Looking Back 25 Years - Countryside Golf Course

"Roanoke City Council has taken an option on Countryside Golf Course as part of a deal for purchase of 14 parcels from the same owners for airport use." - 1982 - The Roanoke Times by Belinda Harris

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This is the same property where homes were purchased and then demolished using "eminent domain" for airport expansion in the mid 1980's. Now the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission wants to swap this same land for other land in order to widen the Runway 6 Runway Protection Zone (see the map above and CLICK ON THE MAP TO ENLARGE).

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This property with homes then demolished in 1982 in anticipation of future airport expansion is now available for development. So put houses up where the City once tore them down then - say in another 20-25 years - tear these homes down for Runway 6 extension. This should be a warning to anyone who would purchase a home constructed on that plot of land or any other home built near this runway. The plot of land is located at Lewiston and Ranch in Northwest City and for now it is owned by the Roanoke Airport Commission.

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Tear 'em down - put 'em up ... then tear 'em down again.

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Roanoke City Vision 2020? The City's 20-20 vision is short-sighted to put it kindly.

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Any future prospect for lengthening Runway 6 across I-581 is now too costly per Ms. Shuck, the Director of Roanoke Regional Airport. Mr. Brian Townsend, Roanoke City Assistant Manager for Community Development, concurs and said it will never happen.

This property is the same property being marketed to developers in the recent Request For Proposal (which is still online CLICK HERE) to develop Countryside Golf Course into mixed-use high density housing, including retail and commercial uses. What was unacceptably too noisy and too close to the airport is now acceptable and safe for allowing Roanoke citizens to sink money into homes there.... again.

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Is this what prompted a member of the business community to contact me today regarding adding airport expansion as another reason not to develop Countryside Golf Course ... or was it a coincidence.

Roanoke County Supervisor Takes a Poke at The City

“They [Roanoke City] would not even return our phone calls” said Richard C. Flora, Roanoke County Board of Supervisors - Hollins District.

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At the December 18th Roanoke County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Richard C. Flora, Hollins District, took an overlooked poignant jab at Roanoke City Administration and Government. Mr. Flora inadvertently made it clear that regional cooperation was not shared by Roanoke City. If anyone ever thought that it was the failing of other jurisdictions that Roanoke City could not get any cooperation I am here to tell you this is not the case. Mr. Flora’s comments pulled the cover back on what we don’t get from media coverage.

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The agenda item at the Board meeting was a rezoning of property from “transitional” to C-2 in Roanoke County. The property is located on Hershberger Road at Oakland Boulevard near Friendship Manor. The use was to be for an extended stay hotel. This property adjoins Roanoke City property zoned R-1 residential and if you are familiar with Oakland Boulevard you know it is a very attractive residential community.

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The citizens of this Roanoke City residential community spoke at the Board of Supervisor’s meeting against the hotel and they were treated with the utmost respect. Not only that - their FACE WAS SHOWN AT THE PODIUM FROM THE FRONT ON RVTV.

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The Board of Supervisor’s agreed and voted “NO” unanimously against the extended stay hotel.

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This is exactly what Board Member, Richard Flora, stated in his remarks: “I have been reminded that they [Roanoke City citizens] don’t vote for me but they are our neighbor”.

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Mr. Flora continued, “ the [Roanoke] City matter regarding the bus garage on the airport site … they [Roanoke City Administration] would not even return our phone calls and I don’t want to be put in the same category as that … so for that very reason we want to make sure that we listen to even our neighbors in other jurisdictions.”

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I was stunned - not only were Roanoke City citizens treated with respect and listened to intently while speaking at the Roanoke County Board Meeting but they were shown from the front - yes, their actual face was shown when speaking from the podium. This being in sharp contrast to Roanoke City Council meetings where the City’s own citizens are disrespected … much of the time not even being afforded the courtesy of looking at the speaker at the podium. Sometimes they even get up and leave during “Hearings on Public Matters”. Other times the Mayor and Council members look down at their desk shuffling papers totally ignoring the citizen at the podium - they twirl in their chairs, make side “chuckles“ with other Council members and generally give the impression they could care less about what a Roanoke citizen has to say - Unless you are an attorney, a business representative, or someone who is running for City Council that the majority supports - like at the last City Council meeting on Dec. 17th where Bill Bestpitch appeared after being invisible since he was voted off Council. If that was not the most obvious campaign speech at a Council meeting I have ever heard. He was pictured “full frontal” and had unlimited minutes and went on and on and on - Mayor Harris gushed and Fitzpatrick spoke up to even give the ARB more time (6 months) rather than the 60 days asked for by Bestpitch to save a Marshall Ave. home from condemnation and demolition. They have had many, many, years to address this. Campaigning at City Council is not allowed at Council meetings but of course we know the exceptions … like Valley Forward. If they like you, if you have connections, if you have money, if, if, …. If not then let’s spin in our chairs, shuffle our papers, and look amused.

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I recall a Roanoke City Council meeting some time ago where a County resident addressed City Council on a Commercial Business expansion where their home had been damaged. Their home bordered Roanoke City where the Commercial Business was situated. The County resident was told that there was nothing they could do and advised them to join a neighborhood group, huh? Where was the regional cooperation for this County resident and the same respect that the County showed the City citizens? What a stark contrast and eye-opener this has been for those of us who don’t know better in how your local government respects the citizens that elected them.

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The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors treats Roanoke City residents with more respect then our own Council does…. Gees, how depressing. I ask you Roanoke City citizens who are not represented on City Council, why are you so apathetic?

Ingersoll Rand To Acquire Trane Inc.

