A Restaurant on Mill Mountain: Our “Natural Amenities”
June 28, 2008
Since the election, and really for months before, decision making regarding a potential restaurant and event site on Mill Mountain has slowed considerably. Certainly, this was and is a hot issue for our city and one in which several candidates in the recent election certainly took some sides. In my mind, this has been a very healthy debate. There have been meetings, printed commentary and letters to the editor, forums and the dialogue on both sides has been mostly civil.
We can quickly approve fire stations, police academies and civic event centers that cost millionns with little fanfare, but it is the sexy, feel good, fun projects with potential economic and tourism benefits that often get the most attention. There are many understandable reasons for this- we can all envision them, we can all use them, and perhaps they are “extras” that will change our landscape and something we “may not need”, or these issues offer many options of how to get it done and therefore there are many opinions. The market building, the stepped plaza, the amphitheatre all fit this category. The mountain though does offer some differences. Second to perhaps our downtown market area, it is our greatest asset and I believe it is quickly followed in third place by our river. The city is correctly expanding the use of these natural amenities with greenways, hiking and biking trails and ways to link them together which are getting regional and national media exposure. People take visitors to the mountain, enjoy weekend picnics or gatherings there, or have weddings on the star overlook (turn the starcam on now).
There is also history here: an old inn and theatre was once there, the Mill Mountain Zoo still operates there and offers great family entertainment in an awesome setting. Those who grew up here have fond childhood memories of the mountain. The Discovery Center has become a great addition and offers another place to visit and learn about our local environment and nature and hopefully entices visitors to come on into the city. Parking is spread out with perhaps too much asphalt but it is often full on weekends.
So do we leave well enough alone? For as long as I can remember, about every 7 or so years I have heard people and groups make a major effort to discuss the possibilities of having a restaurant on the mountain- a place to take friends, sit, enjoy the view, listen to accoustic music, have breakfast/coffee, have events/meetings/weddings, or just take a rest from a hike or bike ride. If done right- evironmentally friendly, small footprint, cool wood and stone architecture, LEED design, consolidate parking and lose some asphalt- it would certainly at first glance make sense to me and a lot of people for that matter. Valley Forward has put together a solid proposal and has been very reasoned in my mind in its approach to this debate. The respondents- the Keep Mill Mountain Green and Natural, garden groups and other groups have done likewise and their arguments are just as sound- don’t disrupt our beautiful, natural asset that should be for all to use. Again its been a healthy debate.
So where are we now- is the debate over? Is it shelved for another 7 years?
When I say its been a healthy debate- that is only until now. In my mind one of the characteristics of a healthy debate is bringing it to some form of a resolution and closure. One goal of mine in this matter was as an elected leader to support this debate to such a closure- so we can get put it to bed one way or another for a while. In the past I have served on the Zoo board (very closely with Steve Higgs who is now Chair of the Mill Mountain Advisory Committee) and we entertained extra revenue sources such as a restaurant. Perhaps the recent buzz of locating the restaurant closer to the zoo, near its rear service entrance (in front of zoo choo area) and allowing them to have income from it is just one example of a compromise that can bring a win win solution to the matter. I support pursuing these partnerships and I know many on Valley Forward and some on the other side I have spoken to are equally supportive.
However, at some point two groups that have been relatively quiet on this issue will need to step up to the plate. Will the Mill Mountain Advisory Committee ever vote on the issue that has been before them for months? They are asking for clear plans which are costly and no one will pay for these plans if it is more unlikely that it will not happen. How about City Council? We have referred it variously to Fishburn family members and the Mill Mountain Advisory Committee as a smart way of dodging it. I believe both groups- the advisory committee and council- need to start a process- which can and certianly should be stepwise to help resolve the debate. The advisory committee can help locate the project, facilitate partnerships with the Zoo board and give it some encouragement to at least get to the design process. The city can further investigate the legal options, especially if tied in with the zoo, to see if- given the deed restrictions- this is really possible. We are told it is “technically possible” but that it needs to go through some legal maneuvers- lets start that. If either group hits a road block- we know it just cannot be done and put it to rest. But if we get to the next step and know it can be done then this healthy debate takes on much more meaning- we can see real possibilities and then debate on real possibilities. Personally- I am undecided on the ultimate outcome but want the opportunity to weigh a real possibility versus leaving the mountain as is. It is my intention on council to try to keep this moving- to one healthy conclusion or another.
