Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 26, 1990 TAG: 9004270514
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-1 EDITION: EAST
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Some say they are more active than ever. Others say their impact has remained about the same. Few believe they've lost ground.
But one thing they do agree on is that the groups generally represent grass-roots democracy in its most pure form. And they are here to stay.
"They are something like the old town meetings. It takes you back to basics," said Roanoke Councilman Howard Musser.
Roanoke Councilman David Bowers added, "It's just people working with each other to share ideas and work on common problems."
Government officials acknowledge that they listen closely to neighborhood groups and rarely vote against their wishes on controversial issues.
"You get them upset, and I tell you they're a formidable force to deal with," Musser said.
Take the Green Valley Civic League, which has made headlines in recent months by rallying against the completion of what has become known as "the too-tall building."
Construction on the Fralin & Waldron Inc. building was stopped last November when the neighborhood group complained to Roanoke County officials that the company wasn't complying with zoning conditions agreed to in 1985.
Fralin & Waldron had agreed to develop a two- or three-story office building on Virginia 419 across from Chaparral Drive in Roanoke County. But the building under construction is four stories when viewed from 419 and five stories when viewed from the Green Valley neighborhood.
The company said it made a mistake and had lost the original site plans. It promised to plant tall trees to help block the view of the building and pay for improvements to a neighborhood creek if the county would allow the taller building.
But the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors rejected the request, saying it didn't want to set a precedent that could be abused later. Fralin & Waldron is challenging the decision in court.
Meanwhile, the unfinished building continues to sit idle - a constant reminder to Green Valley residents that their voice counts for something.
"It has really renewed my belief in people power," said Julia Brooks, whose home is near the Fralin & Waldron property. She called her neighborhood's efforts "democracy in action."
Brooks, 58, and her husband, Nelson, 65, were skeptical at first that the civic league could make a difference.
"I grumbled about going to the first meeting because I thought, `what's the use?' " she said. "The county is going to listen to the builder because that's where the tax base is. They're not going to pay attention to us."
But the Brookses changed their minds after seeing the enthusiasm of their neighbors and the civic league's leaders. They also were encouraged by the county's response.
"I feel like we were certainly heard," she said.
Roanoke County Administrator Elmer Hodge said the group was more than heard. It was responsible for bringing the zoning violation to the county's attention and influenced how the Board of Supervisors voted on the issue.
"I think that the board may have compromised to three stories and some drainage improvements" without the citizen pressure, Hodge said. "They certainly made a difference."
He added that the civic league's approach also helped its cause. It was never hostile and tried to work for solutions from the beginning. That's important in the relationship between civic groups and government, he said.
"They have made their point very clear, and they've been very pleasant to deal with, very professional, but very firm in what they wanted to get across," Hodge said.
Supervisor Steve McGraw emphasized the importance that a neighborhood league's approach can have on policy. Groups that cooperate with the board rather than fight against it are taken more seriously, he said.
"Don't tell us we're a bunch of bums . . . If you come in and tell us we stink, we'll say you stink back and then we can all stink together. Or we can work together and try to smell better together."
Supervisor Lee Eddy added, "Being human, members of the board are affected by the attitude sometimes more than the information."
County officials try not to let it get that far by soliciting neighborhood input on controversial issues before they come to a head at public meetings. The city does the same thing.
"Otherwise, you will spend at least that amount of time following through and repairing damage and resolving problems," Hodge said. "By doing this, you'll address those up front and you'll have a better product. It takes time, but it's worth it."
Hodge said, however, that there are situations when community groups should use the more combative approach.
"There's a time and a place for that - when a request has been made and the county has not followed through. Then is the time to rattle the chains," he said.
Either way, Hodge and other public officials said civic leagues only make their jobs easier. Without them, they would lack for valuable input on what matters most in each neighborhood.
Those issues can range from community image, housing revitalization, crime prevention and neighborhood cleanup to traffic and safety concerns, road improvements, school and recreation facilities and emergency services, among others.
"What happens is that a lot of the complaints will go to the civic leagues, and then the civic league will take a look at it from there," Musser explained. "Once they come to us about a problem, it's already been thought out and investigated."
