2009.02.11
Council blesses Eats food store move
On a 6-0 vote Tuesday, the Blacksburg Town Council officially approved a new location for Eats Natural Foods. The business was recently forced to move from its previous location on South Main Street to a storefront at Prices Fork Road and North Main Street.
Because the town's zoning ordinance requires a special use permit to open a grocery store in the downtown commercial district, there was some stress about the move. But the council agreed to fast-track the permit. Town staff even found a loophole in the zoning ordinance that allowed the store to operate in its new location until the vote was taken.
In other news, on a 5-1 vote the council approved a Blacksburg Friends Meeting request to reduce the size of a public trail easement on their property along Mount Tabor Road. Friends members spoke about the need for the change, saying the topography of the site made it unsafe to build a trail on the original easement. One member said the group regretted having to request the change.
Councilman Tom Sherman voted against the change, saying he hoped his stance sends a message to decision makers and landowners that keeping trail easements whole and intact is important to the future of the town's trail network.
-- Tonia Moxley
