[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6527120,"mediaKeyId","3647525-41b92126306f43ad0cc73f37777b6ad1","parentId",3647525,"title","Planning staff outline new citywide site‑plan ordinance, note HB 2660 timeline changes and July 1 rollout","audioSeconds",2000,"startMs",3660000,"endMs",5660000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3647525-41b92126306f43ad0cc73f37777b6ad1&start=3660&end=5660","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3647525-41b92126306f43ad0cc73f37777b6ad1/thumbnail_3660000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6527120/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Planning-staff-outline-new-citywide-siteplan-ordinance-note-HB-2660-timeline-changes-and-July-1-rollout","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527120-92755ac0938f69980d6b23e27c0102c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770799022&Signature=hBw7pjWDKBSm7lB23jyH6U7~vU1Enra6Ifx7W4QYnFg6ccnR~b3Tuyr5x2aU1UWE3v4uEExasmVWVzySlhihWoPMBfGx-bKr5Z39QiKdkjKGAoQqxsP7sK5GULTMfxY~2SWpWvryTa2Y2cPB0NB~8bOfcHw55lUEELbL25OzOJrHYYZlTzlVqfdUvciQUMR-9SII~zzBKUW72iR63io-PoB477sXQtWvERyFBQ7oKYiCnLP7H~PQXjdQvP40023NU55zRgw0vPt47GlN8y0O7HwycosH3UjMdc2GIBdb9XwZCgmsPGLHwVLr1E5ju6s3v0VLzq6lNW5KdqfHAGGNmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richmond City","date","2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","article","City planning staff presented the citywide site‑plan ordinance and associated implementation materials to the Richmond Planning Commission and described changes that will affect when a site plan is required, how interdepartmental review will operate, and the timelines the department plans to meet.

The director of the Planning Department said the ordinance is intended to standardize when a site plan (previously called a plan of development in some districts) is required across zoning districts, to clarify what is mandatory under state and local code versus discretionary best practices, and to create a clearer interdepartmental review framework. \"The intent of the site plan ordinance when it was adopted is to establish consistency for what a site plan is required,\" the director said.

Staff laid out thresholds for when a site plan will be required, including: work on lots of a certain size (4,000 square feet in many areas; 2,500 square feet in specified areas), significant changes to public right‑of‑way or public utilities (upsizing or major alterations), documented increases in parking of 10 percent or more, installation of public‑facing infrastructure (drive‑throughs, fuel pumps, charging stations), and an increase of usable building space by 2,500 square feet or more as measured by building codes.

Staff also described recent state legislation (House Bill 2660) that shortens code review timelines: the director explained the first municipal review period drops from 60 to 40 days and the first resubmission window shortens from 45 to 30 days; when state review is required, municipal review following state completion is shortened (for example, a 35‑day municipal window is reduced to 20 days), and on a third review the director (or designee) must step in and a 14‑day decision timeline applies. Staff said the city will follow state law and prepare a follow‑up amendment to the local ordinance to codify the new statutory deadlines.

Deputy Director Leo Manty and other staff walked commissioners through operational changes: encouraging pre‑application conferences, consolidating interdepartmental comments before issuing review letters to applicants, separating mandatory code deficiencies from discretionary recommendations in comment letters, and publishing a shorter, user‑friendly four‑page checklist for applicants with an optional longer reference checklist for first‑time applicants.

Commissioners and attendees asked about implementation capacity, department coordination and how discretionary requests from non‑planning departments will be handled. Director and staff said they will continue to refine internal review procedures, use pre‑application meetings to catch major issues early, and publish the checklist and guidance materials online before the July 1 effective date. Staff also offered to return with a brief update at the next commission meeting and to circulate the final four‑page checklist to commissioners prior to that meeting.

Public comment: Mark Baker, a frequent applicant and development practitioner, praised staff’s work and urged administration to model implementation capacity and clarify how thresholds will be applied in practice; he also raised questions about the volume of projects that will be captured by the new thresholds. Staff said they will provide additional outreach and training materials for applicants and reviewers.

Why it matters: The site‑plan ordinance replaces the variable plan‑of‑development thresholds and aims to create consistent citywide standards for when a site plan is required, which affects the permitting path and timelines for many private development projects. The change, combined with state timeline adjustments under HB 2660, shortens review windows in ways that will affect developers, reviewers and project schedules.

