Plans for two hotels and restaurant at Valley View move forward
Roanoke Times graphic
Roanoke City Council last night voted to approve the proposal to sell the shuttered Huff Lane Elementary School near Valley View Mall to a developer who plans to build two hotels and a restaurant.
According to a story by Roanoke Times reporter Courtney Cutright, no one signed up to speak to council about the proposal.
What do you think of the proposed development?
Here is more from Courtney’s story:
In other council news, no one signed up to speak about a proposal to sell the shuttered Huff Lane Elementary School to commercial developer NDRA II, LLCs.
When Mayor David Bowers asked for anyone opposed to stand, one man did. The council then voted unanimously to approve the proposal.
“Well, why’d you ask me to stand?” the man asked.
“I always do,” Bowers answered. “Everyone has a right to stand.”
City officials said the sale process, which includes time for due diligence and rezoning, could take 12 to 14 months to complete. Two hotels and a restaurant are planned for the 5.3-acre portion of the parcel facing Valley View Boulevard.
The Roanoke School Board closed the school in 2009 to close a budget shortfall. The school’s students were transferred to nearby Round Hill Elementary School, which is bursting at the seams.
The sale is a “way the schools will be able to build out Round Hill, where the resources aren’t available to do so,” said Councilman Court Rosen.
March 20, 2012 - 10:05 AM
It’s a shame that Rocky has to clean this mess up, but I...
(“When Mayor David Bowers asked for anyone opposed to stand, one man did. The council then voted unanimously to approve the proposal.
“Well, why’d you ask me to stand?” the man asked.
“I always do,” Bowers answered. “Everyone has a right to stand.”)
Don’t know the details of this or why, but it reinforces my attitude of the mockery our governmental bodies have become.
UUUUUGGGGHHH…I live 3 houses down from where this monstrosity is going to be built (and with no long-term plans to live there, nobody’s going to want to pay a reasonable amount to live next to a giant construction site or in the shadows of the resulting two towering hotels. I fully expect my property values to plummet courtesy of this move by the City). I wasn’t even aware there was another meeting–I received a postcard about the first one and heard 2 more meetings were to follow and I fully expected to voice my opinion at these but I had no idea they were even happening!
@Tyler: I was surprised no one from the neighborhood showed up to voice their support/objections. Keep your eye on the Monday newspaper, as we publish a list of the week’s upcoming government meetings, including what will be discussed.
It’s nice that Bowers can be so condescending. Perhaps he didn’t even understand the entire phrase – ‘right to stand and be heard’. I’m just so not surprised.
Gawd Bowers is condescending.Glad we have an alternative come election day.
I said it before, now that mega commercial property has crossed the fence from the Valley View side to the residential side this will open up the door for more commercial properties to invade that neighborhood. More traffic, less neighborhood feel, and more potential for crime.
I’d be moving away from that area if I lived there.
I can only speculate, but I believe a lot of people probably feel that the city will do what the city will do and that a few people from the Huff Lane neighborhood showing up would only get the “right to stand” that the other gentleman received and nothing more.
AMEN BOWERS IS PITIFUL MY BEST FRIEND MR. LUCAS SAID HE IS FULLY OPPOSED TO PROCEEDING WITHOUT NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT !!!! VOTE BOWERS OUT IN MAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amanada, I passed by Smoqin Odie’s in Vinton earlier and noticed a For Lease sign in the window. Have you heard anything on this? I must say first impressions are very important for a business and my first impression wasn’t very good.
Everyone has an opinion about it, but no one shows up to protest it. Recieved a postcard, but would get to it later… If you doon’t speak up, sit down
right on, Chris
Why the attacks on Bowers. I’m sure had the gentleman wanted to say something that he would have been allowed. However, with only one person in opposition in attendance, why should the council believe that a majority opposes the sale? In fact, with only one in opposition, the reasonable assumption is that folks supported the sale.
@Brian: I went to their website and found this message from the owners:
To our loyal customers–
We regret to inform you that we will be closing our doors at the close of business on Wednesday, February 29th. We will be open Monday through Wednesday during this coming week. Despite our efforts and the support of our many loyal customers, we have been unable to generate enough regular repeat business for us to continue to sustain the business in order to stay open. We are pleased that so many of you have enjoyed our food and service, and we are thankful for your word-of-mouth and social media support, as well as your friendship. We will miss y’all!
Sincerely,
The owners and staff,
Smoqin’ Odie’s Grill and Smokehouse
For all of you folks opposed to the construction of the hotel and restaurant may I ask what would you have the city do with the abandoned school building?….Huff Lane Elementary…….An abandoned school building will not be maintained and will soon fall into disrepair and become a blight on the area…a great hangout for vandals…Thanks to the mayor for moving this project forward….It will generate much needed tax revenue for the city of Roanoke……This project needs to be put on a fast track with minimal govenment interference…..
Why is everyone irritated that ONE person out of the thousands who live in the area “stood” and then the proposal was approved? That ONE person show clearly that most people didn’t care enough to show up. Now, if 500 PEOPLE STOOD – you might have had a different outcome. But seriously, this is the best use of the property and a way to generate revenue for the new school.
@Jogger You make a fair point about the school’s eventual decay over time but nobody’s suggesting that the property perpetually sit there unused, either. Putting two 5-6 story hotels in my front yard, however, is VERY different than installing any other 1-level retail shop or restaurant. Not to mention we also will have to deal with construction noise (and construction crews and heavy machinery passing through) within literally a stone’s throw of our home for a year MINIMUM…likely longer.
Neighbors and locals love the facilities the area provides–tennis courts, ball fields, basketball courts and a playground. It’s very family-friendly and one of the reasons why so many people live there. I will tell you that even when the school was being used, I am quite certain that illegal activities take place in the school’s parking lot fairly regularly late at night…and I fear opening up that space with easy access from Valley View Blvd will only increase that activity.
Goodbye mountain views. Goodbye quiet neighborhood. Goodbye home value.
The ONE person who stood should at least have been heard. Was there something good on TV that Bowers just couldn’t miss???
…and Earl, he obviously had something to say, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked “Why did you ask me to stand?” when they just went on and voted without hearing him out. One person can raise a valid point that nobody else thought about that could require further investigation. His single opinion could also represent hundreds that were not in attendance for whatever reason. For the council to proceed simply based on a majority being support without stopping to listen to ONE dissenter is foolhardy at best. It’s not like they had 500 people to listen to and would have had to postpone the vote. Pretty sure the guy pays taxes in Roanoke, so he deserved to be heard. Bowers should be impeached for B.S. like that.
It’d be nice to see another hotel or two in Downtown Roanoke instead of several more around Valley View.
Oh just what we need 2 more hotels in the Valley View area along with probably another chain restaurant. Joy!