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News Two crashes in Virgilina investigated09/02/10 - 6:47 am
First Lady visits VIR for a taste of life in the fast lane09/02/10 - 6:47 am
Virginia’s first lady came to Virginia International Raceway to run in some very fast company Monday afternoon.
ROCHICHI reunion stirs fond memories09/01/10 - 7:52 am
Former campers and their counselors who packed memories of outdoor fun and misadventure into their duffle bags each summer at Rochichi Point during the ‘70s unpacked and relived those memories…
Sports Comets look to rebound09/01/10 - 3:03 pm
Comet officials said yesterday the varsity football game with North Stafford remains on schedule for Friday night.
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News South Boston’s proposed comprehensive plan draws criticism
SoVaNow.com / November 13, 2009
Two-thirds of South Boston’s Comprehensive Plan the next 20 years drew mostly favorable reviews at a community meeting held Thursday at The Prizery, but with floodwaters only a day away from inundating Riverdale it was the future of the low-lying commercial district that dominated the proceedings.Comprehensive Plan 2030, as the town’s vision for the next 20 years is dubbed, includes a proposal for South Boston to gradually buy up land in Riverdale for future use as a wetlands nature preserve, complete with walking trails and boat access for recreational use. Designed to create a more aesthetically pleasing gateway into town, the proposal would depend on South Boston having the funds — either generated within the budget or obtained from outside grant sources — to buy out commercial properties in the Riverdale corridor at fair market value. Aside from town officials, most citizens attending the community meeting Thursday were Riverdale merchants and their sympathizers. They voiced their displeasure with parts of Comprehensive Plan 2030 pertaining to Riverdale. “We like the short term strategy,” Bunny Propst, owner of Riverdale Auto Sales, told South Boston Town Mayor Carroll Thackston and Councilman Coleman Speece, “but we want you to throw away this long term plan.” Propst was referring to recommendations by the Hill Studio — drafters of the comprehensive plan — for quick and mostly cosmetic improvements to the Riverdale area. Those improvements would include taking out unused pavement, organizing parking and vehicle circulation, consolidating signs and landscaping to improve the view of the area. But Propst said she is worried about the 20-year strategy which would gradually convert Riverdale into an area where businesses would not be welcome, she said. For their part, town officials say they have no desire to push anyone out of Riverdale, although they do want to do something about the commercial blight in the district, hence the plan to voluntarily buy out landowners as they put their businesses on the market. Speece noted that no one would be forced to sell out to the town, and it is likely that South Boston won’t have the financial resources to carry out the Hill Studio proposal in any event. But he also noted that Riverdale is unlike any other part of the South Boston business district for the simple fact that it lies in a flood zone. While other blighted areas can be redeveloped at some time in the future, it is unlikely the same could happen in Riverdale due to the constant threat of floods, he said. “I don’t know what the best answer is,” conceded Speece. Propst said she wished the town would simply drop the long-term recommendations for Riverdale from the Comprehensive Plan. As long as they remain in the document, Riverdale merchants will not be able to rest easy about the future, she argued. Members of Town Council and the South Boston Planning Commission this summer ditched a proposal for the Corps of Engineers to conduct a study of Riverdale, a plan which some merchants saw as a precursor to forced relocation of their businesses. Heeding the complaints, officials dropped the idea of the study, but the inclusion of the wetlands park in the Comprehensive Plan has rekindled merchants’ fears. In addition to the wetlands park, Comprehensive Plan 2030 calls for the creation of an Automotive Retail Center on U.S. 58, away from the flood plain. The auto dealership zone could serve as a new home for Riverdale businesses, as well as becoming a destination unto itself, according to the Hill Studio. Of the wetlands park, the consulting firm’s plan reads, “The concept may take several decades to realize as businesses in the 501 floodway continue to thrive, but it provides an ultimate vision for improved floodplain management.” According to South Boston Town Manager Ted Daniel, the Planning Commission employed Hill Studio to recommend plans for the Town’s future not only in the Riverdale area, but also for the area of North Main Street from College Street to Hamilton Boulevard. Plans there call for physical streetscape improvements to emphasize the history of that area. Also included in this area are plans to upgrade the former Washington-Coleman Elementary School. A third area included in the comprehensive plan lies around the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. Plans there call for extending the higher education center across Seymour Drive and along Factory Street, with the renovation of several existing buildings and creation of open space at the rear of some of the Factory Street buildings. That area could become central green space for the Center. Public hearings on the plan will be advertised and held during December before both Town Council and the Planning Commission. Also on Thursday afternoon, Paul Steube took the opportunity to acquaint members of the Town Planning Commission with his proposal for an arts festival. Steube’s plan would entail developing a riverfront stage along the Dan River and also a parking deck off Wilborn Avenue to relieve parking problems within the Town. The arts festival would include a variety of attractions including music, art, theater, dance, wine and food. Tell-a-Friend | Submit a Comment Halifax News
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