What happens next: The ordinance goes into effect July 1; staff will publish the four‑page checklist and supporting materials on the department website and circulate the final checklist to commissioners and frequent applicants. The department will return with implementation updates and will amend the local ordinance to reflect HB 2660 statutory timelines.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richmond City - Planning Commission on 2025-06-03 6:00 PM - To access the meeting via Microsoft Teams: https://go.rva.gov/CPC2025 - Jun 03, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Planning Department staff briefed the commission on the citywide site‑plan ordinance, new thresholds for when a site plan is required, and operational changes to speed reviews; staff also flagged state law changes (HB 2660) that shorten review timelines and require follow‑up amendments to local code.","taxTitle","Richmond City (Independent City), Virginia","taxId",5755,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6527126,"Planning Commission approves two‑family detached dwelling at 3102 P Street after neighbor opposition",1033,2671000,3704000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3647525-41b92126306f43ad0cc73f37777b6ad1&start=2671&end=3704","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3647525-41b92126306f43ad0cc73f37777b6ad1/thumbnail_2671000.jpg","/articles/6527126/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Planning-Commission-approves-twofamily-detached-dwelling-at-3102-P-Street-after-neighbor-opposition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527126-8a086f80ef4a4a7c7de64c1ba5ca86d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770799022&Signature=J-ZTTHfZMDxXP7EZ0Z5kojN0h~seWEEMX5ge-m~UfiQ86VBJu~GAcUPtjdBW91isaFvk0iYRISzLwdqmjnHfHp1QgqxWzsYhHvdZ2Gf5pbyX~M2qHVAJFOr7V9xBfRmzi0Jrm3TML62WUzXMaG1eRL4YHJmN8Tno0dMwfkZZrCgNzpvcLNQwnM5FqZVPntEHzp6UFmtYASCc24PGbUL-70U41rg0gRsQaLUFt94jwohgQQkwsNT9MSGCJ~oTTpNWuaSO5Q~stoZga-g9ekMXBI1IKtbyM2vyEvjV5V~oZiT3R68vdj05CQEl~cSYQlNI-pcGFVwOPM~kcz0yVqj8tA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richmond Planning Commission voted to approve a special‑use permit authorizing a two‑family detached dwelling at 3102 P Street and will forward the recommendation for approval to City Council.

Madison Wilson, planning staff, presented the application and said staff recommended approval, noting the site's Richmond 300 designation of neighborhood mixed use and that duplexes are listed as an appropriate primary use in that designation. \"Staff finds that the construction of two family detached dwellings [is] appropriate for the future land use designation of neighborhood mixed use,\" Wilson said.

Applicant representative Alessandro Regazzi said the proposed two‑family detached dwelling would be consistent with the block’s varied housing types and described design features including a covered front porch and quality materials. \"The dwelling's massing and architectural style ... is designed to be compatible with the nearby dwellings,\" Regazzi said.

One resident, Jennifer Ward, spoke in opposition and said she had submitted a letter. Ward expressed concerns about lot size, parking and neighborhood character, saying the block is predominantly single‑family and that adding a duplex on a parcel that does not meet the R6 lot area requirement felt like \"a rental money grab\" and did not respect the existing community.

The commission voted on the special‑use permit by roll call; the motion passed and the item will be forwarded to City Council with a recommendation for approval.

Why it matters: The approval permits a duplex on a parcel that does not meet by‑right lot area and width standards in the R6 district by using the special‑use process to set conditions (materials, height cap at two stories, landscaping and screening) to address neighborhood compatibility.

