ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 1996 TAG: 9605080073
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRISTINA NUCKOLS STAFF WRITER
Al Hammond unfolded a picture of the Roanoke River winding its way through the Blue Ridge Mountains and pointed to a flat limestone rock on a hillside in the foreground.
"This is where I go to solve the problems of the world," he said.
Hammond hopes to open part of his 300-acre farm to others who want to solve a few problems of their own ... or at least catch a few fish.
His dream is to open a retreat center, geared for corporate training and team-building seminars, which would include fly-fishing and sport-shooting schools as well as canoeing and hiking.
Hammond's plans got an endorsement Tuesday from the Roanoke County Planning Commission, which forwarded the proposal to the Board of Supervisors for consideration May28.
Because the retreat center would charge fees for accommodations, Hammond wants to zone 88 acres of his East Roanoke County farm as a Planned Commercial Development.
The classification gives a developer flexibility to create his own master plan that governs all landscaping, layout and architectural aspects of the project. Terry Harrington, the county's director of planning and zoning, said the designation was created in 1992 to help address any future requests to develop large commercial projects, such as a mall. Instead, the first project being proposed for the classification will be largely farm and forest land.
Although the National Park Service declined to provide Hammond access from the Blue Ridge Parkway - an idea he dropped last year - federal officials did provide written comments approving the project as a compatible neighbor. The tract borders the parkway, but dense vegetation and rolling topography will shield buildings from motorists' view.
Vinton Commissioner Kyle Robinson said the project would be a tourist attraction and a recreational opportunity for local residents.
"It is in my back yard, and I'm looking forward to it," he said.
The first phase of the project calls for construction next year of three hand-hewn log cabins that would serve as three-bedroom lodgings and a combination meeting-and-school building. The final stage of development would add seven two-bedroom cabins. Once all cabins are ready, they could provide accommodations for up to 40 people, Hammond said.
He declined to give an estimate of the cost for the project.
Hammond has refused previous offers to sell his farm for other projects. It was considered for inclusion in Explore Park in 1985. In the early 1990s, it attracted the attention of the National Park Service, which wanted to make it part of the Roanoke River Parkway. County officials also eyed the property for a visitors center along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
If supervisors approve the proposal, Hammond said he could have classes started in the fly-fishing and sport-shooting schools by late summer. Groups already are waiting to sign up, he added. The remainder of his farm will continue to be used for farming and as forest land.
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