Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City planning begins public outreach on 2024 zoning changes, Evans Spring plan and vape‑shop definition
Summary
City planning staff opened community meetings to review 2024 residential zoning amendments (density, setbacks, parking), discuss the Evans Spring plan and introduce a proposed vape/tobacco shop land‑use definition; staff said next steps include neighborhood meetings, mailers to affected owners and Planning Commission hearings in March.
Roanoke planning staff told council they are conducting a public outreach campaign to review the 2024 zoning text amendments, refine density and setback rules, propose design standards for small apartment buildings and create a land‑use definition for vape and tobacco shops so those businesses can be regulated locally.
Planning Manager Wayne Leftwich said the 2024 changes aimed to increase “missing middle” housing (duplexes, courtyard apartments, small multiunit buildings) but prompted concerns about setback reductions, corner‑lot maximums and parking levels. Staff proposed increasing a rear‑yard setback to 10 feet (from 5 feet in the current code) and establishing a one‑parking‑space‑per‑unit requirement for apartment buildings — a rise from the pre‑2024 0.6 spaces per unit — as a response to public concern about parking pressure.
Leftwich listed planned public meetings at library branches across the city and said the city will mail notices to residential property owners potentially affected by any down‑zoning; staff aims to bring a Planning Commission hearing date in March and council consideration in April. The planning team also proposed a heritage‑tree program and clarified that tiny homes and cottage‑court forms are allowed under the amended code but require outreach and education for implementation.
Council members asked staff to consider restoring public‑notification layers for larger projects and to examine maximum unit caps on corner and interior lots; staff said those topics remain under public input and could be adjusted based on comments.
