The Roanoke Planning Commission spent nearly two hours on Monday hearing the pros and cons of adopting a plan to develop the city’s Evans Spring area that has been in the works for the last several years .
After concerns were voiced by nearly a score of people from across the Roanoke Valley, the commission voted to forward the plan for the approximately 150 acres of privately owned land to the Roanoke City Council for approval.
The vote was 5-2, but not until after members of the planning commission took time to explain their votes.
All five who voted yes noted that while much of the discussion of the plan had to do with rezoning, the current plan only revises the approach that the city would take if a developer asks to build on any of the approximately 100 of the 150 acres of property that meet conditions to be improved.
“This property will [eventually] be developed,” said planning commission member James Smith, who was the first to declare he was going to vote yes. “So how do we want to see it developed? Right now, anything can happen to the property. [Opponents of development] won’t be happy with that — none of us will.