Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 21, 1991 TAG: 9102220590
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: NEW CASTLE LENGTH: Medium
The transportation department has given Virginia Byways designation to six highways in five counties, including Craig.
"I anticipate that Craig County will get some tourist traffic because of that designation," Fred C. Altizer Jr., a resident engineer in the transportation department's Salem District told the Craig County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.
The transportation department gave the designation to Virginia 311, 42, 43, 615, 621 and 159 in Craig, Alleghany, Botetourt, Giles and Roanoke counties. The designation touches Craig mostly on 311.
Altizer, during the board of supervisors' annual public hearing on the county's six-year highway plan, said that the roads will be shown as Virginia Byways on official state highway maps.
Altizer and his assistant resident engineer, G.E. Whiteside, said the overriding factor in highway building in the next fiscal year will be money, or the lack of it.
Altizer said the anticipated revenue for highway work in Craig in the next fiscal year will be about $263,000. This would be about 11 percent less than in the current fiscal year.
Widespread spending cuts throughout the state government and the general decline in the economy have hurt highway funds, Altizer said.
In Virginia, a major portion of highway funds comes from gasoline taxes and sales tax on automobiles. Both of those sources are down from usual levels, he said.
On another matter, the supervisors adopted a resolution opposing construction of a high-voltage power line in the county. This was prompted by a proposal by Appalachian Power Co. to construct a 767-kilovolt power line between Oceana, W.Va., and Cloverdale.
The resolution said the supervisors are "deeply concerned and are opposed to the concept of any ultrahigh power line through or across Craig County because of the environmental and visual impact . . . "
In other matters:
The board adopted an ordinance allowing county government officials to check for possible criminal backgrounds of applicants for jobs with the county. The ordinance will be used mainly by the school system. One citizen objected to the law, saying it is an invasion of a person's privacy.
The board learned that the 1990 census puts Craig's population at 4,372, an increase of about 400.
The supervisors asked the county attorney to research the legalities of a citizen's proposal that the supervisors adopt an ordinance aimed at driving pornography, including the sale or rental of X-rated videos, out of the county.
The supervisors postponed appointing members to county Planning Commission, the board of Mental Health Services of Roanoke Valley and the Virginia Western Community College advisory board. The appointments were held over because there were no nominees to consider.
by CNB