Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 19, 1990 TAG: 9007190183
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PETER MATHEWS NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The subdivision is behind the Corning Inc. plant on U.S. 460 near Merrimac Road (Virginia 657). Preliminary plans call for 156 apartments, 78 town houses, 19 duplexes and 17 single-family homes, although project engineer Don Rainey said those numbers could change.
On a 5-0 vote with Councilman Ray Lester absent, council agreed to rezone 24.1 acres of the 47.5-acre tract to Residential R-3, the town's multifamily residential classification.
The rest of the tract, primarily where the single-family homes and duplexes would be built, will remain agricultural for now.
Under the plan, at least 1.5 acres will be set aside for recreational use and other open areas will be provided. And because the site is near the old Huckleberry rail line, the development will have a railroad motif.
Rainey told council members and some potential neighbors in the audience that the project will not be built quickly because there already is a surplus of such housing on the market. He said it may not be complete for 20 or 25 years.
On another matter, council reluctantly rejected a request from Habitat for Humanity to waive water, sewer and building permit fees for a house the group is building in Christiansburg.
Marvin Lester, a board member for Habitat, which helps build homes for low-income families, told council that the fees had been waived for three homes in Pulaski and three in Radford.
But Councilman Jack Via said information from the attorney general's office indicated that the town does not have the authority to waive the fees.
In other business, council:
Raised water rates by 11 percent to 16 percent.
The new bimonthly rates are $6.12 per 4,000 gallons or less; $1.53 per thousand for the next 8,000 gallons, $1.33 per thousand for the next 8,000; $1.13 per thousand for the next 8,000, and $1.03 per thousand for the next 5,972,000 gallons.
Rates will be 50 percent higher for users outside town limits.
Reappointed James Earp to the town Planning Commission.
Reappointed Via to the Route 460/114 Corridor Advisory Planning Council. Via cast the only negative vote on his nomination.
by CNB