The Evans Spring Master Plan is now part of Roanoke’s City Plan 2040, although some Roanoke City Council members conceded during Monday’s meeting that communication during the past year could have been better and committed to doing a better job if any development proposals are made.
The proposal, which makes specific zoning changes to six parcels of undeveloped land in Northwest Roanoke and endorses the completion of the unfinished Interstate 581 exit at Valley View Mall, again passed by a 4-3 margin, with Mayor Sherman Lea casting the deciding yes vote. Lea sided with council members Peter Volosin, Patricia White-Boyd and Vivian Sanchez-Jones. The no votes were cast by Stephanie Moon-Reynolds, Luke Priddy and Vice Mayor Joe Cobb.
The plan lays out what kinds of structures can be considered for each of six undeveloped parcels on about 150 acres in Northwest Roanoke, as well as the infrastructure that should be built to support the development. While the original proposal was to zone all six parcels for possible future development, the plan was amended to leave one of those parcels undeveloped in an attempt to protect the 50-acre area that includes the Evans Spring basin and Lick Run Greenway.
The property near Valley View Mall represents the largest undeveloped swath of land in the city. It’s mostly privately owned, by multiple owners; all of the parcels are unimproved but are already zoned for various uses.
Monday’s second reading and vote was required after a supermajority was not reached in the council’s previous vote on Feb. 20, which was also 4-3. It allowed for those against — and in favor of — the Evans Spring Master Plan proposal to speak one more time.
Nine people signed up to speak during the time set aside for public comments; all were there to voice their opposition to the plan. While there were a few first-time speakers on the subject, many of those addressing the council on Monday had been there before.
Their cases for rejecting the plan included many of the reasons cited previously, including:
- The council is not acting in the best interest of the Northwest Roanoke neighborhoods adjacent to the land.
- There has been inadequate research on environmental problems that could result if the parcels were cleared.
- Projections of the potential economic impact that could come if the area is developed are inaccurate.
- The well-being of people of color in Roanoke is once again being threatened in the name of urban renewal.
While the opponents still urged council members who had previously voted yes to switch to the other side and reject the proposal, those comments were usually coupled this time with a request to at least table the matter until their various claims could be examined.
The final words on the matter spoken for the opponents were voiced by Stephen Niamke, the founder of the Friends of Evans Spring group that has been on the forefront of the opposition of the proposed plan. He again summarized many of the opponents’ grievances and concluded with a statement of what the Friends of Evans Spring wants.
“We want equity as described on the city’s website, which calls for you to dispense with business as usual and take a different approach,” Niamke said. “We want inclusion. We want a seat at the table as the Evans Spring plan is revised and updated to match the current climate concerns.”
Before the final vote, Volosin gave a presentation of his own that countered several of the opponents’ claims and reminded the audience that the council had already amended part of the plan, designating one of the six parcels to be zoned as a natural conservation area and providing additional protection to the 50 acres that will not be developed.
“This plan will now conserve at least 71 acres, or 47%, of the entire 151-acre study area, including all the protected wetlands and previously unprotected ones,” Volosin said.
He also shared several technical reports that addressed many of the concerns brought up by opponents, including how federally protected wetlands would be kept safe and how stormwater maintenance and potential traffic concerns would be addressed if the Valley View exchange were completed.
“This plan provides a good road map for how to use sustainable development processes and maximize the use of developable space we have in the city,” Volosin said.
Cobb reiterated that he liked many parts of the plan but not enough to vote yes, and he encouraged city staff to get a natural heritage inventory of the land and to work with groups such as The Nature Conservancy that might be able to help purchase protected land and ensure that it remains in its natural state.
Before the final vote was taken, Roanoke City Manager Bob Cowell assured council members on both sides of the issue that any future development would still have to undergo an extensive planning process before anything could be done.
“If approved, this property remains zoned as it is currently zoned, and subsequent changes to that would require a whole other process to go through, including public hearings,” Cowell said. “That is still an additional step that is necessary.”
