Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 20, 1993 TAG: 9303200301
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
MIX-UPS DOGGED ARENA
In 1990, Vinton officials took steps to see that the LancerLot sports complex corrected code violations, including a lack of fire sprinklers and insufficient floor supports.But the LancerLot never made the changes - a fact that came to light last week following the partial collapse of the building's roof.
The previous code violations had nothing to do with the collapse, which was believed to have been caused by the weight of snow.
But the violations raise questions about Vinton's ability to enforce government regulations.
Mayor Charles Hill said he did not know why town officials failed to follow through on the LancerLot code violations.
One explanation, Hill said, is that Vinton is in the process of hiring its third town manager since 1990. Some issues like the LancerLot may have "fallen between the cracks" during the transition phases from one manager to the next, he said.
Another reason could be that Vinton's resources were too limited to grapple with a large-scale building like the LancerLot.
The task was further complicated by the fact that the LancerLot owner was a former mayor who fought some of the more expensive steps - such as fire-suppression sprinklers - needed to bring the building into compliance.
Owner Henry Brabham said he should not be blamed for the fact that he never got around to adding sprinklers or shoring up floor supports.
"Is that my . . . fault? The town should have said something to me. This thing makes it look like I was the . . . rat."
Brabham said he was under the impression that he had done everything the town had asked, except for retrofitting the LancerLot with sprinklers.
"I told them, `I'm not going to do it. You didn't make me do it when it built the building [in 1985] and you can't make me do it now.' "
Brabham said he could not recall a certified letter from then-Town Manager George Nester in June 1990 ordering him to install vertical support columns and horizontal beams to increase the amount of weight the floors could support.
Two engineers had found the floors were designed to handle only half the weight recommended by the state's building code.
Vinton officials apparently never followed up on the June 1990 letter. Nester resigned a few months later and his successor, Brad Corcoran, said the issue never came up during his tenure.
Corcoran said he was under the impression that the LancerLot code violations had been addressed.
"Nobody brought anything to me concerning the LancerLot being unsafe," said Corcoran, who resigned in January after two years on the job.
By the time Corcoran arrived, Vinton had turned over responsibility for building permits to Roanoke County.
But Vinton retained responsibility for the LancerLot because the county refused to assume the liability of past permits.
In 1988, Nester acknowledged that the town did not have the resources or expertise to handle the complex issues involved in the LancerLot building permit.
"The problem is we're just going through a stage where we're too large to be small and too small to be large," he said.
Since the roof collapse, Roanoke County has taken responsibility for safety issues involved in Brabham's plan to reopen the fitness center and offices located in the LancerLot.
The county is requiring Brabham to submit engineering drawings that address the safety of the roof and all past code violations.
Brabham said he did not know how long it would take for the LancerLot to reopen.
"We will do anything they request. Whatever it takes to ensure the structure is safe," he said.