[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6208928,"mediaKeyId","3739240-9a64bd9b9ecab1655f437b60ef34267e","parentId",3739240,"title","City attorney proposes code change to apply new state law to Roanoke IT contracts","audioSeconds",112,"startMs",7244000,"endMs",7356000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3739240-9a64bd9b9ecab1655f437b60ef34267e&start=7244&end=7356","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3739240-9a64bd9b9ecab1655f437b60ef34267e/thumbnail_7244000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6208928/Roanoke-City-Independent-City/Virginia/City-attorney-proposes-code-change-to-apply-new-state-law-to-Roanoke-IT-contracts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6208928-50dcde1d2c61824281e86c4e65980217/orig.mp4?Expires=1770996268&Signature=OJSCUNmnkzO6qG3AMv9gntax0DUars~V0N1DSPeEgLprTPZn4g60ipo7TnD134lVeg-lD6sRtcdjaBcfzmTV-kTYxHIKp-P5QwjO2A4EBVR-Z76H0xlbxZ1892yoyDbd-RvZwWboDwaHM9UG1dy3jV4VCs6zfAi6eLTIt-1ePPuLahhR35BLxgofZJiJDXQZNsaBP49P49LU5dEzzZRBGwZ5u~kfKVnLTDo2ldw9veT3~G4fLA2uczgCAcn~waBKskrJf3A~9IbEbRWjJ5z1q63mCCeTbNrOMfI8ACp2DteYVB8dcfyog7YikEDqnPJDzSpyZggjncAMtzxkLMCXqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Roanoke","date","2025-06-02T20:53:09Z","article","Roanoke’s city attorney’s office briefed council on a proposed amendment to the city procurement code that would adopt by reference protections in a newly enacted Virginia law covering information‑technology contracts.

City Attorney representative Laura Carini (staff title in packet) said the state’s new law voids contract terms in public‑sector IT agreements that conflict with Virginia law — for example, venue or choice‑of‑law provisions that would otherwise require litigation in another state. “This law is very exciting because it will make those terms automatically void,” Carini said during the briefing.

Why it matters: Local governments frequently contract with national and international IT vendors whose standard contracts include venue, governing‑law and indemnity provisions favorable to the vendor. The state law and the proposed city code change limit the city’s exposure to out‑of‑state litigation clauses and clarify that Virginia law governs interpretation where state law forbids contradictory terms.

Operational notes

Staff said the proposed code amendment is limited to procurement authority language and is intended to ensure the city benefits from the new state statute; it does not adopt other procurement changes. Technology leadership and the interim purchasing manager participated in drafting the proposed code language, according to the briefing.

Ending

Council did not take action at the briefing; staff said the item is informational and that formal ordinance language will be presented for adoption when prepared.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Roanoke City Council Meeting: June 2, 2025, 9:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","City Attorney’s Office briefed council on a proposed city code amendment to mirror a new Virginia law that will render void any contract terms in public‑sector IT contracts that conflict with Virginia law, removing common out‑of‑state venue and choice‑of‑law clauses.","taxTitle","Roanoke City (Independent City), Virginia","taxId",7053,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6208931,"Roanoke proposes renewal and update of real‑estate rehab tax abatement; new hotel abatement aimed at restoring rooms",861,6090000,6951000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3739240-9a64bd9b9ecab1655f437b60ef34267e&start=6090&end=6951","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3739240-9a64bd9b9ecab1655f437b60ef34267e/thumbnail_6090000.jpg","/articles/6208931/Roanoke-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Roanoke-proposes-renewal-and-update-of-realestate-rehab-tax-abatement-new-hotel-abatement-aimed-at-restoring-rooms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6208931-be4be67b24efbd3038b412d5aa83e79a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770996268&Signature=hM6-f4xVpOassFxei4z7LjsTHBaE4i2Y-bvmDydAiqmghYpq9ONYlvffF5~Sc09Fm1o5jz9qWcAz9cYG-8gt9LXGCqYcTmhERIvWMKGXfk6sXrb3M75KOpbnMYbrMXowxXgshJvt28S~Zsu6PznCuUtnikh8HJjH9KpyiLXuESjJ03SuHWdNt39krVLRrKxsXlqPPG2xSYsoGJoJO4avVPfDkPKiAbSxA~CjkMZxGG4RH8wYCeDSC5CCvKg5AM81lPQ8fwP0-MbBiqevePUbPz2ZmqHKpfTTw3oifZUn-aDEK-LklLsa2gjUQWfhK28RysUBNDQShdxjjvA9jP0wYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City real‑estate valuation staff presented proposed changes Thursday to Roanoke’s real‑estate tax abatement (rehab) program, including a new targeted abatement to encourage hotel development.

