Roanoke County approves rezoning for 175 townhomes at Vinton Business Center amid neighbor objections

The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Dec. 16 to rezone about 36.501 acres in the Vinton Business Center from Planned Technology Development (PTD) to R‑3 medium‑density residential, clearing the way for a developer to build roughly 175 townhomes.

Philip Thompson, Roanoke County director of planning, told the board the petition from the county’s Economic Development Authority and the applicant is a second reading and that staff and the planning commission recommend approval. The concept plan accompanying the application removes a previously discussed Muse Drive connection and includes buffering and preservation of wetlands, Thompson said.

Chris Burns, agent for the Economic Development Authority and Balzer and Associates, told the board the site is largely undeveloped and that market conditions have limited industrial growth there for two decades. Burns said the plan proposes 175 ownership townhomes — about 121 on the west side and 54 on the east — with two access points to Cardinal Park Drive and vegetative buffers where the new development abuts existing single‑family homes. He said VDOT reviewed the applicant’s traffic study and concurred with its conclusions; the petitioner’s comparison estimated about 2,800 daily trips for a hypothetical industrial build‑out versus roughly 1,283 daily trips from the townhomes.

Neighbors who live on and near Muse Drive and in Montgomery Village filled the podium during the public hearing. William Pratt (1518 Muse Drive) thanked the board for removing the Muse Drive cut‑through from the plan but asked that three townhomes planned closest to his property be eliminated because of proximity and concerns about construction dust and possible damage to his pool. "This is a $60,000,000 plus project," Pratt said, asking the board to remove the three units adjacent to his home.

Other speakers offered a mix of concerns and suggestions: Martha Gish Toney (2015 Elizabeth Drive) urged reopening the Muse connection to provide a second ingress for the approximately 375‑home Montgomery Village; Crystal Mason (1511 Muse Drive) and other Muse Drive residents said they bought into a cul‑de‑sac and opposed increased cut‑through traffic and loss of privacy. Several longtime residents said Hardy Road is already dangerous at peak hours and urged a reduced speed limit or other safety measures.

Residents living adjacent to proposed lots emphasized grading, dust control, tree selection, and potential damage to pools from earth movement. Paul Salvey (1525 Muse Drive) said he had retained counsel and worried that R‑3 zoning could permit future apartment development if a different developer sought to change the concept later.

In response, the petitioner read a proffer confirming the property will be developed in general conformance with the Benton Business Center Residential Concept Plan (Balzer and Associates, dated 12/04/2025) and reiterated that the submitted concept plan contains no Muse Drive connection and no apartment buildings. Burns also said the plan preserves wetlands on Lot 6 and includes expanded plantings beyond required buffers to mitigate impacts.

Supervisor [mover recorded in transcript as speaker 16] moved to approve the rezoning with the proffer binding development to the concept plan; a second was recorded and the clerk called the roll. The recorded vote was: Missus ******? Yes; Mister North? Yes; Mister Mahoney? Yes; Missus Shepherd? Yes; Mister Radford? Yes. The motion passed.

The rezoning requires subsequent comprehensive site plan and building plan reviews before any construction. The petitioner and staff said additional details — exact locations of walking trails, final tree species for buffers, stormwater designs and final unit elevations — will be determined during those reviews.

The board’s action ends the rezoning phase; the developer will return for site plan review and building permits if it proceeds on schedule.