Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 27, 1992 TAG: 9202270173
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
TOWN WANTS TO DISCUSS ROAD PLANS WITH COUNTY
Town Councilman Michael Chandler has called for discussions with Montgomery County about the design and development of two new major roads planned for the county.He proposed Tuesday that the town invite the county Board of Supervisors to discuss the long-range planning for the U.S. 460 bypass, called Alternate 3A, and the Blacksburg-Roanoke direct link, called Alternate 6.
Chandler, a professional planner, said it's important to start talking now with the county and the Town of Christiansburg about land-use issues associated with the proposed roads.
The state Department of Transportation has begun preliminary survey and design work on the bypass, and likely won't start construction for a few years. The direct link is even further off.
Chandler had opposed the link for the last several months, saying the bypass would be able to handle future traffic in the county.
Mayor Roger Hedgepeth agreed that a joint meeting with county officials would be helpful. He said he would write a letter to supervisors' Chairman Henry Jablonski.
Also at Tuesday's meeting, council authorized the refinancing of a 10-year-old bond issue that will save the town $80,000 in interest over the next five years.
Assistant Town Manager Bonnie Svrcek said the town received four bids from lending institutions earlier in the day and awarded the contract to low bidder First Virginia Bank-Southwest. The new interest rate will be 4.8 percent on the remaining $906,000 of the bond.
"Have we got anything else we can refinance?" asked Councilwoman Frances Parsons, half jokingly.
In other action, council:
Endorsed a volunteer effort to plan and build an innovative community playground.
"It's kind of like empowerment for the children," said Elaine Alfonso, one of the citizens promoting the idea. Kids from the community are involved from the start: fund raising, planning, designing, building - and then playing in it.
Alfonso said the community already has shown a great deal of interest and support to proceed with the project. With everyone pitching in, the playground will take only a day or two to build in the Blacksburg Municipal Park, possibly this fall, said Recreation Director William Winfrey.
The citizens will give the playground to the town, which will maintain it.
Appointed the following people to committees: Bob Critchfield to the Business Relations Advisory Committee; Chandler to the Open Space Plan Oversight Committee; Chandler and Planning Commission member John Novak to the County Technical Advisory Committee for Open Space Planning; and reappointed all members to the Bikeway-Sidewalk Advisory Committee.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on February 28, 1991.
Because of a reporter's error, a former chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors was identified as the chairman in a Blacksburg Town Council story Thursday. The current chairman is Ira Long.
Also, Jim Shuler and Steve Critchfield were appointed to serve on Blacksburg's Business Relations Advisory Committee.
Memo: CORRECTION