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Board approves group living facility at 1405 Patterson Ave SW, limits capacity to 16 residents
Summary
The Roanoke City Board of Zoning Appeals approved a special exception for a group living facility at 1405 Patterson Ave SW, accepting staff's recommendation and a condition limiting occupancy to 16 residents; staff corrected the report to state this is a principal use rather than accessory.
The Roanoke City Board of Zoning Appeals on June 10 granted a special exception to establish a group living facility at 1405 Patterson Ave SW, subject to a 16-resident limit.
Lacy Leonard, who identified herself as president of regional operations for Into Action Recovery and Wellness Center, presented the proposal and described it as a structured, supervised living environment to support adults engaged in substance-use recovery. "This facility will help to bridge that gap by providing residents with a safe place to live while they continue their recovery journey," Leonard said, and confirmed the applicant accepts the staff-recommended cap of 16 residents.
Planning staff (Mr. Moore) noted and corrected an error in the staff report: the proposed operation is a principal group living facility rather than an accessory use. Staff recommended approval, restated the corrected finding and recommended the capacity limit of no more than 16 residents (excluding off-site staff who do not reside on-site).
The property owner (identified in the hearing as Earl) gave historical context about prior uses, saying the site had operated for decades in varying recovery and residential roles (Hyura House, later Blue Ridge Behavioral). Earl said a CO found during renovations indicated an historical occupancy rating of "18 people per floor," and recounted that in more recent years the site had housed four residents under church-sponsored programs. That history was offered to show the property’s prior institutional use and physical adaptability for group living.
No public comments were registered. The board moved to approve the amended application with staff conditions and voted unanimously to grant the special exception.
The approval is conditioned on the capacity limit and compliance with applicable regulations; staff will maintain the record and enforce standards under the zoning code.
