ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 24, 1996 TAG: 9604240074
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
Town Council will almost certainly delay its decision on the proposed recreation center until after the May 7 council elections, in the wake of vocal citizen demand Monday that a swimming pool be added to the project.
Council members at a Monday work session said they would consider cost estimates for a pool.
Eleven residents, including four candidates for council, spoke in favor of a pool. All eight council candidates were at the meeting, either on council, on the recreation advisory committee or in the audience.
Some speakers proposed a look at an indoor pool, while others asked about constructing a separate aquatics building on the Lowe's site.
"There is ample space on the site for a pool" in a separate building, said Bob Oliver, a partner with the Blacksburg engineering and architectural firm of Mill, Oliver & Webb, which drew up the plans. "To me this is the obvious place to look at."
One person spoke against the idea of replacing two of four proposed basketball courts in the current plan with an indoor pool.
"If we build a building with two basketball courts in it, we're no better off than we are now," said Mike Barber. "If you cut it down to two basketball courts, you're defeating your purpose."
A pool is in phase three of the town's 10-year recreation plan. Many of the residents who spoke Monday want it moved up in the schedule.
The town's recreation program has grown dramatically in recent years, and facilities have not kept pace. The town uses school facilities for programs and play, but school activities have priority, meaning town recreation users sometimes have limited opportunities.
The town formed the recreation advisory committee to recommend what to do. The committee suggested building a new recreation center on Depot Street, but in a surprise move a year ago, council bought the vacated Lowe's building on North Franklin Street for $1.4 million.
That plan was dealt a blow in January when a record snowfall collapsed the roof.
Now, some people are saying that event may have been a blessing, because it allowed the town to redraw its plans for the recreation center. The town now plans to raze the Lowe's building and build the recreation center using only the original building's concrete floor slab.
The new plans have four basketball courts instead of the previous three, because roof support beams no longer will be in the way. The new plans also have two racquetball courts, instead of the original one, and two game rooms, instead of one.
But the new plans do not have a pool, which brought out about 25 people to the work session Monday.
LENGTH: Medium: 55 linesby CNB