Graphic courtesy of Botetourt Co.
Botetourt County officials provided updates on long-term growth planning, the cleanup of a flood-prone Eagle Rock property and several other projects during the Board of Supervisors’ Aug. 25 meeting.
The board received a preview of the county’s upcoming Growth Boundary Explorer, an online mapping tool intended to help residents better understand where future development is envisioned under the county’s long-term land use policies.
The tool is based on the county’s 2025 Future Land Use Map and will be made available through the county’s GIS resources.
According to county staff, the explorer is intended to provide a visual reference for understanding where different types of development may be appropriate based on the county’s Comprehensive Plan and the availability of public utilities.
The county’s current long-term plan, Envision Botetourt 2045, was adopted in 2025 and continues a planning strategy that has been used in the county for more than two decades. That strategy generally directs higher-intensity development toward areas where public water and sewer service are available while preserving most of the county for lower-density residential, agricultural, less-intensive commercial and natural-resource uses.
The Growth Boundary Explorer will allow residents to compare the 2025 Future Land Use Map with the previous 2004 map and see how planned land uses have changed over time.
The county’s anticipated growth corridor remains concentrated in several areas, including south of Greenfield toward Exit 150, along U.S. 11 toward Cloverdale and the Roanoke County line, and along Alternate U.S. 220 toward U.S. 460.
The county noted that those areas generally correspond with the availability of public water and sewer infrastructure.
The map also identifies established village communities, including Iron Gate, Glen Wilton and Eagle Rock, where the county’s plan calls for cautiously welcoming an appropriate mix of residential and commercial development.
Officials emphasized that the map is not a guarantee that development will occur on a particular property. Rather, it is intended to show residents how existing land use policies influence where different types of growth are more or less likely.
Any future changes to the Comprehensive Plan or zoning ordinance would continue to require review and public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
File photo
In Eagle Rock, the county continues to work toward cleaning up the property at 72 Railroad Avenue, after initially facing a significant funding gap following bids for the work.
The county received seven bids for demolition, debris removal and site stabilization, with proposals ranging from $225,051 to $883,959. The county had $132,854 available for the project, leaving a gap of $92,197 even with the lowest bid.
Since the Aug. 25 meeting, negotiations and cost adjustments with the low bidder have reduced the county’s remaining contribution to $23,782, according to County Communications Manager Brent Watts. The Board of Supervisors will need to appropriate the additional money at its September meeting to prevent project delays and potential price increases.
The county has also received an extension on the project’s grant deadline, moving the completion date from Sept. 30, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2027.
The cleanup involves a property where a commercial structure suffered a substantial structural failure in 2023. The county subsequently conducted limited demolition to address immediate public-safety concerns and prevent additional portions of the structure from falling into the street or onto neighboring property.
The remaining debris has been a longstanding concern in Eagle Rock, particularly because the property sits near the James River and is susceptible to flooding.
The county was awarded up to $241,395 through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, administered through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, to support acquisition, cleanup and mitigation of the property. The county completed the acquisition in 2026.
Under the grant requirements, the property is intended for future park, open-space and flood plain-management purposes rather than redevelopment.
The planned work includes demolition and removal of the remaining condemned structure, a detached shed and retaining walls, removal and disposal of debris, grading, erosion-control measures, placement of topsoil and seeding.
The board also received an update on the planned reconstruction of the James Breckinridge Law Office and Museum in Fincastle.
The project, which has gone through historical research, programming and concept design since a January kickoff meeting, reached its final concept stage Aug. 25.
The proposed program includes a 494-square-foot James Breckinridge office and museum, a 1,266-square-foot multipurpose interior space, 154 square feet of restrooms and a 349-square-foot balcony.
The presentation included site plans, floor plans, elevations and renderings of the proposed reconstruction, as well as documentation of historic materials salvaged from the original structure.
The board also received an informational update from the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission regarding its regional water study. No action was requested on the study.
Supervisors also approved an amendment to an existing agreement for the Tinker Mountain tower site, correcting the commencement date in the agreement with Vertical Bridge from Feb. 1, 2025, to Feb. 1, 2026.
The next meeting of the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 2 p.m. at the Daleville Center at Greenfield.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
