ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, October 12, 1996 TAG: 9610140031
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
The New River Valley Regional Jail Authority spent more than two hours in closed session Friday discussing conditions under which additional localities can be added to the regional jail project.
Bland County has already been added to the founding localities, which include the city of Radford and counties of Pulaski, Giles and Grayson. But Bland's jail population is too small to affect existing construction plans for a 240-bed facility expandable to 400 beds.
But if the counties of Floyd, Wythe or Carroll were added, the architect would have to go back to the drawing board and that would cost money. The authority took no action on what amount or cost percentage would be required when it returned to open session.
Assistant Radford City Manager Bob Lloyd, authority chairman, said there are a lot of factors to consider in resolving the buy-in issue.
"It's not an easy one. It's very difficult. I don't know any way to make it easy," he said.
Floyd, Wythe and Carroll were all part of the regional jail project at some point, but each dropped out at different times. Now, there is some interest on rejoining because this is the last regional jail project in Virginia to qualify for 50 percent state construction funding, and because those localities are having problems with their own aging or overcrowded jails.
Thompson and Litton, the engineering and architectural firm hired by the authority, will begin the design process next month. Construction is scheduled to start next spring on a site in the Dublin Industrial Park in Pulaski County.
Zoning for that park does not provide for jails. A public hearing on adding that provision to the zoning regulations will be held at the next meeting of Dublin Town Council at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The hearing is expected to be a formality, because town officials have already agreed to change the zoning to allow the regional jail. The authority has already purchased the tract on which the jail is to be built.
Assistant Pulaski County Administrator Peter Huber, representing the authority, and architect Jack Murphy of Thompson & Litton will attend the hearing to answer any questions.
LENGTH: Short : 47 linesby CNB