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

DATE: SATURDAY, August 7, 1993                   TAG: 9308070078
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WELLS AVE. PLAN OK URGED, OVER RESIDENT OBJECTIONS

Herbert will ask council to approve the project Monday night so the Virginia Department of Transportation can begin acquiring the right of way.

At a public hearing last week, opponents of the project submitted a petition signed by 319 people.

Evelyn Bethel, a Gainsboro resident, has led the fight against the plan to realign and widen Wells Avenue from two to four lanes from Williamson Road to First Street.

She has contended that it will destroy the residential character of Gainsboro, Roanoke's oldest neighborhood.

But city officials said the realigned street will have a landscaped median, brick-style sidewalks, a bus plaza, decorative lights and other features that will enhance the neighborhood atmosphere.

Bethel's group has hired lawyers from Washington, D.C., to review and investigate the city's plan. But they won't say whether they will go to court to try to halt the street project.

The city has won the support of some organizations in Gainsboro. They split away from Bethel's group and support the city's plans.

Herbert said the city is on a tight schedule because part of the project - between Williamson Road and Jefferson Street - needs to be finished by early 1995, when the Hotel Roanoke is scheduled to reopen.

Under the proposed timetable, the state Transportation Board would approve the project Aug. 19, paving the way for highway officials to buy the right of way.

The $4.5 million project would be advertised for bids in March and construction would begin next June. The completion date for the block between Williamson Road and Jefferson Street would be Feb. 1, 1995, Herbert said.

"This block will need to be substantially complete and open to traffic by that date to meet the Hotel Roanoke reopening," the city manager said.

Eight pieces of commercial property and two houses will be displaced by the project. The city is considering moving the houses to vacant lots.

City officials said the realigned Wells Avenue will provide better access not only to the hotel, but also to downtown, and will complete one link in a downtown street loop.

Herbert said the speed limit on the widened Wells will be 25 mph. The projected traffic volume near the Wells and Williamson intersection will be 19,000 vehicles a day by the year 2010. The volume at Wells and First is predicted to be 9,500 vehicles.

Truck traffic will be restricted on Wells to lessen noise and other adverse impacts on the neighborhood.

Through trucks will be prohibited on Wells except for eastbound traffic from Jefferson Street to Williamson Road to retain the route used by trucks from the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Roanoke.