Casey Bratton, director of real estate valuation, said the administration recommends reestablishing the rehab exemption with an updated code effective July 1, 2025, through July 1, 2030, and standardizing terms. Under the proposal the standard abatement term would be five years citywide, seven years in conservation or rehabilitation districts; residential rehabilitation would continue to require a minimum 40% increase in assessed value, and commercial projects a minimum 60% increase.

Key changes described in the briefing

- Program term and duration: Proposed termination date 07/01/2030; 5‑year abatements citywide and 7‑year abatements in conservation and rehabilitation districts.

- Eligibility and caps: Staff proposed removing the prior $250,000 residential cap and increasing the commercial cap from $800,000 to $1,000,000 for targeted districts; many caps were removed to reflect current market values.

- Demolition provision: The previous threshold (structures of $10,000 or less to be demolished and rebuilt for credit) would be updated; staff recommended aligning the demolition cap with the city’s land‑bank cap of $75,000.

- Single‑family eligibility: The prior rule tied eligibility to a 1970‑built cutoff; staff proposed a 30‑year age threshold so properties 30 years or older can qualify.

New hotel abatement program

Bratton outlined a new targeted hotel abatement because the city lost more than 600 hotel rooms between 2020 and 2023. The proposed hotel abatement would apply to new or substantially rehabilitated hotels that increase net hotel room counts, with an initial term of five years citywide and 15 years in enterprise zones, conservation and rehab districts. Staff said applicants must rebuild room capacity and meet a set threshold for comparable hotel value; demolition of historic resources would be ineligible. The program would expire when 500 rooms have qualified or on July 1, 2030, whichever comes first.

Why it matters

Staff calculated that restoring hotel rooms can produce occupancy tax, local sales tax and food and beverage tax revenue that together exceed the forgone real‑estate tax revenue in early years, because hotels generate new taxable spending by visitors. Bratton said the city has been approached by hotel developers who face higher equity requirements from lenders; a city abatement could help close project financing gaps.

Next steps and related code changes

David Collins, who presented details on code edits, said the proposed ordinance modernizes references (for example, moving administration from the Commissioner of the Revenue to the director of real estate valuation for this program), aligns the code with state law and narrows some tax‑compliance rules to apply to the property subject to the exemption rather than all tax accounts owned by the applicant.

Ending

Council members asked clarifying questions about term lengths and the 500‑room cap; staff said the briefing is a proposal and that ordinance language and an implementation plan will be provided for council consideration.","City valuation staff recommended extending and consolidating the rehab tax abatement through 2030, removing several value caps, tightening some eligibility rules and adding a new hotel abatement to encourage rebuilding of lost hotel rooms.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6208934,"Roanoke to begin neighborhood planning, pursue ‘hub‑and‑spoke’ Virginia Main Street program",1703,2299000,4002000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3739240-9a64bd9b9ecab1655f437b60ef34267e&start=2299&end=4002","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3739240-9a64bd9b9ecab1655f437b60ef34267e/thumbnail_2299000.jpg","/articles/6208934/Roanoke-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Roanoke-to-begin-neighborhood-planning-pursue-hubandspoke-Virginia-Main-Street-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6208934-8988300362cdcd1b525181230238233e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770996268&Signature=ZdDY1Vnae31a5gH-O1ufLDeihWIKtE7BhXgEF-iV4Ei~EMOq8HzWQxMO-UZqss2~CKOWK5Dp-9q2qreATHIBM3DX34n5uaTk78U7LdW9LCa2a82t95Vh51R~gCwEmxR8Zh5JRFnPMQadjRyJt-TuPD3Sq9hGqogDuLVprKXKzzesk1PHN~w9-WPz6ByDLOjAGThXxpfWTo4T6UE2uSDlmHVr66f5qFFCgn6HKNeGmkQI0fJDvbh--ci9Cvqerjyk5DTfmUir6xJCklM6W~rTcTEWndnold6lLpGjlFI-Q2eyeYLzSgOotHaiXvZoM8C5pvKEGq7enM09uR0r5PIsfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff said Thursday they plan to begin neighborhood planning this fall and to use a modified Virginia Main Street approach to support several neighborhood centers.

