Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 10, 1995 TAG: 9505100040
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors agreed to chip in that amount for improvements to the building, which housed the Hill School, a primary school for black students from Reconstruction until the 1940s.
Since the 1960s, the building at 570 High St. next to Schaeffer Memorial Baptist Church has been known as the Christiansburg Community Center. Its leaders want to rehabilitate the building and improve a tutoring program. This project is different from the drive launched last week to restore the old Christiansburg Industrial Institute building, once part of Southwest Virginia's only high school for blacks, on Scattergood Drive.
The Montgomery board offered the $5,000 after hearing a request from Rosalie F. Paige, the former president of the community center's board.
In other business Monday, the board approved a rezoning and special-use permit for two lots in the Blacksburg Country Club to build new clay tennis courts. The approvals came on 5-1 votes, with Supervisor Henry Jablonski in the minority. Supervisor Joe Gorman abstained because of a conflict of interest.
The approval came despite a request from Dutton Olinger, who lives next to the site, that the board not approve a community-business zoning designation in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
The board also discussed briefly whether it should rethink its position in favor of the proposed Interstate 73 through Montgomery County. Supervisor Jim Moore said he'd received calls from residents in his district and he asked if any board members would be willing to look at the issue again.
No one leapt at the opportunity, though Supervisor Nick Rush said if the board wants to change its stand it should do soon, before Congress appropriates any money. Chairman Larry Linkous said the matter could be placed on a future board agenda if any of the seven members asks for it.
Finally, board members spent nearly two hours behind closed doors Monday - almost as long as they met in public. The first 45 minutes was to discuss a potential agreement with the Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority. After that, the supervisors adjourned and reconvened as the county Public Service Authority, composed of the same seven men.
They then went back behind closed doors for an hour to discuss two items: potential sewer and water agreements related to Radford Community Hospital's planned relocation near Interstate 81 and Virginia 177; and a contract with Christiansburg to provide utilities to the Falling Branch industrial park. The latter contract was to have been signed Monday, though last-minute complications forced a delay. County officials expect it to be back for approval on May 22.
by CNB