Welcome to Roanoke Valley Field Notes, a collection of news and miscellaneous notes from the past week in the valley and a look ahead at what’s happening next week. Here’s last week’s edition if you missed it.
Next week, there are a number of opportunities for public input, both in the city and during a planning commission meeting in the county.
As always, email me at samantha@cardinalnews.org to share your thoughts, ideas, questions and concerns.
Let’s get into the news of the last week and what to expect next week:
Roanoke wins 9th All-America City Award
Roanoke, for the ninth time, is an All-America City Award winner.
The award, sponsored by the National Civic League, recognizes “communities that bring people together to address local challenges,” according to a city news release.
Roanoke is now tied with San Antonio, Texas, with the most such awards, according to the civic league’s website.
The city received the award in Denver this past weekend, giving presentations to a panel of “nationally-recognized civic leaders,” a National Civic League release said. The panel consisted of a mix of corporate, nonprofit and governmental representatives.
Roanoke earned the award this year for “relying on the strengths of its community partnerships,” the civic league’s release stated, noting specifically its STAR program, Grant Ready Roanoke and Arts Connect Roanoke.
“In Roanoke, civic health depends on relationships, and the city keeps building the places where they form,” the release said.
Norfolk was the only other city in Virginia among the 10 winners this year. The civic league did not respond to an email asking how many cities applied for this year’s award.
Cave Spring dog kennel request to get hearing
A request for a dog kennel that’s spurred opposition will be the subject of a Roanoke County Planning Commission public hearing on Tuesday.
Travis Bell has requested to obtain a special use permit to operate a commercial kennel on about 4 acres of land currently zoned agricultural/rural low density on Grubb Road in Cave Spring.
Agenda documents note that the maximum number of dogs allowed at the facility during the day will be 12, and only two dogs will be allowed to stay overnight at a time.
Fifteen citizens spoke in opposition to the plan at a June 2 planning commission meeting, citing concerns about inaccurate information, lack of local need and transportation access, according to county documents. The application was then revised to include one adjoining parcel to increase the total acreage, and the planning staff recommended approval.
Bell stated he would operate the commercial dog kennel business from his existing home, with a fenced backyard and detached garage. He cited a growing demand for professional pet care services and says that his plan is in line with the county’s designations for that land.
Other hearings scheduled Tuesday include two petitions from the county’s Economic Development Authority to remove dated conditions from zoning designations for two areas.
One request is for 0.2 acres on Franklin Road in Cave Spring, to remove conditions that state the property should only be used for the sale and storage of rugs, flooring material and antiques. Cahas Valley Properties currently owns the property.
Planning documents state this would allow for future development and redevelopment in a commercially zoned space.
The other request is to rezone 0.81 acres on West Main Street in Catawba to remove conditions that say the land can only be used for the sale of used cars.
The Roanoke County 200 Plan indicates this land should be used as a “focal point” for Glenvar Village.
“With only 4% to 5% of Roanoke County being zoned for industrial or commercial development, the removal of old and outdated proffered conditions is necessary to provide for new development and redevelopment opportunities in the future,” the planning document says.
The full agenda for the planning commission meeting can be found here.
Continued hearing on Roanoke’s contested zoning changes to resume Monday
The Roanoke City Council will meet Monday at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. The council will receive a briefing on its 2026-27 Annual Action Plan for Community Development Block Grants and other federal funding programs.
In the evening, the council will proceed with a continued public hearing surrounding a new package of zoning amendments — an update to the citywide changes passed in 2024 and again after the city was sued by a group of homeowners.
Prior reporting on that amendment package can be found here.
The full agenda for the council’s sessions on Monday can be found here when posted.
Also of note:
The Roanoke Department of Planning, Building and Development will now hold public hearings for its boards and commissions at 5:30 p.m. to “improve public access and make it easier for community members to attend and provide input in the decision-making process,” a city news release said.
This new timing will apply to public hearings of the planning commission, the board of zoning appeals and the architectural review board.
