ROANOKE GROUPS' LOBBYING HELPS PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 21, 1993                   TAG: 9303220417
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHARLYNE H. McWILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
ROANOKE GROUPS' LOBBYING HELPS PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS
Neighborhood leaders, Roanoke officials and the Roanoke Regional Home Builders Association may seem to be strange bedfellows, but they recently became allies in an effort to maintain the architectural integrity of city neighborhoods.
The groups succeeded in getting legislation passed to give Roanoke authority to regulate housing design in designated areas. The city now has no authority in design issues other than in historic districts.
An amended version of the bill passed both houses of the legislature.
Leaders of Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization and the Melrose/Rugby Neighborhood Forum had growing concerns about some houses being built in their neighborhoods not fitting the design scheme of existing homes.
"We don't want people just coming in throwing up anything," said Florine Thornhill, president of the Northwest group.
Thornhill's concern is that her group's efforts to bring up the neighborhood's appearance are being diminished by the building of incompatible houses. The houses are being built on vacant lots between existing homes and mostly are rental units with little or no potential appeal to home buyers, she said.
Estelle McCadden, president of the Melrose-Rugby Neighborhood Forum, said the "box houses" in the Melrose-Rugby neighborhood are poorly constructed, hurt the appearance of the community and drive down property values.
"Developers are insensitive to the character of the neighborhoods," she said. "I'd rather see weeds in the vacant lots than what they've put up."
McCadden said she isn't against affordable housing, but she wants the builders of the homes to follow the structural character of the neighborhood.
Thornhill and McCadden felt so strongly about the issue that they went to Richmond to talk with representatives when it looked as though the bill would die in committee.
The head of Roanoke's community planning division, John Marlles, worked on the bill with the community leaders. He said it was their presentation that helped the bill survive to make it to the governor's desk.
"The neighborhood people felt so strongly about it, they made a pitch to the city," Marlles said.
Marlles said the situation became noticeable in 1986 in the inner city. Since that time the problem has grown. The building of 30 to 40 of the structures in a few months also piqued the curiosity of city officials, he said.
"The [builders'] perception is that people are less concerned with design in these areas," he said.
The bill requires a builder to submit a design proposal to City Council to make sure the house complies with design specifications of the area. A builder would have the option of appealing to the board of zoning appeals.
Marlles also worked with neighborhood groups and builders on wording of the bill.
"It's a two-sided thing," said David Vaughn, president of the Roanoke Regional Home Builders Association. "We understood the problems the neighborhoods were having, but we didn't want to see any authority with that kind of power."
Lewis Jamison, president of the Home Builders Association of Virginia, said the state trade group was neutral on the bill but did monitor it closely.
"It's a good bill from the standpoint that some old neighborhoods need their architectural integrity protected," he said. Jamison said he's glad to see that people are interested in their neighborhood. "They should have some kind of control about what goes in their neighborhood."
While some builders might be concerned now about being able to build affordable housing, Jamison said it can be done.
Marlles' office has some examples of designs for new houses that would blend in with the existing houses. The changes could cost the builder an extra $2,000 to $5,000. "In some cases it's very little at all," he said.
While builders were concerned with the restrictions of the bill, Marlles said it is not the city's goal to restrict builders or to deter the building of affordable housing.
"We're not telling them they can't build at all," he said. "Our task will be to clarify the type of building they can build. We're trying to give them some additional guidance in being more sensitive to the character of the neighborhoods."

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB