Collegiate Times

The Blacksburg town council recently passed an ordinance that will work to limit the size of retail buildings that come to the Blacksburg area to 80,000 square feet.

“I think residents would prefer it if we tried to protect the small town character of Blacksburg,” said Donald Langrehr, a Blacksburg town council member who proposed the ordinance. “We have to ask ourselves how large we want our stores to be in the future.”

The supporters of this ordinance claim that there should be more done to control how Blacksburg is developed in terms of retail. Supporters state that they do not want to see Blacksburg mirror Christiansburg, which hosts a number of large retail stores like Wal-Mart and Target.

“I do not think we need another set of large retail outlets in Blacksburg,” said Mary Holliman, a Blacksburg council member who voted in favor of the ordinance. “Especially when we have those stores in nearby Christiansburg.”

Supporters of the ordinance also say that if Blacksburg was to welcome big-box companies, it would ultimately result in serious concerns about parking and maintaining a pedestrian-friendly Blacksburg.

“We want pedestrian-focused retail,” Holliman said. “The Kroger on South Main is less than 80,000 square feet and that is certainly large enough, especially if you’re concerned with pedestrian safety.”

This ordinance would ultimately mean that any corporation that wishes to come to Blacksburg would have to build a building that is 80,000 square feet or smaller. However, if the company wished to have a building larger than this amount, they would be able to petition the town council and receive a special use permit.

“If a company wanted to build something larger than 80,000 square feet, they would have to petition for a special use permit and explain why the complex would benefit the town,” Langrehr said. “The council is here to protect the community of Blacksburg, if we thought it would be detrimental to the town we wouldn’t let it happen.”

While those that support the ordinance say it will protect Blacksburg’s small town character, those council members that voted against the ordinance say that the ordinance was unclear and poorly written.

“I thought the ordinance was worded poorly, and I found that the point of the ordinance was unclear,” said Thomas Sherman, a council member who voted against the ordinance. “I felt uncomfortable voting for a resolution with statements I did not know were accurate.”

Some members of the Blacksburg community are concerned that this ordinance may not be as positive as some council members claim.

“The indirect impact of this ordinance is that it sends a very negative message to retail community,” said University Mall developer Bill Ellenbogen. “The large retailers are the magnets that attract smaller retailers; the council could potentially be sending the message that the town of Blacksburg is not as welcoming to retail business as it should be.”

Nevertheless, most council members state that they do not want to rush into any final decision; the passing of the ordinance is only a preliminary step in the process. Council members stress the importance of receiving feedback from the public when they hold public hearings on this ordinance later on this evening.

“Of course we welcome any input from any Blacksburg citizen,” Holliman said. “I want to hear both the pro and the con arguments, and I want to ensure that we’re really listening to the public.”