Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 17, 1992 TAG: 9201170277
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MELANIE S. HATTER NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
NELLIES CAVE TASK FORCE'S ROAD REPORT DISPLEASES PLANNERS
The Montgomery County Planning Commission was not impressed with the Nellies Cave Task Force's recommendation for a new road to connect Nellies Cave and Ellett roads."The traffic-count information is incomplete and didn't jive with what we got" from the state Transportation Department, commission member Ray Alcorn said at a meeting Wednesday night.
The task force said that in 1988, before Nellies Cave Road was improved and paved, 236 cars a day were counted along it at the Blacksburg limits. The report said the count was 568 a day in October.
But Alcorn said the highway department told the commission that the number of cars on Nellies Cave Road in June at the Woodland Hills end was 103 a day.
In addition, the commission said the accident report was sketchy and should include accident data on Virginia 723 and 603, the alternate route to Nellies Cave Road.
"I found the report disappointing," Alcorn said. "They [task force members] have not responded to a problem, but to political heat."
Since the county Board of Supervisors voted to improve the dirt and gravel road four years ago, the issue has been swamped in controversy. Despite angry public reaction, the board condemned land for the project and Nellies Cave residents since have sued the county, charging racism and violation of their constitutional rights.
Blacksburg Town Council appointed the task force in June 1990 to study how increased traffic along the road would affect the narrow residential streets of adjacent town neighborhoods.
The report suggested putting up stop signs and changing Grissom Lane to a southbound one-way street, forcing traffic onto the wider New Kent and Fairfax streets.
In other action:
After some revision, the commission approved subdivision ordinance changes and sent them to the Board of Supervisors, which will set a joint public hearing.
The biggest changes, said Zoning Administrator Jeff Scott, include approving all lot changes and streamlining the approval system.
The current ordinance allows minor changes, such as splitting land into two lots, Scott said. In the new ordinance "every division of land must be reviewed by someone," he said. Minor changes will be approved by a county staffer, but major changes will need commission approval, he said.
The commission considered the county Public Service Authority water line from Christiansburg to Shawsville-Elliston, but decided to take no action until it had more information on growth in the area.
The line would encourage development, but the Shawsville-Elliston area would be more attractive to developers with a water treatment plant, said Orrin Arvold. "Future development affects our decision," he said.