What are your thoughts?
I’ve written extensively on this subject on my own blog, and I agree that we need to put the argument to rest one way or another. Regardless of the final outcome, we need to get this issue off the table so that we can concentrate on more pressing concerns. Unfortunately, the city has a tendency to take forever to decide anything. We wasted the better part of a decade arguing over Victory Stadium, and the residents at Countryside have been in limbo for years wondering about the fate of their property. We elect leaders to make the difficult decisions, not to avoid them by hiding behind unelected committees.
Chris- completely agree. My next post will be on Countryside and as you can see on My Purpose page I believe we need to make decisions in a timely but informed way and win or lose move on to more pressing needs of our city. I will push for this issue to progress to proceed to an appropriate closing one way or another.
Dave
Thank you, Dave, for once again going right at the issue, regardless of it’s controversial nature. Our region needs do-ers — we’ve got enough talkers already. I agree we must go straight at it, and soon. I, too, see merit on both sides of the argument, and so to me it seems that the solution will only be developed through the spirit of compromise. My vote would be to have something up there that is green sensitive with an incredible view — somthing that is built to blend in beautifully with the nature that surrounds it, and something special enough that people will come from out of town to experience it. We have the creative minds in the valley to achieve this…the question is, do we have the initiative? With you here to ask the hard questions, I’d like to think we do…
KEEP PUSHING!
Dave, For me, the primary problem with any mountaintop development or expansion is, in a word, parking. The latest Valley Forward proposal (months old) tries to get around this by siting parking on very steep to impossibly steep slopes. That siting won’t work; instead, it would take up much of the existing grassy area. Current mountaintop parking is already at full use, sometimes for the zoo, sometimes for the picnic area after zoo hours, not to mention the Star…. So the grassy picnic area, already used by picnickers and school field trips to the zoo, etc., would be substantially sacrificed for asphalt parking for new development. There is no way around that trade-off, the park versus parking…. What is more, a building with fabulous views would itself become a prominent part of the Valley’s view of the mountain — it’s a two-way street, so to speak. More than six months a year, the mountain ridge’s silhouette is visible from the Valley. Do we really want a building’s outline on that?… Still, for me, aesthetics from a distance is secondary to utility up close. All current mountaintop use focuses on outdoor recreation. Please recognize that mountaintop use is already at maximum capacity, and leave it that way. - Jeff V.
Parking is indeed an issue- some of the models for restaurants over the years have actually tried to create parking under the structures and thereby actually reduce the surface area of asphalt on the mountain. Parking is an issue now- frequently full. So whatever happens- and I am still waiting to hopefully hear about a partnership with the zoo and a location closer to the zoo- parking will need to be dealt with. If nothing happens on the restaurant front- at some point it will still need to be dealt with in an envvironmentally sound way. thanks
Dave
If it is done correctly, a restaurant could be built, with minimal impact on the skyline, along with the parking (restaurant on top of a parking garage idea), to create a unique space in Roanoke. One of the things that Roanoke is lacking is a wide variety of activities for families…yes there are some, but not nearly enough for our population.
Mill Mountain could be so much more….especially the zoo. The zoo needs much more land for enclosures for the animals it has, and sooner or later the AZA will change space requirements and the zoo will lose accreditaion, and ALL endangered species (like the snow leopards, red panda, the new wallabies that are coming, etc).
A high quality restuarant/family destination partnering with the zoo, and city, would help increase the use of the available land, as well as bring a financial benefit to the zoo and star.
My only concern is that Roanoke not waste yet another opportunity to grow, and add to the city, by arguing so long…. that no one cares anymore.