Roanoke plans to place Mill Mountain's slopes in a conservation easement. How protected they will be from potential development, like roads, trails and inclines, is to be determined. City Council is ducking a discussion about what, if any, type of further development should be allowed on the top. What would you want?

Luanne, and fine panel, we will all have surely passed on by the time Roanoke comes to a decision on the matter. I doubt our children's children will be alive to see it. If I come across as jaded, it is because I am jaded. If there were three or four Mill Mountain's, then perhaps it would be OK to whack away at the natural setting and serenity the mountain offers so many who live in its presence. But since there is just one, why not wait on the irreversible decision to lessen the beauty of the mountain, and meanwhile finish the gazillion other projects hanging in eternal limbo? Then talk about the mountain. Gip

PS...I do applaud the slope easement, but there is only one top of the mountain. Keep Mill Mountain the best it can be, and as nature created it, and for once let nature trump business endeavors.

 

Oh boy! yet another cause dear and passionate in my heart and mind.  I do support any easement and protection of this crown jewel real-estate which I am so privilege to be able to look out my bedroom window and gaze upon our greatest of icons in the Roanoke Valley.

 

When I returned to Roanoke 13 years ago I realized I was doomed to most nights being bored with nothing to do, that wouldn’t cost an arm and leg.  I took great solace in the fact I could always go up to the mountain top and gaze upon the magnificent lights of the Valley.  It has always been, almost, like a religious experience for me.

 

But, like so many other freedoms we have lost since 9/11, extreme terrorism struck the top of Mill Mountain.  The only way the city knew how to deal with the attack was to punish all the good people of our Valley and Tourist and subsequently decided to close the gates at 11PM.

 

The terrorist act was the setting on fire of a porta potty, during construction of the nature center house being built.  So, because of this extreme act of a few hoodlums, we are all punished by their actions.

 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had out of town guest arrive in town and wanted to top off the evening with a visit to the Star.  Were I in charge of this backwards run city I would have hired a security guard and had them stationed up there between 12M and 6AM, using a battery powered cart patrolling between the Star and the Zoo to make it even safer and more secure for people to visit anytime.

 

As for development on top…..What should be done is get rid of the tax sucking money of the Zoo and build a rotating restaurant, meeting room, lodge whatever in the Zoo space and leave the rest of the top of the Mountain alone. A mountain top is NO place for this silly zoo, which no one can afford to go to begin with.

 

Like Gip, we’ll never live to see it, let alone the gates being reopened to visit after 11PM

 

I'm very happy about the easment. I would like to see as many acres as possible preserved as forest. As for the top, I think they should build a snack bar only, It would be nice, when I've hiked to the top, to be able to buy a snack & sit down with a cold drink. It would encourage people to loiter at the top, where now there is nothing to do there except walk back down.

City Council cannot decide anything, & where they are concerned, the only thing for certain is that there'll be changing of the plan until nothing gets done, just like Victory Stadium. So I guess that they more that Council ducks discussion the better.

If you are one of the ones who is so disgusted with Obama that you're ready to pull the plug on him & give it all back to the Republicans, then I want you to think well about that last paragraph, because that's exactly what you're setting the country up for. I already see it happening with health care reform, & if we, as a society, can't even agree to get that accomplished, then we will surely fail miserable at anything else.

 

Mill Mountain, Roanoke's most distinguishing landmark, provides a bit of natural beauty set within the developed metropolitan area. For both the local resident and the traveler passing by on the Interstate, it adds beauty and charm to the valley. Let's keep it that way by protecting it under a conservation easement. Must we forever think we need to pave, build, grade, or otherwise "improve" every acre of undeveloped ground?

Conservation easements, while protecting the land from development, offer substantial flexibility as to its use. Placing it under an easement will still allow it to be used for recreational purposes such as nature trails, wildlife preserve, picnic areas, even hunting. It will preserve the area and ensure future generations may enjoy its undeveloped beauty.

The Roanoke Valley has no shortage of developable land for residential, business or commercial use. Mill Mountain should be protected and maintained for the use of all citizens, not just the few who would benefit from development.

Many cities have come to realize the value of "green space" and are expanding the areas thus protected. Our own Roanoke Valley greenway is a great example of space set aside for the benefit of all. With the existing link roads to the Blue Ridge Parkway and nearness to the Roanoke river, Mill Mountain is ideally situated for preservation and use as a undeveloped natural area.

Luanne Traud:

  Roanoke plans to place Mill Mountain's slopes in a conservation easement. How protected they will be from potential development, like roads, trails and inclines, is to be determined. City Council is ducking a discussion about what, if any, type of further development should be allowed on the top. What would you want?

