ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 4, 1997 TAG: 9702040115
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
Three major jurisdictions in the Roanoke Valley have given thumbs-up to greenways recently, signals that the Roanoke Valley may be moving ahead on developing a network of linear parks and trails.
The latest movement came Monday when Roanoke City Council referred a greenways plan to the city Planning Commission and agreed to consider funding a greenways coordinator's position for at least one more year.
Meanwhile, government attorneys in Salem, Roanoke and Roanoke County are ironing out the kinks in legislation that would establish a permanent, 12-member greenways commission with members appointed from those jurisdictions and the Town of Vinton.
The progress comes on the heels of a series of public hearings and meetings in recent days during which citizens have emphasized that greenways should be a priority among capital improvements:
* On Jan. 13 during a capital improvements hearing at the Roanoke Civic Center, greenways was among the top priorities of dozens of city residents who turned out to lobby for public works projects
* On January 27, the Roanoke Valley Bikeways plan was unveiled at Roanoke County's main library branch on Virginia 419. It and greenways got high marks from citizens who showed up.
* Greenways were one of the most often cited components in "quality of life" in a visioning session the city held Saturday morning at the Jefferson Center.
"It's amazing the interest the citizens of this valley have in this project," Roanoke Councilman Carroll Swain said on Monday.
"I hope when the Planning Commission returns its recommendations, we return to the area of financing," Councilman Jim Trout said. "This is a paramount project. We're light years behind Maryland, North Carolina and other places. If we're going to catch up, we're going to have to pay the price."
The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors approved the conceptual greenways plan last week and endorsed the idea of the commission. Salem City Council did the same. Both panels deferred the question of funding for a coordinator's position to budget study.
The cost of the position is $60,000, including a $27,500 annual salary for coordinator Elizabeth Belcher. The other expenses include fringe benefits, overhead, staff support from the Fifth Planning District Commission and printing, mailing, and other costs.
Based on share prorated on population, Roanoke would pay $28,800 of the total; the county would pay $21,600; Salem would pay $7,200 and Vinton would pay $2,400.
Roanoke Vice Mayor Linda Wyatt used the talk about greenways to chide pro-greenways council members who only two weeks ago supported cutting the city's real estate tax rate.
"You can't write checks on money that doesn't exist," Wyatt said. "When we start cutting the tax rate and we start cutting revenues, new projects such as greenways are put more and more at risk."
Mayor David Bowers joined in the chiding, noting that Wyatt and some other council members had already passed up a chance for some greenways funding. He was referring to council's decision last year not to sell a corridor in the Carvins Cove watershed for a permanent Appalachian Trail easement.
"A proposal was before you in the last six months that would have put about $500,000 toward greenways and it was rejected," Bowers said.
In other action Monday, council approved a $2.5 million flood reduction project in Southeast Roanoke's Garden City. Using $2 million from the federal government and $500,000 in city funds, the city hopes to purchase more than 40 flood-prone homes that were damaged by a flood in June 1995.
Homeowners are not required to sell but may if they wish, Public Works Director William Clark said.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 linesby CNB