
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 8, 1990                   TAG: 9006080167
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHRISTINA A. SAMUELS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

DOWNTOWN ROANOKE NAMES MARKET PANEL

Downtown Roanoke Inc. has named a new standing committee for the City Market area, marking the full merger of former members of the Market's own merchants' association with the downtown group.

Wednesday's meeting was Downtown Roanoke's first since the merger. Members made board and committee assignments and discussed concerns about the downtown area.

Under the terms of the merger, which was effective May 1, the eight-member committee was elected from among former members of the Roanoke Area Market Association. At least three of the members of the new committee must be farmers.

Elected were Ezra Wertz, Paul Grizo and Tommy Guthrie, all farmers; Jeff Winslow, 309 First Street Restaurant; David Bora, Quality Produce; Ken Rattenbury, Fret Mill Music, and Ted Moomaw, World Travel Service Inc.

The eighth member of the committee, Peggy Speigel of For The Birds Inc., was a member of the board of Downtown Roanoke before the merger and had an automatic position on the committee.

Three of the committee members will be on the board of directors of Downtown Roanoke.

The representatives from the Market-area businesses also discussed ways to improve parking and pedestrian safety, repairs to Kirk Avenue and drainage problems on Campbell Avenue.

To help with the parking problem, Downtown Roanoke plans to print brochures indicating downtown parking locations, rates and number of spaces. The brochures will be distributed in downtown businesses and public offices.

The safety of those who walk in the market area was discussed.

"We need to introduce pedestrian safety as an issue," Moomaw said. "We run a significant risk of being hit by an automobile or a bus, crossing Campbell Avenue."

Suggestions included assigning crossing guards at peak pedestrian times and asking police to monitor speeding on Campbell Avenue.

The drainage problem on Campbell Avenue was a concern of Winslow's. Franklin D. Kimbrough, executive director of Downtown Roanoke, said the city soon will begin a modification of the drain system that should eliminate some of the problems.

Moomaw suggested the street be barricaded when it floods so vehicles driving by will not splash water on the storefronts.

by CNB