Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 13, 1995 TAG: 9509130075
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KIMBERLY N. MARTIN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Instead Pincock approached the lectern with what seemed like a simple request for action.
"Let's not talk this road to death. I'd like to see some action while I'm still around to drive it," said Pincock, whose wife's family has owned land in the Back Creek area since the early 1900s.
But that was one order Roanoke County's Board of Supervisors couldn't deliver.
After hearing from 26 residents, one of whom was watching the meeting at home on government cable Channel 3 and decided to drive to the meeting to speak her mind, the board deadlocked 2-2 in a vote on keeping any improvements north of the creek in the existing alignment with no further study of other corridors.
Supervisor Harry Nickens, who was out of town on business, was not at the meeting. Before the meeting, he wrote a letter to his fellow supervisors requesting that a decision on 221 be delayed until his return.
When the question was raised, Supervisor Lee Eddy seemed to be the only one inclined to go along with Nickens' request.
But in the end, Nickens got his way. Not only will he get to vote on the 221 issue, but his will be the deciding vote at the Sept. 26 meeting.
The Virginia Department of Transportation has said that the will of the board will influence its recommendation to the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
In a letter Aug. 9, VDOT District Administrator Fred Altizer recommended that VDOT proceed with further study of two corridors - one north of the creek, one south. He has said he doesn't have enough information to choose between the two routes.
Resident engineer Jeff Echols said at Tuesday's meeting that those additional studies would take a year to complete. VDOT began its informational meetings on the U.S. 221 improvements a year ago.
Gordon Saul, who represented the Back Creek Civic League, said he favored leaving the decision to VDOT.
"I support taking this forward. We need to allow flexibility and should not limit ourselves to a single corridor," Saul said.
He found an ally in Eddy, who has an engineering background.
"As an engineer by profession and lifestyle, I don't think you can ever have too much information," Eddy said. "Echols said it would cost $200,000 extra money for engineering studies to be done on both. That will be money well spent. I don't think we have enough information to make an intelligent decision here tonight."
Supervisor Ed Kohinke agreed, but for different reasons. He said the decision ultimately should be deferred to VDOT's judgment.
But they were in the minority. Sixteen of the 26 people who spoke recommended keeping the improvements in the existing roadbed. Many of those cited the results from VDOT's public hearings, where nearly half of the 830 people who penned opinions said they favored straightening the road's S-curves in the existing alignment. Corridor C received support from 16.6 percent.
Sue Hart owns 10 acres on 221, also known as Bent Mountain Road, and she'd like to keep it. Corridor C would allow her to.
"We're right in the middle of everything, and I don't want to lose everything," Hart said.
But Veronica Vandeventer reminded her elected officials that people sharing Hart's view were in the minority at the two public hearings.
"I am here to remind you of your responsibility to us who voted for you, especially Lee Eddy and Fuzzy Minnix," Vandeventer said. "We are a democracy, and it's your job to represent the majority, not the minority."
That's what Supervisors Fuzzy Minnix and Bob Johnson did. They voted to keep 221 in its existing alignment.
"When we get out there and ask you what you want," Minnix said, "I feel like we're obligated to do what you want."
by CNB