Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 5, 1991 TAG: 9102050128
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
"We're obviously trying to find some alternative to having the project done," said Mayor Roger Hedgepeth. "And that would involve somebody buying it."
Hedgepeth would not say whether the town would buy the site at the downtown corner of Draper Road and Wall Street, but he said several citizens have talked about some sort of public-private effort.
Council has met several times in the last two months in closed session to discuss the idea.
Meanwhile, citizens are gathering signatures through petitions and paid newspaper ads calling for the town to acquire the property.
Tom Sherman, whose name appears on the ad, said he'd received about 150 replies as of Monday.
"It's certainly important to the town that in five years we'll regret the development of the property," Sherman said.
Local lawyer Don Irons submitted plans in November for two student apartment buildings, one on either side of the century-old Thomas-Conner House. Citizens denounced the project as an architectural "desecration" of the neighborhood. They have vented their objections in letters to the editor, petitions and at Council and Planning Commission meetings.
But neither body has immediate authority over the project because current zoning allows multifamily development in the Central Residential District.
Irons, asked whether he would consider selling the property, said recently, "I would rather not comment on that at this point."
The planning department has until Feb. 11 to approve or reject the plan on strictly technical merits.
Councilman Waldon Kerns said the petition drive is "great," but questioned whether they would be willing to pay more taxes if the town bought the property.
"I have personally heard from or received letters from people that say they don't want to put up extra tax money" to buy the Thomas-Conner House, Kerns said.
But Sherman said he would put up with higher taxes, and others he's talked to would do the same. The way they figure it, Sherman said, taxes will go up anyway to pay for road improvements to handle new traffic from the 106-bedroom project.
Initially, it was estimated that the project would add 1,000 vehicle trips daily, but senior planner Roger Hunt said new calculations put the number at about 560 trips. A Draper Road traffic count, done partly in response to citizen concern that cars from the project would overload streets, shows that 5,400 vehicles pass through the area daily.
Sherman suggested that, rather than simply raising taxes, the town could sell bonds, delay other projects or condemn the property for public use such as expanding town offices.
Mayor Hedgepeth said the Thomas-Conner House will be a special topic for part of the public address section during Council's meeting next Tuesday.
by CNB