ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 9, 1996 TAG: 9607090034
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
Plans for a new pedestrian pathway in Blacksburg's downtown resemble a thread of yarn woven through an urban tapestry.
The idea is to stitch a walkway connecting the Huckleberry Trail's terminus at the renovated Blacksburg branch library with downtown Blacksburg and the Virginia Tech campus. And the goal is to build this "Bicentennial Greenway" in time for the town's 200th birthday in 1998.
Last month, Blacksburg Town Council approved a grant application asking the state to fund about one-third of this new project, estimated to cost a total of $323,706.
The downtown greenway exists only on maps at the Blacksburg Municipal Building. But Carol Bousquet, a senior planner with the town, says the project has received enough support from businesses and citizens to move forward.
"We want to celebrate the past and leave something as a gift to the community for the future," Bousquet said.
Designs call for the 0.6-mile path to wind along sidewalks, alleys and several back yards from the library north toward College Avenue. Along its course will be 16 thematic "squares" that will guide trail users and emphasize downtown's heritage.
Among the highlighted 16 squares will be buildings and locations such as Five Chimneys and the Thomas Conner house, the Farmer's Market and the Armory Art Gallery.
Sidewalks and street crossings on the route will be marked, and a crushed stone surface will underlay the off-street sections.
Generally, the path will be built to the Huckleberry Trail's specifications (8-feet wide with 2-foot shoulders), although its passageway will be a tighter fit in some areas. Town ordinances and safety considerations will prohibit bikers and skaters from using most of the new trail. It will be handicapped-accessible.
Bousquet said the town does not plan to acquire property for the off-street sections. Several easements to cross private land will have to be obtained, however.
At this point the town hasn't begun formally negotiating to obtain the easements, a legal agreement to cross private land without taking the property from the landowner.
Bousquet said she doesn't anticipate any roadblocks. "All property owners are aware and supportive of the greenway project," she said.
A number of letters of support from community organizations, businesses and Virginia Tech accompanied the grant application sent by Blacksburg to the state.
The notion of building a downtown pathway has been in the works for some time, Bousquet said. Now the project is assuming a higher priority with the town's bicentennial approaching.
Citizens had their first look at the as-yet-unnamed pathway project last month during a public comment session held at the Lyric Theater.
Now it's up to the Virginia Recreational Trails Fund to determine whether the pathway qualifies for all or part of the $91,575 grant Blacksburg has requested. Bousquet expects an answer by the end of this month.
The amount of state money awarded will dictate how rapidly the project progresses, she said.
The town has said it will cover the remaining cost of building the pathway, mostly through in-kind services. Blacksburg's Comprehensive Plan calls for $30,000 to be spent over the next three years to assemble the trail.
Eventually, the town plans to extend the trail from downtown to the Blacksburg Recreation Center. Bousquet said a specific route for that extension hasn't been determined.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Map by staff. color.by CNB