Gene Marrano
ABoone Real Estate has withdrawn its request – for now – to rezone 15 acres of the Poages Mill property it had planned to turn into more than 150 townhouses, single family homes and retail spaces. Alexander Boone says they are not walking away from the “Poages Mill Village” project, but may tweak it after hearing concerns from some local residents about the commercial and retail spaces that were part of the proposal. The ABoone rezoning request had been scheduled to go before the Roanoke County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors next month.
The former farm is on US 221/Bent Mountain Road – developer Alexander Boone from ABoone Real Estate says for now they have withdrawn their request to rezone 15 acres, to build townhouses, a handful of single family homes and some retail spaces. Boone gave no timetable for submitting an updated Poages Mill Village plan to Roanoke County. A-Boone Real Estate has also just received approval for rezoning 15 acres at Westlake Village to build residential units there.
Steve Franco has been a Glenvar High School theater arts teacher and director for 33 years. But in other localities he’s known for writing In-laws, Outlaws & Other People That Should Be Shot. It just opened locally in a community theater for the first time last night – and tickets are selling fast. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more:
Here’s a second version of that story on In-laws, Outlaws & Other People That Should Be Shot.
From the WFIR News room this is your Culture Calendar – With a look at some of the local events coming up this weekend and in the near future. Sponsored by the Roanoke Cultural Endowment.
Ginger Poole and Matt Shields G Marrano photos
Ginger Poole came to Mill Mountain Theatre 18 years ago as an actor; at the end of this month she steps down as the Producing Artistic Director. She’ll hand the reigns to someone who already knows Roanoke’s professional equity theatre inside and out, as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
The Tanglewood Mall makeover continues in Southwest Roanoke County – first it was Carilion Children’s and their mental health services – as of tomorrow its also home to a new “Y,” as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
Come to one Dickens of a Christmas – or all 3 of them – beginning this Friday night in Downtown Roanoke. And keep an eye out for that Elf on the Shelf. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
Developer Alexander Boone says his real estate company has worked with Roanoke County and VDOT to come up with a winning plan for requested rezoning that would see around 115 townhomes and a handful of single family houses come to the old Poage Mill Farm on Bent Mountain Road/US 221. The Poage Mill development would be designed with sidewalks, several pocket parks and small retail options says Boone.
The ABoone Real Estate proposal goes before the Roanoke County Planning Commission on January 7th. He invites residents in the area to an open-house style public meeting next Tuesday from 5 to 7pm at the South County Library.
More details on a major grant first reported here last week, for a program that brings clinical and community resources together – and involves fresh vegetables. WFIR’s Gene Marrano with that story:
Valmarie Turner Loudon County photograph
Roanoke has hired a new city manager. Valmarie Turner comes to the Star City from Fairfax, where she was the Deputy City manager. Turner worked in Florida for local governments before relocating to Fairfax in 2017. Turner will assume her new role in January; Bob Cowell resigned from the City Manager position in Roanoke earlier this year and had been replaced by an interim manager. She met with the media and the public this afternoon.
(Roanoke news release) The Roanoke City Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Valmarie H. Turner as its new City Manager. At its meeting on December 2nd, City Council unanimously approved an employment agreement with Ms. Turner and appointed her as City Manager. Ms. Turner brings over 30 years of local government experience to
the position with an extensive background in community and economic development, social and human services programs, finance and procurement, and public improvement projects. Most recently, she served as the Deputy City Manager for the
City of Fairfax, Virginia. Ms. Turner succeeds Bob Cowell, who resigned in June. Dr. Lydia Pettis Patton, an Executive Manager with the Berkley Group, has served as Interim City Manager during the transition. City Council Member and Personnel Committee Chair Trish White-Boyd said, “We are excited to welcome Val Turner to the City of Roanoke. Council was impressed by her demeanor and her experience with many issues facing the City such as economic development, affordable housing, and homelessness. She has an excellent reputation as a leader, a team builder, and someone who builds collaborative relationships with stakeholders in the community. We are certain that Val will be an asset to the Roanoke Valley and are looking forward to her assuming her duties.”
Roanoke City Council conducted a national search for the new City Manager, assisted by The Berkley Group of Bridgewater, Virginia. Turner earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Economics, with a minor
in Business, from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. She holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration, with a specialization in Public Policy, from Walden University. Turner held the position of Department Director for over a decade in multiple local governments across Florida before being appointed Assistant/Deputy County Administrator for Loudoun County, Virginia, in 2017.