INGERSOLL RAND TO ACQUIRE TRANE INC. FOR APPROXIMATELY $10.1 BILLION
Click for Press Release
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What does this mean for the Countryside property that Trane wants to buy at the 2nd and 3rd fairway?
Click for Map

• Transaction Creates a Global Diversified Industrial Company with expected Pro Forma 2008 Revenues of $17 Billion and $2 Billion of DEBIT • Transaction Immediately Accretive to Earnings with Estimated 2008 EPS of $4.00 • Cost and Revenue Synergies are Expected to Exceed $300 million by 2010 • Acquisition Price for Trane of $36.50 Per Share in Cash and 0.23 shares of Ingersoll Rand Common Stock per each Trane Share Equal to Approximately $48.00 in Total Value per Trane Share.

Hamilton, Bermuda and Piscataway, New Jersey, December 17, 2007 – Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (NYSE:IR) announced today that it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire Trane Inc. (NYSE:TT), formerly American Standard Companies Inc., in a transaction valued at approximately $10.1 billion, including transaction fees and the assumption of approximately $150 million of Trane net debt. Trane is a global leader in indoor climate control systems, services and solutions with expected 2007 revenues of $7.4 billion.

Does Trane still want the Countryside Golf Course property for expansion? The "synergies" word should make the Trane employees quiver. The acquired company employees always get the boot! Is this a surprise to the Trane folks in Tuckawana Circle and Newbern Properties? Wouldn't it just be a hoot if they closed them down .. how sweet it would be!

How To Move Roanoke City May Elections To November

Roanoke City has such a poor turnout for May Elections. Yes, it seems like the Commonwealth of Virginia has an election several times a year. In 2008 we have a Presidential Primary, Presidential Elections, and Local Elections. At least we don't have a Primary locally in 2008. A Mass Meeting February 5th for the Democratic Nominees will take care of that.

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Can't keep up with all these dates? There is a solution to at least the local elections. Moving the local Mayor and Council elections to November when General Elections are held will certainly increase the abysmal voter turnout that decides the MOST important election for the citizens of Roanoke City. Remember ... all politics is local and of all the elections held your vote in local elections effects you the most but alas voter participation is the least. Will moving the local elections to November bring more voter interest? I don't know ... most Roanoke City voters don't know what is going on and have never attended nor viewed on RVTV the reruns of Council meetings. The Web casts are also available online for about a month. The best thing about the web casts is you can fast forward through the "formalities" and get to the agenda items in a flash which cuts down on some of those LONG 2 hour Council meetings.

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HOW TO MOVE LOCAL ELECTIONS FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER:

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§ 24.2-222.1. Alternative election of mayor and council at November general election in cities and towns.

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A. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 24.2-222, the council of a city or town may provide by ordinance that the mayor, if an elected mayor is provided for by charter, and council shall be elected at the November general election date of any cycle as designated in the ordinance, for terms to commence January 1. No such ordinance shall be adopted between January 1 and the May general election date of the year in which city or town elections regularly are scheduled to be held therein.

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B. Alternatively, the registered voters of a city or town may file a petition with the circuit court of the city or of the county within which the town is located asking that a referendum be held on the question of whether the city or town should elect the mayor, if an elected mayor is provided for by charter, and council members at the November general election date of any cycle as designated in the petition. The petition shall be signed by registered voters equal in number to at least ten percent of the number registered in the city or town on the January 1 preceding the filing.

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(Roanoke City Total Number of Registered Voters as of 8/31/2007 are 56,433 X 10% = 5,643 signatures).

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The court, pursuant to § 24.2-684, shall order the election officials on a day fixed in the order to conduct a referendum on the question, provided that no such referendum shall be scheduled between January 1 and the May general election date of the year in which city or town elections regularly are scheduled to be held therein. The clerk of the court shall publish notice of the referendum once a week for the three consecutive weeks prior to the referendum in a newspaper having general circulation in the city or town, and shall post a copy of the notice at the door of the courthouse of the city or county within which the town is located.

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The question on the ballot shall be:

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"Shall the (city or town) change the election date of the mayor (if so provided by charter) and members of council from the May general election to the November general election (in even-numbered or odd-numbered years or as otherwise designated in the petition)?"

Countryside Property - Loan Interest 1/2 Million and Rising

Your taxes are financing the mortgage on a golf course and the interest only is now at $500K on this bank loan passed off as part of a bond package at a public hearing on June 20, 2005:

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Art Museum....................................$3,700,000.00

Downtown West Parking Garage...... $2,600,000.00

Financial Application Integration........$2,600,000.00

Countryside Golf Course.............$3,975,000.00

TOTAL...........................................$12,875,000.00

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The Director of Finance recommended that Council adopt a resolution authorizing issuance of $12,875,000.00 in General Obligation Bonds under the Virginia Public Finance Act.

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It was passed as part of the General Obligation Bonds however after pressed Mr. Jesse Hall, Director of Finance for the City of Roanoke, confirmed it was an ordinary bank loan like my mortgage on my house except my interest rate is better then 6.25%. These debt obligation bonds are counted against outstanding debt when weighed by bond rating agencies. Roanoke City has a "AA" rating that allows the City to get a very good rate on debt obligations. The City's debt is reaching a precarious point and in summary it can issue little or no more debt obligations without risking their bond rating. However, that is another topic entirely.

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Why do I bring this up again? The last time I posted this amortization schedule development of the golf course was still on the table with "Foti Fantasy, LLC".

