Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Meeting Outcomes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rockbridge County tourism board elects 2026 officers and unanimously approves two site plans
Summary
At its Feb. 4 meeting in Lexington, the Rockbridge County Tourism Corridor Review Board elected officers for 2026, approved its meeting schedule and minutes, and unanimously approved site plans for the Keydet General Motel and VFW Post 1499.
The Rockbridge County Tourism Corridor Review Board met Feb. 4, 2026, at the County Administrative Office in Lexington and approved several routine governance items and two local site plans.
Tim Welsh, who was approved to serve as chair for 2026, called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Board members Robert Mish and Travis Coffey joined the meeting; Tom Beebe and Denisa Goad were listed as absent. Christopher T. Slaydon is listed as secretary and Christopher Slaydon signed the minutes as Director of Planning.
During the citizen comment period the chair asked for comments not related to agenda items; none were offered.
The board voted unanimously to elect officers for 2026: Tim Welsh as chair, Tom Beebe as vice‑chair and Christopher Slaydon as secretary. The board also approved the 2026 meeting schedule (first Wednesday of the month at 4:00 p.m., as needed) and approved the minutes from the Dec. 3, 2025 Tourism Corridor Overlay meeting.
On substantive business the board approved two site plans. The first, for the Keydet General Motel at 325 West Midland Trail (tax map 60‑A‑A7, General Residential R‑1), was presented by planning staff Neil Whitmore and representatives Maddie Ford and Michael Meres of Welcome to Virginia Inc. / Audeo Partners LLC. The board discussed exterior changes including an updated color scheme, a backlit freestanding sign (the brick base will be repaired), replacement windows and architectural columns, and a switch from black asphalt roofing to roof tiles. Ms. Ford said the property contains 53 rooms and that 16 rooms are currently rented; Mr. Meres said he will consult archivists at Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute to look for historic photos to inform exterior choices. The board approved the site plan unanimously.
The second approved site plan involved VFW Post 1499, coordinated with Fincastle Baptist Church, for property at 105 Memorial Lane (tax map 75‑A‑87A, General Business B‑1). Representatives John Hartsock and Eric Evje presented plans to replace an existing single‑wide building with a double‑wide modular structure that would be positioned so it is not visible from the street; they said the building is currently located in Covington and that the structure is used for meetings by Rockbridge Community Services. Board members noted the proximity of a nearby cemetery and asked that construction be considerate of that site. The board voted to approve the application unanimously.
Planning staff also reported on administrative approvals and ongoing discussion about previously denied wall signage for Dunham's Sports.
With no further business, board member Travis Coffey moved to adjourn at 4:30 p.m.; Robert Mish seconded and the motion carried.
