Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 26, 1992 TAG: 9202260283
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
LAKE TOWN HOUSE PLANS ADVANCE
Franklin County planners gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a planned town house development at Smith Mountain Lake that was rejected last year.Plans for the Sterling community were scaled down considerably to accommodate several vocal neighbors, including Dominion Bank President Warner Dalhouse.
The revised concept plan for Sterling includes 40 single-family building lots and 49 detached patio homes built on individual lots. The project would be built on 112 acres near Bernards Landing.
Tom Alouf, president of Alouf Construction and Development Co., said the proposed density would be 50 percent lower than the original proposal.
In addition, the patio homes have been moved away from homes belonging to Dalhouse and Roanoke lawyers Bill Rakes and Charlie Williams - three vocal critics of the original plan.
Rakes said the trio would withhold comment until they had a chance to meet with Alouf to discuss proposed deed restrictions.
Rakes said he also had concerns about the preservation of possible wetlands areas at the site.
The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of Sterling. The proposal will go before the Board of Supervisors on March 17.
In other business, the Planning Commission tabled a request by Virginia Asphalt Paving Co. to treat petroleum-contaminated soil at its asphalt plant near Rocky Mount.
Virginia Asphalt wants to install equipment that would enable the company to treat soil contaminated by underground fuel tanks.
Planning Commission members said they needed more information about how the operation would work and how the company would minimize the impact on neighbors.
Several residents said the asphalt plant, built in 1980, is a nuisance that emits oily smoke and allows water to run off on adjoining land.
James T. Johnson, who lives next door, said the company broke its promise that the asphalt plant would not bother neighbors and has been unresponsive to complaints.
Fred Bond, a Virginia Asphalt vice president, said the company's managers had not been aware of the complaints and would do all they could to satisfy neighbors.