ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 23, 1995 TAG: 9512250006
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
Anyone in the market for a used municipal building? Dublin is offering its town hall for sale for $60,000.
Dublin Town Council voted 4-2 Thursday night to put the building on the market for that price, following a one-hour closed session.
If the town gets a buyer, the sale will have to wait until Dublin gets a new municipal building planned for its Town Center on the former Burlington Mills property. No timetable has been set for construction of the new town hall, although council studied possible designs for it Thursday.
The town acquired the former industrial property over the past two years. It is using part of the property as an industrial park, and is planning a new municipal building, Post Office and other facilities for another section.
The present town hall is aged and cramped, and in need of replacement. Councilman David Stanley said it should be torn down and replaced by a greenway area and public park for the citizens of Dublin.
Dr. Stanley said he realized the town could use $60,000 "if we get that for the building," but a buyer might not improve the building and it would remain an eyesore. He and Councilwoman Peggy Hemmings voted against the sale.
Councilman Sam Gregory moved that the town offer the building for sale for that price and see if it generates any interest. Benny Skeens, Alden Hankla and Dave Farmer joined Gregory in voting for it.
Earlier, council studied concepts for the new town hall presented by Larry Martin of Martin and Co. of Radford. The major concepts were for either a two-story building or a one-story building with a partial lower story.
Martin had wanted to see which one council preferred, and he got a variety of opinions. Hemmings said she liked the two-story concept but the other might be best for the public. She said she would really prefer one which was entirely on a single level.
Gregory, Stanley and Hankla liked the two-story concept, but Gregory did not like the way this one was designed. He said it looked too much like a school building.
Skeens preferred the single story with a partial floor underneath. He said the elevator needed for a two-story building would be expensive to maintain over time.
The cost of the elevator was estimated at $25,000, but it would also cost about $25,000 to grade the site to accommodate the building with the partial lower story. That lower story would house the Police Department and have its own entrance.
"I'll bet you never thought you'd get eight or nine different opinions," Skeens told Martin.
"The only problem now is deciding where I go from here," Martin agreed.
Mayor Benny Keister said that, before council accepts either concept or comes up with a different one, it should visit the site and look at the lay of the land.
In other business, council studied a proposed abandoned vehicle ordinance drawn up by Town Attorney Tommy Baker in response to citizen complaints over unused cars. It would require an annual $20 fee for unlicensed vehicles in public view, with some exceptions such as vehicles belonging to members of the armed forces away on duty and those kept inside a building.
The proposal includes fines ranging from $50 to $300.
There was some question as to how it would affect businesses in town handling junked cars. One possibility would be to restrict the ordinance to residential areas and not enforce it in commercial areas. Council will consider the matter at its Jan. 18 meeting.
The ordinance would be effective whenever it was adopted, but could not be enforced until May 1. The town would not offer the $20 tags for unused vehicles until April 1, and would provide a 30-day grace period for putting them on the vehicles.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 linesby CNB