More than 60 Salem residents turned out Tuesday morning for the first of several town hall meetings Councilman Hunter Holliday has scheduled to talk about local issues.
In the Salem Library Community Room, Alexander Boone of ABoone Homes and his cohort Court Rosen gave an overview and answered questions about planned housing in the Dorsey Farm development off Mill Lane and Wheeler property off East Main Street.
“Today is a historic meeting because it is the first time, I believe, that Salem has launched a town hall series,” Holliday said. He added other communications with citizens are coming, including livestreaming Salem City Council meetings.
Citizens had five minutes to ask questions or make statements. Holliday’s wife Amy was the timekeeper.
Boone said Salem has a real housing crisis. “It’s impossible to build a new home in most of the US for less than $450,000. Home construction costs 50 percent more than 2020,” he added.
“That’s one reason we would like to build a mixture of town homes, villas, and one-and-a-half story homes.”
That’s not always possible, Boone said, because of topography and acreage size.
He noted that on the Wheeler property, where historic Salem radio stations and towers were formerly located, of the 40 acres 20 that are developable, and his firm has plans to develop the middle acreage and leave outer 20 acres in conservation.
Boone said his firm plans to start construction on the Dorsey Farm property in the fall “and have a few homes ready in the spring in time for kids to start school in the fall.”
Six residents spoke and asked questions. Dr. Sam Williams, who lives on Red Lane near HopeTree Family Services, said “Topography of open land in Salem is a huge issue for us. Density is destroying Salem’s character.” He added he would like to see housing areas in places with access to a major highway.
Stella Reinhard said she was concerned about trees being removed for construction, and hoped the Dorsey Farm development would be built with back alleys behind houses instead of nine extra driveways on the plan.
Boone explained, “With some steep grades, alleys would push houses closer to the street.” Answering Reinhard’s tree concerns, he noted, “We try to save trees. We flag trees that can be saved.”
Reinhard said, “I would love that.”
John Breen who lives on Bogey Lane said “Density in Salem is not in Salem’s character. Density does not necessarily mean a good living environment.”
Boone answered that density is the only way to get affordable homes, in many cases.
“The Dorsey Farm property is going to have more affordable housing,” he said. “We need to accommodate the people who live here.”
Another person said there should be “reverse engineering” on housing with perhaps a tax incentive from the city to encourage people to buy $225,000 older homes that have not been updated, so they could renovate and live in them.
Rosen noted that Virginia law ties the hands of cities, and they can only do certain things.
David Robbins asked about Greenway plans. “I want to see the Greenway to go straight to downtown Salem from the Hanging Rock Greenway,” he said, “with a walking trail to downtown.” Boone said he would be glad to donate some property to the Greenway.”
In answer to a question about the trail that has been graded around Roanoke College fields on Elizabeth Campus, Salem Assistant City Engineer Will Simpson pointed out it is a partnership with Roanoke College with federal funds, to connect with the Salem Civic Center.
“This is the first phase. It will loop around the YMCA with a spur down Texas past the Civic Center to Rt. 419 and Mason’s Creek,” Simpson said.
He added Roanoke College believes the trail will be useful for people to get to the Salem football stadium for Roanoke College football games.
City Manager Chris Dorsey also attended briefly before another commitment, and Salem Planning Commission Chairman Dee King and Commissioner Mark Henrickson were also present.
