ROANOKE, Va. – A request to rezone property along Brandon Avenue to build 54 apartments and 15 townhomes was rejected by Roanoke City Council Monday night with a 4-3 vote.
Mayor Sherman Lea and Vice Mayor Trish White-Boyd, two of the three who voted in favor, said they are disappointed by their colleagues’ decision.
“I was very disappointed because I know that we need affordable housing. We’re desperate for affordable housing,” said White-Boyd.
“I don’t think we can come out of last night and say that was best for the city of Roanoke. I just don’t feel that,” said Lea.
White-Boyd said it sends a bad message to businesses considering Roanoke.
“When you do all of that work and your homework and spend all of that money to develop in our city and you’re rejected,” said White-Boyd. “It just does not send a good message to the business community or to our residents who are out there with no housing.”
Lea says the community’s mentality needs to change.
“We have to get away from that syndrome ‘Not in my backyard,’” said Lea.
During the meeting, multiple residents expressed concerns over possible flooding and traffic.
“Passing off the negative externalities onto the public in the form of stormwater, traffic and aesthetic concerns,” said one man.
“[The developers] did not solicit input from the neighborhood in any of that time [since 2017] to talk about what might be palatable and what we could all agree on in some sort of compromise,” said one woman.
Councilman Joe Cobb voted against the project due to concerns about the environment and community engagement. Still, he said he was conflicted about his decision.
“If you take the time to listen to people who live close by, who may be greatly impacted by something that you want to do, an investment you want to make, it’s a way to bring them on board,” said Cobb.
White-Boyd said she’s not sure where the disconnect lies but thinks council needs to trust the planning commission to do its job.
“This would have been a win for all of us. This would have been a win for the business community, for the city. It would have generated 10 million in revenue,” said White-Boyd. “I think this could have been a win for the city and my colleagues, the ones that voted no, missed an opportunity.”
The developer owns the land and can still build 12 single-family homes on the property.
Lea said the public needs to come forward with their redevelopment ideas so council knows what the community wants.
Cobb suggested holding regular meetings with council, the planning commission and the board of zoning appeals so they can talk about what their big-picture goals are for Roanoke’s development.