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Public Meeting Set for Altavista Historic District

According to the Altavista Journal, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources will hold a public information hearing Tuesday, Feb. 16, at town hall at 6 p.m. The community is invited to hear the presentations, ask questions and offer input. Comments from the February meeting will be presented to two Virginia Department of Historic Resources boards on March 18. The proposed district takes in about 50 buildings in the heart of downtown, including commercial properties, government and churches, but no single-family residences.  Buildings have to be 50 years old and retain some historical character. A major benefit of the designations would be that contributing properties in the district would be eligible for historic rehabilitation tax credits from the state and federal governments. The designations would not impose restrictions on property owners.

 

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Posted on Thursday, February 4, 2010 - 12:16pm

Bedford County Tourist Attraction is For Sale

A long-standing tourist attraction in Bedford County has closed and the property will hit the auction block on Dec 16, according to the Lynchburg News & Advance.

Holy Land USA, which has been open for nearly 40 years and attracted thousands of visitors is now closed due to financial struggles.

The beautiful property includes over 180 acres of farmland, a house, a gift shop, pavillions and several streams and ponds.

Ideally, the new owner will continue to run the property as some sort of tourist attraction that can help boost the local economy and provide tax revenue to the county.

"Holy Land USA, a Bedford County tourist attraction that told the story of Jesus Christ through its scenery for nearly 40 years, is closed and headed for the auction block.

More than 180 acres of farmland that served the pilgrimage site on Jericho Lane several miles south of Bedford is for sale, said Mike Dodson, president of Holy Land USA Inc., a nonprofit that has operated the attraction since 2008.

Low visitation and high costs of maintaining the site led to a difficult decision several months ago to sell the land, Dodson said. Owners hope to find a new buyer who will continue the ministry.

'We had many people saved there,' said Dodson, who also serves as pastor of Tree of Life Ministries in Lynchburg. 'If it wasn’t for the financial side, you couldn’t find a more rewarding ministry.'

Thousands of people have visited Holy Land since its founding in 1972 by the late Robert Johnson, a Bedford businessman who built it as a memorial to his son, Campbell, who died suddenly at age 24.

The attraction included a three-mile journey through the property with 20 sites depicting the life and deeds of Jesus and replicating the Biblical lands of Israel, Syria and Jordan. Several depictions included Jesus’ empty tomb, the Upper Room where he had his last supper and Mount Moriah.

The property also includes a home with seven bedrooms, a chapel and recreation center, a gift shop, pavilions and several ponds and streams.

'It’s a gorgeous piece of property,' said Mike Torrence, a partner at TRF Auctions in Lynchburg, which will auction the site on Dec. 16."

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Posted on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - 11:57pm

Going 'Green" Could Help Farming Communities in Southside

Going green could help farmers in rural areas like Soutside, according to GoDanRiver.com.

Last week officials from the VA Commission on Energy & Environment met in Gretna to learn about the area's green and energy initiatives. One key point addressed in the meeting is how these initiatives can help farming communities.

This is an important topic for all homeowners in farming communities because there are key legislative changes that would have to be made to make these efforts able to have a positive impact on the state's energy consumption and economy. It's important because it could lead to more affordable, renewable energy sources, but could also help farmers who support many of the state's rural communities.

"Generating renewable energy from local sources could help rural areas like Southside, business leaders told policymakers Thursday.

The Renewable Energy Subcommittee of the Virginia Commission on Energy and Environment met in Gretna on Thursday to learn about the area’s 'green' and energy initiatives, said subcommittee chairman and Delegate Charles Poindexter, R-9th District. The subcommittee will report back to the commission, which will later make recommendations on legislation for the upcoming session of the General Assembly.

Ken Moss of Piedmont BioProducts in Gretna told the subcommittee that second-generation biofuels, those using biomass like wood or grass, would bring prosperity to farming communities in Southern Virginia."

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Posted on Thursday, October 29, 2009 - 10:11am

Leesville Lake, An Undiscovered Gem

Leesville business owners are hopeful about the area's economic development, according to GoDanRiver.com.

Those who love Leesville Lake, think that others will, too. A quieter lake than its neighbor, Smith Mountain Lake, there are many available homes and lots at more affordable prices.

Many in the area hope to see some commercial development at Leesville in the future, which might make the lake more well-known.

"Though a bad economy has stalled development at quiet Leesville Lake, commercial growth is inevitable for the Dan River Region’s well-kept secret.

'The economy … has slowed it down, but it’s coming,' said Fred Tannehill, owner of Tri-County Marina at the lake and vice president of the Leesville Lake Association’s board of directors.

County officials and Tannehill say 17-mile-long Leesville Lake — which is connected to Smith Mountain Lake — has great economic potential.

