ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, June 25, 1996 TAG: 9606250047
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Reporter's notebook
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY
Zoning isn't a particularly sexy issue on the surface but it can often elicit strong opinions and passions within a community. Such is the case with fraternity and sorority housing in Blacksburg.
Two weeks ago, Town Council delayed action on the comprehensive plan - an extensive document that has taken two years and countless public meetings to produce - because of concerns that the accompanying land-use map showed special Greek housing districts and that the plan contained certain language about fraternity and sorority housing.
Tonight Town Council again will take up the comprehensive plan - minus the references to Greek housing on the land-use map and with some revamped language in the text of the plan itself.
But the issue of Greek housing in Blacksburg is far from over. In fact, it's just starting to really heat up.
The town is considering a plan to create special districts - called Greek Housing Overlay Districts - where fraternities and sororities could legally exist within the town after applying for a special-use permit. The proposal is included in a rewrite of the town's zoning ordinance, another massive undertaking by the town that will be up for a Town Council vote in the fall.
A draft of this document, which contains far more than just plans for where to put Greek housing, has been completed and will be discussed by Town Council during a work session after tonight's regular meeting.
Right now, most of the fraternity and sorority houses in town fall under a grandfather clause - known in officialdom circles as "legal non-conforming" - that does not allow them to spend more than 10 percent of what the house is worth each year. Current zoning regulations also virtually stop more fraternities and sororities from moving into houses that have not previously been occupied by Greek organizations.
The special districts, which are being considered on Roanoke and Turner streets, would allow the existing Greek organizations in these areas to spend more money to fix up their houses if they apply for permits and follow certain rules and guidelines. Fraternities and sororities also would be able to move into the district with a special-use permit, which Town Council has the power to approve, reject and renew.
Members of Virginia Tech fraternities and sororities favor the zoning change and look at the proposal as a way for Greek organizations to improve their soiled reputation as troublemakers and partiers. Adele Schirmer, the town's planning and engineering director, has said the effort to push Greeks out of town through current zoning measures has failed and a new approach needs to be taken.
More than a few residents of downtown Blacksburg oppose the districts, especially the idea of a district on Roanoke Street. Some of these residents would rather see the town continue its push to move all 17 of the university-recognized Greek organizations in town back onto campus (Tech plans to add eight more on-campus Greek houses to the 10 that already exist).
Others believe there are other areas of town better suited for special Greek housing districts than Roanoke Street, which they believe could be revived into more of a mixed-use area.
A petition has been making its way around town for months against the rezoning of East Roanoke Street, "which might in any way encourage additional fraternities and sororities in this area."
Two advisory committees to Town Council - the Long Range Planning and Zoning Ordinance Rewrite committees - have been revamping the zoning ordinance for more than a year. Now that a draft of the rewritten zoning ordinance is complete, more debate about Greek housing in Blacksburg surely will follow.
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