Monday, May 03, 2010
Debate to continue over use of land at Mill Mountain's summit
The Roanoke City Council is moving forward with plans to place a conservation easement on Mill Mountain, but it left unanswered this morning the biggest question surrounding the process: Will the easement preclude commercial development of roughly six acres on the mountain's summit?
That key piece of land has been the focus of an intensive and divisive debate since 2007, when Valley Forward, a group of young professionals, proposed to build a restaurant, community center and coffee shop there. The project, called Rockledge, drew accolades from those who viewed it as a way to draw visitors off the Blue Ridge Parkway, but opponents said it would ruin views of the mountain.
Inclusion of the land in the conservation easement could prohibit development such as the Rockledge proposal or other ones.
Council members hedged this morning on the question of whether to include the portion of land at the summit, opting instead to include two options in a proposal that will go to a public hearing on June 21.
The council's discussion of the issue, however, offered a thumbnail portrait of the greater debate over the site.
Councilman Court Rosen said he thought the summit land should be left out of the easement. That route would allow the rest of the easement to be written more restrictively, but also leave that portion of land available for future development.
"I don't want people to construe this as, 'Let's build this thing today,' " Rosen said, adding that he wanted to leave the option open for future councils.
Mayor David Bowers, however, disagreed with Rosen's suggestion. Bowers, who ran his 2008 mayoral campaign on a platform that included opposition to the Rockledge proposal, instead preferred an easement that would include the site, helping to restrict development.
The council did agree on other areas that should be in the easement, including a southern line that would allow Mill Mountain Zoo to expand and a northern boundary that would edge right up to the walkway that runs between the mountain's two overlooks.
That key piece of land has been the focus of an intensive and divisive debate since 2007, when Valley Forward, a group of young professionals, proposed to build a restaurant, community center and coffee shop there. The project, called Rockledge, drew accolades from those who viewed it as a way to draw visitors off the Blue Ridge Parkway, but opponents said it would ruin views of the mountain.
Inclusion of the land in the conservation easement could prohibit development such as the Rockledge proposal or other ones.
Council members hedged this morning on the question of whether to include the portion of land at the summit, opting instead to include two options in a proposal that will go to a public hearing on June 21.
The council's discussion of the issue, however, offered a thumbnail portrait of the greater debate over the site.
Councilman Court Rosen said he thought the summit land should be left out of the easement. That route would allow the rest of the easement to be written more restrictively, but also leave that portion of land available for future development.
"I don't want people to construe this as, 'Let's build this thing today,' " Rosen said, adding that he wanted to leave the option open for future councils.
Mayor David Bowers, however, disagreed with Rosen's suggestion. Bowers, who ran his 2008 mayoral campaign on a platform that included opposition to the Rockledge proposal, instead preferred an easement that would include the site, helping to restrict development.
The council did agree on other areas that should be in the easement, including a southern line that would allow Mill Mountain Zoo to expand and a northern boundary that would edge right up to the walkway that runs between the mountain's two overlooks.
