Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 16, 1992 TAG: 9201160289
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
TOWN'S PARKING METERS TO REMAIN ON IN THE EVENING
Make sure you bring some quarters downtown to feed those parking meters after 5 p.m., or face a possible ticket.Town Council on Tuesday decided to continue enforcing the hours of downtown parking from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
But Town Manager Ron Secrist will report back to council in March on parking patterns and the number of tickets issued - six months after the meters were installed. At that time the council may reconsider.
Downtown merchants had asked that the hours be rolled back to 5 p.m. - when most shoppers think the meter-readers quit anyhow, they said.
Merchants said the increased enforcement during evenings after the new meters went in has deterred customers from coming downtown.
Council wanted more information from the Police Department before changing the hours.
Also at the meeting, council:
Held a public hearing on the proposed 1992-97 capital improvements program, which includes a 1 percent increase in the meals tax to 4 percent to help pay for needed projects.
Charlotte Linkous, co-owner of Custom Catering on North Main Street, said she wasn't opposed to the increase, but was concerned that a Virginia Tech catering service and other food services on campus don't have to pay the meals tax.
Linkous said that the Owens Hall dining room is open to the public, but does not pay the tax.
Likewise, she said, the university's catering service will cater wedding receptions and other events at the Donaldson Brown Center and elsewhere on campus, but doesn't pay the meals tax - which could mean the difference of several hundred dollars.
She asked that council talk with Tech administrators to remedy what she said was an unfair situation.
Council delayed action on the capital improvements program until its Jan. 28 meeting.
Rezoned property on Glade Road from residential to commercial, as requested by Wade-Wade Partnership. The company plans to redesign its convenience store due to the widening of Glade Road.
Tabled a proposal to regulate dangerous animals after hearing from several residents about potential problems with the ordinance.
Approved, contingent on future appropriation, about $17,000 to compensate for shortfalls in income from registrations for the municipal complex design competition to pay competition expenses.
> Approved $60,000 in additional funds for the aquatics center, still under construction, on Patrick Henry Drive. The cost increased to remove more rock and to make minor design changes. The money was transferred from a downtown storm-drain project that can be delayed, town officials said.