ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 12, 1996 TAG: 9603120095
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BUCHANAN
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
The town of Buchanan took a significant step Monday night toward bringing as many as 125 manufacturing jobs to Botetourt County.
The town Planning Commission voted 3-2 in favor of rezoning 35 acres at Virginia 625 and U.S. 11 to accommodate a Meadville Forging Co. plant that might be built there. Town Council then voted unanimously for the rezoning from agricultural to industrial.
``Buchanan needs this,'' said Tom Middlecamp, who serves on both Town Council and the Planning Commission. ``If we don't take this, we'll live to regret it.''
Botetourt County applied for the rezoning on behalf of the Pennsylvania manufacturer of automotive and mining machinery parts.
Both votes followed a spirited public hearing during which state Sen. Malford ``Bo'' Trumbo, R-Fincastle, who also is the town attorney, told the crowd he understood Meadville had definitely decided on Buchanan, if the land could be rezoned and the state could provide substantial incentives.
But County Administrator Jerry Burgess said after the meeting that he could not confirm Trumbo's statement. Several other sites, including one in Pulaski County, are on Meadville's list, but Burgess said the rezoning was still an important move.
In the end, the sense that this was a chance to provide jobs for the youth of Buchanan carried the day.
``Most of the people opposing this are retired and have no need of jobs,'' said Isabelle Watts, a town resident who attended the meeting. ``It's time we gave the young people a chance.''
Councilman C.D. Barger said he was disturbed that negotiations with Meadville had gone on in private, and that the members of council - except Mayor Rex Kelly - learned of the deal from a newspaper story. But after a long pause, he voted for the rezoning.
Other opposition came from residents who said any building on the flood-prone lot would worsen flooding in neighboring areas.
``Can anybody in their right mind tell me this is a suitable site for anything?'' asked Clifford Hoppe, pointing at a photograph of the entire area under water during the flood of 1985.
The rezoning passed with several conditions, including that all building on the lot requires approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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