 

 I am part of the generation that enjoyed the old Roanoke traditions. Like the VPI-VMI annual football game at Victory Stadium, and the Mill Mountain Theater on the top of the mountain. But, as Thomas Wolfe wrote, You Can't Go Home Again; Home, as it was, is long gone.

We can't resurrect Victory Stadium, and Tech has gone on to bigger and better things. And the move of the Theater to Center in the Square, with Equity actors instead of local talent, got too expensive to exist in bad economic times.

But I still remember the high we used to get from participating in the party that was the authentic Mill Mountain Theater. True, I was young and foolish then, but it was great. We were proud of our theater and enjoyed the heck out of it.

Consequently, While I don't support mass commercialization of the mountain top, I do support a return to some sort of venue at the top which would serve as a destination and gathering place. Maybe a theater, or maybe just an eating place. Maybe we should look at the Peaks of Otter, and see what we can learn from there.

Just sayin'

Norb

 

 

Marvin Foster:

Conservation easements, while protecting the land from development, offer substantial flexibility as to its use. Placing it under an easement will still allow it to be used for recreational purposes such as nature trails, wildlife preserve, picnic areas, even hunting. It will preserve the area and ensure future generations may enjoy its undeveloped beauty.

Did you say HUNTING?  Yikes!  Someone might mistake me for a bear.  No hunting within the city limits, please.  I don't want to have to wear a blaze-orange vest when I walk on the greenway.

 

Luanne Traud:

  Roanoke plans to place Mill Mountain's slopes in a conservation easement. How protected they will be from potential development, like roads, trails and inclines, is to be determined. City Council is ducking a discussion about what, if any, type of further development should be allowed on the top. What would you want?

This is probably a very good question, and if I knew anything about it, I might respond. But, alas, I do not. So I am sitting this one out although I will be watching the discussion and will wade in whenever it looks like I can be the most obnoxious. A gadfly! That's it, a gadfly. Winged fury! Buzzing menace! Smack! Oi, what a way to go. See ya.

 

 

Frederick..."A gadfly! That's it, a gadfly. Winged fury! Buzzing menace! Smack! Oi, what a way to go. See ya."

Hey Frederick. I was going to ask you to elaborate, but I got scared. So, with respect to Mill Mountain, I must say I like the idea of a destination at the top where one could enjoy the view, kick back and have a meal/drink/VoV party/wedding/etc, in an ultimately non-invasive building with "nature" being the focus of the atmosphere. Make it so "green" the mountain looks fake. If built with indigenous stone, it would not be an eyesore from the valley looking up. Just keep Howard Johnson's off the mountain, and keep it smaller scale and built to last. The trails could lead up to it, and I think a T-shirt such as "I hiked Mill Mountain and found a star!" would sell. Throwing it out there is all. Lastly, I personally think very well of you Frederick, and very seldom see you as a buzzing menace. Gip

With all the gloom about Afghanistan, rising unemployment, the health care reform bill moving to the floor of the House, and now the shooting at Fort Hood, this discussion topic is an unexpected diversion.  I won't pretend to fully understand the question and don't know if I'll have time to research the topic.  Hopefully I'll learn enough from other, more informed panelists to express a modestly intelligent opinion next week.  I need my weekly paychecks from Luanne to keep coming, with the budget cuts here at work, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find the time and energy to keep up with the rest of the panel.  I barely have time to read Clonnie's 600-word commentaries, let alone time to write my own.  I'm beginning to doubt that Ricky and I can reach 2,000 comments.

Off the top of my head, there is an adequate road to the top of Mill Mountain,  Two, if memory serves me.  (I haven't been up there in quite a while.)  Why do we need another one?  More hiking trails?  Perhaps.  What trails are there now and how heavily are they used?  There are lots of hiking trails in the area.  I walk on part of the Greenway every day with Ricky and Lib, and we commonly see no other living creatures other than birds, squirrels, and an occasional deer.  An incline?  I can't imagine why.  Inclines were cool sixty years ago.  A restaurant on top of Mill Mountain?  Roanoke is not hurting for places to get a good meal in a pleasant atmosphere.  How about a historical theme park?  Or a war memorial.  Thousands of tourists from everywhere would come daily.  It would be hugely popular and profitable for the city.  Well... maybe not.

I rather like the mountain as it is, mostly green and undeveloped.  Commercialization would spoil it.  I cannot imagine how a restaurant with a view could be built that would not be visible from below, especially the lights at night.  I suppose the city sees it as a natural resource that needs to be both protected and exploited, and that tension is why City Council has "ducked a discussion" about it.

What do I want?  I want Mill Mountain to stay as natural as possible.  I want more urban green spaces, not more buildings and pavement.

Reflecting on what I just wrote, clearly my mood is gloomy.  Maybe it's PED (post-election depression).

