
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 1, 1995                   TAG: 9508230014
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

A GROWING DEBATE IN MONTGOMELRY

It's the beginning of August and the middle of the dog days of summer and Montgomery County's fall elections seem so far away it's as if they're shimmering in the distance like a desert mirage.

But those races - in particular for a majority of Board of Supervisors seats - will begin to heat up in less than a month. With the approach of Labor Day's campaign launchings comes the question of what the candidates will be hearing and talking about as they go door to door meeting voters.

One issue that should be relevant is rural development and whether Montgomery County should do less, or more, to regulate such growth.

Last week, the Board of Supervisors talked about rural growth with seven members of its appointed Planning Commission. The disuccsion showed there's a divergence of opinion as wide as Poor Mountain is tall.

The split comes down to those who say the county should be doing more to guide growth and those who belive the county might take some common-sense regulatory steps but should avoid further infringements on propterty owners' rights to develop their land.

Which philosophy dominates among a majority of the Board of Supervisors can have short- and long-term repercussions for the county, its people and its landscape.

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Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB