Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts and Their Demolition

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Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts were apartment buildings constructed in the 1940s and 1950s and located between Jefferson and Terminal Avenues adjacent to the coal export terminals in Southeast Newport News. The residences were demolished beginning in 2010.[1] City Council subsequently rezoned the land under Harbor Homes as M2 Heavy Industrial[2] and under Dickerson Courts as M1 Light Industrial.[3]

The Harbor Homes land was sold to S23 Holdings for a ship repair business and the Dickerson Courts land was sold to IndieDwell for emergency housing unit assembly.[4] During public comment, residents of nearby homes reiterated concerns about coal dust pollution and expressed worries that pollution from any new industrial facilities at these locations would further exacerbate air quality burdens.[3]

Stephanie Smith and Mrs. Tabb stand while Ms. Tolliver goes over a draft letter the Virginia Governor Charles Robb concerning coal dust pollution.
Stephanie Smith and Mrs. Tabb stand while Ms. Tolliver goes over a draft letter the Virginia Governor Charles Robb concerning coal dust pollution, from the Daily Press, May 24, 1984.[5]

Mrs. Gloria Tabb, President Tenant Council of Dickerson Courts and Harbor Homes, filed a complaint with the State Air Pollution Control Board (APCB) concerning coal dust on May 9, 1983 and wrote a letter to the APCB on October 11, 1983 that received a reply from Region VI Director Ramon Minx. Former residents of Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts have described coal dust pollution as a severe and persistent problem, with many people reporting the kinds of health impacts that are associated with particulate matter and coal dust exposures.[3][6][7]

While there is no record in government documents or official statements, although some have eluded to it,[8][9] many former residents of Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts and residents of Southeast Newport News more widely maintain that the apartments were demolished at least in part because of the adverse impacts of coal dust on health and quality of life.[3][10]

Sheila McAllister, Director of City Planning for the City of Newport News, Interviewed by Adrian Wood in Crosswinds: "[Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts were] old. It could not be rebuilt. And because of the proximity to—I’m not going to say proximity to the coal yard, but people did not like being that close to the coal yard. And we didn’t like people being that close to the coal yard."


Documents

Media

Resident Complaints and Response

Municipal Documents

Interviews Referencing Harbor Homes, Dickerson Courts, and Their Demolition

References

  1. ↑ City Completes Demolition of 1950s-Era Public Housing Project, Daily Press, January 27, 2011.
  2. ↑ City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, January 6, 2021.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, November 3, 2021.
  4. ↑ Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting, June 15, 2021.
  5. ↑ Matthews, Coal Dust Unsettles Residents: Tenants Group Write Governor, Daily Press, May 24, 1984.
  6. ↑ Turner, Interview Audio and Transcript, July 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Repair Lab, Coal Dust in Southeast Newport News is a Nuisance and There Are Solution (Corrected), August 2024
  8. ↑ City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, May 2, 2018.
  9. ↑ 2020 Questionnaire for Newport News City Council Candidates For the York River Group of the Sierra Club: Submitted by Tina L. Vick, Vice Mayor for City of Newport News, 2020.
  10. ↑ Sample-Jones, Interview Audio and Transcript, June 30, 2023.
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