Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 6, 1991 TAG: 9102060318
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK LAYMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Like last year, the concerts are to be held on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., beginning in mid-May and ending in mid-September.
The concerts are a fund-raiser for the Easter Seal Society of Virginia, which serves disabled children and adults. Last year, the organization netted $45,000 from the concerts.
The concerts are to be co-sponsored by Lingerfelt Development Corp., the Richmond-based developer of Valleypointe; Miller beer; and radio stations WROV AM and FM. Local businesses are being asked to pick up the tab for the band each week.
The Embers, Fat Ammon's Band, Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs, The Tams, The Kings, The Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose, The Shieks of Shag, The Fantastic Waller Family, The Chairmen of the Board, Robbin Thompson and Delbert McClinton are among the bands and performers lined up for this season.
Last year, the first five concerts drew an average of 559 people. But the remaining concerts drew an average of 1,545. And the turnout topped 3,000 when The Embers closed out the season in September.
Parking was the biggest concern of the Planning Commission. A staff report estimated that, using paved lots and graded fields, only 780 off-street parking spaces would be available.
But Susan S. Knight, vice president of the Easter Seal Society's Roanoke-Blue Ridge Region, said 1,252 off-street parking spaces would be available. Another 400 cars could be parked along streets in the business park, if that is allowed.
"We're talking about four hours, one night a week, for [18] weeks," Planning Commission member Ron Massey said. "I don't see that as a major parking problem."
The Planning Commission staff report said the only problems reported last year were noise complaints.
Knight said the concert stage would be moved this year to direct the sound away from houses.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the "use not provided for" permit on Feb. 26.
In other matters:
The Planning Commission had been scheduled to discuss Fralin & Waldron's request to rezone 78 acres from agricultural to residential use to expand the Orchards subdivision off U.S. 460 East and Alternate U.S. 220, but it was withdrawn before the meeting. The planners had delayed action on the request last month.
Fralin & Waldron's request to complete construction of the "too-tall building" on Virginia 419 is to be considered by the Planning Commission on March 5.
The dispute over the "too-tall building" is making its way through the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors again as a result of a circuit court judge's ruling in December. The supervisors rejected the request last year.
by CNB