ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240023
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
Pulaski County has added its endorsement to the doubling of Renfro Corp.'s Newbern Road plant.
The county's Industrial Development Authority had approved issuing up to $4 million in industrial revenue bonds for the project, but needed the town and county to sign on before proceeding.
Pulaski Town Council gave its support to the project last week, a necessary step because the expansion - expected to add 400 employees over a period of years - is located in the town. The resolution passed Monday night by the county Board of Supervisors amounts to a guarantee of the financing.
The county also agreed to join the town in seeking a federal grant to renovate and reopen the Draper Mountain Overlook and Wayside on U.S. 11 entering Pulaski. The grant could amount to $100,000, with the localities' share each coming to $10,000. County Administrator Joe Morgan said much of that could be through in-kind services rather than cash.
The 20-acre wayside had once provided picnic and other outdoor facilities, as well as an impressive view of mountain scenery. It was closed in recent years because it had become a public dumping ground and eyesore. "This, to me, is one of the more scenic spots in our county," Supervisor Charles Cook said. He said it was "a real shame" that it had been allowed to deteriorate and "I think it's time that we reopen it."
"Policing a place like that is a problem," said Supervisor Frank Conner, a former county sheriff. Plans drawn up by Virginia Tech's Design Assistance Center include ways to improve monitoring the facility, once it is reopened, as well as ways to minimize long-term maintenance costs.
Absentee ownership may have contributed to the problem getting out of hand. The overlook, once owned by the town, was given to the U.S. Department of the Interior which turned it over to the Virginia Department of Transportation. "I'm sure they want to solve the problem, too," Morgan said.
In other business, county agencies will start getting budget preparation instructions at the end of January. The supervisors will ask for two budgets: one based on no growth from the current year, and one based on growth up to 3 percent. But the supervisors stress that this does not mean a 3 percent budget increase is in the works.
Preliminary budget discussions with the School Board were scheduled for March 11, with a School Board budget presentation April 1. Budget requests from other agencies would be due by March 25, with the county administrator presenting his budget recommendations to the board April 15.
Other county agency and department presentations would follow April 29, followed by budget work sessions and tentative approval for public hearing purposes May 13. The hearing would be June 3.
During Monday's meeting, Cook expressed safety concerns involving traffic, especially heavy gravel trucks, traveling on the Wilderness Road through Newbern between Interstate 81 and Virginia 100.
"That's just a constant stream going through there," he said. "And they're constantly breaking the speed limit."
Resident transportation Engineer Dan Brugh said there is a procedure for putting a no-through-truck designation on a road, but suggested expressing concerns to quarry operators first.
"We have asked in the past," Conner said.
"Well, maybe if you told them what your second avenue was," Brugh said, referring to the banning truck traffic in that area.
The matter will be on the board's Feb. 26 agenda.
Supervisor Bruce Fariss noted that traffic will increase with the Dublin Town Center going into that area of the county.
The board also passed a resolution honoring Deputy Joseph S. Marshall, who died earlier this month. He had been with the Sheriff's Office since 1975.
"He was someone that all the citizens liked. They liked him and he liked his job, and we're going to miss him," Conner said.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 linesby CNB