Issues

The future looks bright for Blacksburg. Thanks to the engagement of our citizens and the good judgment of town leaders in recent years, Blacksburg is becoming a model “Cool City” committed to both economic and ecological sustainability while preserving our unique character and quality of life. Ensuring this future will require vigilance, hard work, and thoughtful planning by both town leaders and the community at large.

Today we face a number of important issues that will determine Blacksburg’s character and the quality of our lives in the years ahead. We must address growth, development and redevelopment, and numerous other issues in thoughtful, creative, and sustainable ways.

Our Comprehensive Plan is our roadmap for our town’s future. Citizen input is tremendously important. For more information, please view Susan’s two-minute video on a previous Comprehensive Plan.

Management of Growth and Development

Wise management of growth and development is necessary to ensure both economic viability and community livability. Development and redevelopment should be guided by our shared community values and managed by strict adherence to zoning laws and the vision articulated in our Comprehensive Plan. Directing growth toward clustering, in-fill, preservation of green space, and diverse housing options, including workforce, senior, and young professional housing, must be encouraged.

We know that Virginia Tech’s student population has grown significantly in recent years and will continue to grow. Much development and redevelopment has already occurred which will help address this, such as The Edge, the Retreat, the Hub, and the Union.

Housing for All of Us

  • Housing is the biggest challenge facing Blacksburg. Our community is in critical need of more housing stock, more diverse housing stock, and more affordable housing stock. Blacksburg Town Council and Town Staff have accomplished much to increase housing stock and housing affordability, but much remains to be done.
  • Town Council allocated over $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to create the Blacksburg Affordable Housing Fund. These funds are for three projects: 1) Community Housing Partners is working on the first 20 homes at Stroubles Ridge which will be owner occupied. 2) Habitat for Humanity will build 11 townhomes on Airport Road in Blacksburg which will be owner occupied; these are for 60-80% AMI (average median income). 3) Legacy on Main is being constructed at the corner of Country Club and South Main Street; these apartments will be for rent and will be managed by Community Housing Partners. All properties are in the construction phase.
  • A recently approved development proposal for 801 North Main Street has proffered $1.3 million for the Blacksburg Affordable Housing Fund.
  • The Town, working with Montgomery County, established in 2022 a community land trust called the New River Home Trust. The concept is that the cost of land in Blacksburg is great; if folks could purchase a home and rent the land underneath the home for a nominal fee, then home ownership is much more possible. The land is owned by a nonprofit, so the cost of the land is not included in the home purchase price, and the affordability of the homes will be protected long-term. Blacksburg now has homes in the New River Home Trust. Examples of future homes to be included in the home trust are those in Stroubles Ridge and the Habitat homes on Airport Road.
  • Town Council revised Ordinance 2017 to allow detached units, such as garage apartments, to be built. Council had previously allowed attached units. These units increase housing stock in general and aide in housing affordability.
  • Town Council has created small lot zoning districts, which will allow for more modest housing on smaller lots.
  • The Town has joined the New River Valley Housing Trust Fund developed by the New River Regional Commission and annually contributes financially to this fund to support affordable housing throughout the New River Valley.
  • I am a member of our town’s Housing and Community Development Advisory Board and have been a member since first being elected to Town Council. We meet monthly to work on housing affordability, review potential affordable housing projects, and suggest funding allocations. For example, we recommended the allocation of funds to New River Community Action to provide emergency utility and rent assistance to Blacksburg residents, helping them to remain in their homes.
  • Our Town and Virginia Tech have been in talks on how VT can help with housing.
  • I am open to other ideas and best practices from other municipalities, nonprofits, and individuals on housing.

