Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 13, 1995 TAG: 9508110091
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: F2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Last month, a steering committee appointed by four local governments and staffed by the Fifth Planning District Commission collected ideas from the public. Eighty community leaders and government officials attended a luncheon meeting, and 115 people turned out for the first community workshop. Both groups heard a persuasive presentation by a greenways consultant hired to help develop a plan for the Roanoke Valley.
On Thursday, August 17, at William Byrd High School in Vinton, the second of three public workshops will focus on how some of the ideas generated at the first might be translated into greenway facts on the ground. According to a steering committee spokesperson, the "Top Ten" proposals brainstormed and voted on by participants at the first session were:
"Use floodplain for recreational uses instead of industrial uses.
Create greenways to serve as paths between schools, work, shopping, etc.
New subdivision developments should support the greenway concept.
Promote greenways as an alternative to vehicles.
Use greenways to protect and enhance wildlife habitat.
Design greenways that accommodate a variety of users (bikers, joggers, rollerblades, etc.).
Identify existing roads that can be widened/modified to accommodate bikes, hikes, etc. (as the roads are scheduled for improvements).
Have both paved and unpaved trails.
Connect points of interest in the valley, such as the downtown market, Explore Park, etc.
Ensure the safety of users by having police patrol by bike or horseback."
These are good ideas, as were many others offered and recorded at the first workshop. They suggest sound appreciation of a point the greenways consultant, Charles Flink of North Carolina, has emphasized in his presentations: Greenways can be many things.
They can be recreational trails. They also can be flood abatement, natural buffer, transportation corridors, stream savers, community connectors and economic development. They can be, too, an endeavor around which local governments cooperate and valley residents rally.
by CNB