Roanoke’s next mayor has been narrowly elected to the office while voters chose three new faces for City Council, all while a new City Manager gets started.
Joe Cobb, who survived a recount last week, also moves up from Vice-Mayor to Mayor following a year of difficult debate over zoning and housing options, and the passing of the Evans Spring plan.
Cobb, who’s spent six years on City Council, said he supported zoning amendments that eliminate single-family only zoning because they create pathways and opportunities for affordable housing options, in other words, a range of affordability – from very low income to higher income.
“But it’s also designed to make sure that all of our neighborhoods reflect the beautiful diversity of our city,” he said. “For someone who lives in a particular neighborhood and wants to age in place in that neighborhood, the options for that are pretty limited right now.”
Roanoke’s City Council, including Cobb, ultimately backed the amendments in a second vote in September after their initial approval last spring. Cobb said the city needs to provide ‘senior friendly’ options, whether it’s a townhome, duplex, or a patio home. But he also said leaders need to think about young professionals moving to Roanoke, including those who coming to the city with Carilion Memorial Hospital'’s expansion, expected in 2025.
A final master plan for Evans Spring, a nearly 150-acre plot of undeveloped land on the southern edge of Interstate 581, a plan Cobb voted against, also moved forward in 2024. It called for preserving about 70 acres, but also calls for more community centers to serve the additional housing.
“When you think about the fact that we have a Sam’s Wholesale Club, a BJ’s Wholesale Club, and a US Chef’s store all within one shopping area, and they’re all doing well –that’s indicative of this kind of regional draw to this type of market,” Cobb explained.
The Mayor-elect credits community partnerships, and new strategies within Roanoke Police, with reports of reduced gun violence in the city.
But Cobb said piloting new programs has also been key, using some of the same practices to address the opioid epidemic. Virginia First Lady Suzanne Youngkin selected Roanoke to pilot the “It Only Takes One” program about the dangers of fentanyl.
Cobb is also critical of President-elect Donald Trump’s rhetoric regarding immigrants, noting Roanoke is the only “Certified Welcoming” city in the Commonwealth, and only one of twenty-five in the nation. He said a lot of people in the city are very scared about threats of mass deportations.
“I want Roanoke to continue to be that welcoming safe space, where people feel at home, where they feel some assurance that they can live peaceably with each other,” he said. “While we have some episodes that may try and deter us from that, even though we may have a lot diversity of a political spectrum, I think deep down, we really do care for each other. I think that’s something that sets us apart as a city."
Cobb will be sworn in as Roanoke's next mayor, along with new City Council members Terry McGuire, Phazon Nash, and Nick Hagen, on January 1st.
The city also recently hired Valmarie Turner as its next City Manager. Cobb plans to meet with her at least once a week, and city council members regularly as well.
