ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, July 17, 1996 TAG: 9607170040
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
FINCASTLE - The Botetourt Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to enter negotiations for the engineering of the 900-acre Greenfield project with a small Fincastle firm, despite a recommendation from a search committee to go with a company in Roanoke.
Engineering Concepts Inc., which has offices just a few blocks from Botetourt's government offices and whose president is a Botetourt native, was second on the short list of companies that submitted proposals. Roanoke's Mattern and Craig was first.
"I thought they were about even, or Engineering Concepts was a little better," said Amsterdam District Supervisor Robert E. Layman Jr., who was on the committee that reviewed the proposals.
"I just think they are right here ... and we ought to support local business," said John Shiflett, Buchanan District Supervisor.
The vote means county officials can now begin negotiating with Engineering Concepts President Hal Bailey to see if the two sides can agree on a price. The Botetourt Center at Greenfield will consist of an industrial park, office park, elementary school and recreation area.
County Attorney William "Buck" Heartwell warned that passing on Mattern and Craig might open the board up to litigation, but he would not elaborate.
Layman questioned Heartwell's admonition, asking what point there was to the vote if the board had to follow the recomendation.
Mattern and Craig Vice President Steward Hubbell, who had not been officially notified of the vote, said he will be disappointed if his firm is ultimately left out of the project, but "we wouldn't litigate on something like that anyway." |-Staff report John Norman in
Valley View closing
The John Norman men's and women's apparel store at Valley View Mall in Roanoke, a tenant since the mall opened in 1985, will close this summer.
Jeff Wendell, owner of Roanoke-based John Norman Inc., said the store's lease was about ready to expire, making this a good time to reevaluate the site.
"Our clientele has not really shopped over there the last few years," he said. "We just decided it was time to centralize in the area where our customer base is."
The John Norman stores at Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke County, which carries men's and women's clothing, and Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke, which sells women's apparel, will remain open. "We're going to be fine with those two locations," Wendell said. If the company does decide to expand, it will be out of the Roanoke area, he said.
Some of the Valley View store employees will transfer to the other two locations, he said.
The store will close when the merchandise is gone. The sale should take about six weeks, Wendell said. |-Staff report
Consumer hot line
back in service
The Division of Consumer Protection's toll-free complaint hot line, shut down last summer by the Allen administration, is back in service. The General Assembly in March restored funding for the consumer affairs office, part of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Hot line operators help consumers file complaints against Virginia businesses and provide information on topics such as travel clubs, contracts and charities. The hot line, (800) 552-9963, operates from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. |-Staff report
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