ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 17, 1997 TAG: 9704170039
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: TOM ANGLEBERGER THE ROANOKE TIMES
Area businesses raised concerns of odor, rats and traffic.
In the center of the town's retail district, the plans of a refuse hauler collided with those of retailers. The retailers won.
Representatives from Lowe's, Grand Piano and Wade's Supermarkets argued against a proposal that would have allowed Bob's Refuse to build a trash transfer station behind their properties near the Marketplace Shopping Center.
The potential odor, traffic and rats would be detrimental to the shopping center, they said. Although a proponent of the trash transfer center said these would not be problems, Christiansburg Town Council sided with the retailers.
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, council rejected a request for a permit to build the facility.
Developer Bill Matthews argued that the trash transfer station would be clean, neat and shielded from view. Matthews was representing his son, Phillip Matthews, the owner of the land, and Bob Underwood, the owner of Bob's Refuse.
Underwood "is really looking to do a model operation, one that would stand out in every way," Matthews said.
Matthews explained that trucks would bring garbage into the buildings, where it would be transferred to tractor-trailers. "It is totally inside a building. There will be no odor. [Garbage] will be washed and gone." He also said existing and proposed barriers would block the station from view.
But representatives from Lowe's, Grand Piano and Wade's Supermarkets did not agree.
Lowell Wade, part owner of Wade's Supermarkets, was the plan's most vocal opponent. He agreed that Underwood runs a clean business, but said such a business was not appropriate for the site.
The trash transfer station would have adjoined a vacant lot owned by Wade's Supermarkets. The company had once planned to build a supermarket there, but the land is now for sale.
Wade and the other business representatives said they were concerned about plans to drive the garbage trucks through the parking lots.
Matthews argued that the added traffic would be nothing compared to the traffic already there.
He also tried to allay fears about rodents. He said the trash transfer building would be cleaned every night and that any rat that made its way inside would end up in a landfill.
After the two sides had made their cases, the Planning Commission met and recommended denial of the conditional-use permit. Council then voted to follow this recommendation.
In other business, council granted a permit for a house to be torn down at 5 Depot St. and a single-family dwelling to be built at the site. They denied a request to place a mobile home at 104 Chapel St., however they did approve a single-family dwelling at that address. The requests were made by Theodore Carr, owner of a mobile home park in that area.
Council has set a public hearing for May 20 to discuss a request for a home occupation permit for 1135 Hans Meadow Road.
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