Thursday, May 29, 2003
Town considers managing old school as community center
Blacksburg is working toward a deal to turn the old Blacksburg Middle School into a "community resource center."
No agreement has been reached with Montgomery County Schools, but strong interest from New River Community College makes the concept appear feasible.
The college is interested in renting as many as 10 classrooms. Other rooms, including the gym, auditorium, classrooms and storage areas, would be rented to local - probably nonprofit - groups.
Town Manager Gary Huff said the town's role would be that of middleman. "I think we want to do it," said Councilman Tom Sherman, during a work session at Tuesday night's council meeting.
If the plan is approved, the town would take over the maintenance, supervision and utility costs for the building, hopefully recouping these by renting out the space.
Any such deal would only be temporary - lasting perhaps 10 years - because the school system says it may want the building back some day. The town would control the main building but not the sixth-grade wing or the athletic fields.
Before agreeing to the deal, the town wants to find out if enough groups are interested inrenting space to make it work. In the past, theater, music and religious groups have shown interest. The town hopes to hear from more before committing to the deal.
"We have to break even," Huff said.
"We want a break-even proposition also," said school board member Wat Hopkins.
The 1954 building was vacated in 2002 when students moved to a new middle school on Prices Fork Road.
In other business, the council heard from residents and staff on the need for a Toms Creek sewer project. Although a debate about the project has been brewing for years, town staff said it's important to make a decision now because the choice will affect sewer systems throughout northern Blacksburg.
Town staff's two suggestions - an $11 million sewer network running through the Toms Creek Basin or a $5.9 million upgrade to existing lines - do not include the decentralized sewer concept favored by the Toms Creek Sewerage Options Working Group.
Town staff says something must be done to reduce flow on the town's system, parts of which are already full. Some residents say the Toms Creek plans would harm the environment, including the new Brown Farm park.
The debate is sure to continue generating controversy as the council moves toward a July 8 decision on the matter.
The council also passed a resolution urging the University of Miami not to join the Atlantic Coast Conference. Dire predictions have been made about the effect such a move would have on the Big East Conference and Virginia Tech.
