ALLEYS TO GET MAINTENANCE UNDER BLACKSBURG PROPOSAL

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

DATE: THURSDAY, April 15, 1993                   TAG: 9304150178
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Short
ALLEYS TO GET MAINTENANCE UNDER BLACKSBURG PROPOSAL
Town Council has passed an amendment to its comprehensive plan that sets a policy dealing with Blacksburg's unbuilt rights of way.
Since 1991, the Planning Commission has been working on the amendment that will provide guidance to Town Council when town residents ask to purchase alleys adjacent to their property.
The proposed policy also will put alleys on the town's regular maintenance list.
Until now, the town's comprehensive plan hasn't had a defined policy on the maintenance and control of alleys or unbuilt rights of way.
Unbuilt rights of way are roads that have been drawn on site plans, but never built. A new subdivision, for example, may draw a road on the blueprints and never build it.
Planning Commission Chairman Joe Jones told Town Council Tuesday that the commission has discovered that few localities in Virginia have policies governing alleys.
In Blacksburg, alleys exist in the north end of town from Giles Road to Faculty Street between Main and Montgomery streets. They also exist in the Draper Preston neighborhood.
Jones told council that the alleys are now used for rear access to commercial and residential properties.
The policy includes three conditions for council to consider if a property owner wants to purchase an alley. The town will vacate an alley:
Only if it is judged not important to the town's neighborhoods in terms of providing access for residents.
The alley isn't important to the town's present or future transportation network.
The alley does not serve as primary access to property.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB