Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 23, 1993 TAG: 9304230226
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Catawba District Supervisor Edward Kohinke said he was concerned that a scaled-back Explore Park cannot provide the jobs and tax revenues once envisioned.
"If we're not going to make any money in this thing, I don't think we should be in it," Kohinke said.
Kohinke's reversal would put a majority of the Board of Supervisors on record opposing the investment of county funds in Explore, a living-history state park in eastern Roanoke County.
That could not come at a worse time for Explore.
On Tuesday, Explore planners are scheduled to go before the Board of Supervisors to ask the county to contribute $100,000 of the estimated $650,000 needed to get the park ready for a grand opening scheduled for May 1994.
Explore planners also will ask the Board of Supervisors to ratify a 3-2 decision made earlier this year to appropriate $350,000 for road improvements to provide temporary access from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Kohinke - who cast the swing vote for the road project - said he may change his position.
"If I'm going to withdraw my support for Explore, why should I want to spend that kind of money for the road?" he said.
Democrats Bob Johnson and Harry Nickens voted to make improvements to Rutrough Road. Republicans Lee Eddy and Fuzzy Minnix opposed the appropriation, which would be matched by another $350,000 in state funds.
In January, Explore planners said the entire project would be placed in jeopardy if the county could not provide money for the temporary parkway access at Rutrough Road.
Explore would not be able to open until 1996, when a parkway spur to the site is scheduled for completion. Explore planners say they need to open the park next year to have any hope of persuading the General Assembly to provide up to $1 million in annual operating funds.
At one time, Roanoke County considered Explore its top economic development project. The original plans called for a $185 million theme park, hotel and restaurants that would have created scores of jobs and generated tens of thousands of dollars in tax revenue.
But the Board of Supervisors' enthusiasm has waned as Explore backers - unable to raise the millions of dollars needed to fulfill their grand vision - have scaled the park down to a few reconstructed farm buildings and hiking trails.
Some supervisors fear that Explore will become more and more dependent on Roanoke County if state funds do not materialize.
Explore planners say they will make their best case Tuesday for continued county support.
"We're not dead, and we're not going away," planner Richard Burrow said. "People have tried to pronounce us dead over the last month, but we're doing well."
Kohinke again could provide the swing vote.
The Republican has come full circle on Explore. He opposed the park before he joined the Board of Supervisors and later emerged as a supporter after being told it would provide the county with a major economic lift.
"What it's evolving into right now is bothering me," he said.
Kohinke said he finds it difficult to justify investing taxpayer funds in a project that will create few jobs and generate virtually no direct tax revenue.
While he has switched positions before on Explore and other issues, Kohinke said he felt pretty firm in his "negative attitude" toward Explore.
"They are going to have to do some pretty fancy talking to convince me otherwise."
Kohinke acknowledged that some may accuse him of being responsible for killing Explore if he changes his vote and the other supervisors remain split 2-2.
Kohinke said there would be no blood on his hands.
"I don't think that's such a significant amount of money that it could kill Explore. They need a heck of a lot more money than we can give them."
by CNB