YORKTOWN, Va. — A new cruise ship stop is causing a stir in one historic community.
Princess Cruise Lines is set to make stops in Yorktown next summer. However, some residents are voicing concerns about overcrowding and pollution.
Elizabeth Wilkins and Jacques Van Montfrans have lived in Yorktown for nearly 40 years.
“What we all appreciate [about Yorktown] is the small-town character,” Wilkins told 13News Now.
The couple fears a new cruise stop in their beloved community could ruin that character. And they aren’t alone in that feeling.
More than 2,000 people signed a petition called Stop Princess Cruises in Yorktown.
Those who signed the petition believe the ships will be too large for the river community to support.
“Dropping all these people on the shoreline here, it’s going to definitely affect the enjoyment local residents have of the waterfront," Van Montfrans said.
Chairman of the York County Board of Supervisors Thomas Shepperd believes the cruise stops will make a positive impact.
Shepperd said the cruise ships will bring 250 to 750 people into Yorktown. He said the community has already housed events with more people than that.
"Visitors come to Historic Yorktown all the time," Shepperd said. "During the summer, it's one of the most popular places on the peninsula...Having a couple hundred boat passengers show up that want to learn a little bit about American history, I mean, I don’t see this being a big issue."
General Manager of Water Street Grille Steven Boyer agreed.
"I don't believe there's a big negative impact at all because we do plenty events with the county down here...that draw more than that quite regularly to the area," Boyer said.
Boyer said he’s excited to show off Virginia’s Historic Triangle with visitors.
“I think it’s a great time to get our name and what we’re about here in Virginia out to the world,” Boyer said.
But petitioners voiced another concern: pollution.
In 2013, Princess Cruise Lines had to pay a $40 million fine for illegally dumping contaminated waste.
One petitioner wrote, “We need to protect the ecosystem of the York River and Chesapeake Bay.”
Wilkins and Van Montfrans agreed.
“It’s a serious ecological problem, along with the fact that they contribute heavily toward climate change," Van Montfrans said.
"The Chesapeake Bay is a fragile ecosystem. It's the biggest estuary in the United States," echoed Wilkins.
At an informational meeting earlier this month, President of Princess Cruises John Padgett assured residents that they’ve learned their lesson. He said they now have better technology and have increased their sustainability.
Shepperd emphasized that right now, the cruise stop is just a pilot program.
"In the end, this is a positive for York County. But, you know, let's see how it works," he said.
But still, some residents fear it's a slippery slope.
"I want Yorktown to keep its historical charm. That will not happen with thousands of people coming in on that size of ship," one petitioner wrote.
"Who's to say that if these cruise ships are coming in, who's to keep others from doing the same thing?" Van Montfrans said.
"We're not anti-tourism. We love sharing our village with everybody, but this is not the right format for that," Wilkins said.
The petition encourages people to email their concerns to the York County Board of Supervisors. However, Shepperd said the board doesn't have authority over the move.
"Best I can tell, we have no administrative, supervisory or judicial authority over this proceeding," he said. "This is more or less a business venture between the Watermen's Museum, which is a private museum, and Princess Cruise."
13News Now has reached out to Princess Cruises about the petition but has not yet heard back.
To watch the full informational meeting with Princess Cruises, click here.