ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Tuesday, October 29, 1996              TAG: 9610290096
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-1  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER

SALEM'S OAKEY FIELD TO STAY GREEN CITY COUNCIL WITHDRAWS FROM DEAL TO TURN PARK INTO CAR LOT

Some have criticized Salem for having too many athletic fields - its $10million baseball stadium, $2.8million football stadium and enough seating capacity between the two to nearly fit the city's 25,000 population.

But when City Council went to vote Monday night on a deal that would turn a 6-acre youth baseball field on East Main Street into a used-car dealership, the council heard more opposition to that issue than 24-year council veteran Mayor Sonny Tarpley ever recalls.

Approximately 135 Salemites packed the 105-seat council chambers and then lined the walls. Twenty-five of them spoke during a two-hour public hearing to protest the sale of Oakey Field to Paul and Gary Duncan, a father-and-son partnership who wanted to build a high-inventory, no-haggle used-car dealership in the middle of what has become a haven for new- and used-carO dealers.

The Salemites opposed not only the loss of a place for their kids to play, but also the loss of a green space along the "gasoline alley" of Salem.

The protest was enough to turn around what a lot of residents considered to be a done deal.

Council unanimously voted to deny the rezoning, thus backing out of a sale it had authorized last month.

"I came here tonight wholeheartedly, I was going to rezone this property," Tarpley said. "I have a right to change my mind."

The controversy surrounding Oakey Field began after City Council in September authorized the city to sell the land to the Duncans for about $345,000.

Two weeks ago, the Planning Commission approved the city's request to rezone Oakey Field for the used-car dealership. Only three people showed up in opposition at that meeting.

Then after some publicity and rallying by civic leaders, Salem residents - mostly from North Salem - began lobbying council members with calls and letters.

Nearly an entire page in the weekly Salem Times-Register was filled with letters to the editor about the issue.

Despite the public outcry, Tarpley and councilmen Alex Brown and John Givens said Monday that they still favored approval of the rezoning. They believed the Duncans' proposal was the best use for the land.

Then came the emotional testimony at the council meeting.

"Quality of life is a thing we always have sold in Salem," Butch Johnson said. "People don't enjoy asphalt; they enjoy green space."

"We don't mind spending $10million on a baseball field that not one of [our children] can play on," said another resident. "And you're going to tell our kids that you're going to take a field away from them."

The public hearing drew current and former public officials.

Planning Commission member David Robbins, who voted against the rezoning two weeks ago, quoted state comprehensive plan guidelines to disprove council's notion that a business is the best use for the land.

Former Councilwoman Jane Hough reminded the council that the sale was not a done deal.

"It's never too late to change your mind if your mind is made up," she said.

Council members were defensive at first, arguing that the field wasn't big enough and in a dangerous location for children.

"I've yet to see a 9-year-old knock a ball over the fence yet," Steve Dixon said.

City officials also ran over a list of possible fields that could replace Oakey Field. But the North Salem residents said their children couldn't walk or ride their bikes to other fields.

"I'd flat-out rather pay taxes any time than to take this away from our kids," one resident said.

After vote to deny the rezoning, the approximately 135 residents gave the five-member council a standing ovation.

In other action, council appointed Jennifer Joiner to the Planning Commission to replace Martha Ratcliff, who resigned after moving from Salem.

LENGTH: Medium:   80 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  NHAT MEYER/Staff. It was standing - and sitting - room 
          only at Monday's Salem City Council meeting as residents showed up 
          to protest the prospective rezoning of Oakey Field for a used-car 
          lot.