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Today's Roanoke Times Editorial blasts Councilman Wishneff for recommending that the parking garage be funded from the General Fund rather than through an increase in the downtown parking fees. Councilman Wishneff is concerned that the fragile downtown businesses will suffer as people avoid downtown to eat and shop - opting instead to eat and shop where there are no parking fees. He views parking garages as a part of downtown economic development that should come from the General Fund. The Roanoke Times Editor argues that this would take money from neighborhoods (like we see anything here) and economic development initiatives (like granting money to the private developer of the old Grand Piano building being transformed into apartments). BUT THEY CAN BORROW TO BUY A GOLF COURSE that they can't market to any "reputable" developer. So do you hear that "sucking sound" out of the coffers holding your charitable tax contributions?

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Before Roanoke City purchased the golf course they were receiving $54,0000 in real estate and property taxes from Meadowbrook, the former owners and now operators of Countryside Golf Course. Now the City only gets $17,500 a year - you do the math on - Interest Paid To Date - Loss of Real Estate Taxes - Paying Roanoke Regional Airport to Lease their Property and .... Countryside Neighbors being a pain in their arsses PRICELESS!

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How ironic that the Countryside Neighborhood pays real estate taxes so our City can destroy what makes our neighborhood special.

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Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 2:03 PM
Subject: Countryside Financing
Relative to the Countryside financing, we obtained a loan from a local bank [Carter Bank] for $3,975,000. Although it is a bank loan, it is commonly referred to as a bond. It was set up with a 15 year amortization, but can be paid in part or in whole at any time. We did this to provide flexibility because we are not sure how much of our investment in this property will be recovered from the potential future developer of the property, assuming that the current overall goal of development doesn't change. Thus, the loan might be repaid in part or in whole, depending on the circumstances.

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Ms. Garner, the City will receive $35,000 [$17,500 for 2007 and 2008] for leasing the property back to Meadowbrook for the 2006 "golf season". The City will also pay the Airport $4,731 annually for lease of the Airport owned property. Lastly, the City borrowed $3,975,000 at 6.25% for the purchase of the property. These are basically the facts surrounding the transaction, but I'm sure you know the City's intent for redeveloping the property is to develop additional market rate or higher housing and through perhaps a range of mixed uses arranged in a manner that will add to the tax base while protecting and enhancing the tax base already in place surrounding the site. Please contact me if you have additional questions. Sincerely,Jesse Hall, Director of Finance.

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End of 2008 the amortization schedule shows "interest only" at $704,000.00. The Principle plus Interest will approach $1 million.

Amortization Schedule:
Principal borrowed: $3975000.00 Annual Payments: 12 Total Payments: 180 Annual interest rate: 6.25%
Payment amount: $34296.91 Total Repaid: $6173445.19
Total Interest Paid: $2,173,445.19
Interest as percentage of Principal: 54.336%
TOTAL INTEREST PAID FIRST YEAR is over $240,000
By end of 2007 it will be approaching 1/2 million in Interest Only

Councilman Lea Announces - Mentions Countryside

Today at 1:00 PM Councilman Sherman Lea, Sr., announced he will be seeking the Democratic nomination for City Council again this election cycle.

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The announcement was well attended and included several of our neighbors. Councilman Lea spoke to the heart of the issues facing our City - the least of which for us is Countryside Golf Course. Yes, he actual mentioned Countryside as one of the upcoming major issues that will come before Council this year. Also mentioned was another hot button for me, "closed sessions". Whenever I see a "closed session" on the Council's agenda announcing a discussion in regard to the disposition of public property I think - are they talking about Countryside? Our neighborhood has been in limbo for 2 1/2 years. By the May elections it will be 3 years. No neighborhood should have to live in such anxiety wondering what is going on behind the "closed door". City Administration is in a holding pattern but we know they want to develop this property desperately. Mrs. Burcham has worked to get this property many years before we ever knew about it. Many years while we were moving in to be adjacent to this open green space we call our "Park".

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Several other points Councilman Lea mentioned were - televising the morning briefings (9:00 AM before the regular 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM Council sessions). Councilman Lea stated "we have too many closed sessions". There are presentations we the citizens never get to see because we are working. Councilman Lea spoke of moving the local elections to November so turnout would be more representative of the population. We have such poor turnout for local elections in May.

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Still another issue Councilman Lea mentioned was that the citizens of Roanoke City want to see is the ability to have referendums which requires legislative action in Richmond. This was scuttled by our current legislator at the urging of several on Council though publicly they voted in the affirmative to put in the legislative package to take to Richmond last year.

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Another interesting point was that the citizens of Charlottesville get to see the annual budget online before it is adopted. Charlottesville citizens are given the opportunity to submit how they want their taxes to be spent. All I can say to that is - IN OUR DREAMS would the citizens of Roanoke City have such input here. I think we have become so accustomed to not having access to our local government that we can't even phantom what something like Charlottesville offers it's citizens.

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Another topic was crime and Councilman Lea made it clear that the current pockets of crime will spread if not checked. He said the pockets of crime now prevalent will slowly reach out into other areas. Have we not read about the rash of break ins and home invasions recently. Just here in our neighborhood we have experienced two thefts - one of which was quite serious. We rarely had anything happening in our neighborhood prior to these two incidents.

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Councilman Lea also referenced a report presented to City Council yesterday on youth at risk which pulled no punches. Roanoke City youth at risk is higher than the National Average in regards to drug involvement and early sexual activity. The report went on to say that over the last 7 years no progress has been made and has actually slid back a few notches. Councilman Lea also supports elected school boards. He had been Chair of the School Board for 5 years and said "don't think the school board is not political -it is". If you get a chance listen to the web cast of yesterday's City Council Meeting and the presentation concerning our youth by CLICKING HERE. Then click on the Roanoke City Logo to the right. Councilman Lea's website is HERE. Under "News" and "Updates" is posted the July 17th Roanoke Times article regarding keeping Countryside an 18-hole golf course and naming it after Roy Stanley.

