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

DATE: SATURDAY, September 18, 1993                   TAG: 9403100288
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

'SCENIC VALUE'

TO GET homebuilders' support for legislative authority to control the impact of new construction in old neighborhoods, Roanoke city officials had to give up some of what they wanted.

As first proposed, the amendment to the city charter would have allowed design standards to be set in areas with "unique architectural, scenic, environmental or historic value or in areas designated for redevelopment ..."

The reference to "scenic and environmental value" was a foresighted effort to give the public a measure of control over the attractiveness and compatibility of development that might occur along the Roanoke River or near that part of the Blue Ridge Parkway which runs through the city. In the final bill, the reference was removed.

Perhaps the city's proposal would have been a good way to guide potential development in scenic corridors, perhaps not. But if nothing else, Roanoke County's current struggle to deal with proposals for developing land along its much longer - 27 miles - piece of the parkway illustrates the wisdom of anticipating such growth.

The parkway is a single asset shared by many localities, several in the Roanoke metro area alone. Local government needs appropriate tools for protecting the public's interest and investment in the parkway. This is one more issue that calls out for a regionally coordinated answer.

by CNB