Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 27, 1995 TAG: 9509270072
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KIMBERLY N. MARTIN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
And Nickens, who doesn't even represent that area, kept them on the edge of their seats for as long as possible Tuesday.
First he talked about the faxes and phone calls he received from citizens on the issue. Then he discussed the homework he did on the subject and the factors that weighed on his decision, never revealing which way he was leaning.
Finally, with a poker face, he said he was ready for a vote. But when the clerk called his name, he talked some more.
In the end, he joined Supervisors Fuzzy Minnix and Bob Johnson in voting to recommend to the Virginia Department of Transportation to keep improvements of U.S. 221 north of the creek, which is along the existing roadbed.
``None of us here has the wisdom of Solomon, and without the wisdom of Solomon I'll make what I believe is the best decision. My decision is going to support the existing roadway,'' said Nickens, who was out of town on business when the board first considered the issue Sept. 12 after a public hearing that lasted more than two hours.
The board tied 2-2 on the north vs. south of the creek question at that meeting. Nickens would be the tiebreaker.
He said he made his decision after watching a videotape of the public hearing, spending nearly 21/2 hours Sunday driving through Back Creek, and sifting through the comments he received.
The board's decision is contrary to what County Administrator Elmer Hodge had recommended. In a board summary report, Hodge suggested that the supervisors follow VDOT District Administrator Fred Altizer Jr.'s suggestion to study corridors both north and south of the creek.
However, the majority of the residents who spoke at the board's public hearing and nearly half of those who shared their opinions at VDOT's two public hearings disagreed with Hodge and VDOT.
Developer Steve Strauss, who was on VDOT's citizens' advisory committee on the road, was one of those people. Strauss was relieved by Nickens' decision.
``We were sitting there at 3 [when the meeting started], and the guy sitting next to me asked me how I thought Nickens would vote. I told him, `It's 3 o'clock, and I'm not even going to make a guess,''' Strauss said. ``I think he made a good decision for that whole area.''
Strauss admits that he had hoped Supervisors Lee Eddy, who represents part of Back Creek, and Ed Kohinke would rethink their votes.
But, as Nickens predicted, not everyone was pleased with his decision.
``My reaction to it is clearly disappointment,'' said Gordon Saul, who also served on the citizens' advisory committee. ``I had hoped they'd go along with VDOT's recommendation.''
During the more than year-long process, VDOT has not made a secret of its preference for a route south of the creek, which runs south of the creek. It has said that that route would be easier to engineer.
So Saul worries that the board's decision may jeopardize the project.
``I hope that this is not a decision that keeps the road from being built. That's our worst fear,'' said Saul, who is a member of the Back Creek Civic League.
The board'ssupervisors' decision, however, is just a recommendation.
Altizer has said that he will consider the board's preference before making a recommendation to the state's chief engineer. The Commonwealth Transportation Board has the final say.
by CNB