Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 14, 1994 TAG: 9406140387
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
By a 5-2 vote, the board rejected Frank and Joyce Howard's second application to build a 73-lot trailer park off Cove Hollow Road and U.S. 460/11.
Earlier, the Board of Supervisors narrowly rezoned 96 acres just outside Christiansburg in the first phases of the Heritage Place subdivision, which could become one of Montgomery County's largest developments over the next decade.
The trailer park vote ended the tension for dozens of Elliston residents who have crowded county meetings and circulated petitions both this spring and last fall, when the Howards withdrew an earlier, denser version of the plan in the face of certain defeat before the supervisors.
Opponents cited the area's rural character, the danger to children from an adjacent Norfolk Southern rail line and the impact of the park on already overcrowded schools.
Allen Howard, speaking for his parents, noted that a recent facilities study received by the county School Board showed the Elliston-Shawsville area will need new schools whether the trailer park is built or not.
After the vote, Howard said the family will start looking,at other development options, including single-family homes, for their 18 acres.
The sole votes in favor of the park came from supervisors Ira Long of Prices Fork and Joe Stewart, who represents the Elliston and Shawsville region. Opponents interrupted Stewart as he tried to read a statement disputing some of their assertions.
The 4-3 vote to approve the Heritage Place subdivision rezoning came amid one of the Board of Supervisors first discu7sions about the need to strengthen the subdivision ordinance to require that new developments be hooked up to public water and sewer systems.
Supervisors Henry Jablonski, Jim Moore and Joe Gorman argued for such a move to prevent homeowners from having to shoulder the costs of connecting years later because of septic system failures.
Heritage Place, planned for 231 lots when fully developed, will rely on septic systems for the first phases because the developer believes connecting to Christiansburg's sewer system would cost nearly $2 million. David Harman, the developer, does plan to extend public water service from the town.
Chairman Larry Linkous cast the deciding vote in the rezoning, and was joined by Nick Rush, Jablonski and Stewart.
The county Planning Commission has been studying the issue of mandatory hookups, but Monday night was the first time the Board of Supervisors had spent any significant amount of time on the issue.
by CNB