Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 5, 1994 TAG: 9405050167
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The retail chain plans to build the 200,000-square-foot store on a 25-acre site that is visible from Interstate 581, but company officials have agreed to plant dozens of trees to hide the store from view.
James Douthat, a Roanoke attorney representing Wal-Mart, said the company plans to continue working with city officials to get state and federal approval for a new interstate interchange near the store.
If that approval is granted, Wal-Mart has promised the city it will pay the cost of extending Valley View Boulevard through its property.
If traffic generated by the new store necessitates a new stoplight at the intersection of Valley View Boulevard and Ring Road within two years, Wal-Mart will pay for it as well, Douthat said. Wal-Mart also will pay a percentage of the cost if traffic lights are needed at other intersections.
"Everything we have said we were going to do, we have already put our signature on," Wal-Mart developer John Knibb said.
City officials are still reviewing the agreement and haven't signed it.
The store, which would be Wal-Mart's largest in Virginia, is expected to be open early next year. It could include an eyeglass center, auto center, grocery store, hair salon and one-hour photo center.
In other business the Planning Commission:
Recommended that council approve a request to close a portion of Wells Avenue between Commonwealth Avenue and Jefferson Street. The request, by the Hotel Roanoke Conference Center Commission, is part of the project to realign Wells Avenue so the conference center can be built.
Recommended that council approve a request from Berglund Chevrolet to rezone two small tracts of land on the south side of Maddock Avenue. Daniel Layman, an attorney for Berglund, said the rezoning is part of the company's long-range expansion plan.
by CNB