ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 24, 1991                   TAG: 9102220043
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-9   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

COLUMN ABOUT IRONS CRITICIZED AS ARROGANT

The Feb. 3 New River Current included a guest column about development of a parcel of land owned by Don Irons, referred to as the Thomas-Conner house. This column was very definitely slanted toward one objective - Mr. Irons should not be allowed to build on this site.

While permits to build haven't been issued, it seems this column included a great deal of innuendo and inference, along with a fair amount of arrogance.

How can the authors say Mr. Irons is irresponsible and will build cheap housing when just up on the corner of Lee and Church streets is a beautiful commercial building erected by this man? Would lower rental costs as a result of competition be harmful to Blacksburg? Blacksburg already has the most costly units for rent in the New River Valley.

Neither Tech nor Radford has increased in size - they say. In what time frame? The quoted developer Harry Hunt did not let this bother him when his company proceeded to cover the Heth farm with acres and acres of student apartments. Will 106 more bedrooms in Blacksburg be a major reason for the withering of the town?

Maybe these persons are concerned about the historical value of the Thomas-Conner house. This does not appear to be the case. Or maybe these detractors see the proposed buildings as "cheap, unattractive and barely meeting zoning requirements" to use the words in the article.

If we are at all concerned about the use of space in the Central Residential District area, it seems that we should support the development of Mr. Irons' property as he has proposed. If we need more parking space - how about erecting a high-rise parking garage near downtown to give customers of downtown businesses a break?\ Robert Kelly\ Blacksburg 


 by CNB