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Board approves conversion of former motel on Thurlane Road into up to 105 apartments
Summary
Supervisors approved a special-use permit to convert the vacant 120-room motel at 6520 Thurlane Road into a 105-unit multifamily development with conditions including renovation per concept plans, exterior elevations and a maximum unit cap.
The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors voted Oct. 28 to approve a special-use permit that will allow Hotel Shift Capital LLC to convert former motel buildings at 6510/6520 Thurlane Road into up to 105 multifamily dwellings.
Philip Thompson, director of planning, said the site — a little under 3.5 acres that formerly operated as a 120-room motel — would be renovated to increase parking (from roughly 90 to about 159 spaces), add landscaping, LED lighting and surveillance cameras, and reuse existing access points. Planning staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval with three conditions: the project must substantially conform to the Balzer & Associates concept plan, exterior elevations and schematic floor plans must match exhibits, and the total number of multifamily units must not exceed 105.
Applicant representatives said the conversion is a full renovation rather than a cosmetic update and will include on-site management, controlled key-card access, and shared amenities such as a leasing office and laundry. They described the product as workforce housing — smaller efficiency and one-bedroom units targeted to lower-income working households — with rents discussed in the staff presentation at roughly $750–$1,100 depending on unit type and whether utilities are included. Representatives said the project is not intended to be a HUD-funded development but can accept voucher tenants.
Supervisors raised questions about traffic generation, access shared with an adjacent Waffle House, security and whether children would live in the units; applicants said vehicle access and any required VDOT reviews will be addressed during site-plan review, and that units are likely to attract fewer families because of size constraints. One supervisor noted the site's transfer followed a settlement with the U.S. Attorney after prior law-enforcement matters at the motel and said county attorneys had reviewed the sale and the proposed conversion.
A motion to approve, which found the petition compliant with section 30-19-1 of the Roanoke County Code and consistent with Article 4 standards and the county comprehensive plan, passed by unanimous roll call. The approval was limited by the three conditions described by staff.
