Roanoke County, Virginia 1998 Community Plan
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ROANOKE COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1998 COMMUNITY PLAN Board of Supervisors: Bob Johnson, Chair Fenton (Spike) Harrison Joe McNamara H. Odell (Fuzzy) Minnix Harry Nickens Planning Commission: Martha Hooker, Chair Kyle Robinson, Jr. Todd Ross Al Thomason Don Witt Acknowledgments Thanks are due to the many citizens of Roanoke County who participated in this long-range planning process and contributed to the development of the 1998 Community Plan. Without their support, assistance, ideas, visions and recommendations this Plan could not have been accomplished. Special thanks are due to the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, Neighborhood Councils, Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Think globally, act locally. --Rene Dubois The concept of the public welfare is broad and inclusive. The values it represents are spiritual as well as physical, aesthetic as well as monetary. It is within the power of the legislature to determine that the community should be beautiful as well as healthy, spacious as well as clean, well-balanced as well as carefully patrolled. --William O. Douglas We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us. --Winston Churchill Falling in love with a locality can be as powerful an emotion as falling in love with a person. In some form it lasts a lifetime. --Daniel Doan, author A community is not just the proper physical arrangement of buildings and roads..... A community is also a state of mind. --Thomas Hylton, author It is always best to start at the beginning and follow the yellow brick road. --The Wizard of Oz ROANOKE COUNTY COMMUNITY PLAN The Roanoke County Community Plan consists of three volumes: Volume 1: Roanoke County Community Plan, effective date January 12, 1999 Volume 2: Roanoke County Community Plan - Citizen Participation, 1997 Volume 3: Roanoke County Demographic and Economic Profile, September 1996 In addition, the Roanoke County Community Plan is comprised of the following special studies and plans that have been previously reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission and adopted by the Board of Supervisors: A. The Route 419 Frontage Development Plan originally approved by the Board of Supervisors in February 1987, with the substitution of the new future land use map from the 1998 Community Plan. B. The Roanoke River Corridor Study adopted by the Board of Supervisors on December 18, 1990. C. The Conceptual Greenway Plan, Roanoke Valley, Virginia, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on April 22, 1997. D. The Roanoke Valley Regional Stormwater Management Plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors on March 24, 1998. The Roanoke County Community Plan references the following supporting documents that provide additional information and data: 1. Roanoke County Public Library Five-Year Plan, 1996 2. Economic Development Strategy, May 1992 3. Economic Development Strategy, 2000 and Beyond 4. 1997 Comprehensive Facilities Study of the Roanoke County School System 5. Roanoke County Capital Facilities Plan 6. County of Roanoke Six Year Secondary System Construction Plan and Six Year Primary System Improvement Program For additional information, please contact: Roanoke County Department of Community Development, P.O. Box 29800, Roanoke, Virginia 24018 or call: (540)772-2068. The Community Plan can also be accessed from the Roanoke County Home Page- www.Co.Roanoke.VA.US. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1 THE COMMUNITY PLAN PROCESS .................................................................................... 2 PLAN UPDATES ...................................................................................................................... 4 PLAN AMENDMENTS ............................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 2 - VISION STATEMENTS 5 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 5 COMMUNITY-WIDE THEMES .............................................................................................. 5 VISION STATEMENTS ........................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 3 - LAND USE ISSUES 13 CITIZEN PARTICIPATION ................................................................................................... 13 DESIGN GUIDELINES .......................................................................................................... 16 Land Use Designations ................................................................................................ 17 Design Guidelines ....................................................................................................... 18 Conservation ................................................................................................... 18 Rural Preserve and Rural Village ................................................................... 20 Village Center ................................................................................................ 20 Neighborhood Conservation ........................................................................... 22 Development ................................................................................................... 22 Transition ........................................................................................................ 23 Core ................................................................................................................ 24 Principal Industrial .......................................................................................... 26 Scenic Corridors ............................................................................................. 27 NEIGHBORHOODS ............................................................................................................... 28 QUALITY OF LIFE ................................................................................................................ 32 REGIONALISM ...................................................................................................................... 36 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN .................................................................................. 39 Economic Opportunity Area Map - North County ...................................................... 45 Economic Opportunity Area Map - East County ........................................................ 47 Economic Opportunity Area Map - South County ...................................................... 49 Economic Opportunity Area Map - West County ....................................................... 51 CHAPTER 4 - COMMUNITY FACILITIES 53 PARKS AND RECREATION ................................................................................................. 53 LIBRARIES ............................................................................................................................. 57 SCHOOLS ............................................................................................................................... 61 PUBLIC SAFETY ................................................................................................................... 68 Police Department ....................................................................................................... 69 Fire and Rescue Department ....................................................................................... 70 Sheriff’s Office............................................................................................................ 71 PUBLIC UTILITIES ............................................................................................................... 72 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................ 74 TRANSPORTATION .............................................................................................................. 75 FUNCTIONAL ROAD CLASSIFICATION - DESIGN REQUIREMENTS ............. 82 County of Roanoke - Primary and Secondary Roads .................................................. 85 BIKEWAYS ................................................................................................................ 86 Roanoke County - Recommended Roadways for Bicycle Accommodation ............... 89 CHAPTER 5 - RESOURCE PRESERVATION ................................................................................. 95 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 95 OPEN SPACE ......................................................................................................................... 95 GREENWAYS ........................................................................................................................ 96 ROANOKE RIVER ................................................................................................................. 97 SOILS ...................................................................................................................................... 99 HISTORIC RESOURCES ..................................................................................................... 100 MOUNTAINS AND RIDGETOPS ....................................................................................... 101 AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................ 102 THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY .........................................................................................