ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Roanoke City Council approved the rezonings of the much-discussed Preston Park Elementary School and Fishburn Park Monday night.
Preston Park Elementary will be rezoned to build a new school and campus. Monday night’s presentation by the school district showed a plan with increased walkability and reduced parking. City Council previously suggested the new design encourage walking and cycling to match the suburban environment and reduce traffic. Officials, teachers, and even one elementary school student also argued that the new campus would provide better security, saying that with the campus being so close to the road, there are often concerns about traffic and strangers walking through. City council voted unanimously to approve the rezoning.
Next, council approved rezoning for Fishburn Park so that a coffeeshop can be built in the old caretaker’s cottage. The project to repurpose the dilapidated building has drawn community and environmental concerns but has similarly received support from others who’d like to see the small business in the neighborhood. The cafe needed a unanimous vote from council Monday, and received it.