Don't Think The May Elections Are Important?

Click on title to Roanoke City Website where this is posted:

COUNTRYSIDE

City Council Extends Golf Course Lease Until October 2008.

In November 2005, the City of Roanoke purchased the Countryside Golf Course, an approximately 140 acre 18-hole golf course in the northwest of the City close to the corporate limits. The golf course is currently still operating under lease from the City, which City Council voted to extend to October 2008.A request for proposal (RFP) was first advertised in August 2006 seeking a qualified developer to turn the property into a mixed use neighborhood. Development of the Countryside property will futher the goals of Vision 2001-2020, the City's comprehensive plan, as well as the Peters Creek North Neighborhood Plan, and the Strategic Housing Plan. After reviewing the proposals recieved, City Council decided to extend the lease of the golf course for another year and re-evaluate the site's future prior to the lease's expiration. Click the following links for more information: Download the presentation from the Countryside Community Meeting held on April 3, 2007 and review the Community's comments. Click here to download the Countryside RFP

Relief - VP of Operations, Meadowbrook

Those who are on my email list received the very comforting response from the VP of Operations at Meadowbrook Headquarters in Florida. Just that he took the time to reply was a welcome surprise to me after Mr. Smith said he would not talk to me/us about the property anymore. Mr. Beasley seems to appreciate our efforts which is again a welcome relief from the silence we get unless we relentlessly "nag" for a response. We should continue to keep our eyes open on buffer and tree replanting. When the Zoning Commission Public Hearing is announced we should attend. I am still curious as to the plans for the expansion. You golfers may be "banking" off the building for a hole-in-one on Number 2 and Number 3!

URBAN STREET GOLF - AlmostGOLF Video:

Meadowbrook Silent on Property Sale

LEFT: BEFORE ---------------------RIGHT: AFTER -----------

CLICK TO ENLARGE
It seems the word has come down from Meadowbrook Corporate Headquarters to Countryside Management that they "can't talk to us anymore about the property". This is according to my call today to Steve Smith, General Manager of Meadowbrook. I said "I understand from Chris Chittum of the Roanoke City Planning Department that movement of the stakes (I don't see one darn inch difference) has satisfied him. Mr. Smith's only response was "I can't talk to you anymore about the property". What does that mean? Did Roanoke City contact Meadowbrook and get Steve Smith in trouble? Did Meadowbrook Attorneys advise him not to communicate with us or anyone else for that matter. I am asking Chris Chittum for the plans for the property that Newbern wants. At this point all we can do is speculate. Something is going on behind the scenes. Either Meadowbrook is not happy with the property's squeeze on the 2nd and 3rd fairways or they are playing along with the City to be in the running for the Request For Proposal on operating the golf course in the future. Either way the SECRECY only leads to speculation.

Survey Stakes Moved Ten Feet

According to Information on Roanoke City's GIS mapping system - Newbern Properties sold the property that the Trane building occupies to The Tuckawana Group LLC on 9/15/2001. Have you noticed there is a 25 foot strip of property owned by Newbern Properties connecting to Frontage Road? Entrance to expanded Trane building?

I called Mr. Chittum on Wednesday for more information following his phone message on Tuesday advising me that the stake(s) were moved 10 feet back from the third green. It took awhile to get the answers to three questions:

1. Who placed the stakes into the ground?


2. How many feet from the current property line are each stake?


3. What is the required distance from property line to the expanded structure?

Answers:

Engineers came out from the city to initially meet with Mr. Newbern to come up with the general location of the proposed new property line. Finally after asking for the third time stressing "who stuck them into the ground?" The answer to that was a surveyor for Mr. Newbern.

How many feet are there to the stakes? Another difficult question to answer for Mr. Chittum. Finally I was able to get that it is 30 feet from the back of the building. It is 215 feet to the furthest stake and forms a triangle. This will take out all the buffered pines just now becoming mature enough to hide this attractive building. (GIS has a measuring tool I used on the above map to measure 30 feet and 215 feet. In blue is speculation on entrance to the disired property.)

My third question of how close can you build to the property line - Zoning of L-1 (Light Industrial). There is NO minimum.

The land must be assessed and two public hearings must take place. Since the Countryside property is zoned Recreation and new zoning would be L-1 it must be heard by the Zoning Commission first. Then after the zoning (if approved) it requires another public hearing.

Mr. Chittum has no idea what the property is going to be used for. This is hard to believe. So the secrecy leads to speculation that the 25 foot piece owned by Newbern Properties will be a driveway to the enlarged Trane building. A driveway across the cart path.

According to Mr. Chittum, Steve Smith, the general manager of Countryside for Meadowbrook gave approval and affirms that play will not be interfered with ... does Mr. Smith know what is going to be built? Is a driveway going to cut through the cart path? Is a structure going to be right on the property line? I have been unable to reach Mr. Smith for comment.

Look for comparison on position of stakes after the "alleged" move of 10 feet.

