ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, July 24, 1996 TAG: 9607240056
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
Roanoke residents will have a chance for input into stalled plans to bring life back to the once-famous commercial center of Roanoke's black community.
The city-appointed Henry Street Revival Committee on Tuesday adopted a "citizen participation process" - a 90-day endeavor specifically designed to address earlier concerns about the lack of citizen input into a plan to revive the Henry Street district. The process is an effort of the committee, city staffers and the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
When the Henry Street Land Use Plan to convert the nearly deserted Henry Street area into an $18.5 million tourist magnet was unveiled in January, black residents complained that the city had failed to solicit their views.
"We've now tried to come up with a process that allows for greater opportunity for public involvement in a format that is comfortable for everyone," said John Marlles, Roanoke's chief of planning and community development.
"We're opening the door. We're taking additional public comment. What the final product will be, I don't know."
Workshops will be held at the Roanoke Civic Center in August, September and October. The workshops will be open to all Roanoke residents, regardless of where they live in the city, Marlles said.
The first workshop, tentatively scheduled for Aug. 13, will include large group and smaller break-out sessions where residents will have a chance to discuss their likes and dislikes about the proposed plan and make suggested changes.
The second workshop, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 10, will expand on the first and include a large group discussion on residents' suggested changes to the proposed plan and break-out sessions on any remaining questions and issues.
A revised plan, incorporating residents' suggestions, will be discussed at the third workshop, tentatively scheduled for Oct.3.
The Henry Street Revival Committee will present a final draft of the proposal to City Council on Nov.18.
The dates may change, as some committee members asked city staff to try to compress the schedule into less time.
"The important thing to convey is that we're not starting over again," said Neva Smith, executive director of the housing authority. "We're refining and better defining what is in the plan to make it better."
Current plans - which include jazz and blues clubs, soul-food restaurants and neon signs - closely follow the philosophy of Tennessee developer John Elkington, who has run Memphis' popular Beale Street blues strip for 14 years. His Performa Entertainment Real Estate Inc. has visited Roanoke many times and worked on the land-use plan that was unveiled in January.
But Marlles stressed that the city is not wed to Elkington's concept.
"I don't think this committee ever made that decision," he said. "We're keeping options open and being flexible."
Perneller Chubb-Wilson, president of the Roanoke chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said she wants to attend all three workshops.
"I think it's good they're going to have this, but it should have been done a long time ago," she said. "I hope it will heal the pain, but the hurt is still there."
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