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

DATE: THURSDAY, September 9, 1993                   TAG: 9309090192
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-10   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Short

`BIG YELLOW HOUSE' WON'T RENT TO STUDENTS

The owners of the "Big Yellow House" on Peppers Ferry Road say they are not sure what they will do with it, now that Town Council has approved rezoning of the property.

But one thing is for sure, says James Stewart, a partner in the venture that owns the house at 450 Peppers Ferry Road: Students will not move in.

The house is too far from universities to be successful as student housing, Stewart said.

That should be a relief to nearby residents, several of whom told Town Council they were worried that the request to rezone the property from agricultural use to multifamily use would open the door to rowdy students' moving into their neighborhood of mostly single-family residences.

"We'll just have to put our heads together and come up with a plan," Stewart said, adding that "it's a great time for doing something" because of low current interest rates.

Council rejected a request Tuesday by SPS Inc. to rezone a tract on Cambria Street near the Farmhouse Restaurant for multi-family housing. Despite the Planning Commission's approval of the request, Town Council members raised concerns that nearby roads would not be able to handle the added traffic.

In other action, council appointed officers of the town for the next year: John Lemley, town manager; Jackie Sue Epperly, treasurer; Ronald Lemons, police chief; W.R.L. Craft, Jr., town attorney; and Imogene G. Brumfield, clerk of council.

by CNB