Council Meeting - Trane Property - Wasena Park

UPDATE: Listen to message from Roanoke City Planning Department - moving the stake(s) 10 feet:

The RED Line is Where The Three Stakes Converge

The BLUE Line had NO Stakes - Should Follow the Tree Line

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It was a very, very long Council Meeting that I attended Monday. I went not only to present the pictures of the Trane Property that was staked off but to also support the Wasena Park group wanting to save the beautiful trees that will be cut down along the banks of the Roanoke River. This is part of the flood project being conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers. I went down to Wasena Park Sunday afternoon. I am SO jealous. The huge trees were showing their colors in all their splendor. The sun shown through them like a kaleidoscope. Take a moment to view the video. How I wish we had a park like that. It made me even more determined to hang onto this golf course. We all saw what the Countryside property means to the City and it did not include a "real" park. It was row upon row of houses, retail, and through traffic.

The "bench cut" to accommodate the flood reduction program at Wasena Park takes out Wiley Drive and will leave a permanent scar. It also prevents the disabled and our older citizens from reaching the Roanoke River picnic area. At least Council promised to revisit the aesthetics and the access when the engineers complete their work.
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After 2 hours I finally got to speak. Mayor Harris left so he did not hear the "public comments". I had pictures printed of the stakes that you see on the blog. I included a picture of the map above because pictures of stakes did not tell you anything unless you could put them together in an overview. Council did look at them and then they ended up with Ms. Burcham.

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In short I pointed out that this property line DOES interfere with play according to Meadowbrook management. That is unless Trane opens it's doors so golfers can play through. This conjures up scenes from the movie "Caddyshack" doesn't it?

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The bottom line is - according to Ms. Burcham, the City Manager, Meadowbrook had blessed the previously measured property lines. However, I explained that the stakes were far from what had been initially measured out according to Steve Smith, the golf course manager and golf pro, and would require the impossible task of reconfiguring number 3 fairway. I say impossible because there is barely anything left of number 3 now. I am very glad I went to the meeting because Ms. Burcham was unaware that the stakes had been planted and had not seen them.

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Here comes another "whoa Nellie" as Ms. Burcham was none too pleased that I brought it to the Council's attention before she became aware of it. I was very forgiving and said that I believed the stakes were just placed last week so it would be understandable that the City Administration may not have seen them yet. However, after the meeting when I approached her to reassure her that the stakes were recent I got the "ice box" and "no lookie in the eyes" shut out demeanor that has defined Ms. Burcham these many years. She gave me the pictures back without looking up .. "here you probably want these back ... we'll go out and take a look". I just hate that, just really hate that, smile, @:D

SEE WASENA PARK - Turn on your speakers:

Calling "Interference" With Play!!

Second Fairway - CLICK TO ENLARGE ANY PICTURE

Second Green

Carl Haley of Cheraw Lake Plays 2nd Green

ABOVE:

Third Green and Sandtrap

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LEFT:

Line up of

Stakes at the

Third Green

Steve Smith, the General Manager and Golf Pro at Countryside Golf Course operated by the Meadowbrook Corporation has notified corporate offices in Florida that the third fairway and green will not be playable with the taking of this property by Trane/Newbern Properties.

Mr. Smith, observed upon first viewing the measurements for the Trane property expansion as put forth by Mr. Newbern that it seemed not to be interfering with play.

According to Steve Smith now, however, the measurements first shown to him and the just planted stakes that define the property are TWO VERY DIFFERENT measurements. One only needs to look at these pictures and say "whoa Nellie".

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REMEMBER, Mayor Harris promised that the property Jess Newbern, III, wanted for the Trane expansion was only a possibility if it did NOT interfere with play. We all heard it at the August Council Meeting.

Ward System For Governing Roanoke City

A history lesson for those not around in 1997.

CLICK TO ENLARGE MAP

The Headline in the Roanoke Times November 5, 1997 read:

"ROANOKE VOTERS SAY NO TO WARDS"

After finding the above map online I became curious as to what happened to this STUPENDOUS idea. All search engines came up empty. I could find no articles associated with this map. Matt Chittum of the Roanoke Times to the rescue! Matt sent an original article printed on November 5th, 1997 - the day after the ward idea was sunk - 54 percent against to 46 percent for the ward system. If you have not visited Matt's "DataSphere" you are missing some good stuff. At least to us "geeks" that are always hungry for another bite out of a "pie chart".

According to the November 5th, 1997, Roanoke Times article it took TWENTY years - yes that is "2 0" years to get a ward system on the city ballot.

Some things never change. The article could have been easily written in 2007 just the same as it was in 1997 (10 years ago). Just as in 1997 we have a business lobby pulling the strings. This quote from the 1997 article is just as today:

"I hope this puts the ward system to bed for a long time," said Bill Poff, the lawyer who was co-chairman of the business-backed committee that lobbied against wards.

Two South Roanoke precincts went against wards 2-to-1. The vote was still closer then expected.

The Roanoke Times article continues:

Audrey Wheaton, the retired social worker who headed One Roanoke Inc. with Poff, said "Our citizens are confident in our present form of local government."

Under the modified wards proposal, the city would have been split into five wards. A council member would have been elected from each ward, and the mayor and vice mayor would have been elected at-large. Instead, all seven council members continued to be elected at-large.

Gary Waldo, a leader of the pro-ward faction, faulted Vice Mayor Linda Wyatt, labor union members and civic leagues for failing to speak out for wards.

City government studied ward proposals twice before, in 1977 and 1992, but this was the first referendum on wards.

More than any city campaign in years, the wards vote brought the city's establishment into open conflict with scrappy, populist types such as the Roanoke Education Association and the NAACP. Powerful lawyers, wealthy Roanokers and business executives worked hard against wards. They noted that voters who now get to cast ballots for all seven council members would have had just three votes under a ward system - ones for the candidate from their ward and one each for mayor and vice mayor.

