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