ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606250012
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: New River Journal
SOURCE: ELIZABETH OBENSHAIN
One of the most divisive debates in Montgomery County's recent history came to an end Monday with the Board of Supervisors' vote on the "smart" road.
The argument was so intense because it was so intensely personal - involving people's vision for their community.
Both sides believed they were arguing for the best quality of life, for the future soul of Blacksburg and Montgomery County.
One side envisioned a community where new high-tech jobs and wages would continue the area's growth and prosperity. The road also would tie the community more closely to Roanoke's population and services.
The other saw the very quality of life that drew them here endangered by a multimillion-dollar road that will plow through one of the county's scenic rural areas at a time when much of the county's farmland is sprouting crops of houses and hospitals.
The positive aspect of this divisive argument is that county residents have become part of a debate over issues such as land use and development that must be addressed if we care about the face of the future here.
Although opponents of the smart road wanted more hearings, the issue was argued at length before both the supervisors and highway officials and debated on the news and editorial pages of this newspaper. Most county residents had an opinion about this $103 million highway project.
With these arguments still sounding loud in our ears, this could be the time for the supervisors and county residents to address issues of open space, planning and development.
But these are not easy issues to resolve. Supervisor Joe Gorman, the swing man in a key vote against the smart road last fall, called the question of open space a "fearsome issue" in the county because of its perceived impact on landowner rights to develop property. He voted for the smart road this time.
Development - where and how it should take place throughout the county - needs to be addressed thoughtfully, rather than as brush fires.
Supervisor Jim Moore, who voted against the smart road both times, worries about the rapid loss of agricultural land. The recent debate highlighted this issue and the fact that the county has no way of protecting such land, even when it is in an agricultural and forestal district. The smart road is not the first time that farmland has been removed from such a conservation district for development.
The debate over the road also made clear the community's conflicting feelings about its major industry - Virginia Tech.
How should this 600-pound gorilla, the largest employer west of Richmond, use its huge economic potential and muscle in this community? The smart road fight was a big win, but also a humbling win for Virginia Tech, which saw a champion project scorned by many in its back yard.
Speakers on both sides of the issue at a Board of Supervisors meeting earlier this month had impressive arguments and credentials. The emotional price of this highway on those who live in its path was also a painful reminder that little progress comes without some human cost.
Let's hope this debate ends with a feeling of accomplishment on both sides - for smart road supporters, that they now have the chance to develop their highway and high-tech research. On the side for opponents, that they won significant public support to preserve this county's environment and balance the pace of development with a caution for the irreplaceable land that has made Montgomery County a place we care about so passionately.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 linesby CNB