Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 19, 1995 TAG: 9504190042
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The state Alcoholic Beverage Control Department will hold a hearing Friday\ in a Virginia Tech fraternity's request to sell beer at an open-air party\ scheduled for the next day.
Beta Theta Pi is seeking a banquet permit for a daytime music festival Saturday on James Hoge's farm at 3587 Glade Road, near Prices Fork.
An ABC hearing officer will listen to arguments for and against the permit at 9:30 a.m. Friday in the General District courtroom at the Blacksburg Municipal Building.
According to ABC spokesman Robert Chapman, a report filed by a department investigator objected to the permit because "the event is going to be located such that violations relating to peace and good order will result from issuing the license."
Last week, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors issued a music-festival permit to the fraternity for the five-band event, intended to raise money for the Montgomery County Community Shelter.
But the fraternity still needs the ABC permit in order to sell beer.
In his request to the county, fraternity member Russell Phillips wrote that the 8-acre, fenced-in concert site is about one-half mile from Glade Road and nearly three-quarters of a mile from the nearest house. The fraternity expects 850 people to attend the $5-per-person event.
Last year, the county issued a similar permit to another Tech fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi. But an ABC hearing officer rejected that group's application after objections from the county Sheriff's Office. The fraternity then dropped its plans.
In that case, there was a nearly two-week delay between the hearing in Blacksburg and the ABC officer's decision.
"This time, I guess, they're going to have to make a decision right away," Chapman said.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***