By Matt de Simone
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors met for the April meeting last Thursday at the Botetourt County Administrative Offices in Daleville.
The board unanimously denied the text amendment which would add the use of “convenience store, highway” for a proposed location in Buchanan. Over the last several weeks, Botetourt County residents questioned whether this was merely a text amendment or a project proposal.
Buchanan District Supervisor Amy White made it clear that they were ruling on a text amendment that amended the existing definition of “convenience store.”
The main issue shared by the board concerned the traffic impact on Buchanan’s exit ramps and the environmental impact. “Those concerns are what keep me awake the most at night,” White stated before moving to deny the text amendment proposal.
Botetourt County Fire & EMS Chief Jason Ferguson introduced six recent graduates of the Roanoke Valley Fire Academy: Tyler Angle, Alex Doyle, Joshua Merchant, Matthew Mort, Thomas Philbrick, and Kirk Wooldridge. Gary Fisher, an 18-year veteran firefighter, was recently promoted to lieutenant.
Ferguson recognized Jim Short of the Read Mountain Fire Department, presenting him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Short is a 25-year firefighter. Daryl Johns of the Eagle Rock Fire Department received a commemorative ax for 45 years of service.
John Hull reported on the accomplishments of the Roanoke Regional Partnership over the last year.
Assistant County Administrator Jon Lanford introduced Gary Harvey and Emmett Lifsey of Architectural Partners. Lanford presented the board with the schedule of what to expect with the renovations of the Botetourt County Courthouse in Fincastle. They showed a site plan for the project that featured the addition of a new parking lot and the relocation site of the Confederate monument, the interior and exterior plans of the new courthouse featuring a singular point of entry for the public, and cost estimates. The courthouse renovation project’s cost estimate is currently over $22.4 million based on the current market.
Lanford and Booth presented the 2024 reassessment schedule. A request for proposals (RFP) was constructed as part of the standard operating procedure of Botetourt County. The board approved sending the RFP.
The board accepted the resolution to transfer the old Colonial Elementary School property from Botetourt County Public Schools to the Economic Development Authority.\
County Director of Finance Tony Zerrilla presented the proposed budget for FY 22-23 and school budgets to the board. The board adopted the tax resolution and budgets presented.
The board approved the amendments to the Ch. 9 Elections presented at the March meeting by Deputy County Administrator David Moorman and Director of Elections and General Registrar Traci Clark.
Botetourt Properties LLC requested to rezone a total of 4.098-acres of a 6.84-acre lot in the Amsterdam District, currently located in the Residential (R-3) and (R-1) Use Districts. The proposed lot to be rezoned is located east of the adjacent property, 35 Cedar Plateau Way, identified on the Real Property Identification Maps of Botetourt County as Section 101, Parcel 81. After a revised site plan reducing the area to be rezoned and adding a proffer statement of substantial conformance with the concept plan, the Planning Commission previously recommended approval unanimously. The board unanimously moved to approve Botetourt Properties LLC’s rezoning request with the proffered condition on the property.
Laymill LLC requested a Special Exception Permit (SEP) for a cabin or cottage in the Amsterdam District, with possible conditions, for the proposed use of a short-term rental, in the Residential (R-1) Use District following Sec. 25-123 (18). The 3.230-acre lot is located at 1917 Roanoke Road, Daleville, and identified on the Real Property Identification Maps of Botetourt County as Section 101, Parcel 2. The Planning Commission previously recommended approval unanimously. The board unanimously moved to approve the SEP for a cabin or cottage short-term rental on the property of Laymill LLC.
Barry and Judith Hensley requested an SEP for a Rural Home Business in the Fincastle District, with possible conditions, for the proposed use of an excavating business in the Agricultural (A-1) Use District following Sec. 25-435(3) Rural home businesses and Sec. 25-583. The 6.41-acre parcel is located at 541 McDaniel Drive, Eagle Rock, and identified on the Real Property Identification Maps of Botetourt County as Section 5, Parcel 55. The Planning Commission previously recommended conditional approval unanimously. The board moved to conditionally approve the SEP for a Rural Home Business on the Hensleys’ property, as recommended by the Planning Commission.
New Orchard Marketplace LLC, in care of New Link Mgmt. Group, requested an SEP in the Amsterdam District for a carcwash, with possible conditions, in the Shopping Center (SC) Use District following Sec. 25-583. – Special exceptions and Chapter 25 Zoning, Article, II. The use is proposed on a 1.466-acre lot at the intersection of Roanoke Road (U.S. Route 220) and Marketplace Drive (Route 1191), Daleville, and identified on the Real Property Identification Maps of Botetourt County as Section 101 (17), Parcel 7. The Planning Commission had recommended conditional approval unanimously.
The board moved to conditionally approve the SEP for a carwash on the property of New Orchard Marketplace LLC c/o New Link Mgmt. Group, as recommended by the Planning Commission, 3-2. The first motion was to deny the SEP; there were four “no” votes, so the motion failed. The second motion was to approve the SEP with a 4-1 vote, and the motion was approved.
Visit the Botetourt County website’s Agenda Center for more information about last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting at www.botetourtva.gov/AgendaCenter.
