ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 18, 1996 TAG: 9604180032
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-9 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
The town of Pulaski will seek grants totaling $29,000 to find out if an 88-acre tract behind the Renfro Corp. and Long Airdox plants can be developed s an industrial park.
Town Council voted Tuesday night to seek a $25,000 Community Development Block Grant for an industrial site feasibility study on property known as the Booth farm.
Another $4,000 would come in matching funds from the Virginia Department of Economic Development if the block grant is approved.
Barry Matherly, the town's economic development director, said the owners of the property have given permission for soil borings, topography surveys and any other work necessary to determine whether the site can support industrial buildings.
Council also approved a request from Renfro to rezone 5.3 acres on Bob White Boulevard from B-1 (local business) to M-2 (general industrial) to allow for a 50,000-square-foot plant expansion. About 300 feet of the expansion would be in the area formerly zoned B-1.
Councilwoman Alma Holston asked the ordinance committee to study the feasibility of consolidating the town's two monthly meetings into one. She said a number of citizens had made that suggestion, along with having each council committee meet once a month.
Council currently meets at 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month (but will not do so next month because that meeting would fall on Election Day) and 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday.
Mayor Andy Graham thought there was more than enough municipal business to justify two monthly meetings, but said it should be up to the council seated in June after the May 7 election. Vice Mayor Rocky Schrader said the afternoon and evening meetings had been scheduled to accommodate different work shifts of people who might want to attend.
The town charter requires only one monthly meeting, although the town code spells out two meetings per month.
Holston checked Wednesday by telephone with the Virginia Municipal League office in Richmond, and learned that most city and town councils in the state meet only once a month.
LENGTH: Short : 47 linesby CNB