Did you know that Livability.com rated Roanoke third out of 10 on its 2018 Best Affordable Places to Live? Did you know Roanoke City’s population is the highest it’s been since its peak in the early 1980’s? The Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia estimates Roanoke’s population now is just over 100,000. That’s a 5.7 percent increase since the 2000 Census; the fastest it’s been in decades. These indices and others reveal an urban renewal taking place in our fair city that cannot be ignored.
Central to this nascent trend is the need to reconsider the importance of neighborhoods and how residents (and visitors) experience them. That’s the purview of Roanoke’s Department of Planning, Building and Development led by Chris Chittum, Planning Director. His team is tasked with creating plans and policies that shape and improve the social, economic and physical development of the city. One of their outputs (in conjunction with other stakeholders) was Vision 2001-2020,a comprehensive plan designed to frame City Council’s vision for Roanoke’s future and guide investment and decision-making. They are currently at work crafting the next comprehensive plan for public engagement and City Council’s approval, City Plan 2040.
Another function of Chittum’s office is to create neighborhood plans for every section of the city. You can find the plan for the community where you live or work at www.roanoke.gov/1096/neighborhood-area-plans. The newest addition is the Evans Spring Area Plan, adopted by City Council April 2013. Redevelopment of Evans Spring should be of importance to all Roanoke residents because, as the Area Plan’s Introduction notes, it is “the largest assembly of privately-owned developable vacant land left in the City.”
An expanse encompassing approximately 130 acres north of Hershberger/I-581, Evans Spring includes 17 residential properties, the Lick Run Greenway, a 13-acre stormwater retention pond and large swaths of forests and fields. Washington Park to the east/southeast, Melrose-Rugby to the south/southwest and Fairland to the west, provide the boundaries of its adjacent neighborhoods. The Area Plan recommends “Evans Spring be developed as a mixed-use neighborhood within the context of its adjoining neighborhoods.” The plan defines mixed-use as both a mixture of commercial and residential uses in one building or throughout an entire development. Suggested housing could include townhomes, detached single-family houses or apartments – some which may be located on the upper floors of buildings with commercial storefronts.
How could a project of this size not have been highlighted in Vision 2001-2020?
“Creation of the Evans Spring Area Plan was prompted by VDOT’s planned expansion in 2011 of the Valley View Boulevard interchange on Interstate 581,” said Chittum. Because the interchange would provide an entrée to land previously considered inaccessible, Chittum said, “a feasibility study was initiated to devise a framework, which would support the City’s focus on neighborhoods.”
In its current form, the Evans Spring Area Plan is an intermediate step in the development process. Though it establishes certain design principles and guidelines the city desires to follow should development occur, it does not establish a timetable for when development will occur.
Chittum explained this phase of the process was not driven by time but by a prospective developer’s ability to secure commercial tenants, complete preliminary design and secure investor financing. “Once a developer proposes changes to the city’s zoning, that’s when the next phase in the process occurs, which usually takes between two to four months for public engagement and consideration of the proposal before a decision by City Council to accept or reject the proposal.”
Multiple examples of mixed-used developments were cited in the Evans Spring Area Plan.
Nearby illustrations include: Birkdale Village, six miles from Lake Norman; Old Trail Village in Crozet, 12 miles west of Charlottesville; and The Flats at West Broad Village in Glen Allen, just outside of Richmond. Each modeled a planning concept called New Urbanism. Chittum explained what new urbanism could look like in Roanoke if properly applied within the context of neighborhood revitalization.
“It means a focus on people not cars. It means communities that are walkable and integrate with neighboring streets and existing structures that enhance the neighborhood’s identity to bind people to place.” Chittum said design factors like scale and architecture are important components for successful neighborhood revitalization.
A 2009 article from the Journal of Real Estate Literature titled, “Mixed-Use Development: A Call for Research,” provided additional characteristics a redeveloped Evans Spring could use to attract new residents. Communities that embrace a “live, work, play” vibe were key to urban regeneration. As was the use of green space, smart transportation planning, the diversity of housing offered and crucially, the mix and number of commercial tenants featured. If done well, the combination of these elements increases the authenticity of residents’ shared experience, which augments their lifestyle and strengthens their attachment to place.
“My husband and I relocated here decades ago,” Patricia Broadneaux, a long-time resident of the Fairland neighborhood, volunteered. “But what kept us here were the neighbors, many of whom worked in the school system. Development of Evans Spring could be a positive opportunity for our community,” she added. “But not knowing how long residents could expect major disruption from construction is a source of tension for some.”
Cheryl Hilton, president of the Fairland Civic Organization, agreed.
That is why Hilton obtained permission to use grant money to organize two conferences in 2018 where residents could discuss the Evans Spring Area Plan. Representatives from Roanoke’s Planning, Building and Development were invited, as well as representatives from Pavilion Development Company, the prospective developer. During the two sessions, participants’ questions ranged from the mundane to the heart-rending, running the gamut from concerns about sidewalks to fears about the effect environmental pollutants might have on their children.
These participants were not the first residents to express similar concerns.
Speculation about motive was rife among other citizens from Northwest interviewed for this article. Questions included was the 10thStreet redevelopment project deliberately prolonged to build utility infrastructure needed for a future Evans Spring. Has the City concealed from the public progress regarding Evans Spring’s redevelopment to evade concerns about gentrification? Will the City disregard the Area Plan’s framework and allow the prospective developer to favor disproportionately the interests of his investors and commercial tenants over current residents because the city wants increased tax revenue from Northwest Roanoke?
Big questions such as these hover over potential redevelopment. The concerns reveal layers of experience, disappointments and distrust some Northwest residents have amassed after decades of failed or misguided governmental or urban planning policies, to say nothing of the avaricious schemes of commercial developers. A community ripe for neighborhood revitalization sours on urban renewal because they fear a bait and switch. Can such an impasse be resolved?
Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea declined a request for an interview. George Shields, Executive Vice President for Pavilion Properties Inc., declined a request for an interview because any development plans for Evans Spring were too preliminary to discuss at this stage. The schedule for Bob Cowell, Roanoke’s City Manager, did not permit him to be interviewed prior to publication of this article. The president of the Fairland Civic Organization however, answered the question with confidence.
“Yes,” she replied. “I believe it can, as long as the city and developer are transparent about addressing residents’ concerns,” agreed Patricia Broadneaux. “Success hinges on how much influence residents will have over the project and whether our issues will be taken seriously.” For example, she does not want another big box store in the area.
“In the age of online shopping what will undergird the stores’ success?” Hilton asked. The developer’s representative told her Pavilion would conduct market studies to ensure the best mix of commercial interests are secured. However, Hilton wondered, “Who is the target audience for the commercial tenants – current northwest residents or new residents the city hopes to attract?”
When some of the concerns residents of neighboring communities had about the Evans Spring Area Plan were shared with Chittum, he spoke philosophically about the challenges inherent in urban planning, concluding “it’s all about choices. And choices generate tension.”
A clearly defined process that engages the public at every phase helps mitigate tension. So do prudent, non-evasive answers to hard questions. The absence of either leads to speculation that can foster mistrust from which no one is immune. The presence of both are hallmarks of effective management. When asked what you would like readers to do in response to the Evans Spring Area Plan, Chittum, Hilton and Broadneaux issued the same clarion call…
“Get involved. Ask questions. Remain engaged to the end.”
Will you?
Tags: Evans Spring
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