Dave Hanson:

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find the time and energy to keep up with the rest of the panel.  I barely have time to read Clonnie's 600-word commentaries, let alone time to write my own.

I know what you mean, Dave.  When we began, I made a commitment to myself to at least read everything written here, but sometimes reading is all I have time to do.  Some days I have a little time, and those are usually the days I get in trouble.  Yesterday I spent 45 minutes writing what I thought was a dynamite post, then when I clicked on spell-check, my cursor jumped to the back arrow and I lost the whole thing.  I rewrote it, but it wasn't the same because I had to rush.  The spontaneity was gone, and I knew it wasn't well crafted.  I had wanted to argue with Norb, but I didn't have time to look up my own personal facts and figures to back up my points.  Sigh... 

You must walk a very secluded area of the green way.  Mrs Yearout and I are hardly ever alone on the sections we visit unless the weather is terrible.  I haven't been able to bike very much lately due to a hernia problem, but I'm scheduled to have that repaired in three weeks, and hopefully I can be back in first class condition by the new year.  (Guess I should have put "first class" in quotation marks there.)

I don't foresee a lot of disagreement on the panel with respect to Mill Mountain.  I'm tempted to call for leveling off the top and building a new civic center on the plateau, just to get a reaction, but that might be a little over the top -- even for me.  If you've never traveled to the top via the old road, I suggest you do so sometime.  The road winds past Rockledge, former mayor Ralph Smith's former home, but you can close your eyes as you pass it.  There's a lot of history attached to the mountain, and there have been efforts in the past to commercialize it, such as the passenger rail incline.  For pictures of it, go to

http://members.cox.net/oldroanoke/

If Norb remembers the Harvest Bowl being played at Victory Stadium he'll probably like the pictures at this site -- if he hasn't already visited it.  Come to think of it, Norb might be in some of those old pictures.  Just kidding, Norb.  You know you're my favorite big-government guy.

Got to go.  I'd like to be a good neighbor by helping you rake leaves in your yard, Dave, but we have trees here in northwest too so I have chores to do here.  I have to make sure Mrs Yearout has an adequate supply of leaf bags, and she's been complaining that her leaf raking gloves are almost worn through.  I could point out to her that "almost worn through" means that they are still quite serviceable, but I'm going to be a good husband and make a show of inspecting them anyway.  Even if I have to buy new ones for her it's for the best -- those gloves serve to protect the rake handle.  One rake should be sufficient to last a couple's lifetime together, provided they take good care of it. 

Frederick Fuller:

This is probably a very good question, and if I knew anything about it, I might respond. But, alas, I do not. So I am sitting this one out

There's another contrast between thee and me, Frederick.  I never allow ignorance of a subject to keep me from pontificating about it.  Smoke screens, diversions, questioning another panelist's assertions, subtly changing the subject -- there are a multitude of ways to participate here while giving the appearance of being an authority on practically everything.  Personally, I never have to use any of those tactics, but I'm just saying that they are available....

PS.  I admire your ability to work words like "alas" into the discussion.  I aspire to do likewise, but, alas, my rapidly aging mind seems to forget to do so.

Ricky:

I don't want to have to wear a blaze-orange vest when I walk on the greenway.

 

 

 Come on Ricky, you would look great in blaze orange.

Actually I would not expect hunting to be allowed (and would not suggest it) that close to a heavily populated area.  I just wanted to point out that conservation easements do allow a lot of uses for the land.

I'm not opposed to hunting although I am not a hunter.  In fact I lease out hunting rights to some land I own in Bedford County.  I have no desire to shoot members of our animal kingdom, but believe it both necessary and desirable...proven by our excess of deer everywhere we turn.  But certainly we want to protect the canine members!!!

Dave Hanson:

What do I want?  I want Mill Mountain to stay as natural as possible.  I want more urban green spaces, not more buildings and pavement.

 

 Dave,

We won't even be able to  debate on this one since we are in total agreement.  What a boring week it will be!!!!

E. Duane Howard:

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had out of town guest arrive in town and wanted to top off the evening with a visit to the Star.  Were I in charge of this backwards run city I would have hired a security guard and had them stationed up there between 12M and 6AM, using a battery powered cart patrolling between the Star and the Zoo to make it even safer and more secure for people to visit anytime.

 

As for development on top…..What should be done is get rid of the tax sucking money of the Zoo and build a rotating restaurant, meeting room, lodge whatever in the Zoo space and leave the rest of the top of the Mountain alone. A mountain top is NO place for this silly zoo, which no one can afford to go to begin with.

E Duane, I'm confused. You seem to want to preserve some of the natural beauty so that you can go up there and look down on artificial lights.The only thing that would make it better you think, is to get rid of those pesky wild animals quarantined up there and build a restaurant? Hmmmm , If we could only get rid of that Carillion building it could look like this again.