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The Roanoke Times has served a wake-up call to the residents and board of supervisors of Montgomery County. It was a rude awakening - a front page picture last week suggesting a landmark building be razed for a mall is anything but subtle - but the purpose is served. The issue of the disposition of the former Blacksburg and Christiansburg middle schools is now at the forefront of public attention.

I was astounded to read that the Montgomery County supervisors were hearing only unsolicited proposals for the redevelopment of the school properties. That concerns me much more than the proposals being made behind closed doors. The schools have been vacant for more than two years, and it seems the board has done little to effectively manage their disposition on behalf of the community. At a cost of perhaps $1,000 per day to keep vacant buildings vacant, continued inaction is unacceptable.

As a given, any change of use for the two properties will have long-lasting ramifications in the neighborhoods they're in. If the properties were to be sold, the money realized could have long-lasting impact on the school system. An issue of such magnitude is one that demands the very best thinking from our residents and inspired leadership.

To date we have neither, and an unstructured public debate can do much more harm than good. Without a structure to channel the energy created by the discourse, the outcome is predictable and familiar. Those engaged typically devolve into two or more warring factions, and what began as well-intentioned debate ends in analysis paralysis. No action is taken, and the problems remain.

The ongoing controversy regarding Blacksburg's sewer woes and Roanoke's Victory Stadium are pointed examples of such failures of process. To be sure, if we keep doing the same things the way we have always done them, we will keep getting the same result.

In matters regarding the management of public real estate, an unspoken truth is that most elected officials are ill-equipped for the task. To be blunt, when it comes to procuring, developing and disposing of public property, politicians are amateurs playing a professional's game. That elected officials have no expertise in real estate is not in itself a failing, but to ignore the shortcoming and not act to procure professional advice from those who do have the expertise is a severe lapse in judgment. Secrecy in their deliberations serves to hide this fact and exacts a heavy price by eliminating competitive market dynamics from the process.

Solutions of best effect are rarely found by happenstance. They must be created. We expect our elected representatives to utilize every resource available, including the expertise and talents of the community, in managing our assets. Our community is blessed with an abundance of professional expertise regarding real estate, but it is of no benefit if not used.

Ray Alcorn, A chief operating officer of Park Real Estate, a Blacksburg development firm, and a former member of the Montgomery County Planning Commission.

The New River Current recently profiled major Montgomery County real estate developers. Several of those profiled are shining examples of real estate professionals with proven expertise.

Development professionals are supported by a number of talented local architects and engineers. These experts are trained to provide creative solutions to the intricate problems inherent in the development of both public- and private-sector projects.

We have professionally trained planners on staff in both towns and the county. Their expertise in community design is essential to making any development decision. They are charged to create and enforce land-use regulations that reflect specific community values, guided by our appointed representatives on the respective municipal planning commissions. Many of these commissioners are trained and certified as citizen planners and unselfishly give us their time to protect and advance our interests.

These residents and professionals have vested interests in the creation of a quality community. Their commitment to the community at large is evidenced by the innumerable hours given to local civic projects such as the Huckleberry Trail, the Lyric Theatre and the new Shawsville Library.

They are the people directly involved in every development decision made, public and private. Nothing happens with any project until the developers, design professionals, planners and the community (via planning commission review) mutually agree that the project is feasible and sustainable.

Such expertise is imperative to real estate asset management decisions. Their professional input and guidance is available for the asking, yet the board has made no effort to utilize this vast store of intellectual capital. This is an abdication of leadership precisely when it is most needed.

I would suggest a committee be formed that includes development professionals, members of the local planning commissions and professional planners. Charge the committee with collecting the extensive information required to analyze and identify the most realistic options for both properties and the relocation of the displaced athletic facilities if redevelopment is in fact the right solution. The results of their investigations would then be reported to the board and the community.

The tangible benefits of such a process are considerable. With facts in hand we have a wide array of choices. A design charrette - an intense collaborative effort of designers (e.g. architects, landscape architects, engineers), owners and users to brainstorm ideas - could stimulate creative alternatives. A request for proposals could then be developed to pursue the most preferable options. And most importantly, an open and informed discussion will avoid the strife and paralysis produced by repeating past mistakes. This is an opportunity for us to improve our community or dissolve into a squabbling mass. The choice is ours.

Ray Alcorn is chief operating officer of Park Real Estate, a Blacksburg development firm, and a former member of the Montgomery County Planning Commission.