Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 6, 1991 TAG: 9102060470
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The commission will review a draft ordinance that sharply limits development in most of the zoning district at a work session scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in the town hall.
Half a dozen citizens told the commission during Tuesday's public hearing that the plan is unfair, unwise and just too late.
"Is the best possible future for the CRD being proposed in these changes? The answer is simply no," said Robert Dunay, whose home is in the downtown district.
He said that apartments built over the past few years in and around the CRD already create traffic and noise in the neighborhoods and will eventually drive families away.
"It can't remain a single-family area," Dunay said.
Bob Johnson, representing several CRD property owners, said the proposed elimination of multifamily development in most of the CRD is "going from regulation to prohibition."
The current zoning allows development of up to 19 units per acre. For more than five years, the town has looked at ways to control development in the district, bordered roughly by Turner, Clay and Kent streets, and east of Wharton Street.
Johnson suggested the restrictions would lead to "leapfrog" development around town, rather than keeping available housing for Virginia Tech students, senior citizens and others nearer downtown and the campus.
He also said the reduced development potential would probably mean diminished land values for most CRD property owners.
E.W. Skelton, who served on a citizens CRD task force several years ago, said the group had recommended ways to curb the effect of development, not to reduce or eliminate multifamily projects such as luxury condominiums.
He pointed out that the task force "had a lot of heated discussions . . . and 500 different opinions" when it met several years ago, but managed to reach a consensus on its nine recommendations.
Many residents recently have claimed that town officials disregarded those recommendations.
Staff planner Elaine Echols read through a comparison of the task force's report and the draft ordinance now being considered.
Copies are available at the Planning Department in town hall, Echols said, and CRD property owners will receive the comparison in the mail.
In other action, the commission forwarded to the council a recommendation to approve a planned commercial complex on South Main Street.
Developer William Price is requesting a zoning amendment on 17 acres in south Blacksburg to build 20 commercial buildings over the next two decades.
The project, called Southpark, would be primarily offices and would include several open space areas and bike ways.
The land is currently zoned for planned commercial. Price is seeking the zoning amendment for more flexibility to develop and market one lot at a time.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on February 7, 1991 in the New River Valley edition\ Correction
Because of a reporter's error, the initials of W.E. Skelton were reversed in Wednesday's story on the Blacksburg Planning Commission meeting.
Memo: correction