Downtown Revitalization

The continued revitalization of our historic downtown as a pedestrian friendly, vibrant retail and arts center is essential to both the health and the character of Blacksburg. Much progress has been made in the past decade:

  • During the summer of 2007, the Downtown Revitalization Committee formed, comprised of representatives from various stakeholders within the community: Downtown Merchants of Blacksburg (now Downtown Blacksburg, Inc.), the Lyric Theatre, Blacksburg Partnership, Town Staff, Town Council, Citizens First, Townscape, VT Arts Initiative, residential neighborhood representatives, and local business and development leaders.
  • During the fall of 2008, Town Council approved a downtown façade improvement program using $50,000 from the Community Development Block Grant program. The Town has improved the façade grant program, with funding during this current fiscal year for façades.
  • Chaired by Susan Anderson, the Downtown Revitalization Committee and the town attorney drafted an incentives ordinance for the downtown and a brochure for prospective businesses describing the incentives and other town, state, and federal programs which provide aid.
  • The Downtown Revitalization Committee has cleaned up numerous empty storefronts in downtown and placed dozens of displays promoting Blacksburg activities in the windows. We believe these window dressing efforts not only made the streetscape more attractive but actually helped some of the spaces to be rented.
  • The Sidewalk Stage program, introduced by the Downtown Revitalization Committee, has encouraged public performances by musicians and other artists in the downtown commercial district.
  • The Downtown Revitalization Committee and town staff completed the booklet, “The Art of Opening a Business: Downtown Blacksburg Edition,” to encourage new retail enterprises to locate in our community.
  • The North Main Street project, including the roundabout, narrowed the roadway, widened the sidewalks, and added benches and landscaping — creating a more pedestrian friendly portion of our downtown commercial district.
  • The Downtown Revitalization Committeet and town attorney drafted Ordinance 1655 to amend our zoning ordinance by adding a new “Live/Work/Sell Arts Overlay District” to encourage owner-occupied arts businesses in one of our downtown neighborhoods. It also worked on Ordinance 1660 to provide economic incentives for qualified arts businesses and tourism-related businesses, including specialty retail businesses.
  • The College Avenue Promenade project created an exciting and inviting pedestrian space for public events, outdoor dining, and informal gatherings.
  • We need to continue to actively recruit new business to our downtown specifically and Blacksburg generally.

Other Commercial Districts

  • We need to continue to actively recruit new businesses to and support current businesses in ALL our commercial districts.
  • We intend to further study and implement appropriate zoning standards for three of the town’s commercial districts: North Main, South Main, and University City Boulevard.

Neighborhoods

Preserving the integrity of our neighborhoods by guarding against external encroachment and internal decay is vital to maintaining a high quality of life for all Blacksburg residents. Town officials should strictly enforce all safety, noise, and housing codes, and Council should follow both the Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinances when ruling on permits and other issues. Town Council should encourage strong neighborhood associations and provide regular opportunities for dialogue with neighborhood representatives to share ideas and discuss concerns.

Open Space and Recreational Opportunities

Open spaces, neighborhood parks, greenways, biking and walking paths, as well as quality recreational facilities (including athletic fields) for residents of all ages contribute greatly to the livability of our community. In recent years, the Town has added hundreds of acres on Brush Mountain to our park land, enabling the extension of our trail network to the national forest. Through strongly supporting the Comprehensive Plan and the Comprehensive Plan planning process, as well as careful budget management, we must preserve and expand these resources.

Finances

To ensure the continued fiscal health of our town in the face of decreasing state funding and limited revenue sources, I believe that Town Council should pursue the following measures:

  • Increase the tax base by having near full occupancy of current retail facilities and through continued growth of corporate research businesses and light manufacturing operations that offer high paying jobs. Collecting meals and lodging taxes from businesses operating on the Virginia Tech campus would provide additional revenues.
  • Insist that any new development of housing areas and/or satellite retail hubs (for example, South Main interchange development, University Mall, North Main) pay the full cost of infrastructure development–sewer needs, water needs, electric needs, roads, etc.
  • Adhere strictly to the town charter requirement of a super majority for any new assumption of debt.
  • Take full advantage of opportunities for state and federal grants for town projects. For example, Blacksburg can apply for more funds for demonstration projects, housing grants, and technology grants.