2022 State of the County Address

Paul M. Mahoney, 2022 Chairman

Roanoke County Board of Supervisors
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
“A Vision for Tomorrow”

Good morning! And welcome to Roanoke County!

As I watch that video, I feel a sense of pride. It illustrates life in Roanoke County—a place where
you want to be to raise a family, explore the outdoors, start a career or build a business.
Roanoke County is truly a vibrant community with much to offer and even more opportunities
for the future.

Before we position the County for future growth, we must first look at where we are now. I am
proud to report that we have enjoyed many successes over the last year, many of which are
worth acknowledging this morning.

Much of our growth this past year can be attributed to a number of positive economic
development achievements. We saw more than $170 million dollars in new project
announcements and investments in 2022, along with the creation of over 550 new jobs.

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that North American Specialty Laminations, in the Cave
Spring area, and the leader in differentiated lamination solutions to the building products
industry, will establish a mid-Atlantic operation in Roanoke County. The company’s new 57,000-
square-foot production facility will serve customers across the east and southeastern U.S.
Approximately 45 employees will work at the new location, which represents a $2 million-dollar
investment.

Lowe's announced the development of a 60,000-square-foot distribution center in Roanoke

County’s Valley TechPark. The $11 million-dollar project is expected to create 70 jobs, including
hourly and management positions. Their goal is to build a network that coordinates deliveries
at the market level and allows the supply chain and stores to operate more efficiently.

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The Wood Haven Technology park project brings together a shared interest in economic
growth with the cities of Roanoke and Salem, who are partners through the Western Virginia
Regional Industrial Facilities Authority. $10.5 million dollars has been invested in the project,
and grant funding secured to further develop the 113-acre location site and attract an
innovative tenant.

The Galen School of Nursing announced its expansion to Metis Plaza in the Oak Grove area.
Galen occupies approximately 30,000 square feet and is one of America’s largest private
nursing colleges focused solely on quality nursing education. The new school will bring 50 new
employees and more than 400 students to the site from a 60-plus mile radius. With this
announcement, Metis Plaza is nearly fully occupied with 20,000 square feet of available space
remaining.

We are fortunate across our region to have the availability of two outstanding healthcare
systems—Carilion Clinic and HCA--LewisGale Regional Health System—that provide high-level
healthcare services to our community.

LewisGale Regional Health System held a grand opening ceremony for the long-awaited Blue
Hills ER in the Bonsack area of Roanoke County. The Blue Hills ER is strategically located along
the Route 460 corridor for quick access in emergencies. This is LewisGale’s second freestanding
emergency room in Roanoke County, with the first being located on Route 419 in Cave Spring.
This $12 million-dollar investment brings new full-service healthcare options directly to our
citizens.

Carilion Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine outpatient services will relocate to Tanglewood
Mall by the fall of 2023. Outpatient mental health services will move to space adjacent to
Carilion Children’s. This location will provide access to clinics specializing in mental health and
expanded office space. Carilion’s mental health services will occupy 37,000 square feet,
spanning two floors and including group therapy rooms, support groups, clinician offices and
telemedicine capabilities. After investing $15 million dollars to transform the space, more than
80 employees will provide services from the Tanglewood location.

The County’s strategy to reimagine Tanglewood Mall and the Route 419 corridor continues to
focus on commercial redevelopment, leveraging transportation improvements, enhancing
quality of life, and supporting community health and well-being.

National retail brands Burlington and Skechers also revitalized vacant space inside the mall.
And two additional outparcels were developed to house Chili’s Grill & Bar and Popeyes,
providing more dining options to visitors. These projects represent $15 million dollars in
investment and add 91 new jobs to the Tanglewood Mall area.

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The significance of the 419 Town Center Plan cannot be overstated. Since 2021, we have made
15 new business announcements, representing over 700 jobs created and more than $70
million dollars in capital investment. This substantial growth and enhancements to improve the
Route 419 corridor make it more appealing to those who enjoy the shopping and dining
selections in the area.

Roanoke County leveraged approximately $60 million dollars in transportation funding for
improvements along the Route 419 corridor, including a planned, new diverging diamond
interchange, widening of Route 419, and the installation of sidewalks and crosswalks. These
enhancements have eased congestion and improved safety.

More than $370 million has been invested in transportation projects located in Roanoke
County recently, with several projects newly completed or now under construction, including
the Interstate 81 Widening Project between Exits 143 and 137; Fallowater Lane and Ridge Top
Road located off of Route 419; the Route 311 and Route 419 Roundabout connection to
Catawba; sidewalks along Plantation and Williamson roads and West Main Street; and the start
of construction for the East Roanoke River Greenway.

And in partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation—the National Parks Service,
the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public
Transportation enabled Roanoke County to offer a shuttle service to the McAfee Knob
Trailhead parking lot. This County-operated program helps to reduce traffic and parking
congestion for those visiting one of the most popular outdoor destinations on the east coast.

In 2022, Roanoke County submitted 18 grant applications for studies and projects that, if
approved, will provide an additional $98 million in transportation funding, including $19.5
million dollars in road and pedestrian improvements along Route 419 in the Oak Grove area.

These initiatives provide safer and better access to the region for residents and visitors alike.

Each year, we see more and more visitors coming to explore outdoor recreation in Roanoke
County. Roanoke County’s parks hosted 40 tournaments and races in 2022 with over 1500
teams and 24,000 participants supporting local businesses.

Last year, Explore Park saw record-breaking attendance of more than 214,000 visitors to the
park’s programs and events. The park’s T-Rex Trail saw more than 19,000 admissions in its first
season. More than 60,000 people came out to Explore Park’s Illuminights event last year, with
17,000 people coming from outside our region. We are proud to partner with Center in the
Square on this successful event. If you have not yet visited Illuminights this season, the

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signature event will be open for a few more weeks. I hope everyone will join us for what has
become an annual holiday tradition.