Sometimes they will enlist the help of the Roanoke Neighborhood Partnership, which is often the first place a community group in the city will call once a problem surfaces.
The Neighborhood Partnership was formed in 1981 at the urging of then-city manager Bern Ewert. At the time, he said there was a general mistrust of government among the communities. Cooperation was at a minimum.
"One of the basic philosophies of government is to make people's lives better," Ewert said. "I believe that civic leagues and neighborhood groups only help to accomplish that goal."
Another job of government is to measure consensus, he said. "Essentially, that's what neighborhood groups are all about."
Stephanie Fowler, director of the Neighborhood Partnership, said her job is to respond to the questions and complaints and keep the lines of communication open between the city and its communities.
"A lot of what we do is information and referral," she said. "I'll get a call and they'll say, `I've got this problem. Who can I call? What can I do?' "
Fowler said the Neighborhood Partnership also works to train and assist community leaders on organizing their groups and keeping them active, which often can be a problem.
Traditionally, civic leagues form to rally around a burning issue, like a proposed road or the location of a landfill in the area. But then, after the issue is resolved, interest in maintaining the group often dies off.
The reasons are simple. The groups lack leadership. Members don't want to dedicate the time. Or with nothing pressing at hand, there's no incentive to stay together. Some survive by name, but remain in hibernation until the next controversy. Others fold completely.
But many groups flourish, taking on new community projects each year, holding regular meetings, sending out newsletters in their neighborhoods. Still more groups flip-flop between action and inaction.
"A civic league is like any other volunteer organization. It has an ebb and flow of good years and bad years," Bowers said.
One group that has had mostly good years since it began 10 years ago is the Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization, regarded by many people as one of the most successful, creative and influential civic leagues in Roanoke.
Its leader, Florine Thornhill, said the key to the group's success is faith and commitment. Without either, any group will fail.
"You have to believe that you can do what you are attempting to do," she said. "And you have to be committed. If you want to get something done, you've got to be willing to see it through and not give up."
Leaders of the Greater Deyerle Neighborhood Association hope their organization can maintain that tenacity.
A group at the crossroads, it was formed in protest and is trying to stay vital now that the protest is over.
At issue was the controversial Peters Creek Road extension. Deyerle residents objected to the plan to extend the road 2.5 miles, entering Brandon Avenue near Aerial Way Drive in Southwest Roanoke.
They formed the neighborhood association, fought the road, and finally achieved a compromise with the city and the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Under the agreement, traffic-control measures will be implemented on Brandon Avenue, preventing motorists from cutting through the Deyerle neighborhood. Brandon Avenue also will be widened.
Jonathan Rogers, president of the Deyerle neighborhood group, said the plan isn't perfect, but is improved because of the compromise. He said the route agreed upon for the extension road was the best of four proposed alternatives.
The compromise, however, was not the only thing the neighborhood group gained in the mediation process. It also earned a reputation.
"Now they know we're organized and reasonable, and can and must be dealt with," Rogers said. "That's as big an accomplishment as anything. We can't be ignored."
Fowler supported his statement.
"It opened up doors for continuing to work together," she said. "There's going to be ongoing communication, ongoing looking at the traffic situation and talking with the neighborhood about it."
In return, city officials avoided a long series of unwanted public battles at council meetings.
"It could have taken place before us, but it didn't." Musser said. "It took place out where it should have - in the neighborhood."
Plus, the city also gained valuable input on the project, which it probably couldn't have been obtained any other way, Musser and Fowler both said. Civic leaders know this and can use it to their advantage.
"I really believe that people know what is necessarily best for their neighborhood far better than any city planner," Rogers said. "The knowledge that comes from living in an area far surpasses the knowledge that comes with a college degree and a few seminars."
But meanwhile, Rogers is working to ensure the survival of his group. With the road extension on the back burner for now, the community is looking at other issues.
One concern is the future development of several relatively large farms in the Deyerle neighborhood, which doesn't have its own park. Rogers and others would like to see them remain farms and he believes the group could be instrumental in keeping them undeveloped.
Still, he said "there's a real danger that we will lapse into inactivity. I don't think we're going to let that happen, but it's possible. And we know what that will mean to the neighborhood."
by CNB