ROANOKE, Va. – Evans Spring, the last large open space in Roanoke, may have a new path forward. The Blue Ridge Land Conservancy is in talks to purchase the majority of the roughly 150-acre property, potentially putting decades of development concerns to rest.
City plans to develop Evans Spring have been in discussion for more than a decade. Residents have long voiced concerns about environmental impacts and changes to the surrounding neighborhood.
“Once that happens, it can never be reversed,” one resident said in 2023.
“We are fine how we are, it’s too much traffic,” another said in 2024.
“We do not want highly commercialized property there,” a third resident said earlier this year.
Conservation group steps in
Now, the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy is working with property owners, the city and a national nonprofit called The Conservation Fund to secure the majority of the land.
“The first thing I did was look for help,” said David Perry, executive director of the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. “We brought in a partner — a national nonprofit called the Conservation Fund. The Conservation Fund has the resources to be able to purchase the property quickly and then work with local nonprofits to acquire grants or to sell the land to them at the same price they paid for it over a period of time.”
Perry says conversations with those landowners have been encouraging.
“No one has said no, and the conversations have been very friendly and positive,” Perry said. “So, I’m hoping to in the near future to get a text or a phone call from my contact at the Conservation Fund saying, ‘Guess what? We reached an agreement and we’re ready to go.’”
City’s role in the process
Before anything is finalized, Perry says the city will need to be part of the solution. Some grant sources require that any conservation outcome for Evans Spring align with the city’s comprehensive plan.
“That’s something, as the city’s been exploring revising the Evans Spring plan, that we’ve been talking to city council and city staff about — let’s maybe have some alternative plans that wouldn’t require city money or city maintenance,” Perry said.
What development could look like
Perry says some small-scale development could still occur, but it would be designed to fit the character of the existing neighborhood.
“People just really want it left as is,” Perry said. “What we’re hearing is they’d like a natural area, a place where people can walk on trails. We might do some elevated boardwalks through the wetlands, some interpretive signage and educational opportunities — an area where school kids can come out and learn about wetlands and stream-making systems and those types of things.”
Perry added that certain areas of the property could accommodate some development, as long as it complements the surrounding community.
“There are areas there where some sort of affordable development, or development in keeping with the character of the neighborhood, could happen,” he said.
Perry also mentioned that Phazhon Nash with Roanoke City Council has discussed a model similar to Grandin Village.
“It’s not big-box development, it’s not something that would bring thousands of people into a residential area, but it’s something where small businesses can flourish,” Perry said.
Perry says the community will remain at the center of any decisions moving forward.
“We’re really listening to the community,” Perry said. “If and when we acquire the property, whatever happens is going to be a process of listening to folks and really having their fingerprints all over it.”
No sales are final yet. 10 News will continue to follow this story as it develops.