, beauty, strength” on his left arm, and “M.O.B.” on his right bicep. He frequents Denby Park, Berkley and Tanners Creek, , but his last address wasn’t known, Amos said.
Police asked anyone with information to call Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (562-5887).
Wards Corner Now previously reported on this murder on September 13, 2009 in “Homicide in Denby Park“.
Police are on the scene of a fatal shooting in the 300 block of Fort Worth Ave.
Police were called to the neighborhood shortly after 9 p.m. for reports of shots fired and when they arrived found a 22-year-old man who had been shot, said Karen Parker-Chesson, Norfolk police spokeswoman. Medics pronounced the man dead at 9:11 p.m.
Dates:
January 12, 2012
February 9, 2012
March 8, 2012
April 12, 2012
May 10, 2012
June 14, 2012
September 13, 2012
October 11, 2012
November 8, 2012
December 13, 2012
Time/Place:
8:30am at the Norfolk Fitness and Wellness Center, 7300 Newport Ave
Posted by Martin Thomas Jr. 
