The kickoff community meetings were a big success! Over 200 people came out to talk about the Hollins and Oak Grove Center studies last month. Staff from Roanoke County and the City of Roanoke spoke with area residents, business owners and employees about changes in both areas that could occur over the next 20 years. We heard a lot of ideas about transportation, community spaces, redevelopment and economic growth.

Here were the major takeaways from our Hollins meeting…

• Add sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes and/or shared-use paths to increase safety for all users in the study area
• Redevelop commercial areas into a mix of housing, locally-owned businesses and places to hang out
• Rebuild the library at a more central, connected location
• Protect, preserve and enhance natural resources and parks

…And the big suggestions from Oak Grove:

• Construct bicycle lanes and ADA-accessible infrastructure including crosswalks, sidewalks and greenways
• Expand park and recreation opportunities, especially trails and activity spaces for kids
• Improve intersections along Route 419 to facilitate traffic flow through the area
• Upgrade commercial buildings and facades
• Add restaurants, cafes, retail, grocery shopping and community spaces for people to hang out.

If you’d like to share your own thoughts, please take our 5-minute Hollins and Oak Grove surveys (Spanish versions: Hollins and Oak Grove). Paper copies are available at County libraries. The surveys close on Saturday, April 7!

For more information about the meeting exhibits, photos of the meetings and the studies’ media coverage, check out the Hollins webpage and Oak Grove webpage. 

Next Steps:

We’ll begin our second round of Community Meetings in May. Come and see the full results of the survey and public input exercises, then give feedback on more specific future possibilities for the area. CORTRAN and STAR service will be available for these meetings.

Hollins meetings will be held Thursday, May 10 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. OR Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Hollins Library. Oak Grove meetings will be held Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. OR Thursday, May 24 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Oak Grove Church of the Brethren, 2138 McVitty Road SW, Roanoke, VA 24018.