Published: June 03, 2009 09:22 pm      

Richlands’ boundary expands to include schools, shopping center

RICHLANDS, Va. — Richlands High School may soon officially be in the town of Richlands.

The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to approve a boundary adjustment plan submitted by the town of Richlands that would bring Richlands High School, Richlands Middle School, Richlands Elementary School and the Gateway Shopping Center into the municipal limits of Richlands.

The approval of the motion was contingent upon the town of Richlands agreeing to provide a school resource officer to the area, County Attorney Eric Young said.

The town of Cedar Bluff had submitted a similar boundary adjustment proposal that also sought to take in the three schools and the Gateway Shopping Center into the municipal limits of Cedar Bluff.

“If you recall, the towns of Cedar Bluff and Richlands had petitioned the board to adjust their respective boundaries,” Young said. “Each of them wanted to include the Gateway Shopping and the school complex, which includes the elementary school, middle school and high school, into their respective towns.”

Young said the county originally took no action on the competing boundary adjustment proposals, and instead urged the two towns to petition the circuit court for resolution.

“Neither side did that,” Young said. “So last night the board came back and decided to approve the town of Richlands’ petition to put the Gateway Shopping Center and the school complex into the town of Richlands. We accepted the Richlands boundary adjustment contingent upon them agreeing to provide a school resource officer.”

Young said the county will now have to enter into an agreement with the town of Richlands, and petition the circuit court to approve the agreement.

In other business Tuesday, the supervisors delayed action on the 2009-2010 county budget following a public hearing. The board will meet again on June 30 to approve the budget.

The board also approved the policy for a new ethics hotline, which will become operational on July 1. The hotline will allow county employees to anonymously report complaints or concerns they may have.

“In the meantime, we’ll meet with our department heads and groups and explain to them how that will work,” Young said. “It is only open to county employees, and not the general public.”

There also was no action Tuesday on the proposed mountain ridge protection ordinance. Young said the county’s Planning Commission will meet again on Thursday, June 11, at 6 p.m. at the county administration offices to possibly make final recommendations for the proposed ordinance, which if adopted by the Board of Supervisors, could regulate the development of windmills and other tall structures along certain protected mountain ridges, including East River Mountain.

The board also approved a loan agreement between the supervisors and the county’s Public Service Authority loaning the PSA up to $450,000 to acquire right-of-ways for the Baptist Valley East Sewer Project so that the PSA will qualify for $2 million in federal stimulus funds.

Young said the PSA must obtain property easements from 363 property owners in the area.

“We’ve got 180 of them who have agreed,” Young said. “The fund we approved last night will pay those folks. And we are going to continue to work to reach an agreement with the remaining owners. But if we don’t by the end of the month, we will have to use imminent domain. And we truly don’t want to do that.”

The board also passed a resolution Tuesday supporting a $2 million grant application with the Virginia Tobacco Commission. The funding if approved will be used for the Bluestone Regional Business and Technology Park, and the development of a workforce training center at the site.

The board is still hoping to advertise the phase one construction for the technology park by July.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com