Ward detractors also called forth an image of Chicago in the days of ex-Mayor Richard Daley - a city of back-room deals and corrupt, cigar-chomping, ward-healing politicians. They warned that council members would be fighting over provincial matters within ward borders instead of promoting the larger interests of the city.

Advocates said that was just fear-mongering that obscured the ward-bashers' real worry - that neighborhoods would steal power from a privileged few already pulling strings in the back rooms of government.

The pro-ward camp said neighborhoods have gotten little personal attention from council members and that members are not held accountable for their treatment of neighborhoods. Ward advocates pointed out that some sections of town, most notably Southeast Roanoke, have not had a representative on council for decades.

But Southeast voters supported wards by only a scant margin.

Members of Bill Bestpitch's Committee for Better Representation, the pro-ward group of which he is chairman, said at a gathering at his house Tuesday night that city administrators tried to make the wards issue confusing to voters. "They fought us every step of the way," said Lisa Farthing, also a member of the city task force that drew up a ward proposal to take to voters.

"It was a huge threat," Waldo said of the ward proposal, "because for too long the affluent, the elite, the people in the southern tier of the city have controlled everything."

Even though the railroad no longer dominates the city, Roanoke still operates as a company town, Bestpitch said.

Waldo said the ward proponents were outfinanced by One Roanoke Inc. While that group used a public relations firm, placed numerous newspaper ads and produced slick materials, "all we had were some TV ads paid by one of our friends, our brochures" and volunteers traveling all over the city to speak to civic leagues and church groups.

At polling places in Southeast Roanoke Tuesday, People would be voting for neighborhood interests, not for the city as a whole, said a middle-aged man. "Roanoke has too little progress as it is."

Bud Chisom, a 67-year-old truck driver and former city firefighter, voted for wards. He said he did it because too many council members are clumped together in South and Southwest Roanoke. "They get the honey and we get the rest," he said. "You'd have a whole lot better chance of representation, instead of a guy sitting out yonder in a rich section of town. He might never have driven through Southeast."

"We just don't have a mouthpiece is what it amounts to," said Southeast resident Howard Spangler, 61.

Susan Hall's Mother Remembered

Susan Hall is the Treasurer of our Countryside Neighborhood Alliance. Susan's mother, Frances Lowe, passed away in June. Frances attended our neighborhood meetings and lived a few doors up from her daughter, Susan. On Friday, October 26th, Frances Lowe was remembered by the Roanoke Valley Democratic Women where former governor Mark Warner attended. Susan spoke of her mother's full and productive life. Below is Susan's remembrance from Friday.

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Mark Warner and Susan Hall
"Frances Lowe -- one of the hardest working Democrats you would ever want to meet, a self-made woman and an amazing woman. She passed away in June and I appreciate your wanting me to share some of her life with you.

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First for a little background -- both my parents were born in Roanoke, raised in Melrose Baptist Church and graduated from Jefferson High School. Mom attended National Business College and my dad, VPI.

They eloped while my dad was a student at VPI (VPI didn’t find out or he would have been kicked out of school in those days). My parents had to daughters, me and my little sister, Anne Michele.

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My mom’s working career began in 1946 at the VA Regional office in downtown Roanoke while my dad followed his dream to be a pilot of the biggest airplane -- which he found in the Air Force. When my dad was stationed at Hickam Field in Hawaii, mom and I followed. She went to work for the Navy of the Pacific where she taught sailors to type and take shorthand.

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My dad, being an Air Force pilot, meant we traveled from Massachusetts to Florida and Georgia to Texas and a lot of states in between. I changed schools 12 times in 1 year but both my parents were my “tutors” so school was never a problem. My sister arrived when I was 8 and a joy she was. We all played, laughed, and prayed together -- we were a storybook family.

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In August 1952, the Korean War was still going on, so we returned to Roanoke to stay a year while my dad was sent to Korea (I was 11 and my sister 3). Then tragedy struck -- on September 13, 1952 the telegram came telling my mom that my dad was missing in action in North Korea. To this day, there has been no further word from our government as to his whereabouts, but that is another story.

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Frances Lowe was now heart broken, a single mom with no income, and two children to feed. She went back to work, first at the VA Regional office, and with promotions, to the Air Force Reserve Center, and when it closed, to the VA Hospital in Salem and then was promoted to the Blue Ridge Parkway -- this added up to 19 ½ years with the government. You ask why she didn’t stay and get her full 20 years with a big pension. Well - She had also been working (on her own time) for a Legislative Chairman and was a part-time Lobbyist. When her bosses learned about her involvement in politics, they reminded her of the “Hatch Act” and told her she would not able to continue working in politics and keep her government job.

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My sister and I were grown by then. So Mom did what no one expected and quit her job, packed her bags, and accepted a job in Richmond as “State Director of Volunteers in Politics -- Committee on Political Education” for the VA State AFL-CIO and also became a Registered Lobbyist. This was in 1968. She was the first woman hired in this job. She was also appointed to the Board of the VA Citizens Consumer Council and became its Legislative Co-Chairman and was a member of the Political Women’s Caucus.

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She traveled this entire State alone implementing programs she had developed and teaching workshops on subjects such as “Importance of Legislation Affecting You and How to Get Involved” and Election Reform, Registration, and most importantly workshops on “get out the vote” and “fund raising.” In very close elections, she would set up “get out the vote” call centers and actually stay in that part of the State that needed help most to see that the vote got out. This was a time when women didn’t go to hotels alone or eat alone -- so through her travels around the State she had many stories to tell -- some very scary and some just funny.

