Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 24, 1995 TAG: 9510240076
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The hearings before the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission drew about 45 people. More than 15 stood to show their opposition to commercial rezoning sought by Larry N. Smith on nearly an acre in rural Prices Fork, west of Blacksburg.
``That's everybody in Prices Fork, isn't it?'' Smith joked.
The county Planning Commission voted afterward to recommend denial of both Smith's rezoning request and a special-use permit request filed by Gloria Scott for a New River project. Next month, the Board of Supervisors will make final decisions on both cases.
Smith is seeking a business zoning for a lot on which to erect a small office building. He said he had no intention of building anything that would degrade the community.
But neighbor Bob Brown said he would like to see the property remain residential. And Jim Noonkester, who has run A&J Quick Shop across the road since 1955, said a third business would only hurt Prices Fork's two stores.
On the New River case, four speakers and three letter writers opposed Scott's application for a special-use permit for her 3.5 acres at 2875 Big Falls Road, downstream from the popular McCoy Falls area.
Though Scott applied for a permit to operate a campground park for recreational vehicles, Monday night she said she only wanted to park cars on her land for now. She said a parking lot might relieve the traffic and congestion at the falls. ``I would never do anything that would disturb my neighbors,'' Scott said.
But her neighbors were not convinced. They worried her proposal would bring only more traffic, more crowds and more trespassing. They also questioned why detailed plans for the campground had not been filed. ``This is spot zoning, and it's spot zoning at its worst,'' said James Robertson, a Virginia Tech history professor who said his opinion was shared by his neighbors. ``We are adamantly opposed to this.''
The commission recommended denial of Scott's proposal 9-0 on the grounds that no plan had been submitted for a campground, and because the county attorney said a parking lot is not allowed under special-use permit rules.
by CNB