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

DATE: TUESDAY, March 17, 1992                   TAG: 9203170326
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PROPERTY OWNERS WANT TAX WILLIAMSON RD. BUSINESSES UNITEA

Real estate taxes on commercial property along Williamson Road in Roanoke may be going up soon - at the request of the owners.

Yes, that's right.

The property owners may ask City Council to approve a tax of 10 cents per $100 assessed valuation of property to help finance a special service district. The levy would be added to the citywide rate of $1.25.

The service district and the levy would be similar to the downtown service district created several years ago.

"We want to copy what we have in downtown," Ted Key told council Monday.

Key, executive director of the Williamson Road Area Business Association, said a service district would promote cooperation by the public and private sectors.

He said the money generated by the 10-cent levy would help finance an economic development and marketing program designed to create a better business environment and image for the area.

Key said the association has encountered problems in contacting all property owners who would be affected by the district because about one third live outside the city.

Charlie Overstreet, who has a hardware store on Williamson Road, said the merchants support the proposal because it will help them market the area and improve its image.

Council set a public hearing on April 13 on the proposal. Key said the association hopes to contact more property owners and have a better reading on the support for the proposal.

The area that would be included would begin at Orange Avenue and Williamson Road and extend north on Williamson to the city limits at Malvern Avenue.

Key said the tax would not be imposed on residential property, churches or non-profit agencies.

Also Monday, council was told that construction is expected to begin by July on a $5.5 million garbage-transfer station on Hollins Road south of Orange Avenue.

Last year, council chose the 22-acre site.

Roanoke, Vinton and Roanoke County trucks will haul garbage to the transfer station, where it will be loaded onto railroad cars and taken to the new regional landfill at Smith Gap in the county.

Kit Kiser, a board member of the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority, said the transfer station should be completed by July 1993.

by CNB