Catherine, a planning staff member, told the joint meeting: \"Would love to start that process this fall.\" She said staff will prioritize a future target area — Gainsborough/Gilmer/Harrison — and will work with neighborhood leaders, the Planning Commission and other departments to prepare neighborhood planning areas and accompanying functional plans such as arts and cultural plans and street‑design work.

Why it matters: Neighborhood plans and village‑center revitalization can guide where higher‑capacity development belongs, shape streetscape and public‑realm investments, and create tools that align private redevelopment with community goals. Staff said the city has 26 existing neighborhood plans and will consolidate into about 14 neighborhood planning areas for the next phase of work.

Program and funding highlights

- Staff described a modified, “hub‑and‑spoke” model with Virginia Main Street and Main Street America to coordinate redevelopment support across multiple neighborhood centers rather than a single commercial main street. The city won a $70,000 award to support the work.

- Gainsborough Avenue will receive near‑term ARPA‑funded streetscape improvements; staff said homeowner rehabilitation work is also planned there as part of the neighborhood hub efforts.

Engagement and timing

Planning staff said the neighborhood planning process will be iterative and community‑centered: staff will draft outreach plans and convene multiple rounds of public meetings before formal Planning Commission and City Council review and adoption. Staff estimated each neighborhood planning effort will take approximately 12–18 months. The earliest work will focus on the future target area and then expand to other centers including Ninth Street, Eleventh Street, West End and the Fourth/Melrose corridor.

Operational details and next steps

Staff said they will post maps and progress online, coordinate with economic development on main‑street work and align neighborhood plans with the City Plan 2040 goals. The planning team also said it will expand staffing capacity (a preservation planner hire was mentioned as starting in July) to support the workload and onboarding of several new Planning Commission members.

Ending

Council members encouraged posting progress on the city dashboard and asked staff to ensure broad, inclusive outreach; staff committed to returning to commission and council with a rollout plan and community engagement schedule.","Planning staff told council and commissioners they will start neighborhood planning later this year, target a future area for early work and pursue a modified Virginia Main Street program to support neighborhood centers, backed by a $70,000 award and ARPA funding for streetscape and homeowner rehab projects.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6208937,"Roanoke planners report early gains from zoning changes that allow ‘missing‑middle’ housing",1313,1037000,2350000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3739240-9a64bd9b9ecab1655f437b60ef34267e&start=1037&end=2350","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3739240-9a64bd9b9ecab1655f437b60ef34267e/thumbnail_1037000.jpg","/articles/6208937/Roanoke-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Roanoke-planners-report-early-gains-from-zoning-changes-that-allow-missingmiddle-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6208937-db079e0f350b6f8ab09d29941f0676db/orig.mp4?Expires=1770996268&Signature=HkgTkNST9SJhxHD0eXaYhxvOdQf0DdQcgNz-q5MdVESVmBur4Sb1LhrXdab0Il87LMSfdGZ5nkKNE7oPBBz4hXpKZIoqHMUr8NoOFUFgyTCZqQV61LjyMiayVMIeCcNS3vg6ZnhLtU2l5kjoxs6dOZI6poKIE2nd5-8ot5ykPZsyyJ459ltsNbKVGpDtxn9mElCR5slzNtHbAQWt4iLXSAxvEteG1TaKAzFQvmoXGAow3U70nhIcdeOvbwUVUzj-DxQirTvXLp2KF5nTWXBCVj6WvN9IKf96wPzBGDEN3fXj9zdqBcfX93xUqqXhL-M07l-09YiP3FTB9ne-0wzMSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff reported Thursday that changes to Roanoke’s zoning code intended to expand housing types across neighborhoods are producing early, measurable results.