'Right now, Leesville is pretty much an undiscovered lake,' said Tannehill, who has lived at the lake and owned Tri-County Marina since 1976. Most of its 100-plus-mile shoreline is natural, with about a third of it developed, Tannehill said. Leesville Lake covers 3,270 acres, with water levels fluctuating between 600 and 613 feet above sea level."

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Posted on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 - 6:46pm

Chesapeake Bay Reports Call For More Livestock, Runoff Regulations

Last week federal officials released parts of a strategy to restore the Chesapeake Bay, according to NewsDay.com.

The report focuses on expanding regulation of large-scale animal farms and municipal stormwater runoff. Although details of the expanded regulations have not been decided, the report did mention that federal leadership and "muscle" would be used when necessary to enforce the new regulations.

This report, along with others wll be used to develop a bay restoration strategy scheduled for release on Novemeber 9th.

Because many of the Virginia localities in the Chesapeake Watershed are heavily farmed areas, many Virginia property owners could be affected. Property owners will need to ensure that their rights are protected in the process of restoring the Chesapeake Bay.

"Federal officials on Thursday began revealing the building blocks of a strategy to restore the Chesapeake Bay, using federal leadership to encourage states to cut pollution and federal muscle, when necessary, to ensure it happens.

Among recommendations in draft reports from federal agencies: expanded regulation of large-scale animal farms and municipal stormwater runoff, and requirements that increases in pollution be offset by reductions from other sources.

The details, such as how many more animal feeding operations would be regulated, have not been decided, but 'the message here is that there will be, there is a commitment at EPA to increased enforcement and increased oversight of state programs,' EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said Thursday.

The reports will be used to develop a bay restoration strategy, scheduled for release Nov. 9, that was mandated by an executive order issued earlier this year by President Obama.

The EPA said it was working with Chesapeake Bay states and the District of Columbia to establish limits for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediments. States would have to develop detailed plans on how to reduce levels of those pollutants from sources such as farms, highways and lawns. The EPA said it would step in if states don't take sufficient action.

While large operations such as industrial chicken farms would be regulated, the EPA said it would also expand regulation of municipal stormwater programs to include high-growth areas.

Jackson said the goal was to use federal leadership, and 'federal muscle when necessary.'

Agriculture is responsible for about half the pollution entering the bay, but Jackson noted there is more turf grass in the bay watershed than corn acreage and the region is much different from when bay restoration efforts began decades ago."

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Posted on Monday, September 14, 2009 - 10:50am

Plans Scratched for Development on Johnson Mountain

After many difficulties with zoning, serious erosion and sediment violations, the owner of roughly 1,200 acres on Johnson Mountain in Bedford and Campbell counties has given up on plans for a high-end development, according to the Lynchburg News Advance.

The owner is Stacy Compton, NASCAR Crafstman truck driver, who has invested in other properites in the area, including a strip-mall in Altavista where he plans to open a restaurant.

The land will be sold, and will hopefully have potenial to impact the local economy under the hands of other developers. Area homeowners should be aware of these opportunities and encourage the Board of Supervisors to support plans that will help increase property values.

"Plans for an expansive luxury housing development on Johnson Mountain have been scrapped and the owner, NASCAR Craftsman truck driver Stacy Compton, said he will sell off the land.

The roughly 1,200 acres that straddles Bedford and Campbell counties now makes up eight lots, ranging from 65 acres to 333 acres. Planning commissioners approved the new preliminary layout during Monday’s meeting.

'We tried several times to do something up there and it just hasn’t seemed to work out like we wanted it to,' Compton said. 'After thinking about it and looking at what we’re trying to do without being very successful, we just elected to concentrate our efforts in another area other than developing a mountain.'

Compton unveiled plans for the project in November 2006, outlining a high-end residential project that spanned almost seven miles of Johnson Mountain. Plans called for numerous outdoor amenities and about 600 homes. When Campbell supervisors denied a request to rezone the land from agriculture to residential single-family, Compton said he would proceed with plans “by right” and set to develop about 400 homes."

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Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 9:20pm

Roanoke Valley Home Sales Increase

The Roanoke Times published some great news for area homeowners today. The local real estate market is showing signs of recovery with an increase in the number of housing contracts that closed in July 2009 versus July 2008.

Although you already own a home in the area, statistics like these are great indicators for prediciting how the value of your home may change in the future. These are the kinds of numbers homeowners like to see, because home values will start to stabilize and rise and the real estate market recovers.

"In a refreshing sign for the local real estate market, home sales in the Roanoke Valley in July climbed above year-ago totals for the first time in more than 18 months.

The number of housing contracts that closed in July increased 18 percent, to 435 from 368 in July 2008, according to data reported by the Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors.

The association tracks sales activity in Roanoke and Salem and in Roanoke, Botetourt and Craig counties and portions of Bedford and Franklin counties.

