Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 25, 1995 TAG: 9505250061
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Council probably would have though, and that's why Mike Gallimore, owner of the 35-year-old Pulaski company, decided not to go through with his request.
Gallimore complained Wednesday that his company is being discriminated against for "political" reasons, and said the application for a special-use permit was withdrawn Monday because "Blacksburg has 100 percent say-so about what goes on in the industrial park."
The plot of land that Gallimore wanted to build on actually lies within Montgomery County, which is where he submitted his application.
Earlier this month, however, Blacksburg Director of Planning and Engineering Adele Schirmer wrote a letter to Robinson Construction Co., one of the owners of the land. In it she said restrictive covenants that govern development in the Blacksburg Industrial Park extension - the portion which lies within the county - prohibited building a concrete plant.
Town Council, which met Tuesday, had on its consent agenda a resolution which would have opposed the building of the plant. Consent agendas are generally approved with little or no debate.
But the resolution was removed as a moot point once the company withdrew its application.
The plant, Gallimore said, would have cost $1 million to build and would have employed about 25 people. He said it would have been environmentally friendly and would not have produced the dirt, dust and noise associated with older concrete facilities.
Schirmer's letter said if enough park tenants supported the concrete plant proposal, the applicants could pursue an amendment to the covenants and the town would then further discuss the proposal.
Gallimore said he was in the process of soliciting signatures on a petition for such a move, but believed the town was still going to oppose his plan. So he withdrew the application.
"We're being discriminated against because of the type of business we're in," he said.
Blacksburg Town Manager Ron Secrist said, "the intent of the industrial park was to allow for light industry, clean industry, corporate headquarters. ..." He said the town had concerns about dust, noise, traffic and the general appearance of a concrete plant.
"I think it would have been the town's position not to concur" with the plan, Secrist said.
Gallimore said his company is looking at two other sites in the county and will probably submit an application to build a plant sometime in the next month.
"We just won't ask the town of Blacksburg," Gallimore said. "It just isn't wanted."
by CNB