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

DATE: SATURDAY, March 30, 1991                   TAG: 9103300358
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARK LAYMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PREFERRED PLAN CHANGES LITTLE/ ROANOKE COUNTY DRAWS UP DISTRICTS

District lines would change in only five areas:

The North Lakes subdivision, now divided between the Catawba and Hollins magisterial districts, would be placed entirely in the Catawba district.

Part of the Botetourt Springs precinct, south of Interstate 81 and north of Cross Timbers Trail and Peters Creek Road, would be placed in the Hollins district. It now is in the Catawba district.

Part of the Bonsack precinct, south of U.S. 460, would be placed in the Vinton district. It now is in the Hollins district.

Part of the Clearbrook precinct, west of Bandy Road and east of Yellow Mountain Road, would be placed in the Vinton district. It now is in the Cave Spring district.

The Bridlewood subdivision, now in Cave Spring, would be placed in the Windsor Hills district.

That plan is one of the six the Board of Supervisors reviewed this week. Three plans had five districts, one had seven, one had six and one had four.

The plans were drawn up by County Attorney Paul Mahoney, Registrar Elizabeth Leah and Planning Director Terry Harrington.

The county must redraw its voting district lines as a result of the 1990 census.

The census showed that the Cave Spring district, the county's most populous, had 16,836 residents. The Vinton district, the least populous, had 14,849.

Based on the county's total population of 79,332, each of the five districts should have 15,866 residents.

Any significant deviation from that ideal population might violate the "one person, one vote" principle articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1964.

Under the plan most supervisors seem to favor, the biggest deviation from the ideal population would occur in the Hollins Magisterial District. It would have 16,067 residents - a 1.27 percent deviation.

The redistricting plan must meet another legal test: The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its amendments forbid localities from watering down minority voting strength by redistricting.

That is not a big problem in Roanoke County, which has a minority population of 2.5 percent. Harrington said each of the districts in the plan has a minority population of between 1.5 percent and 3 percent.

Under the plan, two supervisors could be elected at large, making a seven-member Board of Supervisors. But Lee Eddy seems to be the only supervisor who favors expanding the board to include at-large seats.

The first reading of the redistricting ordinance is scheduled for April 9 at the board's meeting. There will be a public hearing that night at 7 p.m. The second reading is scheduled April 23. After that, the plan must be submitted to the U.S. Justice Department for review.

Maps of the six redistricting plans are on display at the county Administration Building on Brambleton Avenue Southwest. The maps also will be displayed at Tanglewood Mall on County Government Day, April 6.