Phazhon Nash For City Council

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

To maintain and enhance our tree canopy, my campaign is committed to implementing the following measures:

1. Tree Preservation Policies: Enacting policies to protect existing trees from unnecessary removal during development projects. This will help maintain our current tree canopy and prevent unnecessary loss of mature trees.

2. Equitable Distribution: Strategically planning tree planting efforts to ensure that all neighborhoods and city blocks have equitable access to trees. This will help create a more balanced and inclusive tree canopy across the entire city.

3. Tree Maintenance and Care: Creating an arborist deportment with in Parks and Rec, to perform regular tree maintenance, including pruning, watering, and disease prevention, to ensure the health and longevity of our trees. This will help maintain a thriving tree canopy for years to come. By implementing these specific measures, we can work towards achieving our goal with equitable distribution throughout the whole city, creating a greener and more sustainable Roanoke for future generations.

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

Ensuring flood resilience is a top priority for my campaign. Here's our plan to protect Roanoke from another catastrophic flood:

1. Improved Stormwater Infrastructure: Investing in the improvement and expansion of stormwater infrastructure, including the construction of larger detention ponds, upgrading drainage systems, and implementing green infrastructure solutions to better manage stormwater runoff. Most importantly, protect Evans Spring!

2. Early Warning Systems: Enhancing our early warning systems by investing in advanced technology and communication networks to provide timely alerts and evacuation notices to residents in flood-prone areas. Provide resources and training to help residents prepare for floods.

3. Collaboration and Partnerships: Working closely with state and federal agencies to access funding incentives and grants available for flood resilience projects. Collaborating with neighboring localities to develop regional flood mitigation strategies, as stormwater runoff from bordering areas can impact downtown Roanoke.

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

The health of the Roanoke River and its tributaries are important to our city and watershed. To address the impairment issues, my campaign is focused on several key initiatives:

1. Green Infrastructure: Implementing green infrastructure solutions like rain gardens and permeable pavements to naturally absorb and filter stormwater, reducing runoff and pollution.

2. Public-Private Partnerships: Working with local businesses to develop partnerships that encourage and support environmentally responsible practices, especially concerning the disposal of pollutants.

3. Legislation and Regulation: I will advocate and urge state and federal governments to enact stronger laws and regulations to shield our rivers and tributaries from pollution and contamination.

4. Storm Water Infrastructure: Investing in the improvement of our sewage and water treatment facilities to better handle pollutants and prevent them from entering the waterways.

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

I understand your concerns about the potential increase in noise and air pollution from the runway extension and increased air traffic at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. It's crucial to prioritize the well-being of all citizens, especially marginalized communities.

According to my research, aircraft that use leaded fuels are planes with piston engines, such as private planes, rather than commercial jet liners. It's interesting to note that most of these aircraft are used for private travel, training, and recreational purposes. The Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport provides aircraft storage and fueling services. The available fueling options at the airport are Jet A and 100 LL, which is the only commercially available motor fuel that still contains lead. I would want council to meet with the airport's leadership to discuss the feasibility of converting from 100 LL to G100UL. G100UL is an FAA-approved high-octane unleaded gasoline that can replace leaded fuel without requiring any modifications to an aircraft’s engine.

Many airports across the country are considering the switch to G100UL. As the aviation industry continues to prioritize environmental sustainability, more airports are exploring alternative fuels like G100UL. Some airports that have already transitioned to G100UL include Centennial Airport in Colorado and Naples Municipal Airport in Florida. These airports are leading the way in promoting cleaner, safer, and more sustainable aviation. I want to see Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport join in and help lead the way to protect our environment and people.

Additionally, implementing measures to minimize noise pollution, such as sound barriers, flight path adjustments, and building dwellings with more sound proofing. Can help protect the residents from excessive noise disturbance.

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:

I plan to lead initiatives that prioritize direct engagement with marginalized communities, including those in public housing.

1. Ensuring that the true stakeholders and departments of projects are involved in the engagement process, and steering clear of relying solely on external consulting firms that may not represent the community's best interests.

2. Hosting public hearings in accessible locations, and Council members should be required to be present at these public hearings. By being physically present, they can directly hear the positions, concerns, and ideas of the citizens.

3. We also must transform our communication, I am dedicated to ensuring citizens are well-informed about meetings of public interest. We can and should make sure we are collaborating with local news, going door-to-door to distribution info., create a detailed calendar of events, and send direct mail notices. I also would like to look at our budget to make these initiatives sustainable.

I feel this first-hand interaction allows for a more meaningful and impactful exchange of information, fostering a stronger connection between the council and the community they serve. It's an essential step towards creating a more inclusive and responsive decision-making process in Roanoke.

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:

Parks and Recreation play a vital role in our city, improving public health, after school programs, and climate change. It's crucial to ensure that the department has the financial resources it needs to fulfill its duties and operations effectively.

To ensure adequate funding, we can explore various avenues. One approach is to advocate for increased budget allocations specifically designated for Parks and Recreation. This would help provide the necessary resources to maintain and enhance our parks, ensuring equitable access for all residents, including marginalized communities.

I will work diligently to advocate for an increase in the percentage of the budget allocated to Parks and Recreation. Specifically, I will strive to raise it to 7-8% for the fiscal year budget of 2026. By allocating a larger portion of the budget towards Parks and Recreation, we can ensure that the department has the necessary financial resources to fulfill its duties effectively and provide equitable access to natural areas for all residents, including marginalized communities.

Additionally, we can explore partnerships with local businesses, community organizations, and grant opportunities to secure additional funding. Along with allowing Parks and Rec to capture the revenues generated from facility rentals and programs. By leveraging these collaborations, we can tap into external resources to support the department.

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