ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 27, 1996 TAG: 9606270046
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY
Town Council on Tuesday night set a vision of this college town for years to come - passing a revamped version of Blacksburg's comprehensive plan. The vote came after more than two years of toil and countless meetings to gain public input.
A revised town zoning ordinance is expected to reach Town Council for consideration on Oct. 29. It is a companion document that implements the comprehensive plan.
The comprehensive plan maps out the town's vision for everything from community values to housing and transportation. The new plan was designed to be more detailed and easier to read than the current version.
The plan was up for a Town Council vote two weeks ago but was tabled to re-examine how Greek housing was referred to in the document. Special districts for Greek housing being considered in the rewritten zoning ordinance now fall under a category called "Special Housing," which includes fraternities and sororities, service clubs and other student organizations recognized by Virginia Tech.
The name was changed from "Greek Overlay Districts" to erase the impression that the districts would automatically become dominated by fraternity and sorority houses. All references to Greek overlay districts also were removed from the plan's accompanying land use map.
Further changes to the land-use map could be made while work continues on the revamped zoning ordinance. A draft of the ordinance has been completed and was reviewed by Town Council on Tuesday night during a work session.
The committee that is rewriting the town's zoning ordinance is scheduled to hold its final meeting on Aug. 29, following public meetings that will be held Aug. 26 and 28 in the Blacksburg Community Center.
The revamped ordinance contains many new zoning classifications, including those for the Tom's Creek Basin that require clustering of homes and open space provisions.
In other business, Town Council approved a request to rezone 5.42 acres on Harding Avenue from R-12 to Planned Development Residential for the continuation of an existing development. The request was delayed from the council's last meeting until concerns about entrances and exits to the development were addressed.
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