Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 3, 1993 TAG: 9302030215
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: LON WAGNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
FRANKLIN ZONING BILLS ADVANCE
The General Assembly bills that would allow Franklin County to hold referendums on land-use zoning have survived - so far.Sen. Virgil Goode, D-Rocky Mount, Tuesday got the bill unanimously through the Senate Local Government Committee. A full Senate vote could take place as early as Friday.
Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Martinsville, introduced identical legislation in the House of Delegates. That bill met some opposition from the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee, but still is alive.
"The concern is that state government not stick its nose in the affairs of local government," Armstrong said.
After a demanding crowd of 200 zoning opponents showed up at a December public hearing, the Franklin County supervisors agreed to ask the General Assembly to approve advisory referendums in the county's three unzoned districts.
The referendums likely would be held in November, on the same ballot as the gubernatorial election.
Other members of the House committee were critical of the referendums, Armstrong said, because "it is thought by some to be an expensive poll." The advisory referendums would not be binding.
Pittsylvania County also had tried to get General Assembly approval for a referendum on zoning. The circumstances were not identical, however, because Pittsylvania has zoning and there was a movement to repeal it. The bill for that referendum was killed last week.
Armstrong said he had to haggle throughout Tuesday afternoon to keep the Franklin proposal from meeting the same fate.
"When the discussion first started, it was very negative," he said.
Even if the bill makes it to a vote by the full House, Armstrong said, it probably will face vigorous questioning.