Today: The Board of Zoning Appeals Hears the Developers' Appeal

On June 18, Blacksburg's Zoning Administrator, Steve Hundley, ruled that the developers of the South Main project did not have vested rights prior to the passage of Ordinance 1450, and thus their supercenter is subject to the special use permit requirement. The developers appealed that ruling and now the Board of Zoning Appeals is holding a public hearing on the appeal. The hearing is at 4:30 today, July 25, in the Town Council Chambers.

Please consult our home page for details, and especially if you would like to address the Board.

BURG has filed a letter urging the Board to uphold Hundley's decision. Our lawyers have introduced a number of important arguments that go beyond what the town has argued thus far, and which articulate the interests of the town's residents.

Please give to the BURG legal fund!

The BURG legal fund has collected over $12,000. We are well on our way to meeting our initial goal of $20,000, thanks to those who have already donated.

If you have not yet given to the fund, we need your help now more than ever. We all worked very hard in May to win the passage of Ordinance 1450, and our involvement in the legal proceedings is a continuation of that work, to assure that the ordinance will apply to the South Main project. Our attorney has done a fantastic job, already strengthening the case for upholding Steve Hundley's ruling.

The money we have collected thus far is nearly all spent. The legal proceedings, however, will not end with the BZA hearing on July 25. With your help, our legal team will continue fighting for the interests of all of us.

Visit our donations page for information on how to contribute.

The Old Middle School - great potential in the heart of town

Just as fateful as the S. Main development for the future of Blacksburg is the Old Middle School, and what will happen to the school building and the 20 acres the county owns in the heart of Blacksburg. BURG intends to follow the developments closely, and will be reporting to our members and the public. We will be supporting proposals that are consistent with our values of smart growth, protecting open space, and revitalizing downtown, and plan to be active in making solutions of this kind viable.

The next key date in the Old Middle School process is a joint meeting of the Blacksburg Town Council and Montgomery County Board of Supervisors on Monday, July 30. Among the issues to be discussed is a possible design competiton for what should be done with the property.

You can also keep track of upcoming local events with the new BURG Calendar.