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Roanoke Station Garage owner pleads no contest

Roanoke is one step closer to a resolution of issues plaguing an out-of-service parking garage near the Amtrak platform.

The owner, C.W. Francis and Son Inc., pleaded no contest July 3 to a misdemeanor charge and admitted there’s ample evidence of wrongdoing.

Authorities agreed to give the company five months to repair the Roanoke Station Garage or sell it. If either occurs, prosecutors will drop the case without penalties, according to a plea agreement. 

If neither occurs, prosecutors will seek “a substantial fine,” according to Andrew Stephens, an assistant commonwealth’s attorney.

Will Trinkle, the owner of C.W. Francis, signed the agreement, which states “defendant agrees to work diligently to resolve the building code violations.” Trinkle did not attend the court hearing. An attorney issued the plea on the company’s behalf and said the objective is to get the garage “up and running” again.

But rather than pronouncing the sentence at last week’s hearing, Roanoke General District Court Judge Jacqueline Talevi halted the case until Dec. 4. It was the third continuance for C.W. Francis and Son. The last time the case was in court, Trinkle’s lawyer divulged plans to sell the structure, he hoped before this month’s hearing, he said.

The matter began in 2019 when city building inspectors cited the company over the facility’s broken elevator. More citations followed as concerns grew to include deterioration of concrete, electrical system hazards, chipping paint and trash. Inspectors declared it unsafe for public use in spring 2024. 

About 300 parking places sit unused at the property, which is next door to the Amtrak platform. 

Volosin and Quigley to appeal Airbnb denial

City Councilman Peter Volosin said this week that he and his husband decided to appeal a recent Board of Zoning Appeals decision to deny them a permit to host an Airbnb at their Richelieu Avenue home in South Roanoke.

It was the second time since 2023 that the board denied the request of Volosin and Malcolm Quigley. 

Volosin said he and Quigley are searching for a lawyer to sue the BZA in Roanoke City Circuit Court but have encountered challenges getting one to take the case.

The latest Quigley/Volosin denial came last month on a 3-2 BZA vote for project approval. The request failed because it needed four votes from the seven-member board, but one member was absent and one seat is vacant.

The three members who voted for the most recent Quigley/Volosin request said it met required criteria. The two no votes cited neighborhood opposition. Critics warned the use of the home for overnight rentals would reduce property values, potentially increase crime, take up street parking places and create a business akin to a hotel in a residential neighborhood. 

Since it began tracking homestay rentals in 2014, the city has approved 44 requests and denied 10, officials said Monday.  Six requests were withdrawn.

As Volosin and Quigley applied for permission to operate the AirBnB they would like to open, there is evidence that some units operate without city permission.

During a joint meeting between members of the BZA and City Council this week, Volosin asked how many property owners without permits host Airbnb and other homestay rentals in the city.

Zoning Administrator Phillip Moore said “we’re constantly doing that research” and that the city recently received an Excel file of alleged unpermitted homestays “that needs to be vetted still.”

“Enforcement on these is a difficult process,” he said. “The platforms are notorious for things like hiding addresses and coaching their hotels on ways to skirt around regulation.”

Steve Ambruzs, a consultant who has done research on the matter, told The Roanoke Rambler last month that there are more than 100 illegal short-term rentals in the city. 

It is Ambruzs' research that the city is currently assessing, he said.

During Monday’s meeting, Mayor Joe Cobb said the data on homestays and other short-term rentals without permits will likely show some are located in the neighborhoods that are resistant to them.

“So, for me, that’s a point of equity when somebody goes through the legal process and seems to meet all the criteria, and then it’s denied maybe solely on public comment,” he said, adding that he believes it’s important to educate the community on the role of BZA.

Construction to start on Vinton's first big hotel

A developer will begin work in a week or two on Vinton's first major hotel, according to a city official.

Crews will erect the four-story, 94-room Extended Stay America Premier Suites at Pollard Street and Virginia Avenue at a cost of more than $12 million, Town Manager Richard “Pete” Peters said. 

A town with one small efficiency inn, Vinton has long wanted a tourist hotel. It sought proposals for a vacant lot in walking distance from downtown that the city bought, studied and readied for development. After one development agreement did not go forward, Vinton struck a final deal with a Colonial Heights cardiologist, Mitesh Amin, who also builds hotels. He is the individual behind the upcoming project.

“It’s been about a 10-year project for the town of Vinton,” Peters said. “We’re very excited.”

Vinton sold the land to Amin’s company, Kara Hospitality, at a steep discount, Peters said. The future hotel site will incorporate the location of the former Vinton Dry Cleaners, which will be demolished, he said. It is expected to open in summer 2026.

Extended Stay America, based in Charlotte, describes the room type coming to Vinton as “spacious” with a kitchen, storage space, large television and quality bedding. Free breakfast is included in the price of a stay.