Please consider signing this letter of support for the sale of the Blackwell House in Fishburn Park in Southwest Roanoke, Va. to the vanBlaricoms. Below is the letter we will deliver to Roanoke City Council on Monday, Nov. 21, before their meeting to vote on the proposal. 

Dear Members of Roanoke City Council,

As neighbors who live in Grandin Court, we are writing to offer our support of the proposed sale of the Blackwell House in Fishburn Park to the vanBlaricoms.

Given the recent public remarks of our neighborhood association leaders, we wanted you and the community to know that the association has not taken a vote on its position on this sale. In fact, at the initial neighborhood meeting on this topic, considerable support was voiced for the vanBlaricoms’ proposal. Last night, all in attendance were supportive of the proposal except for the association’s president and secretary.

Turning the dilapidated Blackwell House into a viable business and a community gathering place is good for the property, the city and the neighbors, and it should be allowed to proceed without delay.

• A benefit to the property. Blackwell house is a historic property. Without investment, the property will continue to decay. With private investment, particularly in the form of renovations and upgrades, the property will be preserved and it can become a gathering place for our community and the neighborhood. Best of all, it will both reduce costs for the city and enhance tax revenues.
• A benefit for the city.  We need more private investment and entrepreneurship in the city. Both have the potential to improve tax revenue, thereby allowing City Council to fund other programs – for instance, additional funds for Parks & Recreation. If this sale goes through, the city will make a small amount through property taxes. However, it has the potential to make a much larger amount in tax revenues as the business gets up and running. That is exactly the type of investment that will bolster economic development in our city. Likewise, by allowing private investment, the city transfers the risk in fixing up a property in need of significant repairs and upgrades.
• A benefit for the neighbors. The proposed coffee shop in Fishburn Park would provide valuable community and family-friendly space in our neighborhood, encouraging even more enjoyment of the existing park and trails. The vanBlaricoms’ proposal would add yet another amenity to our neighborhood without the city having to invest.  While a neighborhood community center, as proposed by the neighborhood association leadership, is a reasonable idea, one already exists a few blocks away on Barham Road.

This is an ideal solution to achieve preservation of a historic building and, in the process, build community in Southwest Roanoke. No longer will our tax dollars be used to prop up a decaying structure and care for the grounds. Instead, neighborhood investors will save a historic property, build a viable business, welcome the community and increase tax revenue for the city. This is a win-win-win for the historic building, the city and the neighbors.

Let us be clear: We support the sale of the cabin to the vanBlaricoms, and we can’t wait to grab our coffee and breakfast there. We hope you’ll join us!

Sincerely,

The Neighbors of Grandin Court