ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 29, 1996 TAG: 9603290096
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
The Franklin County Board of Supervisors and the Rocky Mount Town Council reached an agreement Thursday night on an embattled road project that's traveled more miles than asphalt will ever cover.
And, with the cooperative juices flowing, the two bodies came to another agreement on a proposed community square project they hope will be the anchor for revitalization in downtown Rocky Mount.
The road project, which the jurisdictions began seriously discussing last year, involves the widening of State Street in front of the industrial park the town and county co-own. Two Franklin County companies - Fleetwood Homes and Mod-U-Kraf Homes, builders of manufactured housing - recently built expansions in the park, and company officials say the road improvements are needed to move their products out to U.S. 220.
The board voted 6-0 Thursday to give the town $277,000, half of the cost of widening and paving the road from North Main Street to the Fleetwood Homes driveway that exits onto Industrial Drive inside the park.
In two previous votes, the board voted to give the town $154,000 and then $172,000 for the two-phase project.
By agreeing to the $277,000 Thursday, the board is actually shelling out less cash up front than in the initial $154,000 plan. The town will get $132,000 from the county's share of Virginia Department of Transportation industrial access funds. The agreement calls for the town to secure state bond funds for the remainder when the second phase of the project begins later this year.
The county won't have to pay its bonded share until 1998 at the earliest, and it might not have to pay anything if new industry moves into the park and offsets the investment.
Asked if he's happy with what appears to be the supervisors' final decision, Town Manager Mark Henne said: "Well, at least now we can get on with this thing."
After voting to give the town the road money, the two bodies moved on to the community square project. The town and county agreed several months ago to develop a 5-acre tract in the middle of Rocky Mount.
A farmers' market will be built, but supervisors and council members agreed that the project should include more than the sale of produce.
Board Chairman Wayne Angell mentioned the Wal-Mart store being built a few miles away and the giant retail chain's reputation for closing down local mom-and-pop businesses.
"We've all seen areas dry up, and all you see is dirty plate-glass windows and spider webs," he said. "This can be the anchor for the retail center in town."
The supervisors then voted unanimously to fund their $100,000 share of the project on the condition that public input be sought to help mold the square's function.
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