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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 7, 1990                   TAG: 9003071956
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARK LAYMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PLANNERS AGAIN DISAGREE WITH SUPERVISORS ON ZONING

The 35-acre tract off Plantation Road near Interstate 81 is owned by the Household of Faith church. It is zoned for residential use, but was one of a dozen tracts identified by the county's economic development director last fall as suitable for commercial or industrial development.

The county administration originally wanted to rezone the tract to M-1, light industrial. But the owners objected because that would have prohibited construction of a church.

The county administration withdrew that request and made another to rezone the tract to B-2, general commercial, which would allow a church. Automobile dealerships, motels, restaurants, funeral homes and a variety of other uses also are allowed in B-2 zones.

Nearby residents objected to the rezoning because there were no specific plans for development.

"This rezoning would be a lot easier to take if a prospective buyer was found first and then a rezoning request was made," Myrtle Pullen said. As it is, rezoning would be "a blanket invitation" for any of the uses allowed in a B-2 zone, she said.

Planning Commission member Ron Massey said, "If you put commercial next to residential, you need to minimize the impact on the neighborhood as much as possible." The conditions on development that were proposed by the county administration - such as limiting the height of any building to 75 feet - didn't go far enough, he said.

Massey and Planning Commission members Wayland Winstead and Kyle Robinson voted to recommended denial of the rezoning. Chairman Mike Gordon and Don Witt voted to recommend approval.

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the rezoning March 27.

Last month, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of a land-banking rezoning requested by the county administration off West Ruritan Road in Bonsack.

Also on Tuesday, the Planning Commission gave its OK to a request from the owner of the La Premiere office park to more than triple the size and height limits on the signs on the property.

The Planning Commission also gave its approval to similar requests by the Hop-In convenience stores on Virginia 419 at Glen Heather Drive and on Peters Creek Road at Woodhaven Drive.