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

DATE: THURSDAY, March 21, 1991                   TAG: 9103220385
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: N-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Tammy Poole
DATELINE: BUCHANAN                                LENGTH: Medium

RESIDENTS COMPLAIN ABOUT CENTER

Several residents complained to council during its March meeting that the center is in a flood zone and said they are concerned about contamination.

"I don't want my grandchildren to get sick and then wait and see what is going to be done. I want to know now - before the center is operating," said Otis Rickman, who lives near the site.

"If the water gets up, then the creek will get into the warehouse. That area is a flood zone. I've got a picture of trash six feet up in the trees from the flood," Rickman said.

Mayor C.D. Barger said he sympathized with the residents, but repeated what he told objectors during a February meeting: "The way it stands now is to wait and see what takes place. If it is not operated in accordance with the law, we can shut it down."

He also reminded residents that the location already was zoned for business use so Bob Cash, the owner, did not have to come before council to get approval. Cash chose to do so of his own freewill, Barger said.

In other business, council:

Voted to sell .792 of an acre to Chester Layman for $395. The land adjoins Layman's property, near the Jefferson National Forest.

Heard from Connie Muscenti, who is organizing a reception for The Kandinsky Trio on April 6. The trio is visiting the schools and will give a free concert for the public.

Asked Curtis Deacon, chairman of the town's police committee, to examine seven vehicles that the Botetourt County Sheriff's Department is getting rid of. The county will give Buchanan its choice of one of the vehicles as a backup unit, Deacon said. The town will have to pay about $700 to repaint the vehicle and install new equipment and decals.

Learned that Rodney Trail, who was hired recently to fill the assistant maintenance employee position for the town's water/sewer system, had quit for health reasons. Council voted to advertise the position and to increase the salary from $10,816 to $11,494.08, in accordance with the minimum wage increase that takes place next month.

Went into executive session to discuss personnel matters. After the session, council voted to pay Officer Jim Phillips for the hours he attended the police academy in Salem.