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Contractor asks Roanoke to align zoning with recent state and federal housing laws
Summary
A Roanoke contractor told council he is seeking help subdividing a Southeast lot after federal and state housing measures he says favor small-lot construction passed earlier in 2026; he said local lot-size minimums and staff responses have delayed his project and asked for a contact to move it forward.
John McIntosh, a Virginia Class A contractor, told council he has a completed house on a corner lot in southeast Roanoke and believes recent state and federal legislation enables subdivision for additional small homes. McIntosh said he applied for an Accessory Residential Unit permit and received a permit for an ARU, but that a separate subdivision to create a new, standalone lot was denied because his lot fell short of local minimum-square-foot requirements.
McIntosh cited two laws passed earlier in 2026 — the Virginia House passage of the bill on Jan. 29 and the Senate on March 4, and the federal "21st Century Road to Housing Act" passed 07/11/2026 — and said they aim to cut zoning red tape to increase housing stock. “I have applied for an ARU, and I’ve been granted a permit for that,” he said, and asked the city to either align local zoning with the state and federal trajectory or provide a staff contact to help him proceed. Mayor Cobb suggested McIntosh connect with a city staffer who was present at the meeting. Council did not take immediate action on zoning changes at this session.
