Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 18, 1993 TAG: 9303180530
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NANCY BELL STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ENGINEER'S REPORT DETAILS MIDWAY WATER PROBLEMS
At least 50 homes in the Midway neighborhood of Vinton flood frequently because of overflow from Tinker and Glade creeks. Raw sewage also has been found seeping out of inadequate sewer lines, according to a report Vinton Town Council received Tuesday.The report was given by Jim Jones of Mattern & Craig, the engineering consulting company hired to help the town apply for a $1.25 million federal grant to correct water and sewer problems in Midway.
The report also said the neighborhood doesn't have an operable storm water drainage system, and manholes are clogged with mud and debris. Fire hydrants, according to the report, lack enough pressure to ensure safety.
One neighbor's shower is likely to cost another his water because of low pressure, Jones said.
If the Community Development Block Grant, for which the application was filed March 12, is approved, eight Tinker Avenue houses will be demolished, and 10 other houses in the neighborhood will be rehabilitated. Midway's outdated water and sewer lines also will be replaced, and some storm water drainage improvements will be made.
"Much more needs to be done in Midway then we are applying for in this grant," Jones said.
The neighborhood, he said, needs major storm water management assistance. He encouraged town staff to apply for other grants to address the problem.
The Midway project is being compared by consultants and town staff to a 1987 project in nearby Gladetown, which, Jones said, gave the neighborhood "a complete new start."
Vinton officials will learn this summer whether or not the Midway project has been funded.
In other action:
Council passed a declaration of local emergency so the town can get blizzard-related assistance from the state. Mayor Charles Hill said Gov. Douglas Wilder has asked localities for the declarations so Virginia could become eligible for federal funds to pay for damages and cleanup from the recent heavy snowfall.
Council officially appointed B. Clayton Goodman III, city manager of Buena Vista, as Vinton's new town manager. He will start work April 8.
Council deferred action on a revised sign ordinance after several council members objected to increased sign dimensions.
Angela McPeak, station manager for the new Government and Educational Access Channel, told council that local governments are not using television to its full potential. The new channel offers live "cablecasts" of municipal meetings and in-service training programs for fire, rescue and police personnel, she said.