Ernie Wade

Brad Stipes

Mike Barber

Henry Showalter

| Sharla Bardin

sharla.bardin@roanoke.com, 381-1669

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Town council denied Tuesday a request to locate a concrete plant in the town's Industrial Park.

Boxley, a customer-directed supplier of concrete mixes, had requested a zoning permit for property on the southern side of Prospect Drive for a concrete-ready mix-batch plant in the general industrial district.

However, residents and some tenants in the Industrial Park expressed concerns about the dust and noise generated by the plant, the additional traffic on an already congested Roanoke Street and worries about Boxley oversaturating the concrete market.

Some speakers referred to the existing Marshall Concrete Products of Christiansburg, a division of Chandler Concrete of Virginia, and said they were concerned about how Boxley would affect that company's operations and work force.

Larry Bullock, Boxley's vice president of concrete, spoke at the meeting and said the company was interested in the site because of the zoning and the access to U.S. 460 for the trucks. He said the plant would create eight jobs.

Bullock also said that the company would be a good corporate neighbor in the town. Boxley has offices in Roanoke and other locations in Virginia and West Virginia.

"We are a community-driven company. We are going to support Christiansburg," Bullock said. "We are very sensitive to our neighbors. We will control dust at the site."

The council voted down the request by a vote of 4-1. Henry Showalter cast the dissenting vote.

Showalter said Wednesday that Boxley wanted to invest $2 million into the plant. He said the council has stifled business competition with Tuesday's vote.

Mayor Richard Ballengee was absent at Tuesday's meeting, and Ann Carter, serving as vice mayor, did not vote. The mayor votes only in a tie.

Councilman Ernie Wade said, "We have an obligation to support the companies in the area, as well as look at any new ones that want to come in."

Wade said his decision came from concerns he was hearing from some tenants in the Industrial Park who worried that the dust from the plant might be detrimental to their business and equipment.

The Industrial Park tenants include Ames Textile, Blue Ridge Timberwrights, Community Housing Partners, Comprehensive Computer Solutions, Alvis Electric, Threshold Center, New Energy Bedrooms Inc., Airgas Mid America, Seibold Security and American Electric Power, said Randy Wingfield, town planning director.

About 10 people spoke in the council meeting. A couple of people noted that the site is zoned for industrial use, while another said the business would be welcomed.

"We look forward to having Boxley as an asset to the Industrial Park," said Matt Pisenti, who works at Airgas Mid America.

Councilman Brad Stipes said that Boxley does have a good reputation but said that, based on what he heard from tenants, he could not support the request.

Councilman Mike Barber questioned whether the site was the right place for the plant, and Councilman Jim Vanhoozier said he was concerned about the traffic in the area.

However, Showalter noted that the property Boxley was interested in is zoned for industrial uses. He also said his concern is that the council's decision could create a monopoly for a concrete company.

Showalter also talked about how plans are in the works to open a Sam's Club in the town, and asked whether the council would be prepared to hear concerns from employees at such stores as Target, bookstores and the New River Valley Mall about potential job loss or competition.

Sam's Club is a warehouse-type store with a pharmacy, tire and battery shop, floral department and cafe.

After the council vote, Bullock said that Boxley had looked at the site because officials thought it would accommodate the business.

"We'll just continue to look for the right spot," Bullock said.

He declined to comment further after the vote.