Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 28, 1990 TAG: 9003280583
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: MARK LAYMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The same three-person majority on the board that proposed the changes this month authorized Robers on Tuesday to meet with Vice Mayor Beverly Fitzpatrick and Councilman Howard Musser. Robers is to report back to the board within two weeks.
The timing is important because some of the changes proposed by the county might have to be approved by the General Assembly, which will have a one-day session in mid-April.
Robers said Del. Clifton A. "Chip" Woodrum of Roanoke has agreed to submit to the legislature any changes agreed to by the city and the county.
But Supervisor Harry Nickens - who, along with Supervisor Bob Johnson, has opposed efforts to change the consolidation plan - said he would tell local legislators that it would be "most distasteful and inappropriate" to ask the General Assembly and the governor to approve any changes.
Johnson asked Robers what he would do if the city asked for changes in the plan, too - a possibility he said was "pure conjecture."
"It's too early . . . to know what, if anything, they'll propose," Robers replied.
The changes proposed by Robers and Supervisors Steve McGraw and Lee Eddy would give the city and the county equal representation on the Roanoke Metropolitan Government's school board, would give more Catawba Magisterial District residents the chance to become part of Salem if the plan is approved and would include parts of the county in the new government's "urban" service and tax district.
Those changes, they say, would improve the plan's chances of passing in the county when it's put to a vote in November.
Fitzpatrick and Musser were on the city's consolidation negotiating team. In a letter to Robers, they said they were "somewhat surprised" to learn of the proposed changes "after more than a year of negotiations and approval of the consolidation agreement by the two governing bodies."
But, their letter continued, "As a courtesy to you . . . we will be pleased to consider each of your suggestions on its own merits."
They suggested meeting with the county's consolidation negotiating team - Johnson and Nickens. Because Johnson and Nickens oppose the changes, though, the other supervisors thought it best to let Robers meet with the city.
Also on Tuesday:
Robers and Johnson agreed to meet with county school administrators to look for more ways to reduce costs in next year's school budget.
The proposed 1990-1991 school budget the supervisors saw in a work session last week was $237,000 in the red. But school administrators have suggested cuts that would result in a balanced budget - and allow the hiring of eight teacher aides.
The supervisors want school administrators to look for additional ways to save money, such as by combining their finance department with the county's.
The supervisors approved rezoning a 35-acre tract off Plantation Road near Interstate 81 from R-1, residential, to B-2, general commercial. The tract is owned by the Household of Faith church, which wants to sell at least part of it.
The rezoning is part of the county's effort to increase its inventory of potential industrial and commercial sites.
A public hearing on an industrial rezoning request off West Ruritan Road was postponed until May 22.
Tim Gubala, the county's economic development director, asked for the delay to give him and the owner of the land, Fralin & Waldron Inc., more time to try to ease nearby residents' objections. It was the second time the vote had been delayed.
This is another of the county's industrial and commercial "land-banking" rezonings.
The 54-acre tract is next to Roanoke's Centre for Industry and Technology. But it is bounded on three sides by houses.
The Planning Commission recommended unanimously in February that the rezoning be denied.
by CNB