Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 5, 1995 TAG: 9505060019
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
With varying degrees of enthusiasm, local governments are participating in a Fifth Planning District Commission study of local open-space and linear-park opportunities. It's a good project.
So why did Roanoke City Manager Bob Herbert have to demean it, by resorting without cause to the old inter-jurisdictional finger-pointing?
City officials made a point Monday of refusing to propose or authorize, for now, any new funding for greenways in the city. After all, observed the city manager, Salem and Roanoke County haven't spent for greenways yet - so why should Roanoke?
It's an explanation all too familiar in the sandbox arena of squabbling Roanoke Valley governments, but it comes across as less than adequate in the world of grown-ups and public servants. Heaven forbid that the city might find itself out front of its neighbors, even displaying leadership in pursuit of a potentially big plus for the region's livability and economy.
Greenways would be good for the city irrespective of what other municipalities do. Momentum is building for a regional effort; the other jurisdictions are showing an interest. For the city to hold back now in fear of conceding some sort of advantage to its neighbors is as perverse as it is petty.
Indeed, had Roanoke officials adopted as parochial an attitude about the Hotel Roanoke, in the face of other governments' hesitance to contribute to its rehab, the hotel would remain closed today.
Developing a network of walking and biking trails needs to be, of course, a regional effort. It would be nice had Salem and the county already budgeted funds. For that matter, the harm in waiting on the planning commission's task-force is not great. Its study will come out soon enough.
Even so, there's no evidence the other municipalities won't be funding the effort. And, while the city has supposedly set aside $30,000 for planning trails, it has inexplicably refused to include any study of greenway feasibility in its engineering plans for a new sewer line along the Roanoke River.
City officials ought to show more recognition of greenways' potential in a community that already prizes its quality of life and that enjoys proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Appalachian Trail and assorted mountains and rivers.
City officials ought to appreciate the timeliness of a greenways initiative - given the draining of federal funding for trail projects by metropolitan areas more on the ball than Roanoke.
City officials ought to understand, too, how counterproductive is the tone of their rhetoric, when they call for cooperation by boasting of their own contributions and belittling those of would-be partners.
``I believe council has done more than it needs to do and more than anyone else has done,'' Herbert said. What a cramped view. Does he consider ``anyone else'' to be only the immediately surrounding jurisdictions in the valley? Does he construe what council ``needs to do'' as the barest minimum possible?
``In the spirit of regionalism, I think we should delay any action on this at this time,'' said Mayor David Bowers. In a true spirit of regionalism, he and Herbert and council would be leading the way on greenways and encouraging others to follow.
by CNB