ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, August 22, 1996 TAG: 9608220047
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
A boom in commercial and residential development in East Salem has prompted the city to consider building water tanks to store an additional 2 million gallons of water.
A report from the city's water department and an independent consultant indicates that the two 500,000-gallon tanks now in East Salem will not be enough to provide for the new development, which includes two hotels being built on Virginia 419 near the Lewis-Gale Medical Center, new industrial sites along Apperson Drive, an expansion of the Yokahama Tire Corp. and a future 98-unit apartment complex off Lynchburg Turnpike.
A preliminary report said the city may need only 1 million additional gallons of water, but the more recent forecast doubled that figure.
"As far as we're informed, we don't have a real crisis there," said Mayor Sonny Tarpley. But he said the need will progress as development is completed. Tarpley said new water towers most likely will not be budgeted until next year.
The city has a list of potential capital improvement projects and is trying to decide which are the most important. Eventually, this list will be filtered into an updated five-year capital projects plan.
Some projects could be paid for by $2 million that was unassigned from a $9.9 million 1995 bond issue for school projects, said Assistant City Manager Forest Jones. Projects that could be funded by that money include a recreation center proposed by Vice Mayor Alex Brown and Councilman Harry Haskins, additional school projects or an elevator to provide handicapped access to the sky box at the city's football stadium. The renovation of the former Roanoke County Health Department building is also a consideration. Salem's school administration offices will be moved into that building.
LENGTH: Short : 39 linesby CNB