Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 23, 1995 TAG: 9507240046
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
It sounds like today's efforts of residents to establish a network of hiking and cycling paths.
But those events first occurred almost 90 years ago. And the plan that was developed in 1907 calling for greenways, like many other plans over the years, was virtually ignored.
It was the turn of the century, and Roanoke was booming. The railroads were laying more tracks, industries moving in, and houses going up all over the city.
While the city fathers lauded their economic development prowess, members of the Women's Civic Betterment Club set about raising money to hire one of the country's premier landscape architects to draw up a plan for more orderly growth.
John Nolen, trained at Harvard University under the likes of New York City's Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted, came to Roanoke. He was, it is safe to say, impressed with the richness of natural resources in the valley - the rivers, streams, rural lands and mountain ridges.
Chief among his recommendations was preservation of green spaces. He urged the city to purchase Mill Mountain and both banks of the Roanoke River. He sketched out "Riverside Parkway" along the river, and a series of smaller parkways and wide promenades (read: "greenways") that would link one city park to another.
The report is today considered the city's first comprehensive plan.
Nolen returned in 1928 to update the plan. He was, it is safe to say, unimpressed.
"There is now an increasing shortage of opportunities to visit an attractive stream, grove or woodland without trespassing upon private property," he wrote.
And: "The possibility in Roanoke of securing a notable riverfront parkway system of uniform character through the city is gone."
Nolen died in 1937.
Years passed. The city did manage to carve out open areas that now include Wasena Park and Highland Park. But, no greenways.
In 1963, Roanoke's Planning Department prepared a report, "Parks, Playgrounds and Open Spaces."
In 1966, Roanoke received federal money for an urban beautification program. One of the city's goals was to provide a system of interrelated parks and urban open spaces, including hiking and biking trails, that "allows users to perambulate the entire urban area with a minimum of conflict with vehicular traffic."
Greenways.
In 1975, the Fifth Planning District Commission identified key areas for preservation, including flood plains along the river and streams. The report also recommended establishing "scenic roads and trails to link conservation areas, parklands, historic sites and scenic landscapes."
Greenways.
In 1981, a parks and recreation plan for Roanoke once again recommended acquiring an "interrelated open space system."
1985 - Roanoke's comprehensive plan encourages a greenway system along the Roanoke River and streams, linked to existing parks.
1987 - Jones & Jones prepares the "Roanoke River Greenway Master Plan" as part of the overall plan for Explore Park.
And in 1995?
Bob Fetzer, a Roanoke Valley builder and one of the most gung-ho of greenway advocates, recalls going before City Council last year to plead for assistance in getting the greenways bandwagon rolling again. "We wanted to point out it had been studied to death," Fetzer says. "They [the studies] were never acted upon. There was a lack of priorities being placed on it, probably put on the back burner."
John Marlles, the city's planning director and another advocate, thinks part of the reason the valley still has no greenways is that citizens take open space for granted, surrounded as they are by ridge after blue ridge of undeveloped, wooded mountains.
And, he adds, this study will be different.
More citizens are recognizing the increasing loss of open space, and recognizing the value of greenways - a big draw for tourists and corporate prospects - for economic development potential as well as local recreation.
The study will focus on greenways, not just mention them as one of many goals, and focus on the nuts-and-bolts of implementation.
This time around, it's a regional effort, involving the city, Roanoke County, Vinton and Salem, which have each pledged money and staff time.
The effort is being driven largely by citizens like Fetzer and Lucy Ellett, chair of the Roanoke Valley Greenways/Open Space Steering Committee, and will go heavily on public participation, starting with three upcoming citizen workshops. Marlles said the success of greenways will hinge largely on whether the community reaches consensus.
One hurdle could be resistance from landowners who perceive a greenway project as government intrusion on their private property rights, said Marlles. "If we start laying asphalt without going through this process, we're going to run smack into the perception of private property rights."
And last, without a solid plan, all the enthusiasm in the world won't bring in a dime of grant money from government agencies or private groups.
So, once again, the greenway boosters are echoing the call first sent out by Nolen some 90 years ago.
"Let's hope it's not another lost opportunity," Marlles said, "not just for Roanoke city, but for Roanoke Valley."
by CNB