Wayne Leftwich, planning manager for the City of Roanoke, told the joint City Council and Planning Commission meeting that from March 2024 to March 2025 the city recorded 123 new single‑unit dwellings and that the zoning changes have contributed to an estimated 26 to 40 additional units created as a direct result of the text amendments. “In a lot of ways, we’re right in line with what we expected to happen,” Leftwich said.

Why it matters: The amendments, adopted by council in March 2024 and again in September 2024 after Planning Commission review, were designed to remove barriers to housing choice by allowing a wider range of dwelling types in more districts and by regulating development by lot size and location rather than blanket prohibitions. City staff and commission members said the reforms aim to add smaller, lower‑cost units — accessory dwelling units (ADUs), duplexes and small multifamily buildings — in already developed neighborhoods where new single‑family lots are rare.

Key facts and early results

- The planning office counted 123 single‑unit dwellings from March 2024–March 2025; staff said this is higher than typical recent years. Leftwich said multifamily growth also is substantial but is driven largely by projects already in permitting and not directly by the 2024 text changes.

- Large projects in permitting cited by staff include a planned project on Orange Avenue of about 768 apartments, a Riverdale project of about 267 units, a Hershberger Meadows project of about 170 units, and several smaller developments (for example Trinity Commons, 15 units).

- The “red dots” on the staff map identifying units affected by the text amendments were primarily ADUs and duplexes; staff said ADUs were the most common impacted type. Under the city zoning standard cited in the meeting, an ADU is limited to about 800 square feet.

- Staff estimated the net additional units created specifically because of the text amendments at between 26 and 40 units in the first year of tracking, roughly matching staff’s prior high‑end estimate of 40 additional units.

Debate and concerns

Council members raised questions about how many of the new units will be affordable to lower‑income households and whether projects enabled by the new rules could displace existing, lower‑cost units in some neighborhoods. Staff said some projects are subsidized and clearly affordable (for example Trinity Commons, a 15‑unit senior affordable development in Old Southwest), but for many ADUs and duplexes the city does not yet have data tying those units to a specific affordability level. Leftwich told the meeting that the smaller size of many ADUs and duplexes suggests they will likely command lower rents than larger, newer single‑family houses but that the city cannot guarantee rent levels absent subsidy programs.

Staff also discussed a Richelieu site where a redevelopment initially planned for 36 units may be redesigned; Leftwich said recent developer discussions indicate a revised plan of at least 22 units, and staff noted the uncertainty when a project is redesigning during permitting.

What was decided or directed

No new ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the briefing was informational. Staff said it will continue annual tracking of units created, refine the public dashboard, and report back with follow‑up data on ADU and duplex trends and the historical counts for 2022–2023 requested by council.

Ending

Planning staff said the city will post the interactive map and unit data online and continue an annual monitoring report; council members asked staff to pursue better metrics on affordability and to include the zoning outcomes on the city’s metrics dashboard. Leftwich and other planning staff said they will report back with the requested breakdowns and continued yearly updates.","City staff told City Council and the Planning Commission that zoning text amendments adopted in 2024 have yielded modest increases in so‑called missing‑middle housing — mostly accessory dwelling units and duplexes — and identified several larger multifamily projects in permitting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City attorney proposes code change to apply new state law to Roanoke IT contracts

Roanoke proposes renewal and update of real‑estate rehab tax abatement; new hotel abatement aimed at restoring rooms

Roanoke to begin neighborhood planning, pursue ‘hub‑and‑spoke’ Virginia Main Street program

Roanoke planners report early gains from zoning changes that allow ‘missing‑middle’ housing