One of the items on the agenda will be the final determination by Town Council as to a
proposed development that has created a lot of controversy. The primary issue has been of traffic, particularly of traffic as it relates to one particular road.
As noted on the above link, there was a
Roanoke Times Editorial that spoke to some of the issues involved also.I figured I would offer a little bit of additional information: (
to see both of these documents go to the entrance page of my resources page and look for the links in the first block.)
1. A copy of the form the Town of Christiansburg uses to determine if a VDOT Traffic Analysis is required. Note that this form is filled out by the developer and, per town staff, is not verified by the Town.
2. A copy of the Traffic Analysis the developer completed. Page 10 of this 23 page pdf shows a map of the area. Interesting, it is also noted that 2 other possible future developments are proposed in the same general area. (Sorry about the quality of the scanned document. You can obtain your own hardcopy at Town Hall, Planning Department for $2.50)
While the future possible development was not discussed at Planning Commission or Town Council Meetings to any degree, it is clear to me that possible future growth should also be used in determining what criteria needs to be addressed as far as traffic in the Mall ___ area. (I'll leave you to fill in the blank as I have heard it called a lot of things and very few of them are suitable for printing here.)
It is also clear to me that the issue is not with developments. The issue is the Town's failure to address specific infrastructure needs such as roads, traffic control measures, and other means of egress with a look to future growth.
This is a Town not a fiction movie. "Build the homes and businesses and the roads will come" just doesn't play well here. It takes an actual effort on the part of planning department and the Town Council to take potential growth into account and start the processes now that will provide citizens with safe roads.
Growth is not the issue. The real problem is the failure to plan for and implement strategies to deal with that growth. This is a situation that could have been a win-win situation for EVERYONE. But, a failure to plan for future growth has left this and future similar situations ones in which someone is destined to lose.
Now is the time, Town Council, to start taking some positive steps to anticipate future growth and PLAN EFFECTIVELY for it. Don't let inaction cost homeowners or construction workers. When both of the them win, the Town wins even more!
(115 and counting!! Please take the Citizen Satisfaction Survey and ask your friends and neighbors to also!! My thanks to those of you who have been sending this out as a link in emails!)
By the way, don't forget the following officials will be coming up for re-election: Mayor Ballengee, Councilman Wade, Councilwoman Carter, and Councilman Stipes. That will be the May 2010 election. In between now and then will be a November choice by voters to move town elections to November odd years.