BLACKSBURG -- Planning Commissioner Paul Lancaster has withdrawn his name from a list of potential appointees to fill the late Councilman Derek Myers' seat.

Myers died Feb. 23 at the Lewis Gale Medical Center in Salem. Since then, the council has received about 40 e-mails from business, civic and nonprofit leaders and Virginia Tech officials supporting Lancaster's appointment. An additional 20 or so residents -- many of them members of Blacksburg United for Responsible Growth -- have sent e-mails opposing Lancaster.

The council is expected to vote to fill the seat tonight at its regular 7:30 meeting at the Municipal Building.

"My interest is in unifying Blacksburg, not dividing it," Lancaster wrote in a prepared statement Monday. "I do not wish to force council into a showdown that could cause it to lose focus of its vision."

Lancaster won a council seat in 2004 and was voted out in 2008 after alienating some of his former allies and members of the newer anti-Wal-Mart group BURG.

Former council candidate Frank Lau, former Planning Commissioner Cecile Newcomb and BURG co-founder Mark Lattanzi have volunteered to fill the vacant seat.

Other residents have nominated Rhoda Myers, wife of the late councilman; Michael Hedgepeth, son of former Mayor Roger Hedgepeth; and Planning Commissioner Holly Lesko.

The appointee will serve until Dec. 31. A special election to fill the seat will be held in November, and the winner will serve until 2011.

Lancaster said Monday he will run for a seat on council in November.