ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke City Council on Monday rejected a proposal to rezone a building near Valley View Mall for an 80-bed residential substance-use treatment center.
The council voted 5-2 to deny the request, which would have changed the zoning for 5060 Valley View Blvd. NW from Commercial General to an Institutional Planned Unit Development. Council members cited concerns that the high-traffic area was not an appropriate setting for patient recovery.
An Unsuitable Environment for Healing
Council Member Nick Hagan, who voted against the measure, said the location’s proximity to Hershberger Road and the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport would fail to provide a healing atmosphere.
“When you’re talking about being right next to Hershberger Road and right next to the airport where you have planes coming in, sometimes that may not be the best response,” Hagan said.
He argued that patients undergoing treatment, especially those dealing with withdrawal, require a peaceful and serene environment. Hagan contrasted the proposed commercial site with more traditional locations for such facilities.
“That’s one of the reasons why in a lot of these in-patient facilities, you see them more in campus-like settings and like parks and a lot of nature around,” he explained.
Project Details and Next Steps
Mayor Joe Cobb and Council Member Peter Volosin cast the only votes in favor of the rezoning.
The applicant argued the 24/7, state-licensed facility would have been tightly supervised and would bring about 50 jobs with a multimillion-dollar payroll to the city. The plan also included door-to-door transportation for all clients to and from the center.
Despite these points, the majority of the council sided with critics who questioned placing the facility at one of the city’s primary retail gateways. Following the vote, the developer cannot proceed with the project at the Valley View location but could pursue a new site or develop the property for a use already permitted by its current commercial zoning.
The post Roanoke City Council denies rezoning for addiction treatment center first appeared on News/Talk 960-AM & FM-107.3 WFIR.
