Three Public Hearings and the regular Citizen Hearings consumed 90 minutes of a meeting that lasted just over two hours for the May 5 Christiansburg Town Council. Use of public taxes and what business may or may not be allowed at specific properties dominated the night.
A rezoning for 520 and 540 Depot Street was heard, with the property owner stating “everything that’s illegal will be gone” by the time the application was approved. The intention is to pave an area to allow the retail sales of 10 to 12 used cars at a time. Other speakers questions whether council and the Planning Commission, which had heard the request at its own meeting on Monday, had information about how this property was sited. Speakers noted no traffic studies or staff reports were conducted. The property is immediately adjacent to one of the town’s three historic districts and will be visible to tourists and guests traveling to the new aquatic center. Stormwater runoff from this property and any automotive fluids would travel immediately into Crab Creek.
The owner of 2000 Roanoke Street, was asking that a conditional use permit granted last year be modified to allow eight auctions per month instead of six. He noted that when placing temporary “no parking” signs along Electric Way as required by that permit, he was initially told by a town police officer he could not do this. Therefore, he was asking that this requirement be eliminated and the town place permanent signs along this road if a safety concern was present.
Another citizen complained about potholes on the town’s major thoroughfares, while at the same time having money to spend on upgrading a private road outside of town limits and buy lots more equipment next year. The Town Manager explained this was in exchange of the placement of emergency transmitters on a tower. This speaker was also opposed to funding for a school resource officer at Christiansburg Middle School, stating “In my day we had these, and we called them Mr. Principal.”
Beginning with the first reading for the fiscal year 2009-2010 budget, Councilmen Ernie Wade and Jim Vanhoosier were opposed to funding for expanded public transportation service and any increases to contributions for public agencies.
In the current fiscal year, the town had provided $149,500 for the Two-Town Trolley. After the Metropolitan Planning Organization conducted a survey of Christiansburg residences, Blacksburg Transit made a presentation to council offering various options to replace the underutilized trolley. The survey had produced a response rate representing input from approximately 60% of all town residents and it was stressed they were at council's disposal to respond to any questions, provide further information or options, or return for a work session.
Councilmen Brad Stipes and Mike Barber encouraged leaving the funding in the proposed budget and holding a work session with Blacksburg Transit to obtain answers to specific concerns or questions. The expanded service would require $59,000 to $100,000 in new funding for the first year of service. Council is expected to schedule a work session to discuss this service before its next regular meeting.
Last year’s budget provided over $296,000 in funding various agencies, including the Boys & Girls Club, Montgomery Museum, Christiansburg Library, the Tourism Development Council (TDC) and various economic development organizations. With a reduction in contributions to the TDC in the proposed budget, proposed contributions totaled just $1,000 over the previous year. Requests by the Virginia Economic Bridge and ‘Round the Mountain (a tourism and arts related initiative throughout Southwest Virginia), had already been eliminated from the proposed budget. It should be noted that Councilwoman Ann Carter serves on the town’s Finance Committee and the boards of the library and museum which both show increases in funding over last year.
Building Inspection fees have not changed in over a decade and will be reviewed at a Public Hearing scheduled for May 19. With current economic conditions and housing market issues, the changes, if approved, would not immediately generate significant revenue. The Town Manager noted, however; that recommended changes could provide better oversight to ensure contractors are licensed and insured in accordance with state and local laws.
The second reading of the proposed budget is also scheduled for May 19, after which council may propose and vote on changes. Other future public hearings will include revisiting a rezoning request for the Albert Land property off of Route 114. In January, area homeowners brought out strong opposition to changing a cul-de-sac to a major neighborhood artery and adding additional traffic to this congested area.
Two other citizens addressed council about how planning and newer developments were not conducive to resident safety. Excess traffic and speeds, and a lack of greenspace or pathways were issues these residents wanted council to address in approving future developments. “Be visionary…be community based,” one resident asked.
The Mayor stated that several of these concerns where topics he hoped a fall 2009 retreat would allow council to discuss more fully. Several council members will attend a Virginia Municipal League meeting in Vinton later in the month, to learn more about changes in state code which were put into effect with the most recent session of the state legislature.