Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times

A message near Glenvar Middle School urges a yes vote on a proposed asphalt plant nearby.

A battle of the signs has erupted near the site of a proposed asphalt plant in West Roanoke County.

Sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning professionally made signs proclaiming "Yes. Revenue + Jobs = Asphalt Plant" were planted along U.S. 11/460, in the Cherokee Hills subdivision and beside the Glenvar school complex.

Although the signs don't include the name of a sponsor, and no one had stepped forward to claim responsibility as of Monday evening, there's now a visible counterargument to the plethora of signs recently distributed by opponents of the asphalt plant.

The opponent signs, sponsored by the nonprofit Citizens for Positive Growth, show the outline of a factory labeled "Asphalt," covered by a red circle and slanted line, with the words "Not in Anyone's Backyard."

Adams Construction Co. is seeking a rezoning and special-use permit from Roanoke County to build the asphalt production facility at the former Salem water filtration plant site at 4127 W. Main Street.

Rick James, Adams' executive vice president, said the company knows nothing about the new signs. "We didn't endorse them, but we are obviously pleased that we've got some support," he said.

James said his company continues to get calls of support from the neighborhood, but "we hadn't had anybody contact us indicating they wanted to do something like that."

Judy Conyers, a leader of the group that's opposed to the plant's proposed location, said she suspects something nefarious in the appearance of the new signs, however.

"To slip in like a thief in the night" and place the signs in highway rights of way and on private property, "scaring residents who didn't even hear them, was wrong," Conyers said.

"I got a phone call from an elderly lady who lives on West Main. She was so upset they had slipped into her yard and she didn't even know it ... she didn't think she would be able to drive to her swim aerobics class, she was so upset," Conyers said.

Conyers said she wonders who would be motivated to purchase the expensive, waterproof plastic signs. Her group has spent about $1,000 for its signs, she said, which are made of a similar material.

The nonprofit opposition group was formed quickly after the Roanoke County Planning Commission endorsed the asphalt plant proposal on a 3-1 vote in February. The group opposes the rezoning as inappropriate near residential neighborhoods and schools.

Adams has tried to reassure nearby residents that the state-of-the-art plant will not be smelly, dusty or noisy, in contrast to asphalt plants of decades ago.

"We're not saying, 'no asphalt anywhere,' " Conyers said Monday. "We're just saying, 'Not on West Main Street.' "

A series of neighborhood meetings on the project have consistently attracted 150 to 200 opponents.

Members of the nonprofit are working on formal arguments against the plan that they will present when the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors considers Adams' rezoning and special-use requests. The board is scheduled to do that on April 28.

Two of the five supervisors have already indicated they will not support the zoning change.