The volume of homes sold during the month also rose 10 percent from 2008.

Still, the average price of a Roanoke Valley home was $198,930 last month, down from $212,197 in 2008.

In Virginia, home sales for the second quarter, as of June 30, dropped 4.4 percent from last year, according to the Virginia Association of Realtors.

Several factors are spurring a Roanoke Valley residential sales bump, including an $8,000 tax credit that the federal government is offering to first-time homebuyers or people who have not owned a home for at least three years. In order to receive the credit, buyers must close on a home by Dec. 1."

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Posted on Friday, August 14, 2009 - 5:03pm

Lace Up Your Running Shoes, a New Marathon is Coming to the Roanoke Area

The Roanoke Times reports that Roanoke economic development officials, runners and business professionals are planning a marathon that they hope will draw people from across the country, boost tourism dollars and stand out as one of the toughest marathon courses around.

The 26.2-mile course will start at the Taubman Museum of Art in downtown Roanoke, wind up Mill Mountain and onto the parkway. Runners will climb to the top of Roanoke Mountain, cut back down to the Mill Mountain Star and go through parts of downtown Roanoke. The finish line will be in front of the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center.

Other marathons in the Commonwealth have been growing, despite the struggling economy, and are great for pumping tourism dollars into communities. Roanoke homeowners can view this as a great way to show-off the beauty of their town to visitors, enjoy an added annual event, and experience a boost in their local economy.

"The last time marathoners flocked to the Roanoke Valley for a 26.2-mile race was in 1983. But marathons and the festivities associated with them have been growing throughout the country in cities large and small, pumping significant tourism dollars into some communities.

The Roanoke Valley is banking on this success as it markets the outdoors to a population of runners whose sport is named the No. 1 outdoor recreation activity in the country by the Outdoor Industry Association.

Organizers, along with U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, announced Wednesday the coming of a new marathon, coined the Blue Ridge Marathon on the Parkway.

Set for April 24, 2010, its route will cover a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway and sections of Roanoke, with approximately 16 miles of mountain climbing and 10 miles of city roadways."

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Posted on Thursday, August 13, 2009 - 12:58pm

Roanoke Area Residents Experience an Increase in Lawn Equipment Thefts

Today the Roanoke Times published a story about the increase in lawn equipment thefts this summer. Area officals are encouraging homeowners to go to greater lengths to protect their lawn equipment, including:

- Lock lawn equipment in a shed

- Permanently and uniquely mark equipment (engraving is a great idea)

- Record model and serial numbers of all lawn equipment

"One morning last month about 10:30, Charlie Hartman pulled up to his house just in time to see two strangers driving away with his flatbed trailer hitched to their truck. Parked on the trailer was his $4,000 Cub Cadet riding mower. Hartman, 56, a Vinton contract landscaper, had just stopped at home on his way to a doctor's appointment. Suddenly he found himself in a car chase down East Virginia Avenue, up South Pollard Street and past the police station.

'If I'd been two minutes earlier, I'd have been right on top of them hooking it up,' he said.

Two days after that, Hartman said, he was at a Roanoke used car dealership when the same truck rolled onto the lot with his trailer. The driver, he thinks, was looking to sell it.

'When I went to question him, he took off real fast,' said Hartman, who later found the trailer, minus the mower, abandoned a few blocks away. He has identified a suspect from police mug shots, but hasn't gotten his Cub Cadet back. 'I've been here 17 years and not even had as much as a toothpick taken from my yard. I keep everything now locked up like Fort Knox,' he said.

He's not alone. Although Vinton police and the Botetourt County Sheriff's Office said they haven't noticed a significant rise in thefts of lawn equipment, many other areas are citing a sharp increase. Roanoke did not submit information. Salem police Lt. Mike Green said that since mid-May, there have been about a dozen reported thefts of lawn equipment in the city, including trailers, riding mowers, pressure washers and leaf blowers."

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Posted on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - 10:14am

Bedford County to Get Skate Park

Image from Alan Gee

The News & Advance reported about a decision recently made during a Bedford County Board of Supervisors meeting that brought cheers from teenagers and their parents:

"With a warning for it not to be abused, the Bedford County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to enter into a contract for the design and construction of a skate park within Falling Creek Park next to the county’s nursing home.

Since early 2007 the county has interacted with a group of interested citizens that has raised just more than $300,000 for the park. The board voted 5-2 to enter into a contract with Arizona-based Pillar Design Studios after overturning a motion for denial by Supervisor Annie Pollard, who said it was a great private venture but not a county-operated one.

Construction of the park is contingent upon the availability of private funds, Assistant County Administrator Frank Rogers said. The preliminary cost estimate for the skate park is $336,000 and $512,000 altogether to include restrooms and other features, he said."

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Posted on Monday, July 27, 2009 - 7:14pm