Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 17, 1993 TAG: 9311190385
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
James and Holly Ratcliff want to combine two existing trailer parks located just outside northern Christiansburg, in the process nearly doubling the number of trailers.
The Ratcliffs have asked the county to rezone 24 acres off the 300 block of Merrimac Road from agricultural to a ``planned mobile home'' designation.
They've also requested a special-use permit for a mobile home park. The area is just north of the Corning Inc. plant and west of the U.S. 460 commercial corridor.
The Montgomery Planning Commission will hear about the proposal at its meeting at 7 tonight at the Montgomery County Courthouse.
The proposal likely will be heard again next month at a joint public hearing with the Board of Supervisors. The Planning Commission typically makes a recommendation on a rezoning following such hearings. The supervisors have the final say.
The two existing parks - Twin Lakes and Pine View - are adjacent to each other and have been around longer than Montgomery has had zoning, according to Planning Director Joe Powers.
Though the current parks are ``grandfathered,'' which means existing units may be replaced, in order to expand the number of mobile homes from 65 to 117, the Ratcliffs need to rezone the property.
``This plan would substantially upgrade the existing parks by surfacing the roads, providing recreation areas, surrounding the property with plantings of white pine and switching most units from septic systems to public sewer,'' the county planning staff concluded in a memo to commission members.
Last month, the Board of Supervisors, facing vocal opposition from nearby residents, postponed action on a trailer park proposed for an undeveloped field off Cove Hollow Road and U.S. 460 in Elliston.
Frank and Joyce Howard want to develop a 76-lot trailer park on 18 acres they own near the Roanoke County line. Neighbors say the park is wrong for the area, will overwhelm already overcrowded schools and will create a dangerous situation for children at nearby railroad tracks. The Planning Commission recommended denial of the project last month.
The supervisors postponed a vote until the Virginia Department of Transportation makes a commitment on turn lanes and a new crossover on U.S. 460 to improve access to the site. The matter could come up again at Monday's Board of Supervisors meeting.
by CNB