Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 29, 1993 TAG: 9306290174
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The board unanimously agreed to rezone roughly 33 acres near the end of National Drive from industrial and general-business designations to multiple-family residential and to grant special-use permits for fraternity and sorority houses there.
Jerry East, who owns roughly 27 acres of the property, was given a permit to create up to six fraternity or sorority houses. The board also approved a permit for Quorum Holding Inc. to build one fraternity or sorority house on approximately 6 acres that it owns next to the East property and gave Quorum permission to create a lot on National Drive.
East's permit allows him to establish one fraternity or sorority house immediately by renovating an existing building on the condition that National Drive be paved before the house is occupied. Delta Chi, a Virginia Tech fraternity, plans to move into that house.
Before any other houses are constructed on either East's or Quorum's property, an access road must be built that meets state specifications.
Also Monday night:
Architect Richard Fitts outlined three options for improving the Blacksburg branch library: build a new library on the site of the old one; renovate the old library; or build a new two-story library, while saving the old library for another use.
The old library, built of masonry and steel, is structurally sound and might be renovated with some savings, Fitts said.
Construction of a new library would be the most expensive option, Fitts said. He advised against a two-story building, which would need elevators and create problems for librarians managing the building.
Fitts promised to make a recommendation at the July 12 meeting on which option is best.
The board refused to extend the 10-day period after the June 4 storm in which it deferred the $25-a-ton tipping fee at the county landfill for storm debris.
While Supervisor Joe Gorman pointed out that much storm damage had not been cleaned up, Supervisor Larry Linkous warned that extending the fee waiver would cost the county money it doesn't have.
The original waiver, which ended June 18, cost the county $16,156 in tipping fees for 645 tons of brush.
County towns and residents will pay more to get rid of brush after Thursday, when tipping fees for brush will increase to $38 per ton.
Supervisors tabled a request by the County Human Relations Council for $4,000 until the council submits a budget. Gorman complained that the council had not asked for the money earlier, when the board was planning next year's budget.
The council wants the money to help it hold forums and respond to racial, ethnic, gender and sexual-orientation issues. The council, which was formed on the recommendation of the county's Minority Opportunity Task Force and at the request of the supervisors, first met last October.
Earlier this year, the council sponsored a forum on issues arising from the dispute over whether school holidays in the county should have Christian names.
Linkous said he supports the council but thinks that it might be better if the county didn't fund its activities. Noting that one of the council's goals is to raise issues, Linkous warned that citizens might think the supervisors support the council's positions because the board supports it financially.
by CNB