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

DATE: THURSDAY, March 7, 1991                   TAG: 9103070402
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PLANNERS FAVOR REZONING TO ALLOW NURSERY, TREE FARM

Allman Landscaping has proposed a nursery on 2.2 acres at Southern Hills Drive and Griffin Road Southwest. The land is zoned for single-family residential use, but most of it is vacant. Allman Landscaping requested the property be zoned for residential agriculture use, a zoning classification that permits nurseries.

The commission's recommendation will go to City Council for a final decision.

There was no opposition to the rezoning at a public hearing. City planners said Southern Hills residents support the plans for the nursery because they believe that it will serve as a good buffer between their houses and commercial development along the highway.

Bruce Mayer, an attorney for the landscaping business, said the nursery and tree farm would be developed in three phases. Plants and trees will be grown on the property to be used in Allman's landscaping business, he said.

There will be retail sales on the property, but Mayer said this would be only an incidental part of the operation because Allman will grow the plants mainly to be used in landscaping projects for its clients.

On another matter, the commission approved closing an alley that runs south of Luck Avenue for 160 feet near the First Baptist Church.

The alley serves no public purpose and is bounded on both sides by the church's property, city staff planners said. There are no public utility easements in the alley, and closing it would have no effect on public services, they said.