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Mom was a Member and Elected Delegate, or Alternate,to all County, 6th District, and State Democratic Conventions beginning in 1969 and continuing for many years thereafter -- I can’t find her records after l976 but she did not retire from this state job until about 1985.

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The most fun and the longest hours were when she was actively working to elect COPE-endorsed candidates from the Courthouse to the White House. In 1968, her first campaign job was Hubert Humphrey for President and F.T. “Bingo” Stant for Congress. Next came Henry Howell for Governor and Andy Miller for Attorney General.

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The winner came when she worked State-wide to get Lynwood Holton for Governor, “Sarge” Reynolds for Lt. Governor, and Andrew Miller for Attorney General elected. What a celebration!!!

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Do you remember the elections of William B. Spong for the US Senate? William Fears & Daniel Byrd Jr. for State Senate? Jim Thompson & Ray Garland for the House of Delegates? Jimmy Carter for President? Chuck Robb for Governor? Chuck Robb for U.S. Senate? Doug Wilder for Governor? Jim Olin for US House? Just to name a few. She worked them all! She truly enjoyed her work and believed very deeply in what she did. She made many political friends locally as well as across the state and worked in many of their campaigns: including John Edwards, David Bowers, Chuck Woodrum, Victor Thomas, Bill Hopkins, Grainger McFarland, Dick Cranwell, Rick Boucher, and I know I’ve left hundreds of friends out and I apologize.

Mom was a member of the Roanoke Valley Women’s Democratic Committee.

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I think Mom’s happiest moment was when her Grandson became head of the Young Democrats at V.M.I.
When she semi-retired in 1985 she went to work for the Job Corps sending young people, who appeared to have no future, to school. She moved back to Roanoke but traveled all over Southwest VA meeting with these children and making their arrangements.

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But, Mom never really retired because she was active in her church where she continued to serve as a Deacon, Sunday School Teacher, and member of WMU (the womens mission group) and she was an active supporter of building a new church near Smith Mountain Lake called Community Church of the Brethern. She was a member of the Eastern Star, and active in a Book Club, Investment Club, Ladies Golf Association, and played Bridge at the Salem Senior Center every Monday.

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Frances Lowe -- she was my mom, my dad, my best friend, my confident, my advisor -- and the memories she has left behind are meant as a comfort for a lifetime."

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Susan receives a rose at left.

A Letter From A Countryside Neighbor's Son

Mr. Kenny Saunders

Golf Professional & Operations Manager

Dalat, Vietnam

Dalat Palace Golf Club

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Son of Ken and Rosanne Saunders

Countryside Neighborhood, Roanoke, Virginia

Kenny's perfect form

Dear Mom and Dad:

I find it hard to believe that I am writing a story that by saying I remember 40 years ago puts me in the category of the old people. So when I heard about what is happening with the Countryside Golf Course that was my first thought- I remember 40 years ago when I first started playing golf. It has been that long but it seems like yesterday when Arrow Wood Country Club opened in 1966. I was 5 years old when my Dad started taking me to the course. We lived about a quarter mile away so we spent many hours in the summer months at the pool and the golf course. I remember seeing pictures of myself with my golf clubs that were too tall and heavy. Dad sawed them off and added black electric tape for my grips. I used those clubs for years. Now you must know that this was far from the big country club scenes of Roanoke Country Club and Hidden Valley Country Club. This was blue-collar golf at its finest. There are lots of kids who came up through the ranks of Roanoke golf lore and if not for the Countryside’s and the Blue Hills’ they would never have been able to enjoy this game. Such names as David Tolley (US Amateur runner-up and played in the Masters), Sonny Kirkwood, Frankie Moore are but a few that played and excelled at Arrow Wood/Countryside. I was the late bloomer of the bunch but always loved the game and if not for Countryside I would have never ended up being a PGA Golf Professional. I am now the Head Golf Professional and Operations Manager of the #1 ranked golf course in Vietnam,. Dalat Palace Golf Club.

With the ever-changing demographics of Roanoke it is even more important to keep Countryside in existence. It is the only public golf course located in the City of Roanoke and over the years I have been witness to many kids who have been given the opportunity to take up the greatest game ever played. The City is taking away an affordable recreation for kids and adults alike. Golf teaches many of life’s lessons and also gives the opportunity to meet and cultivate friendships that last a life time. I will always remember fondly my regular group with whom I played every

Wednesday and Sunday for many years. Bob Cutrara, Mike McCoy, and especially my Dad. You can go to a golf course by yourself, pair up with another threesome and when the day is done you will have 3 new friends.

I hope the City and its representatives will come to their senses and upgrade this fabulous property to its full potential of green space and recreation. I would hate to see the City government cave in to a few to do away with a treasure that has and will give great pleasure and opportunity to many Roanokers.

Kenny Saunders
Dalat, Vietnam

What is a DataSphere?

The Roanoke Times has launched a Database site and "Datablog" hosted by Matt Chittum. Just getting started but has some good searchable databases on it already. It has a golf course link so it has already "touched" me.

CLICK HERE TO LINK TO THE SITE!

Valley Character - Golf Builds Character

Radio clip - Chip Sullivan supports Valley Character

Official Mission: Valley Character strives to increase the quality of life in the Roanoke Valley and surrounding communities by encouraging all residents to engage in civility and compassion for one another through the six pillars of character -- trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Read more on this 1999 legislation enacted by the Virginia General Assembly requiring all public schools to incorporate Character Education sponsored by our own Senator John Edwards, Chair of Valley Character. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

Guide to Roanoke Parks & Recreation

Did you get your guide to Roanoke Parks and Recreation today? The cover picture of Mill Mountain with the Wachovia tower and Mountain View Mansion in the background was really an eye-catcher. As I paged through the guide, the listings of parks and recreation centers with activities aplenty - I wondered if by chance the City-owned Countryside Golf Course would make it's way into the guide. Not to my surprise - it was no where to be found.

