Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507170087
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Economic development leaders appear to support a New Century Council proposal to reserve vast acreage for commercial development during the next 20 years.
The plan for five 2,000-acre industrial, commercial or office parks may be hard to imagine in mountainous Western Virginia. But proponents envision creating the parks by flattening hills, even if it raises costs. Park designers would use the natural mounds of earth where possible to obscure buildings from view.
"It is very, very important for us to develop some strategy for both preserving that kind of land and making it possible to acquire and develop it," said Don Moore, economic development director for Montgomery County.
The New Century Council is a volunteer organization created in the fall of 1993 to write a 20-year blueprint for the future of the Roanoke and New River valleys and the Alleghany Highlands. The region includes nine counties and five independent cities and is home to 450,000 people.
Last week, the council recommended steps for improving the region's economy. One calls for creation of five or so large business parks devoted to different economic sectors or types of industry, such as information technology, manufacturing and offices. No locations for the parks were suggested.
The parks would be publicly or privately financed. Where public funds are involved, local governments would share costs and tax revenues.
The sharing concept is not new. Roanoke and Botetourt counties shared the cost of developing the Jack Smith Industrial Park, which lies on their common boundary, and they divide the tax revenue.
The New Century region is home to more than 25 planned or operating publicly owned industrial parks, but none is nearly as large as those the council envisioned. Botetourt County in June officials announced plans to buy nearly 900 acres, 600 of which would be reserved for businesses.
The idea for big parks is based on the notion that residential developers are using potential industrial sites and ultimately could limit the supply of jobs. Moore suggested that local governments should try to steer home projects to hillsides and reserve the flattest land as a future home for industry, even if it is now some distance from developed areas.
"We're suggesting that we jump way out there and protect some areas so we will continue to have some areas to develop as the communities grow," said Sam McGhee III, president of Mattern & Craig consulting engineers and surveyors in Roanoke. McGhee was chairman of the industrial parks subcommittee.
"It's an aggressive approach," said Mark Waterhouse, who teaches a course about industrial parks for the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma.
John Williamson, who is chairman of the board of directors of the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership, said localities should not hesitate to protect tracts of land smaller than 2,000 acres through land-use regulations.
As for flattening hills, McGhee said that can be done with earth movers at a cost of about $1.50 per cubic yard of soil. Companies in the Roanoke Centre for Industry and Technology are operating on sites once occupied by hills up to 60 feet tall, he said.
More recommendations are to be released Monday dealing with government, quality of life and the environment and health and public safety. Other reports will come out July 24, and the council is to announce in late July or early August a framework for implementing its suggestions.
by CNB