Joe Cobb for Mayor
Urban Heat Island & Tree Equity - The 2040 Comprehensive Plan Harmony With Nature states that we need to bring our tree canopy to 60% with 40% coverage needing to be met per city block.
What specific measures will be implemented to maintain our current tree canopy, as well as guarantee tree equity throughout the whole city?
ANSWER
A protected and growing tree canopy is essential not only to the health and well-being of our citizens, but also to the city’s environment. To both address and reduce the heat island index, predominantly in NW Roanoke, I support initiatives outlined in our 2040 Comprehensive Plan, our newly adopted Climate Action Plan, and continued investment of general funds in our budget to grow and sustain our tree canopy.
Measures:
1. Increase and sustain general funds toward tree canopy – including planting new trees, replacing diseased or dead trees, and sustaining current canopy. In the last several years, City Council has made this a priority, and I will continue to support a sustainable increase.
2. Work with neighborhood organizations, in coordination with our Urban Forestry Department and Roanoke Tree Stewards, to identify priority planting areas in neighborhoods most impacted by the heat island index, to plant new trees.
3. Incentivize commercial business tree planting/land conversion under Stormwater Fee or additional mechanism (action item in CAP)
4. Assess parks for conversion of underused turfgrass areas to new forested areas (action item in CAP)
5. Identify and incentivize preservation of quality green space in development projects (action item in CAP). One of the reasons I voted against the adopted Evans Spring plan was the removal of 30% of the tree canopy. We need to be proactive in discussing preservation of tree canopy with potential developers to ensure preservation, retention and/or replenishment of tree canopy as part of the plan.
6. I support all of the Tree Stewardship policies and action items listed in the Climate Action Plan. These can be found on pages 101-103 in the CAP.
7. In addition, I support tree education with AEP contractors related to reduction of tree canopy and power lines. I am hopeful we can continue to find ways to reduce overhead power lines and convert to buried lines as we have in some parts of the city.
Flood Resilience
Downtown Roanoke was built on top of wetlands and tributaries to the Roanoke River. The topography of the region makes downtown Roanoke vulnerable to the stormwater runoff from bordering localities. There are state and federal funding incentives to encourage localities to be flood resilient.
What is your plan to protect Roanoke from another catastrophic flood like the Flood of 1985?
ANSWER
I will work closely with our city’s stormwater department to support the 2023 Flood Resilience Plan and its recommendations (https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19436/2023-City-of-Roanoke-Flood-Resilience-Plan). This includes consistently reviewing our flood way and flood plains, noting the intersections of wetlands, springs, creeks, appropriate erosion control, and ensuring that any development is both responsible and sustains green space while utilizing fewer impervious surfaces to reduce runoff and decrease flooding.
The purchase, through a FEMA grant, of the former Ramada property is a great example of federal and local collaboration to repurpose a flood plain into a new green space. Our continued practice of this throughout the city will aid in reducing flooding, while caring for our environment.
Focusing on the key components of the plan: demolition/acquisition, preservation and restoration, green infrastructure, and gray infrastructure (effective drainage systems) – see pages 50-54 in the Flood Resilience Plan) will provide a solid structure for review and implementation.
Roanoke River & Tributaries - The Roanoke River and 11 of the 13 tributaries are currently impaired and are on the 303(d) list for exceeding safe levels of either bacteria (E. coli), sediment, temperature, and PCBs or a combination of these pollutants since 2006. Over the next year DEQ will be conducting another Benthic Clean Up Study of the Roanoke River, Tinker Creek and Wolf Creek.
Regarding the restoration of the cleanliness of our waterways and mitigation of stormwater runoff, please outline the specific initiatives that you intend to implement
ANSWER
In addition to the implementation of the Flood Resilience Plan, we need to continue a robust investment to restore the health of our Roanoke River and tributaries. The Water Resources Management of the City’s Climate Action Plan is a great guiding document for these efforts (https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19398/Chapter-8-Natural-Resources, pp. 102-105) I am particularly supportive of Policy #4 and #5:
Policy 4: Transform the Roanoke River and its tributaries into community assets, focal points, and sources of pride.
Action Items: • Conduct an overall study and planning document that assess flood potential, natural assets, land use, and other factors along our streams and rivers to develop consistent conservation strategies and appropriate development standards that minimize potential for damage
•Strategic acquisition of floodplain and/or better establishment of riparian buffers
Policy 5: Promote regional collaboration regarding stormwater mitigation, flooding, and water quality
Action Items • Promote a regular meeting on water management through Western Virginia Water Authority members
• Encourage water conservation and plan for a lasting water supply
I would add that a city/region wide educational outreach and awareness campaign on best practices in homes and neighborhoods, and local governments, to sustain clean water in our natural waterways and water systems would be welcome.
