Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 8, 1995 TAG: 9507100044
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Long
No one disputes what Ron Willard has brought to Smith Mountain Lake.
He built its first golf course and several of its most successful residential developments. He has spent countless hours marketing the lake around the country.
Willard is influential enough with those at the lake that he was able to step in at the last minute recently and object to a proposed name for the Virginia 122 and 616 intersection. The proposed name, Lakewood, was scrapped; a committee Willard served on voted to name the intersection Westlake Corner.
But does Willard's influence around the lake seep into Rocky Mount?
If so, that influence was dealt a quashing blow recently when his name was dropped from a list of people being considered for the county's first economic development commission.
Willard's was the only name cut from the original list submitted to Rocky Mount Town Council for consideration by the county Board of Supervisors.
The commission includes seven voting members - including Warner Dalhouse, chairman of First Union National Bank of Virginia, and county School Board member William Helm - and eight county and town officials who are nonvoting members.
The commission's membership was chosen after negotiations between Town Manager Mark Henne and County Administrator Macon Sammons.
Willard, who doesn't run from controversy, is hopping mad about the situation.
He claims that his name was removed because several Town Council members are afraid of his influence and his stand against the proposed site for a new county YMCA off North Main Street in Rocky Mount.
``They're scared that they're going to lose their power-hold," he said.
A Town Council member, who asked that he not be identified, said Willard was dropped from the commission because of fears that his agenda might not mesh with others' and possibly cause friction between commission members.
Willard disagrees.
``I guess they didn't want good planning,'' he said.
Willard said a couple of council members have self-serving interests tied to the YMCA site.
He singled out Councilman Arnold Dillon.
Willard said Dillon stands to benefit from the North Main location because the councilman owns property near it.
``He wants to keep it under his wing,'' Willard said.
Dillon owns two older rental properties more than a mile from the site. His business, Franklin Vendors Inc., is located off North Main Street, and Dillon lives in the area as well.
Dillon said his property holdings have absolutely nothing to do with the selection of the North Main site for the YMCA.
Of Willard's statement, Dillon said, ``That's so juvenile that I'm not even going to comment on it.''
Councilman Ben Pinckard and other town officials also said they believe Dillon would not benefit financially from the YMCA's location.
On Willard's exclusion from the economic development commission, Dillon simply said, ``The best people were chosen.''
A member of the county Board of Supervisors who asked not to be identified said the Town Council's influence was a bulldozer compared to Willard's toy truck.
``The council has a lot to bargain with. They've got a water treatment plant and a water system that probably needs to be extended to rural areas in the future,'' the supervisor said. ``Ron would have been a good person to have on the commission, but we've got to look at what's in everyone's best interest.''
Meanwhile, Willard is promoting a new site for the YMCA - 4 acres on Main Street in Rocky Mount just up the street from the county courthouse. If the YMCA were built on that site, Willard said, it could bring spinoff businesses such as an upscale restaurant. It also would be a reason to refurbish an old movie theater on the property.
``It's the one-stop-shop theory,'' he said. ``And it fits right in with the town's revitalization. People could do their business at the courthouse, go work out, get a sandwich and then see a movie, without having to drive all over the place.''
Willard said he might be interested in developing the restaurant, and he knows others who have talked about it but don't think there's a drawing card in the town now.
The site Willard has his eye on is owned by John P. Dillon, and includes the movie theater and another building - both of which have business tenants under lease.
John Dillon, who isn't related to Councilman Dillon, said he doesn't know if he would sell the property, or if the existing leases can be broken.
Franklin County Circuit Judge B.A. Davis III also has inquired about the property, Dillon said.
Davis and Franklin County Commonwealth's Attorney Cliff Hapgood expressed concern several months ago about the North Main site for the YMCA because of drug activity in that area.
But Davis said Friday that he has been friends with Dillon for years, and didn't ask about the property for any specific reason, only to see if Dillon was interested in selling it.
The 5-acre North Main YMCA site is part of a proposed town and county commerce park that would include the Y, a new Technology Center for eighth- and ninth-graders, a Health and Human Services building and possibly a private doctor's office.
Russ Merritt, director of the county YMCA, said the combination of projects there is one of the main reasons the North Main site was chosen. Also, the land was donated at no cost to the YMCA.
The site has been approved by the county YMCA board, the national YMCA board, the Board of Supervisors and Town Council.
It was endorsed recently by the Community Partnership for Revitalization board of directors.
Arnold Dillon said the North Main site suits a YMCA - an organization that's supposed to benefit the entire community - because many disadvantaged youths live in that part of town.
But Willard said the town and county are violating the golden rule of development: location, location, location.
``Everything, including the [proposed] county health building, needs to be closer to the cross hairs of the county, which is the courthouse,'' he said.
However, many associated with the commerce park say it's too late to be proposing changes.
Said Willard: ``That's crazy. They haven't started building anything yet.''
by CNB