ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 4, 1996 TAG: 9612040066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRISTINA NUCKOLS STAFF WRITER
RUTROUGH ROAD RESIDENTS want the Blue Ridge Parkway access road to stay open, permanently.
Residents of a Rutrough Road subdivision have become accustomed over the past two years to using the Blue Ridge Parkway as a shortcut to Vinton and U.S. 220.
But the exit off the parkway to Rutrough Road, constructed in 1994 as a temporary access to Explore Park, is scheduled to close next year with the opening of the Roanoke River Parkway.
Charles Greer, a resident of Mayflower Hills subdivision, brought a petition with 800 signatures Tuesday as he tried to enlist the support of the Roanoke County supervisors for keeping the connection open.
Greer, a security worker at Explore, said he has support not only from his subdivision but also residents of Garden City, Mount Pleasant and Vinton.
Gene Wagner, a former fire chief at Mount Pleasant, said the parkway connection allows fire and rescue crews to reach Vinton in nine minutes, whereas it would take about 25 if emergency vehicles had to travel through Roanoke to get to the town. Mount Pleasant serves as a backup to assist Vinton crews during emergencies.
"I see absolutely no reason to close it," he said of the Rutrough Road exit.
Mike Stovall, the Vinton area's representative on the Roanoke County School Board, said the parkway is used by many students going to and from William Byrd High School, although he said no school buses travel that route.
"The bottom line is, it's convenient," he said.
Gary Johnson, director of planning for the Blue Ridge Parkway, said the National Park Service opposes keeping the connection open because it would likely result in a flood of other new access road requests along the parkway. He noted that park service officials made their position clear as early as 1989, and they also made the closing a condition of getting the connection in the first place.
Supervisors asked for more information comparing emergency response times over the past two years with those before the connector road was open. County Administrator Elmer Hodge said he would return with a report at the board's Jan. 14 meeting.
If the board decides to vote on the issue, all it can do is ask federal officials to consider keeping it open. Even with park service support the road could not be kept open without an act of Congress.
Supervisors Harry Nickens of the Vinton District and Fuzzy Minnix of the Cave Spring District indicated sympathy with the residents of Rutrough Road. Minnix noted, however, that residents originally opposed the connector road as part of their fight against Explore Park.
Before Tuesday's meeting, Greer said the Rutrough Road residents are receiving help from Rep. Robert Goodlatte, R-Roanoke.
Doug Clark, a spokesman for Goodlatte, said the congressman is encouraging park service officials to talk with local residents about the issue. Clark also said Goodlatte is seeking information from local emergency rescue officials on whether the connection is needed for fire and ambulance access and would be watching to see what stance supervisors would take on the issue.
Clark declined to say whether Goodlatte actually favors keeping the connection open.
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