Hundreds of neighbors petitioned to dismiss a rezoning request, but Roanoke County approved 41 acres in the Hollins area for residential use, leaving developers to plan for a new subdivision with as many as 124 houses.
After weighing the need for new housing against a bevy of concerns from existing neighbors, the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a rezoning request at 5524 Old Mountain Road, submitted by local developer R. Fralin Homes.
âAll due respect to our citizens,â said Supervisor Paul Mahoney, after a two-hour public hearing. âIâve read all the comments over the weekend. I think theyâd be screaming a whole lot louder if there was an industrial use on this property.â
More housing, less neighborhood input
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Neighborhood opposition to a proposed Walgreens on Monroe Street ultimately led to a project that benefits not just the neighborhood but the whole city.
Ken Kopp just wanted to retire. He wasnât planning to destroy the near west side.
In the winter of 2002 I attended a crowded neighborhood meeting in the West High cafeteria. Ken Kopp had announced that he was closing his iconic neighborhood grocery store on Monroe Street and was planning on selling the property to a developer. So, a meeting was set to hear about their proposal.Â
Basically, they were pitching a small group of stores anchored by a Walgreens drugstore. I wasnât crazy about the idea, but my neighbors were at their entitled worst. They were rude and sarcastic. There was much clucking and many deep sighs. You would have thought the proposal was for a toxic waste dump and a stockyard.Â
PITTSFIELD â The City Council voted Tuesday to ban any new commercial-scale outdoor cannabis-cultivation operations from the city.
The vote to adopt an amendment to the cityâs zoning prohibiting future commercial cannabis-grow operations nearly was unanimous, with Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey the lone voice in opposition.
Implementing the ban represents perhaps the first time the council flatly has rejected recommendations of the cityâs Community Development Board. The appointed board twice recommended that the council instead lean on the special permit process to ensure compliance by businesses and require a 500-foot setback of outdoor cultivation from any residential properties.
Councilors who voted in favor of the ban stressed that they did not oppose cannabis retail and, in some cases, indoor cultivation. They voiced concerns about the operations creating odor and negatively affecting residentsâ quality of life, and expressed a desire to protect the city�
And for the second time, the Noble County Economic Development Corp. wants to do something about it.
A public hearing was held during Mondayâs meeting of the Noble County Commissioners regarding the EDCâs request to pursue $200,000 in grant funding as part of federal coronavirus relief monies available through the Office of Housing and Urban Development.
In Indiana, the funds are administered through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
The deadline for entities to apply for the grant program is March 11. Noble County should know by April 15 if it has received the money.
Online applications from Noble County small businesses would be accepted at that time.