Airport Pollution & Runway Extension
The Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport “Master” Plan is to extend one of the runways for safety reasons. The plan is focused on creating more growth opportunities based on the increase of air travel. Small jets typical of the ones that land at our airport usually are older and use lead gasoline. Levels of airborne lead in the United States have declined 99% since 1980, but emissions from aircraft that operate on leaded fuel may still pose risks to nearby communities. Airport air pollution can also disproportionately impact sensitive subpopulations. Henry et al. (2019) studied impacts of several California airports on surrounding schools and found that over 65,000 students spend 1 to 6 hours a day during the academic year being exposed to airport pollution, and the percentage of impacted students was higher for those who were economically disadvantaged. The airport is near William Fleming High School, Round Hill Elementary, and Roanoke Area Math and Science Elementary as well as being surrounded by predominantly Black communities that have already been harmed by urban renewal.
How will you protect Roanoke citizens, especially marginalized communities, from more noise and air pollution that could be created by an increase of more air traffic to our area? Will you support an investigation of how the current pollution created by the airport is impacting public health, especially the children?
ANSWER
In the newly released report on air quality by the American Lung Association, according to a recent article in the Roanoke Times, “Air quality in the Roanoke Valley continues to rank among the nation’s highest in a study released Wednesday by the American Lung Association.” (https://roanoke.com/news/local/report-gives-high-grades-for-air-quality-in-roanoke-valley/article_8f642796-0247-11ef-94ad-1b7451c4d7bd.html).
This is great news related to the progress we have made as a city and a region in reducing our carbon footprint and setting forth very assertive goals in our climate action plan to:
1: Reduce Municipal Emissions by 50% by 2030
2: Reduce Community Emissions by 50% by 2032
3: To comprehensively address Heat Adaptations & Resiliency
4: To Decarbonize Transportation
These strategic efforts will keep Roanoke on the right track to sustain and strengthen our high air quality, while staying adept at growing our economy by utilizing green best practices related to runway expansion and reducing air pollution.
Increased accessibility for travelers to and from Roanoke is a much-needed transportation service. And, as we work with the Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport and Commission in moving toward the goal of an expanded runway, we must continue to be transparent in communicating the benefits of increased air travel, while staying in touch with local citizens most directly (and indirectly) impacted by this expansion to ensure they are engaged in the process, listened to, and that we work together to keep our air as clean and clear as possible while keeping increased noise at a minimum.
I support a study monitoring current air quality at the airport and throughout the city which includes any factors related to social determinants of health and how can collaboratively work to increase healthy outcomes, while providing increased transportation opportunities for our community and region.
Community Engagement - Which initiatives will you lead and implement to ensure that our marginalized communities, inclusive of public housing residents, are effectively engaged with?
ANSWER
Community engagement is key to building on the synergy necessary to keep our city moving forward. Because marginalized communities have historically not had voice or presence in decision making, I think it is important for city council and city staff, in collaboration with neighborhood organizations, local businesses, schools and other community partners to have ongoing conversations about what is happening in the city and creating unique and non-traditional opportunities for involvement in discernment and decision making. Story-telling and sharing, as well as citizen vision sessions, are good models for engagement.
As Mayor, I would work with Council and city staff, in collaboration with aforementioned partners, to create regular conversations, in each neighborhood – seeking to connect with and empower citizens to not only learn more about their local government and leaders, but see how together we can create meaningful solutions to move our city forward.
Parks & Recreation
Parks & Recreation is an important necessity for the City and aides in mitigating stormwater runoff with tree equity, flood resilience, climate change and community participation and engagement. There needs to be equity to ensure that the public, including marginalized communities, have access to natural areas to improve their health and well being.
What measures will be implemented to ensure that the Parks and Recreation Department has the necessary financial resources to fulfill its duties and operations?
ANSWER
I fully support the efforts made in recent years, since I have been on Council, to both increase the Parks and Recreation program budget and capital improvement projects. The forthcoming renovation and expansion of the Eureka Recreation Center, a new Washington Park Pool, a new regional skate park and pump track in Wasena Park, and the replacement of all playgrounds in city parks. I support efforts to increase accessibility to and in all of our city parks so that residents may benefit from fresh air, exercise, and community activities. This also includes insuring additional safety measures as needed in our parks and throughout our greenway and blue way system.
We’ll also need to regularly review, as part of our annual budget process, how to continue our support for the Parks and Rec 10 Year Plan, decrease the number of deferred capital projects that currently exist on the parks and rec wish list and ensure that our staffing levels are appropriate to create and sustain meaningful programs for all ages.
To learn more about his campaign please visit his website.
https://joecobbforroanoke.com/
