ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 13, 1996 TAG: 9602130077
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: What's on your mind?
SOURCE: RAY REED
A reader, J.P.F. of Roanoke, offered an idea for more power in snowplowing after last Tuesday's column item about V-shaped plows capable of clearing two lanes at once.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said it has few trucks big enough to mount a really big plow. J.P.F responded with this suggestion:
"There are hundreds of semi-tractors that could be contracted to install the necessary fittings for the [large] blades and to plow the roads when necessary.''
VDOT's maintenance engineers discussed the idea and concluded, once again, that Virginia can't expect enough deep snowfalls to justify the expense and storage of big blades and the outfitting of private vehicles to mount them.
Also, they said, a two-lane plow on the interstate could be a slow-moving roadblock, throwing impassable streams of snow and slush off both sides.
Just to check out VDOT's argument that really big snowplows would spend most winters in the storage shed, here's a look at some of our snowy past:
This winter is starting to rival 1959-60, when 62.7 inches of snow fell in Roanoke. Another 11 inches of snow this season would erase that all-time high.
Roanoke got most of its snow this winter in three memorable blasts: Dec. 7, 10 inches; Jan. 6-7, 23 inches; and Feb. 2, 11 inches.
We have to look a long way back to find a winter with three snows of 10 inches or more.
Even the winter of 1986-87, Roanoke's second-deepest snow season at 56 inches, had its biggest snowfalls of 11 inches (twice) and at 9 inches (once).
The Blizzard of '93 rocked us with 16 inches in Roanoke and 32 in Blacksburg, but no other significant snowfalls occurred that winter.
The conclusion: It is hard to justify buying a pile of snow-removing hardware on the basis of one hard winter, even if it's the shut-everything-down kind not seen here since 1960.
On the other hand, let's hope there is a less costly way of getting schools back in session without waiting for warm weather.
Satellite dish rules|
Q: What ordinances and restrictions in Roanoke apply to satellite dishes, from big ones to little ones?| |N.N., Roanoke A: The only zoning regulations on satellite dishes apply to those 12 feet and larger. With today's 18-inch dishes, it's unlikely anyone is installing a monster dish in a residential area.
But for the big ones, presumably installed years ago, the city requires setbacks and visual screens.
The dish must be at least 30 feet from the front property line, and 15 feet from the side boundary if it's a corner lot. On all lots, the dish should be at least 5 feet from a neighbor's property.
The code requires that 12-foot dishes be screened from view, but the screen can't exceed the city's 8-foot height limit for fences.
Because the small dishes usually are mounted on existing structures, such as the house roof, it's unlikely they would encroach on a property line.
Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118, or e-mail RoatimesInfi.Net. Maybe we can find the answer.
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