Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 4, 1994 TAG: 9408040047
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The move is expected to take several days, during which the chamber office will be closed. It will reopen at the former Norfolk Southern depot, which the town formally dedicated in ceremonies June 11.
Plans are to extend the New River Trail State Park two miles from where it now stops at the edge of Pulaski into town to the station. A visitor welcome center will be located there along with the county chamber offices.
The move was announced about three years ago, but completion of the depot renovation took that much time.
The town is looking into staffing the Train Station, which also houses a transportation museum. One possibility mentioned at Tuesday's Town Council meeting was to hire someone through the area Green Thumb program.
Council also learned Tuesday from Assistant Town Manager Rob Lyons that two bids were received on stabilizing the wall above a section of Dora Highway that has been closed to traffic since last winter's ice storms.
The town had hoped to get a bid in the $100,000 to $125,000 range for the job, but the lowest bid was $200,000. However, an on-site inspection by town engineering personnel has shown that the wall is more stable than originally believed, and it appears that the scope of the project can be scaled back.
Town officials are negotiating with the low bidder to decrease the cost. Because it will take less work, Lyons said, the repairs probably can still be carried out and completed on the original schedule.
Public Operations Chairwoman Alma Holston tried to get council to make appointments immediately to two seats on the Pulaski Parking Authority, created in 1968 but inactive in recent years. She suggested banker Mark Wigginton and former councilman J.R. Schrader for the vacancies.
``We have let this parking authority go eight years,'' she said. ``They don't want to wait ... We need to jump-start this authority as soon as we can.''
But Vice Mayor Rocky Schrader, who was presiding while Mayor Andy Graham was out of town, said potential authority members should first be considered by the Public & Personnel Relations Committee, which is scheduled to meet Aug. 15. Its recommendations could then be submitted at council's next meeting Aug. 16.
by CNB