Botetourt County is pleased to announce that our Community Development Department has received two prestigious awards from the American Planning Association (APA).
During the APA luncheon, Botetourt County received the 2023 Holzheimer Economic Development Award. This statewide recognition was given to the county for its recently adopted Gateway Crossing Overlay, which is a zoning tool intended to transform an underutilized and underperforming area of the County into a vibrant, mixed-use community that benefits residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
The Gateway Crossing Overlay was born out of the Gateway Crossing Area Plan, a small area plan adopted into the County’s Comprehensive Plan in 2017. The Plan highlights and prioritizes connectivity, mixed-use structures, multi-family residences, and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle connections. The plan builds off existing amenities such as the Appalachian Trail and the location along three major roadways, Interstate 81, US Route 220, and US Route 11.
While developing the overlay zoning tool, County staff forged relationships with stakeholders and the broader Botetourt community through multiple meetings and workshops, online engagement tools, and direct conversations with citizens, Planning Commissioners, and elected officials.
This project stood out to the Awards Committee for many reasons, including:
- The County’s initiative to capitalize on a once-in-a-generation redesign of a major road interchange.
- The innovative approach to encouraging development in a pre-defined growth area.
- The County’s use of online engagement tools and outreach methods to encourage input.
Botetourt County Planner Jonathan McCoy was the winner of the Foxhound Award for Distinguished New Professionals. Jon serves the community with a wide portfolio of responsibilities. He handles long-range planning projects, integrating community engagement and outreach into these projects. In addition, he serves as a staff contact on land use cases that go before the County’s Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. He is also a member of the Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional Commission’s Transportation Technical Committee, manages contracts, pursues grant funding opportunities, and serves on the County’s Budget Task Force. Jon was also recognized for completing the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
Community Development Director Nicole Pendleton and Mr. McCoy also presented about Expanding the Housing Landscape in Botetourt to planners attending the conference from all over the Commonwealth of Virginia.
We are very proud of our entire Community Development Team for receiving these distinguished awards!
Read the full press release for the Holzheimer Economic Development Award here.
Read the full press release for the Foxhound Award here.
About Botetourt County:
Botetourt County (Pop. 33,494) is a 546 sq. mile community in Southwestern Virginia. The rural community is in the southwestern portion of the state in the scenic Roanoke Valley of Virginia. Strategically located on Interstate 81, and just 20 miles south of Interstate 64, Botetourt County is accessible to the markets of the Mid-West, the Mid-Atlantic, and the entire Eastern Seaboard. Botetourt County has a five-member elected Board of Supervisors which oversees most of the county’s government-related operations. In addition, Botetourt County has a complete administrative staff that works under the direction of a County Administrator who is hired by the Board of Supervisors to run day-to-day operations.
