www.roanoke.com

BLACKSBURG -- The for sale signs sprouting at several key properties along Main Street make some people worry that Blacksburg's small-town character is changing.

John Bush, chairman of the town's Historic Design Review Board, argues that the town's comprehensive plan, the document that expresses Blacksburg's collective vision for the future, is at odds with preserving the town's character.

"It's a debate I think we should have," he said.

Bush's concerns stem from the downtown commercial district's dual classification as a historic overlay district. As such, all development there is subject to review by the design board.

He started to worry in earnest when local businessman Steve Andrews submitted an application to the town last month to build a five-story condominium development at 205 S. Main Street.

As part of the project, Andrews asked for permission to demolish an old house. The review board wrestled with that request.

The condo application is no longer active, according to the town. A for-sale sign now sits in front of the property.

Taylor's Frames and Things, another old house near Andrews' property, has also gone on the market.

Other old properties, including the 1920s-era building that houses Doc Roberts Tire Co. and the old National Bank of Blacksburg building, are also up for sale.

These and other buildings like them have "defined Blacksburg for years," Bush said.

Now he's afraid that instead of rehabilitating them for business use, the buyers will tear them down and build more urban-style buildings such as Kent Square and Clay Court, multi-use facilities that combine retail, apartments, parking and more.

The white elephant in the discussions, of course, is the old Blacksburg Middle School property on South Main Street. Over the past year, several interested developers have floated ideas for the site that range from a large-scale retail mall to an upscale housing development.

Still, many hurdles remain before anyone can purchase the property because the Montgomery School Board, which controls the site, has not declared it surplus. Only then could the county sell the property to a developer.

And, because it sits in the town limits, Blacksburg Town Council controls the zoning of the site.

Phyllis Olinger, a longtime Blacksburg resident and former council candidate, said she believes the two new urban-looking high-rises -- Kent Square and Clay Court -- have set the tone for the kind of redevelopment that residents may see in the future.

"If I live 10 years downtown Blacksburg will probably look like Richmond. ... I realize things have to change, but it won't be unique or special anymore. It'll look like everywhere else," Olinger said.

After all, she says, if she were a developer and she bought downtown property, "why wouldn't I build as high as I can and as wide as I can? ... I have to make back my investment," she said.

Mayor Roger Hedgepeth, a staunch supporter of Blacksburg's downtown for the past 25 years, doesn't necessarily think putting more restrictions on downtown commercial property is a good idea.

Although he doesn't believe landowners should be allowed to tear down buildings "willy nilly," Hedgepeth said he believes "there's a difference between old buildings and old and historic buildings."

Hedgepeth and Councilman Tom Sherman hope that a upcoming site-by-site consultant's study will help council foster a balance between development and preservation downtown.

Some downtown business owners are worried more about the development side of the equation.

Gary Everett, owner of Mainstream Music on Main Street, said his retail business has declined threefold since 1991.

He would like to see some redevelopment that would bring more shoppers to his store and to downtown in general.

"I want things to grow so I can make some damn money," Everett said.