Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 30, 1995 TAG: 9508300042
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
To fully protect the 560 students who cross the road between Shawsville Middle and High schools daily, transportation engineers say a barrier funneling pedestrians to a crosswalk also will be needed.
Presently the two-lane road between the schools has only crosswalks. With 1,200 vehicles passing each schoolday, it's dangerous enough to justify a traffic signal equipped with a pedestrian crossing.
Shawsville residents have been concerned about the situation for years and there has been discussion of closing the road near the schools.
The state Department of Transportation has offered to install a traffic signal at the location. But on Monday the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors hedged on asking for it.
"Is the school going to be able to enforce it? I don't know," said Larry Linkous, board chairman.
Concerns also were raised about taking $75,000 out of the county's secondary road construction budget for a less-than-effective traffic light.
The board tabled the issue until it discusses the pedestrian barriers with the county school system.
Supervisors also heard a proposal from County Engineer Martin O'Toole for a publicity campaign to raise money for enhancements at the new county pool, which is scheduled to open next year.
Earlier this month, the board agreed to spend $450,000 from an insurance settlement to build a new pool on the site of the old one, which has been closed for the past two summers because of structural damage caused by mechanical failure.
O'Toole suggested getting community groups or businesses to sponsor amenities at the "water park," and to have school children name the pool's frog mascot.
He also showed the board a videotape shot at a pool with a similar design, with wide shallow wading areas for small children, water slides for older kids and a separate area for lane-swimmers and water volleyball players.
"There will be a lot of things going on for everybody," he said.
O'Toole also recommended raising the pool's admission price. Previously it cost $1.50 for children and adults and $1 for preschoolers and senior citizens.
Board members heard O'Toole's presentation without comment, except for Supervisor Joe Stewart, who questioned how effectively the enhanced pool can be maintained.
"We couldn't even take care of a little ol' swimming pool," he said.
In other business, the board:
Declined to approve a resolution legally committing $1.3 million to buy land and design a new elementary school in Riner until it gets more information from the School Board about potential sites;
Agreed to provide $12,500 in matching funds for a grant application by the county Sheriff's Department to fund software and hardware equipment needed for the Incident Based Reporting system, a high-tech network designed to share information among law enforcement agencies;
Appointed John S. Patterson of Christiansburg to the New River Valley Planning District Commission, filling the vacancy created by the death of Guy Wall.
Donated $5,000 to the McCoy Ruritan Club to assist with building rest rooms at the McCoy Ballfield.
by CNB