ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 1, 1996 TAG: 9605010059
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRISTINA NUCKOLS STAFF WRITER
With Glenvar civic leagues organizing a vote on whether to seek voluntary annexation by Salem, Roanoke County supervisors have tabled a controversial proposal to turn a 460-acre farm into an industrial site.
Catawba Supervisor Spike Harrison said supervisors discussed "how to handle backing off" from the Glenn-Mary farm proposal during a closed meeting April 16. Afterward, he notified leaders of civic leagues in the district, but no public announcement was made.
The farm was one of 40 properties identified last summer by the county's Industrial Development Authority as potential industrial sites. The intention was to rezone the sites for industrial use to attract new businesses to the county and prevent residential developers from grabbing the land first.
The farm is now zoned for residential use and abuts a residential development off Glenvar Heights Road. Nearly 300 Glenvar residents attended a March meeting, organized by county officials, to oppose a change in the zoning classification. Speakers said the county's plans would threaten their quality of life and property values.
Harrison said supervisors are not reacting to activities in his district aimed at organizing a voluntary annexation campaign. However, he said he was aware that several Glenvar residents have approached Salem officials about the subject. That group has been led by Charles Landis, whose land adjoins the Glenn-Mary farm.
Salem City Manager Randy Smith said three or four Glenvar residents have formally inquired about a citizen-petitioned annexation by Salem. The city attorney has directed Salem officials not to discuss the matter with the residents, but instead to suggest they contact a lawyer.
Talking to the residents about annexation "taints a citizen-petitioned annexation," Smith said.
The district's nine civic leagues are polling their members to see whether they want to proceed with distributing petitions to request annexation. The executive committee of the Catawba Coalition of Civic Leagues, an umbrella organization, will vote on the issue at its May 20 meeting.
Harrison played down the upcoming vote, noting that Glenvar residents previously have raised and dropped the idea of an annexation in response to the location of both the landfill and the Spring Hollow Reservoir in their district.
"That's an every-few-years-it-comes-around sort of thing," he said. "Generally, there's enough credence to pay attention to it, but ... I don't think it's enough to make us bury our heads in the sand."
Harrison said supervisors were primarily reacting to traditional zoning issues when they shelved the Glenn-Mary plan.
"It was on the wrong side of the interstate, it was not contiguous with other industrially zoned property, and it was not consistent," he said.
Harrison added that Salem businessman Glenn Thornhill Jr., who administers the partnership that owns the Glenvar farm, wanted too much money for the property, although the supervisor said no specific price tag has been discussed.
"He's already made it clear his price is something that will make us swallow hard," Harrison said.
Thornhill said county officials have not asked him about purchasing the land, which he said has never been up for sale. The 460 acres are assessed at $510,000, with an additional $133,100 for three houses and several farm buildings on the tract.
David Shelor, whose property abuts the farm, believes the annexation issue did have a role in the supervisors' decision, but he's not comfortable with a verbal assurance that the county is backing off.
"Putting something on the shelf ... That has no merit, because at any point in time, they can re-enact it," he said.
Glenvar leaders have varying interpretations of the supervisors' decision.
"We're assuming that it's pretty much of a dead issue," said Bob Crouse, president of the civic league coalition.
Landis said he was told the project was "on hold."
Harrison said the latter explanation is more accurate.
"It has been tabled, if you will," he said. "I would be probably in error to say it was totally scrapped."
Landis said he, too, would like supervisors to take official action, but he expressed pleasure in last week's decision. Nevertheless, whether they intended to or not, Landis said, the supervisors' decision may not derail the annexation movement.
"At this point, [annexation proponents] are very serious, and it's not because of any one particular issue," he said.
County Administrator Elmer Hodge said supervisors have instructed him to study infrastructure needs for the farm. The land is not served by public water or sewer and is on U.S. 11/460, a heavily traveled highway that has a stretch of two-lane road between the Dixie Caverns and Wildwood Road exits off Interstate 81.
Hodge said he will return to the board with a report on those issues within a month.
Landis said area residents realize the farm will not remain undeveloped for long and could support an upscale residential subdivision. However, all sides agree that its industrial potential could resurface before a final decision is made.
Staff writer S.D. Harrington contributed to this story.
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