Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Mayor's tie-breaking allows new houses off Virginia 114
Mayor Richard Ballengee cast the tie breaking vote at Tuesday's Christiansburg Town Council meeting after the council deadlocked on a request by Barbara Hise to rezone 27 acres on Stafford Drive from agricultural and rural residential to single-family residential.
Ballengee's vote paved the way for 39 additional homes to be built in the next three to four years on the land, a tract located off busy Virginia 114 near the New River Valley Mall. The rezoning, recommended by the town's planning commission after the proposal was deferred for more study at the Dec. 18 council meeting, was approved.
Council's Brad Stipes, Mike Barber and Ann Carter voted against the rezoning, citing concerns with the long congested highway and noting that the rezoning could allow for all 39 lots to be developed in a conservation area.
John Travis of J&D Builders, the firm contracted to build the homes, told the council that building low density residential homes is the best use of the land.
"We're a small builder," Travis said. "R-1 is a good density plan for that [tract]. It fits the plan that you've got for the town of Christiansburg."
Dan Canada, Steve Huppert and Ernie Wade agreed, as did Mayor Ballengee.
"To vote against the planning commission's recommendation is to vote against our comprehensive plan," he said, noting that the comprehensive plan calls for rezoning agricultural land for residential use. Ballengee also said plans are in the works to secure funding for the widening of Virginia 114, a project proposed more than 20 years ago that has never gotten the go-ahead from the Virginia Department of Transportation.
"I went on record several years ago as opposing building until 114 could be widened," Ballengee noted. "Bids will go out this spring, based on information from VDOT. Before we were in the dark. Now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel."
Wade said he and Stipes had discussed the highway issue with Del. Dave Nutter and believe that the project has a good chance of getting funding at this year's General Assembly session.
In voting for the rezoning, Canada said traffic congestion should not present a problem as serious as the one he envisioned when the council denied a request in December that would have allowed expansion of the New River Village subdivision.
"I was one of the most outspoken on the issue at New River Village," he said. "I think we made the right decision. I see this differently because we have three entrances to 114."
At the Dec. 18 public hearing on the issue, several residents objected to the proposed development because they said Stafford Drive is too narrow to handle the traffic it has now.
"When I meet somebody in the curve, I can't get off the road," said Jackie Davis, who lives on Stafford Drive.
Town Manager Lance Terpenny said Tuesday that his office had sent letters to 45 Stafford Drive residents, requesting rights-of-way needed to widen the road. He said he received 25 responses, 22 denying and three agreeing to the request. He said he received no response from 20 residents, including one who contacted his office to ask that Stafford Drive be widened several months ago.
The council also spent some time at Tuesday's meeting discussing the idea of moving municipal elections from May to November, an action taken recently in Blacksburg. The change would require altering the town charter.
After discussion the pros and cons of moving the election, the council asked Jim Guynn, attorney for the town, to look into the procedure for getting a referendum on the ballot. Council members agreed they would like to have more input from citizens on the issue.
Ballengee's vote paved the way for 39 additional homes to be built in the next three to four years on the land, a tract located off busy Virginia 114 near the New River Valley Mall. The rezoning, recommended by the town's planning commission after the proposal was deferred for more study at the Dec. 18 council meeting, was approved.
Council's Brad Stipes, Mike Barber and Ann Carter voted against the rezoning, citing concerns with the long congested highway and noting that the rezoning could allow for all 39 lots to be developed in a conservation area.
John Travis of J&D Builders, the firm contracted to build the homes, told the council that building low density residential homes is the best use of the land.
"We're a small builder," Travis said. "R-1 is a good density plan for that [tract]. It fits the plan that you've got for the town of Christiansburg."
Dan Canada, Steve Huppert and Ernie Wade agreed, as did Mayor Ballengee.
"To vote against the planning commission's recommendation is to vote against our comprehensive plan," he said, noting that the comprehensive plan calls for rezoning agricultural land for residential use. Ballengee also said plans are in the works to secure funding for the widening of Virginia 114, a project proposed more than 20 years ago that has never gotten the go-ahead from the Virginia Department of Transportation.
"I went on record several years ago as opposing building until 114 could be widened," Ballengee noted. "Bids will go out this spring, based on information from VDOT. Before we were in the dark. Now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel."
Wade said he and Stipes had discussed the highway issue with Del. Dave Nutter and believe that the project has a good chance of getting funding at this year's General Assembly session.
In voting for the rezoning, Canada said traffic congestion should not present a problem as serious as the one he envisioned when the council denied a request in December that would have allowed expansion of the New River Village subdivision.
"I was one of the most outspoken on the issue at New River Village," he said. "I think we made the right decision. I see this differently because we have three entrances to 114."
At the Dec. 18 public hearing on the issue, several residents objected to the proposed development because they said Stafford Drive is too narrow to handle the traffic it has now.
"When I meet somebody in the curve, I can't get off the road," said Jackie Davis, who lives on Stafford Drive.
Town Manager Lance Terpenny said Tuesday that his office had sent letters to 45 Stafford Drive residents, requesting rights-of-way needed to widen the road. He said he received 25 responses, 22 denying and three agreeing to the request. He said he received no response from 20 residents, including one who contacted his office to ask that Stafford Drive be widened several months ago.
The council also spent some time at Tuesday's meeting discussing the idea of moving municipal elections from May to November, an action taken recently in Blacksburg. The change would require altering the town charter.
After discussion the pros and cons of moving the election, the council asked Jim Guynn, attorney for the town, to look into the procedure for getting a referendum on the ballot. Council members agreed they would like to have more input from citizens on the issue.
