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

DATE: FRIDAY, March 4, 1994                   TAG: 9403040080
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LON WAGNER and DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PLANNERS' ADVISORY NOT LAW

Wednesday's Roanoke Planning Commission recommendation against rezoning land near Valley View Mall for a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter left the City Council and Planning Commission agreeing on one thing: Traffic in the Hershberger Road area sure is a mess.

But City Council members were not certain what will happen next with Wal-Mart's proposal to build its largest retail store in the state southeast of Valley View.

Council members, however, did politely point out Thursday that Planning Commission recommendations are just that, and can be ignored by the council.

"Sometimes the council has not gone with what the Planning Commission recommended," Councilman Jimmy Harvey said.

The commission's recommendation came as a surprise to City Council members, a majority of whom attended a news conference just two weeks ago to hear Mayor David Bowers announce the project as a "major economic development and transportation priority."

The city planning staff also recommended approval of the rezoning, which couples the 200,000-square-foot Wal-Mart with a proposed interchange for Interstate 581.

"I'm surprised by the Planning Commission, but maybe they're privy to more information than I'm aware of," Councilman Delvis "Mac" McCadden said. McCadden said he is certain a majority of the council is still behind the project.

The Planning Commission vote doesn't kill Wal-Mart's plans. That's because there are two pieces of property in question.

Wal-Mart has an option on 25 acres of land southeast of Sears where it could build a regular Wal-Mart without requiring a rezoning.

But the company was seeking a rezoning for an adjoining 1.4 acres that would allow access to the hoped-for interchange with I-581.

Wal-Mart pushed the Planning Commission for a decision, even though the commission wanted to wait for a report on the impact additional traffic would have on the area. Councilman Howard Musser said the council would need the same traffic study before making its decision.

"I've always had concerns about the traffic congestion in that area," Musser said. "I think they should have held up a little bit until they had full information."

by CNB