Roanoke’s $33 million school project clashes with city’s comprehensive plan
Roanoke, Virginia – The school district in Roanoke is contemplating the construction of an avant-garde elementary school within Preston Park, recognized as one of the rapidly developing vicinities of the city.
The initial blueprints propose the demolition of the current, overpopulated school, established in 1952, and its replacement with a modern structure making use of natural light, projected to incur expenses exceeding $33 million.
However, city planning officials argue that the educational district’s proposed design fails to align with the city of Roanoke’s comprehensive plan, thereby potentially inciting a dispute between the municipal and educational administrators.
Katherine Gray, a professional specializing in land use and urban design planning for the city, criticizes the current design as a “suburban solution in an urban setting”. She succinctly states, “In a nutshell, it’s not meeting the overall goal and vision of policies [in] our comprehensive plan.”
The Roanoke Planning Commission is set to cast their vote on the subsequent Monday to decide whether the zoning of the property should be altered to accommodate the proposed structure. Gray mentioned that the district has hinted at the possibility of postponing its application. As of Monday, Roanoke City Public Schools could not provide further information immediately and was closed on Tuesday in observance of a holiday.
