Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 18, 1995 TAG: 9502200028
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
The Town Center will be built on the former Burlington Mills property near Virginia 100 and Virginia 682.
The cornerstone will be a modern 14,000-square-foot post office, replacing the 4,000-square-foot downtown facility which has only eight parking places, Town Manager Gary Elander explained at Thursday night's Town Council meeting. The new post office will have ample parking.
In customer surveys, Postmaster Jack Long said, 75 percent of the complaints have been about the lack of parking spaces. ``So when it comes to our facility, they are already mad at us,'' he said.
The volume of mail and services required at the existing post office, diagonally across from the current town hall, has at least tripled in the past 20 years. The new post office will provide adequate facilities for the 21st century.
Construction of the post office will be backed by a long-term federal lease for at least 20 years. The cost of construction plus part of the site development will be paid by annual lease income. Sixty percent of the cost of utilities and road access is to be paid by a federal grant.
The planned 7,000-square-foot town hall in the Town Center will provide offices for town employees. The town also plans to lease space to Pulaski County and possibly for a satellite office of the county Chamber of Commerce, Elander said.
The electrical and mechanical systems in the old town hall, located in what used to be a car dealership and later a fire station, are taxed to their limits.
Elander said leasing to the county ``shows cooperation and it shows an effective way to pay for something like this.'' The county will be involved with the town in designing the building.
``The Dublin Town Center concept has excellent potential to increase or improve services for Pulaski County citizens,'' said Jerry White, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors. ``As plans develop, Pulaski County will work closely with the town of Dublin to consider all opportunities for cooperation.''
Other plans include a park area and greenway at this entrance to Dublin, and commercial development. Councilman Benny Skeens said the developments would be a complement to industry already occupying some of the buildings in the industrial park.
``That would open it up to art shows, craft shows, whatever,'' said Mayor Benny Keister.
The cost of the new post office has not yet been determined. Access and utilities are estimated at $350,000, and the town hall building at $450,000. The town will have to borrow some money for the town hall, which will be repaid mainly by industrial park and lease income. The developments should require no real estate tax increases.
A timetable will be worked out soon.
``It looks like someone's waking up,'' town Planning Commission member John Wiseman commented on hearing about the plan.
Elander said the next step is to get the plan into final form, and proceed with the development in phases.
In other business Thursday, council approved joint vehicle decal enforcement with Pulaski County and the town of Pulaski. The agreement will allow law enforcement personnel from any of the three jurisdictions to issue citations to citizens from any of the three for not displaying their local decal.
Since all local taxes must be paid before decals are issued, the program should increase local revenues. Keister said the city of Radford has expressed interest in joining in the joint enforcement.
by CNB