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However, under "the youth" on page 28 there was: First Tee Golf (8-17) Through Playing golf, a child can have a wonderful outdoor recreational experience while developing coordination, character and sportsmanship. Complete all six classes and receive a certificate for additional opportunities. FREE - no mention of Countryside Golf Course the City-owned Municipal golf course.

Turning a few more pages I came to "investing in Roanoke's p&r system" where an article by Vic Garber, Superintendent of Operations at P&R wrote about the recent Roanoke Parks and Recreation Master Plan update. The first bullet caught my eye "Ensure the plan is what the citizens of Roanoke want". Since many of the Countryside Neighborhood attended these meetings I am not sure how seriously I should take that bullet point.

As I read the list of Capital Improvement Projects and the amount of $$ allocated for each one I eagerly searched for any of the 13 projects that had the word "golf" in it. I was disappointed. The closest thing was number five (5) which read "Land Acquisition: additional lands for NW neighborhood parks; a regional sports facility with Roanoke County; finish the greenway system: $3.3 million." This seems like an awful lot for just $3.3 million and sounds more like leftovers from the total allocation of $74,893,000. Heck, the golf course cost $4.1 million. $3.3 million won't even pay off the $4 million loan the City took out on the property.

Who/what received the largest slice of this pie? THE WINNER IS: a Multi-Purpose Community Recreation Center (not in NW) for $21.8 million. You see we were told at the Parks & Rec final plan presentation that NW will get to share with Roanoke County the I-581/I-81 planned recreational complex. Well someone needs to inform Roanoke County because the Parks and Recreation Director there basically said HUH?

The last paragraph in the article reads: "Is it worth investing in this plan?" When Roanoke City puts the first dime into this golf course my answer will be "yes" but until then .... 4.4% of this $75 million pie is just not quite a big enough slice for Northwest.

Good-bye Officer Brink

Our Community Resource Officer (CRO) he has been reassigned. His new assignment is with the Juvenile Crimes Unit. We are without a CRO until a replacement is named. We will miss Officer Dale Brink as he contributed much to our meetings with his advice and council. I wish him good luck in his new assignment. Stay safe, Officer Brink, and we would welcome you back any time. The new Zone 4 Captain is Lt. Todd Clingenpeel.

An Air Traffic Controller Speaks

When I commented to this air traffic controller that the Virginia Department of Aviation (VDOA) was vague and evasive regarding issues with the widening of the Runway Protection Zone (RPZ) of runway 6 his response was - "He was vague because it is a tenuous issue." The same thing goes for the Roanoke Regional Airport personnel.

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The Air Traffic Controller continues, "These RPZ's are established for navigational perimeters, providing safe zones and buffers for aircraft operations, maneuverability, etc. As you are aware, many years ago, the FAA installed the instrument approach - for runway six. Prior the only instrument approach was on runway 33, over Hershberger. Whereas the approach for Rwy 33 is a straight in and fully lighted approach - the aircraft/pilot aligns himself with the runway to land; the approach for Rwy 6 is offset - the aircraft/pilot flies at an angle to the runway center line, the lighting system is not full and at a point on the approach, he makes a correction/turn, to align with the runway center line. Also Rwy 33 has an instrument approach only; whereas Rwy 6 also has a reciprocal approach (the opposite end of the; Rwy 24) that makes it more versatile and its longer. The Oakleaf subdivision and the other new one, on the opposite side of Cove (i.e. Quail Drive) are within the noise-abatement zones. When the planes fly the instrument approach, they come over at an angle and you can actually see them make there midair course corrections [at Oakleaf]. When the weather is clear and they are flying visually, they approach further over."

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"It would be prudent, other than the VDOA, to get the position of the FAA, as well as the VDOA - in writing because being pre-existing residential dwellings and within the zone [RPZ], is entirely different than being outside of it and built afterwards (it's questionable if planning and zoning could give the applicable permits). The owners have a tough decision. There is something known as "Adverse Condemnation", whereby a landowner can file, request a jury (provides a larger pool of potential jurors, other than just landowners); and, if you prevail, you can now be awarded all applicable legal cost (i.e. cost of expert witnesses and testimony, reasonable attorney, appraisal fees, etc). In the Tidewater area, they have given the localities hell, returning sizable awards. The key is "damages" - if you can show the before/after value of your property effected. Given prevailing trends, a landowner's chances have changed. These RPZ's, among other things, are predicated on runway approaches, so I have attached the approach charts [I have them if anyone wants them as they are very complicated]. Check the FAA web site for the most current, because they are frequently updated."

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"Also; get the aircraft traffic counts, for the approaches uses and by types of aircraft. Given wind conditions and the weather conditions, Rwy 6 has a "missed approach" that provides [that a] pilot [can] fly straight out and turn towards Moneta and hold. This enables no delay in following planes to continue there approach and if the pilot deems it safe for him, he lands. Rwy 33 requires a decision point that requires a sharper turn and that following planes be held further back, until the missed plane is clearer of the approach, a less desirable situation for both (pilot/controller)."

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Video shot at Countryside's 12th Fairway includes

C-17 Globmaster III US Airforce:

C-17 Globmaster III take off from Roanoke Regional:

Watch this sucker actually back up: