A blog commenter on the
storage of construction equipment on the side of the road noted that the Town didn't own the property in back of the Parks & Recreation facility. The comment was off point. Ownership of the property wasn't the question -- zoning was the issue. What is interesting is this "free advertising" for the two companies illegally using this property, Cox Paving is registered as a business operating in Christiansburg, whereas Taylor's Paving is registered in Rocky Gap, VA.
Who does own that property, and why has the Town granted special dispensations for the owners and these contractors?
Public records indicate the "construction equipment parking lot" property is owned by a Mr. Lowell E. Wade of Christiansburg. The property is zoned B-3, which includes numerous types of businesses which can be operated -- banks, doctor's offices, grocers, funeral homes, retail stores, etc., etc., etc. Not storage, sales or repair of construction equipment, however. The plot thickens (and no, we're not referencing a plot of land here).
When reporting on the sad saga of the Town's lack of leadership as regards Freedom of Information Act laws, and their failure to adhere to these requirements (even though they had hired attorneys), the
Roanoke Times included a mention of the
upcoming Planning Commission meeting on May 5 and Council's Public Hearing on the same agenda items at its May 6 meeting.
These meeting agendas include yet more conditional use permit (CUP) applications, changing forever what rights are applied to a tax parcel, or plot. Remember, once changed, this zoning or use becomes a "grandfathered" right. CUP requests are fairly routine in Christiansburg -- one recently approved CUP came after some
vocal public concern as regards maintaining the integrity of one of our town's few historic districts.
One of these
upcoming CUP applications is relative to a property at 385 Radford Road, which is also currently zoned B-3, to allow -- get this -- construction equipment storage and rentals. In a business district, adjacent to the central businss district and government facilities, along major roads entering town. The property owner? One Mr. Lowell E. Wade. The agent requesting this CUP? Another person, who operates non-construction related businesses and who is also a significant
owner of properties downtown and elsewhere in Christiansburg, Joseph Simmons.
As a side note, Mr. Simmons recently met with Town Council in closed session about the Town purchasing his property at 16 East Main Street. Did the Town proceed with this transaction, and if so, what was the agreed upon price? No one knows. Minutes are not yet available, and following this closed session -- and in all subsequent public meetings since then -- no action was taken by Town Council on the matter. Given their inability to grasp FOIA laws, are the town's attorneys aware that
only discussion can occur during closed session,
no actions can be taken?
Are the Cox and Taylor's Paving trucks just being temporarily stored on Cambria Street, awaiting the upcoming CUP application for 385 Radford Road?
Christiansburg has invested heavily in its recreational facilities, including the P&R building, Harkrader Sports Complex, and the much-discussed aquatic center. Additionally, it has superb fire and rescue facilities and a renovated town hall which represent substantial public investment, as well making further improvements to the building housing its Police Department which are currently underway.
Why isn't the integrity of these investments being maintained, through enforcement of existing zoning (or that indicated for these properties in the town's Comprehensive Plan)? What are visitors to think when they come into town and see such a hodge-podge of disconnected business uses?
So, hats off to our blog commentator for pointing out that the Town does not own the property being misused on Cambria Street -- while we cannot possibly surmise what all these interrelated relationships may imply, it's interesting research all the same.