The work of the Board of Supervisors, and County staff, is to engage with our residents and
provide high-quality services that have a direct impact on their everyday lives.

Following the unprecedented increase in personal property values due to disruptions in supply
chains after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Supervisors took action to provide
immediate Personal Property Tax Relief for our citizens. The Board provided $12 million dollars
in tax relief to our citizens.

Roanoke County received $18.3 million dollars in American Rescue Plan funding. We used this
money to expand broadband, fund stormwater management projects and equipment, provide
public safety vehicles and equipment, maintenance projects for public safety facilities, enhance
cybersecurity, and construct water and sewer extensions.

Providing broadband access to outlying parts of Roanoke County supports economic growth,
educational opportunities and public safety. Investments in broadband expansion across
Roanoke County total nearly $12 million dollars, with almost $6.5 million dollars coming from
private business investments and Virginia Telecommunication Initiative grants. These projects
have expanded high-speed Internet access to more than 2,000 residential and business
locations in the County.

As you heard from my colleague David Linden, Roanoke County Public Schools has enjoyed
many achievements over the past year. We are fortunate to have an outstanding school system
and their success contributes to the livability of our community. Investment in our public
schools secures our children’s future success.

Working together, the Board of Supervisors and School Board appointed an advisory committee
of 10 citizens to explore what is needed to construct a modern Career and Technical Education
facility for our students. That work concluded this year and I am very appreciative of the time
and energy the committee devoted to this project and their recommendations. And I applaud
the School Board and staff for their success in securing a prime location to build this new
facility. It will enhance our students’ education and give them the skills needed to succeed in
tomorrow’s ever-changing workplace.

While we have enjoyed many successes over the past year, there is more to do.

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As you know, prior to my time on the Board of Supervisors, I served as the County Attorney.
Looking back on my 30-plus years with Roanoke County, I have seen the great progress we have
made, and how we are developing a vision for what tomorrow will look like.

Earlier this year my fellow board members and I came together to define our vision for Roanoke
County over the next several years, and identified seven strategic target areas.

We must strengthen the County’s economic development efforts by proactively working with
prospects and partners to seek new business. Our prime locations assist in the expansion of
existing businesses and attract new industry. We offer, and continue to expand, a skilled
workforce to meet the changing needs of business and industry. And the County’s strong
financial stability enables us to partner with businesses to assist with relocations or expansions.

Attracting new commercial development and creating mixed-use development opportunities

near key transportation corridors is critical. New economic development projects will enhance
the County's tax base and re-purpose underutilized properties for higher and better uses.

Roanoke County is a well-planned and vibrant community. Our innovative strategies develop
communities that offer housing and services to all our citizens. We facilitate future growth
while reducing barriers to development and redevelopment and by adhering to standards that
protect our resources for generations to come. We must seek opportunities to responsibly
develop our undeveloped land through zoning enhancements, reduced regulation and
infrastructure expansion.

Roanoke County is a great place to live, and we must plan for housing that meets the needs of
our changing demographics. We offer neighborhoods with a wide variety of densities, styles,
amenities, and price points in order to provide diverse housing options for our growing
workforce and that meets the needs of our residents of all income levels, life stages and
abilities.

Looking to the future, we must seek new housing projects to strengthen the livability of
Roanoke County. Over the past year, more than 1,500 new single and multi-family dwelling
spaces have been constructed, or are in the process of being completed. Providing an array of
living options supports population growth, the workforce development needs of our employers,
and an enhanced tax base that supports our schools, police, fire and rescue, trash collection,
and the many other services we all enjoy.

Roanoke County is a scenic community in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and a premier national
destination for outdoor recreation. We provide an accessible, connected system of local,
regional and national parks. We also offer a robust community park system and a variety of

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amenities for all ages and abilities. We must work to ensure our outdoor programs and facilities
meet the changing landscape of recreation trends and a desire for healthy lifestyles.

Roanoke County is a safe community. We recruit and retain dedicated and compassionate
public safety employees who are prepared to respond to the myriad of public safety issues that
arise. We will continue to support our law enforcement, fire and rescue, and emergency
communications professionals in their work to protect the lives and property of Roanoke
County’s citizens.

Education is a cornerstone that helps make Roanoke County a desirable community. We have
an excellent and efficient school system that prepares students to thrive in our local workforce.

We must continue efforts to partner with local businesses and industries to ensure our
programs meet current and future workforce needs. Our educational facilities provide
efficiently scaled, safe, and technologically advanced learning environments. We recognize that
changes in demographics and other educational options require public education to adapt and
compete with new and innovative approaches to meet its mission.

Roanoke County is an employer of choice in the Roanoke region, and widely recognized across
the Commonwealth and nationally for our innovative business practices. We continually strive
to make the organization more effective at meeting the needs of our citizens. We will continue
to ensure that our citizens remain well-informed and understand our decisions and the issues
facing the County in the future.

In the coming year, we will focus on four legislative priorities:

• Additional resources and funding to localities for school capital needs, capital grant
funding, and economic development workforce grants for career and technical
education capital projects.
• Using available state funds to continue the operation and expansion of Catawba
Hospital, and support mental health and public hospital needs.
• Utilizing state funding to improve the access and affordability of reliable broadband
services, and promote the goal of statewide coverage.
• And we will advocate for funding for the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport to
support a runway extension and other improvements. Funding for airport expansion
fosters regional economic development growth.

Our vision for the future is bright. Let’s continue to strengthen the foundation of our
community and explore the possibilities that lie ahead. And let’s all continue working together
as we make our region even greater and better than it is today.