Does it make you feel good to know that amid all the economic turmoil our Montgomery County Board of Supervisors has enough loose change sitting around it can buy yet another property, and one assessed at about $400,000 for a sales price of $625,000?
And, this transaction wasn't included in the current budget with its increase to real property tax rates, or found within the 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and so appears to be a "want" rather than a "need" for all county residents.
Christmas Past, Present...and Future
Although the property is currently zoned I-2 Industrial by the Town of Christiansburg, this 5 +/- acres adjacent to the County Government Center is scheduled for Office/Professional use in its Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map. So while the Supervisors are suing the Commonwealth in an attempt to protect rural Elliston from adverse effects of noise, artificial lighting, vibrations, dust and odor, increased traffic, air and water pollution -- they have no problem with bringing these issues into a densely populated residential area of the town.
Even though this purchase wasn't in the county's budget or CIP, our elected officials -- both town council and supervisors -- appear resolved to shift county garage operations from the current mid-county location in a lightly populated area into a neighborhood hub. This means welding operations, fleet maintenance garages, heavy equipment, outside storage and a fueling station. With the county's growth expected to continue, and the possibility for placing Public Service Authority equipment at this location, nuisance issues for the adjacent residential areas and heavily traveled Roanoke Street corridor can also be anticipated to worsen over time.
But the Supervisors largess is limited. There are no funds anticipated for fencing, planting trees or building a berm to segregate these operations from adjacent residences.
Because the Town's Zoning for I-2 is intended to restrict or prohibit operations which may produce "serious adverse effects within or beyond the limits" of the property, these types of uses may be permitted only after a Public Hearing is conducted to "assure protection of the public interest and surrounding property and persons" in order to avoid future conflicts. So, a Public Hearing on this matter has been scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 6 @ 7:30 pm in the Town Hall.
The incongruence between tax rates -- current and negative future effects to adjacent properties -- and how Comprehensive Plans are to be applied are too notable not to notice.
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was written 165 years ago in the midst of a severe economic depression. Mr. Scrooge was a financial professional who devoted his life's efforts to the accumulation of wealth while ignoring "Ignorance" and "Want." Citizens are encouraged to appear on January 6th to inform both county and town administrators they too need to change their ways, adhering to the tenets of Comprehensive Plans, maintaining the integrity of neighborhoods (and related property values) and quality of life, while husbanding public resources to keep costs low and expand services for real needs.