ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke homeowners say they have been left in limbo for nearly two years over a zoning change that could reshape their neighborhoods.
Anthony Stavola, a resident of the Raleigh Court neighborhood, said, “Our trust has been very difficult to maintain in this process as we close in on two years.”
The zoning amendment, passed by Roanoke City Council in March 2024, allows townhomes and apartment complexes in single-family neighborhoods like Raleigh Court. The goal of the amendment was to increase multifamily units and affordable housing options.
Peter Volosin, a Roanoke city councilmember, explained some reasons for the delay. “I think part of the reason why the process has been extended is because we have new leadership in the city, we also have some staffing shortages that are happening in the planning department.”
About a month after the amendment passed, some homeowners filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming they did not have a chance to share their input. They expressed concerns about parking, density, and property values.
After multiple motions and hearings, city council is finally updating neighbors with a project timeline, though nothing is set in stone yet.
Volosin said, “January 2nd through end of February, they’re going to be doing public engagement which will be going out to the neighborhoods, doing meetings in every quadrant.”
Stavola remains skeptical. “They did set a timeline so that’s a good thing, but in the past that really hasn’t been met so we don’t really have a lot of confidence that it will be met this time.”
Volosin added, “Right now I don’t know of anything that would cause a delay, but stuff happens. We’re very much committed to this process, we know that we want to get it done, so we’re going to try to keep this on pace as much as we can.”
Zoning Amendment timeline so far:
- February 2024: City holds open houses on major zoning changes.
- March 2024: Council votes 5–2 to allow townhomes, cottage courts, and small apartments into single-home neighborhoods.
- April 2024: Homeowners file lawsuit against the city, claiming lack of proper notice, limited input, parking concerns, increased density, and potential drops in property values.
- June 2024: Council votes to reconsider and sends the amendments back to the Planning Commission, restarting the public process.
- Planning Commission: Votes not to recommend the changes.
- September 2024: Council rejects that advice and readopts the zoning amendment with no major changes.
- August 2025: A motion is made to repeal the amendments. Residents pause their lawsuit “to facilitate open discussion.”
City Council’s target project timeline:
- November - December 2025: Define purpose and scope of amendments.
- December 2025 - January 2026: Research and drafting amendments.
- January - February 2026: Public engagement phase to host public open house and speak with neighborhoods.
- February - March 2026: Briefings with Planning Commission and City Council.
- April 20, 2026: Target date for City Council adoption.
- April 15 - April 30, 2026: Implementation and Communication.