VINTON COUNCIL SEES NO NEED TO CHANGE SIGN REGULATIONS

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

DATE: THURSDAY, April 8, 1993                   TAG: 9304080574
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: E-28   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: NANCY BELL STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
VINTON COUNCIL SEES NO NEED TO CHANGE SIGN REGULATIONS
Vinton Town Council said Tuesday it would not support proposed revisions to the town's sign regulations, even though the changes were recommended by a citizens' committee and approved by the Vinton Planning Commission.
"It took us two years to come up with an ordinance that everybody agreed to, and I personally have not heard any complaints about the present ordinance," said Vice Mayor Roy McCarty.
"If it's not broke, don't fix it," said Councilman Don Davis.
Acting Town Manager Bob Benninger told council the sign ordinance committee had been set up to "incorporate sign regulations into a single section of the zoning ordinance." Citizens and town officials are on the committee.
But the issues of size and setback also came up, said Philip Vannoorbeeck, administrative assistant for the town.
The committee's recommendations would have increased the allowable size of some signs by as much as 12 square feet and shortened setbacks in residential areas by as much as 10 feet.
Council sent the matter back to the Planning Commission for further study.
During its Tuesday meeting, council also voted to keep real estate and personal property tax rates the same as they have been for six years. The real estate tax rate is 5 cents per $100 of appraised value, and the personal property tax rate is $1 per $100.
In other action:

Council heard a proposal from an entrepreneur who wants to rid the town of pigeons by trapping and storing the birds at a nearby farm until they can be shipped to out-of-state game authorities.
Steve Majkowski, who said he has worked with pigeons as a hobby all his life, asked for Vinton's help in establishing a pilot program for "humane pigeon removal" from downtown areas.
Majkowski said the pigeons cause numerous complaints from downtown Vinton merchants. He could get rid of the complaints within a year, he said, adding he'd like to use Vinton as an example in approaching other cities with his removal method.
Council referred Majkowski's plan to the Public Works Committee. The plan has the tentative approval of the town's animal control officer, Lisa Wine.
Wine said she intends to investigate the matter further before making an official recommendation to council.

Council did not approve a proposed $7.5 million operating budget for the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority. Council members said the town would end up paying $20 more per ton to dump garbage than they are paying now under the proposed budget, and the landfill isn't even open. Some councilmen expect the fee to go even higher within the next several years.
The authority's operating budget must be approved by its charter members - Vinton, Roanoke and Roanoke County.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB