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There is no middle school plan; there is only talk I was and remain quite skeptical about this concept. But I was and I am still willing to listen because speculative conceptualizing often morphs into projects that are considerably different from where they begin. I and some others on town council realized this and considered it reasonable to listen to see if there was something that could benefit Blacksburg.

The controversy about the old Blacksburg Middle School site caused me to recall a couple of proverbs the nuns used to say when I was in grammar school. The first was that false messages spread like feathers in a strong wind when a pillow is cut open. Correcting that misinformation is like trying to find all those feathers. The second proverb was that the empty barrels on a truck make the most noise.

Although accuracy may be moribund, a victim of not being first, I'll present my account of what I have seen and done regarding the old middle school. I speak only for myself, but I ask readers to be mindful that many of my opinions are far from unique.

Retail in Blacksburg

The flight of many large retail merchants from Blacksburg over the past 20 years (Leggett, Kmart, Roses, Woolco, etc.) left a considerable void in two important ways.

First, residents have consistently identified limited local retail options as a problem. For most of the 25 or so years I have been involved in civic affairs in Blacksburg, increasing the quantity, variety and quality of retail businesses has been a community goal.

When I began on town council six years ago, it made recruiting a department store one of its highest priorities. Considerable effort and time have been invested in expanding our retail portfolio. When Gary Huff was hired as town manager and Marc Verniel as assistant town manager, they had retail development as a primary responsibility. I have also been quite concerned that we continue to promote and support existing local businesses of all sorts and especially to fill the empty office space in Blacksburg.

Second, our town has been challenged to deal with reductions in state and federal funding, which I believe will continue, while having to comply with ever more unfunded state and federal mandates. As a consequence, we face growing structural fiscal problems if our revenue sources remain static. This is already happening.

For at least 15 years, council has pursued retail development as a way to expand the fiscal base and support and extend services without raising the town's real estate tax levy of 20 cents. As a result, Blacksburg's fiscal health is quite good; we have a diverse revenue stream that relies on real estate taxes for less than 20 percent of our total budget. However, we can't maintain the tax rate if we continue to lose income because state and federal legislators "balance" their budgets on our backs. To maintain a healthy balance - such that we don't suffer when one or two sectors have a bad year - we must develop broader revenue sources or cut services even further.

To promote Blacksburg as an attractive retail site, council has commissioned studies of land zoned for commercial uses and identified land that could be redirected or redeveloped for commercial use. We have developed a community-based master plan for downtown and a plan for expanding commercial nodes. We have led in the formation of advisory bodies such as the Downtown Advisory Group and the public/private, communitywide Blacksburg Partnership. We have also worked with regional development entities such as the planning district commission and the Chamber of Commerce.

More tangibly, the town has invested heavily in upgrading our central business district and developed parking for more than 400 vehicles.

We also employed Branwick Associates to represent the town. Branwick has a reputation of helping communities make positive contacts with potential retail firms. By all accounts this association with Branwick has produced many leads to retail companies that may consider locating in Blacksburg.

My point is that pursuing retail development and listening to possible projects is not new or unusual. To be successful we must listen to all who express interest. Listening to serious proposals and evaluating them carefully in light of community, legal and ethical standards can produce tangible results. Refusing to listen accomplishes nothing.

Old Blacksburg Middle School

Now let me describe how I and the town have been involved in the disposition of the old middle school property.

First, everyone should understand that the town does not own it. Because we are all residents of Montgomery County, we own the property in a sense, but the ultimate disposition will be made by your county supervisors. If you have opinions about the site, you should make these known to your supervisor in addition to council.

When it was clear that the school was about a year away from being empty, I and others began asking about the school board's intentions. In 2002 the school board held a countywide dialogue to establish a community consensus on a group of school facilities, including the old Blacksburg Middle School.

I represented town council on this broadly representative and public group, which met many times over the course of a year. The clear consensus of residents from throughout the county was that the school should be dedicated to civic uses. If the county was unable to provide this service, the recommendation was to transfer ownership to another entity, such as the Town of Blacksburg or a nonprofit group.

My position, and I believe the position of the town council, has been unambiguous on the disposition of the school: It should be a community resource that supports activities such as the performing and visual arts, recreation and nonprofit groups. The town took a leadership role in pursuing this vision by proposing, offering to manage and developing a business plan to provide these services. The business plan laid out ways the school could be a self-sustaining civic asset. Unfortunately, there was insufficient ability among nonprofits and the school board to implement this plan.

Finally, I will note that the downtown master plan, which is a conceptual guide and the result of considerable community discussion, envisions commercial development on the old school's front lawn along Main Street.

My point is that along with the town manager, town council has consistently advocated dedicating the school to civic purposes. We have invested considerable time, energy and resources to influence its disposition.

The mall?

Here is the whole story of the "mall proposal":

There is no proposal. There is no plan. There is only talk.

Council met in closed session in September to listen to extremely speculative ideas that could incorporate an estimated 600,000 square feet (or considerably less) of space into retail, office, and residential facilities. Branwick presented the conception without any specifics. Council members asked about the suitability of the site, traffic and most frequently about the compatibility of the project with surrounding areas.

It seems fair to say that Branwick left that meeting warned that any interested parties should be fully aware of the town's Comprehensive Plan and that there would be no carte blanche. It was clear that the development process would include complete and rigorous compliance with zoning and development procedures. It was also clear that the discussion of any development would take place fully in public.

I was and remain quite skeptical about this concept. But I was and I am still willing to listen because speculative conceptualizing often morphs into projects that are considerably different from where they begin. I and some others on town council realized this and, figuring that developers know the risks, considered it reasonable to listen to see if there was something that could benefit Blacksburg. We do want to develop a reputation as welcoming high-quality and appropriate businesses and as willing to listen to proposals.

I do not know why developers want to open speculative discussions in private. They know well that their intentions will become public at some point and that presenting proposals in closed sessions could cast their projects in an unfavorable light. Nonetheless, these kinds of discussions are held regularly in our area and elsewhere by local officials, development agencies and the governor's office.

The Virginia Code permits closed sessions to discuss potential projects only. It is not permissible to approve projects in closed session; I have no intention of ever engaging in substantive negotiations in closed session over rezoning or investing public monies in a project. I will not engage in closed session approvals because, in addition to the illegality and potential personal liability, it is inconsistent with my conception of how Blacksburg government should be conducted.

So, as of now, there has been only some very speculative talk, and this talk has not been with an entity that would engage in any development. Some council members have listened and agreed to listen more if there was any more to listen to. There was no agreement to do any further listening in closed session.

To even speculate that the the school site would become a large mall is beyond fanciful - contrary to the front-page headline implying that it is a done deal.

I spent considerable time speaking with one of the reporters and I know she had available to her all of the information I have relayed above. To end where I began: The feathers are blowing in the wind and the empty barrel rattles on.