Dennison Says Property Owner Must Reapply To Ask City To Vacate Alley

BRISTOL, Va. – The City Council’s lack of action on Tuesday could impact a proposed business planned for land between a busy city street and a residential neighborhood.

A proposal for the city to vacate a right-of-way between Lancaster Street and Commonwealth Avenue died when no motion was made. The request, which the council tabled during its previous meeting, is tied to the potential sale of the former Southern Refrigeration building.

The Henard Trust, which owns the building, also is asking the city for a special-use exception to allow a building contractor to operate on that property. That request is scheduled to go before the council next month during a joint public hearing with the city’s Planning Commission.

“It appears as if the use of the building is dependant upon closing the alley,” Mayor Jim Rector said after the meeting. “It appears to me the requests should have been together.”

Because the council took no action, the property owner must reapply to ask the city to vacate the alley and pay to advertise that request, City Manager Bill Dennison said. There isn’t time to get the right-of-way request back on the agenda for the council’s next meeting, he added.

Bruce Martin, trustee for the Henard group, said the prospective buyer has discussed using the alley space to expand the business.

“We do need this alley closed,” Martin told the council. “Whether we sold it or kept it, we would still like the alley closed.”

The space is adjacent to New People’s Bank and the George & Sid’s Market on Commonwealth Avenue.

An unidentified resident of the adjoining residential neighborhood spoke out against closing the right-of-way.

In other action, the council agreed to refund more than $66,000 in personal property tax payments to the Dana Corp. The action follows a review by the city’s commissioner of revenue after Dana paid more than $385,000 in taxes for 2006, but challenged that amount in court.

“You really have no choice,” City Attorney Peter Curcio told the council. “But this clears up the litigation with Dana.”

In other action, the council unanimously approved a request from the Fort Chiswell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to erect a monument in Cumberland Square Park.

The monument will honor area residents who fought in the Revolutionary War, chapter Regent Emily Kausch told the council.

It is expected to resemble a similar monument in Abingdon.

All costs related to the memorial will be paid by the local chapter, which is a nonprofit organization, Kausch said.

The council also accepted a pair of state homeland security grants totaling almost $126,000. The funds will be used for training and to purchase additional protective and communications equipment for the fire department’s hazardous materials and tactical rescue units.

Efforts to stabilize sections of stream bank and lake shoreline at the Clear Creek Golf Club also received some funding Tuesday. The council accepted a $53,000 state water quality grant to purchase materials to stop erosion in the area. Much of the work will be performed by volunteers, the city manager said.

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