JARRATT—Now it’s the Navy’s turn.

Representatives from the U.S. Navy will be coming to Bethlehem Baptist Church next week to discuss the proposed Outlying Landing Field.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the church, which is located at 26843 Grizzard Road in Jarratt.

The church is becoming a familiar venue for the OLF debate; the group Virginians Against the Outlying Landing Field held a meeting at Bethlehem Baptist on Feb. 5.

Ted Brown, media relations officer for the Navy’s Fleet Public Affairs Office, said next Tuesday’s meeting is intended to inform the public and would not be a debate. He said the Navy had not yet decided who would speak at the event.

“It is still to be determined,” Brown said. “Members of the project team will be there to make the presentation and answer any questions. We have been doing these sorts of meetings for quite some time, all of them in the vicinity of the OLF sites.”

VAOLF Chairman Tony Clark said, “My suspicion for how (the Navy) picked that church, is that’s one of the three locations where we met earlier this year. That was the location for the Sussex County meeting.”

“This is very much the Navy’s show,” Clark added. “I’m glad they’re coming. It gives us an opportunity to ask some pointed questions.”

The Navy has identified five sites, three in Virginia and two in North Carolina, for the proposed OLF. The three Virginia sites are Cabin Point, Dory and Mason. The Cabin Point site is near the confluence of Surry, Prince George and Sussex counties, while the Dory and Mason sites straddle both Sussex and Southampton counties.

The two North Carolina sites are Hale’s Lake and Sandbanks, which is mostly in Gates County, but part of Hertford County would also be affected.