Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 15, 1991 TAG: 9102150324
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: MARGARET CAMLIN CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: BUENA VISTA LENGTH: Medium
"It looked like a setup from the beginning," said Bob Gay of the advisory committee, which unanimously recommended the city build a new industrial park on U.S. 60 East across from the Green Forest Industrial Park.
Instead, council voted 6-1 to spend an extra $7,000 so that both the U.S. 60 East site and property owned by Hilltop Developers at U.S. 60 West and Virginia 680 will be studied further under a rural economic development grant.
The $26,875 state grant pays for engineering reports and environmental and archaeological audits. The city would have to buy the land.
The advisory committee recommended the U.S. 60 East site because it would be less expensive - $5,000 per acre compared to $12,000 per acre for the land owned by Hilltop Developers.
The city would apply for a federal or state grant to pay development costs, which would be $51,212 per acre for the U.S. 60 East site. The Hilltop Developers site would cost $74,229 per acre to develop.
Also, the U.S. 60 East site would concentrate industrial growth in the northeast part of the city. Dana Corp. and General Indicator Inc. are already there, across the highway in the Green Forest Industrial Park.
The out-of-state owners of the U.S. 60 East land would give the city seven years to buy it; Hilltop Developers would expect payment within three years. But Mayor Harold Kidd said more time would allow the city to negotiate a better price and better terms of purchase.
Debbie Garrett, one of two council members who served on the advisory committee, voted alone on council against further study of both sites. She said she would not go against the advisory group's unanimous recommendation.
After the vote, Kidd said, "It would behoove everyone to be open-minded" and gather as much information as possible about both sites.
After the meeting, Garrett questioned whether there will be enough time for in-depth studies of both sites. W.D. Ward, the other council member who served on the advisory committee, recommended sending a letter to all members of the committee to let them know the decision was "in no way a slap at that committee's recommendation but a desire to study both sites to get further information.
But Gay, the advisory committee member, indicated he believes the city has been pressured by local owners of Hilltop Developers to develop their land.
"I as a taxpayer never have, never will, ask the city of Buena Vista to enhance my commercial ventures, and I hope no one else will," Gay said, referring to Hilltop Developers. The owners of Hilltop's site include James Cash, former City Councilman Wilford Ramsey, Homer Hammett and Calvin Coffey.
Kidd said it is expected that public projects often enhance the value of surrounding properties.
by CNB