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Residents press council on 801 North Main rezoning, citing traffic and affordability concerns
Summary
Residents attending the Blacksburg Town Council meeting urged caution on a proposed rezoning at 801 North Main Street, saying the project would increase traffic in nearby neighborhoods and questioning whether affordable-housing contributions are sufficient.
Several residents told the Blacksburg Town Council they oppose or question a proposed rezoning and development at 801 North Main Street, expressing concerns about traffic impacts, neighborhood fit and whether developer contributions will produce meaningful affordable housing.
Renee Kuhlman, who said she lives at 500 Stonegate near Cambridge, told council members the proposed development was “outsized” for the area and said it would add traffic to narrow neighborhood streets. “I have enough trouble getting from my house … to Main Street going down Cambridge,” Kuhlman said, and she urged the council to closely examine traffic impacts. Kuhlman also criticized the scale of the affordable-housing fund contribution identified for the project, saying that at roughly $147,000 per floor the contribution “is not enough” to produce housing at a price point equivalent to building homes locally.
Resident Waverly Evans also raised traffic concerns and questioned the developer’s background. Evans said the proposed project is being developed by an LLC incorporated in Delaware and identified the owner as LV Collective, which she said has developed about 10,000 student and multifamily beds in other college towns. Evans told council members the company describes itself as “designers of disruption” and listed cities where LV Collective has built student housing.
Both speakers asked the council to weigh neighborhood impacts and to consider stricter rules or formulas that would ensure developer contributions produce meaningful affordable housing.
The council did not take a final vote on the rezoning at this meeting; the rezoning item (Ordinance 2062) is on the consent agenda and a public hearing was scheduled for Feb. 11, 2025, where officials and residents will have a formal opportunity to present evidence, traffic studies and witness testimony.
