Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 12, 1990 TAG: 9004120591
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Despite vehement opposition from residents of the nearby Boulevard Estates subdivision, the commission voted 3-1 in favor of the rezoning, with Commissioner Don Reid casting the dissenting vote.
The DAV wants to build a $250,000 "combined chapter home" on 1.37 acres in the 2200 block of Boulevard, to be used only by card-carrying members. The property is across the street from a 17-acre site where construction of the state's first veterans' nursing home is to begin this year.
The proposed DAV building would include a thrift store, an assembly hall and club and would replace the facility currently operated by the DAV's Roanoke chapter in the Wasena Park area of Roanoke.
The Salem chapter has been meeting at the Salem Civic Center, said Robert Cox, chapter commander. The Roanoke and Salem chapters want to combine their resources and be better able to serve members, he said.
Residents questioned DAV officers about alcohol use at DAV activities, thrift store clientele, traffic, drainage, the building's exterior and its operating hours.
"When I bought my house here years ago, I was told that nothing would be built on that property but a playground," resident Thomas Yeatts said. "You're creating a serious problem when you have a business so close to residents."
One resident commented that the thrift store would bring people from lower-income homes into a "middle-class" neighborhood.
"How close will it be to my home?" she asked. "I don't want to see something behind me that's not suitable," she said, referring to the building's appearance.
Commission Chairman Ed Riley explained to residents that present zoning allows construction of the thrift store and club. The DAV's request for rezoning from one business zoning classification to another would allow construction of the 3,500-square-foot assembly hall.
Yeatts told the commission that he has had problems with veterans wandering into the neighborhood.
"I've had to evict some from my vehicles," he said. "We're inviting trouble. We don't need it in a residential area."
Beer would be sold in the building and members would be allowed to bring liquor for their own consumption, Cox said. Attendance would be limited because activities would be restricted to members, he said.
"The DAV has been in the Wasena area for 15 years and never had any trouble," Cox said. "Our concern is for the veterans. We do not want to cause the neighborhood any problems."
City Council will consider the rezoning request April 23.
by CNB