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

DATE: TUESDAY, March 15, 1994                   TAG: 9403150127
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

VOTERS TO DECIDE ON NEW STADIUM FOR BUCCANEERS

A referendum will be held sometime this summer to gauge support for building a stadium for the Salem Buccaneers.

City Council unanimously approved holding a special election to ask voters whether they want the city to build a stadium that could cost no more than $5 million and require no tax increase. Such referendums are advisory only, and council would still have to vote on the construction.

Remembering the public criticism when the city's football stadium was built, Councilman Sonny Tarpley suggested that council defer to the voters on a baseball park, although he said everyone he talks to supports it.

But he wants a public vote on it because, unlike other sports facilities council has approved, "This stadium our kids would not be playing in. We'd be building it for [a minor league team]."

The state board of elections has told the city it cannot hold the referendum before July 19. And because of state laws limiting how close to elections referendums can be held, the question must be put to voters before Sept. 1.

Major League baseball has said the city's existing Municipal Field cannot be used beyond this season because it doesn't meet the standards for minor league play, which earlier this year threw into question whether the team would stay in Salem. But a summer referendum could mean construction - if approved - would not be complete until well into next year's season.

But Tarpley said he thinks baseball officials would extend Municipal Field's lifespan while the city built a park on land it owns near the Salem Civic Center.

"If we have bulldozers going over there to build them a nice new stadium, I think they'd give us time to build it," he said.

Indeed, other teams have switched stadiums mid-season because of construction. The Durham Bulls - in the same Carolina League with the Bucs - are opening the season in their old home, the Durham Athletic Park, because their new stadium won't be ready until later in the summer.

Bucs team owner Kelvin Bowles planned to sell the Pittsburgh farm team this winter, but the city council refused to transfer the lease on Municipal Field to the prospective buyer. Council members said they didn't want to consider a new owner until they looked at the budget in May to see if they could afford a new stadium. There was also some concern that the buyer, sports psychologist Eric Margenau, might take the team out of town.

Without a field for the Bucs to play on if the team were sold, the Carolina League voted down the sale. Bowles then said he would keep the team. He could not be reached for comment Monday night.

Council members will vote on the wording of the referendum question at their next meeting. Then, because of state and federal laws, the question must be approved by a circuit court judge and the U.S. Justice Department.

This will be Salem's first referendum in 30 years. A committee appointed by council two years ago to look at referendums recommended that they only be held on matters involving recreational facilities.