File photos
By Matt de Simone
Fincastle Town Council appointed Jay Saunders and Dean Clemons to the town’s Planning Commission at Thursday night’s meeting held at the Fincastle Library. Their recommendation came to council based on both appointees’ experience and qualifications with Clemons being the town’s largest property owner and Saunders involvement with the town’s historic preservation. Both were unanimously appointed to the Planning Commission by Town Council.
Town Planning Commission/Zoning Administrator Scott Critzer provided information to council that five, up to fifteen members are required on the town’s Planning Commission. Adding Clemons and Saunders will meet the state code’s requirements for Fincastle. Critzer noted that an ongoing challenge is having at least five members on hand for a quorum at Planning Commission meetings. He added that it’s particularly difficult when the commission has to schedule public hearings because the commission is “locked in” to state requirements for advertising a hearing.
Critzer also added that adding these two new members on the Planning Commission will expand the number of future commission leaders, expand the resource pool, and help broaden the level of expertise and input.
A public hearing was scheduled for last Thursday’s meeting regarding text amendments to the town’s zoning ordinance. The hearing was tabled due to inclement weather canceling the meeting of the Planning Commission earlier in the week. Town Council is scheduling the public hearing for its March 13 meeting.
Town Manager Melanie McFadyen highlighted some of the town’s recent business that included an update on the town budget process that is “just getting started.”
Photo by Matt de Simone
There are new town banners that can now be seen around town that Tracy McDonald and Henry Booze provided. Council thanked them for their efforts and discussed the possibility of adding banners along Route 220 as well.
The Dodd Building is ready to come down, according to McFadyen. Courthouse construction is now underway and commemorative events are in the works. In particular, a possible commemorative event revolving around the move of the old Breckinridge Law Offices and hotel that was formerly the home of the Botetourt County Museum of History & Culture.
Extended street closures on Roanoke Street from Main to Back Streets are expected but McFadyen didn’t have any extended dates to share and said they’ll be forthcoming.
The town has begun the process of updating the Hazard Mitigation Plan, which is updated every five years. McFadyen shared that the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission wants more information about the plan. A survey is being developed and will soon be available for residents on the town’s website that will take about 15 minutes to complete. Paper surveys will also be available in the Town Office. This plan has to be completed by August, according to McFadyen.
McFadyen suggested to the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Transportation Planning Organization (RVTPO) to include the entire town into the “TPO Study Area” that RVTPO representative Jonathan Stanton made a presentation about the study at council’s meeting in September of last year. Mayor Mary Bess Smith said that they will vote on it at council’s March meeting.