What happens next: Staff will forward the commission’s recommendation and the record to City Council for final action.","The commission approved a special‑use permit for a two‑family detached dwelling at 3102 P Street. Staff recommended approval; the applicant and one nearby resident spoke at the public hearing, and the commission voted to forward the recommendation to City Council.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6527131,"Commission approves special‑use permit for four two‑family dwellings at 1000 N. 20th; subdivision exception granted as companion",1263,1434000,2697000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3647525-41b92126306f43ad0cc73f37777b6ad1&start=1434&end=2697","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3647525-41b92126306f43ad0cc73f37777b6ad1/thumbnail_1434000.jpg","/articles/6527131/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Commission-approves-specialuse-permit-for-four-twofamily-dwellings-at-1000-N-20th-subdivision-exception-granted-as-companion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527131-45eb27d2401062fe6a84647ad889ef15/orig.mp4?Expires=1770799022&Signature=gJNvxUlE~1FB4n6iVQ1FDu82BiNwVNySEEExrVmaS3xOKC2BAjUR1z5Jp4ieKnXM0b9Q0aR0R0R0LF25LjQ9Vcus78FdA1o7yYkBJkDFRLRCfoIY433tKqZqGnllWmwtceDIvBDWXSPdsONF4CgbzxenHxY2l65myx1zbIAVWKDOkjXrUt3kx88Q7pMI22r46CBpx-4JR8kWEHMtW51NZNcpGYnTCDw6jjliyijF-PBHHL7QJq2O~r17aIyKxzPl2qpwWWUeJE-pzFZ3SAXz86Ly9IAHTgrGOahGYCmwzn3F1x~A2O9CSWB-6frqwxaWTTcWk2UUoEHJXsRg9Ssd~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richmond Planning Commission voted to approve a special‑use permit allowing up to four two‑family detached dwellings at 1000 North 20th Street and also approved a companion subdivision exception that would alter the usual lot‑depth requirement.

Madison Wilson, a planning staff member, presented the proposal and said staff recommended approval. \"Staff recommends approval,\" Wilson told the commission, citing the Richmond 300 master plan's designation of the site as neighborhood mixed use and noting two‑family dwellings are listed as an appropriate primary use in that designation.

Mark Baker, representing the applicant, told commissioners the project is consistent with Richmond 300 and said the proposal is intended to be compatible with the existing neighborhood while helping meet housing goals. He described the design as paired two‑family dwellings with front porches and two off‑street parking spaces per unit shown on the plan and emphasized the project would be lower in height and massing than what the underlying R63 zoning could allow by right.

The commission discussed neighborhood context and prior nearby development patterns before taking a roll‑call vote. The special‑use permit passed on a roll call with the commission voting in the affirmative and will be forwarded to City Council with a recommendation for approval. The companion subdivision exception, moved and seconded as a related action, also passed on a roll call and will be forwarded as the companion paper.

Why it matters: The approvals allow a cluster of two‑family dwellings on a corner lot that does not meet some dimensional standards for by‑right development, relying instead on special‑use safeguards to require materials, heights, parking and landscaping shown on the submitted plans.

What happens next: Both actions will be forwarded to City Council for final consideration; the special‑use ordinance and the subdivision exception will be reviewed at the council level according to typical noticing and council procedures.","The Planning Commission approved a special‑use permit to allow up to four two‑family detached dwellings at 1000 North 20th Street and separately approved a subdivision exception tied to the project; both approvals will be forwarded to City Council with recommendations.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6527136,"Planning Commission refers 5009 Rear Snead Road 180‑unit special‑use proposal back to council without recommendation; continued to July 15",376,1038000,1414000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3647525-41b92126306f43ad0cc73f37777b6ad1&start=1038&end=1414","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3647525-41b92126306f43ad0cc73f37777b6ad1/thumbnail_1038000.jpg","/articles/6527136/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Planning-Commission-refers-5009-Rear-Snead-Road-180unit-specialuse-proposal-back-to-council-without-recommendation-continued-to-July-15","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527136-b0195ecec3328ff7b6839531178a9302/orig.mp4?Expires=1770799022&Signature=FdCNYUtTP106l~qjFtD-jeRGL2t5R0NIOcv3tlzLiTXCdMligz0ZY6OFslymQzi0PK8EHNMzRxqT5BLpkm8mXesNFpzBLmt84F3Db7xHy1poiNX481CODpjpnNhXdauXaWewcFRKYey2OI-ngUFGTMhF9KsCe8LPZJWsYnpgnPzdU-ooNWjBaELvUNp5LAsn~Bo689fRQYpxtU39RigXbJSW4IAI6J8HdYLQIdLwOogeIm6VmqcrTwvITkNAejwKTq6I5nvhlOuWgiWVzs7pHq9QAlzLNb1APplsYK7TX~Rmz234EjhQutn4rvkNH7kqq0fiy11uXJAYhUbO2dyVxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richmond Planning Commission on an in‑person meeting voted to refer the special‑use ordinance for 5009 Rear Snead Road back to City Council without a recommendation and continued the item to the commission's July 15 meeting.

Preston Lloyd, an attorney for the applicant, told the commission the applicant and city staff had negotiated a change in how right‑of‑way and pedestrian improvements along Snead Road would be handled. \"The applicant is now going to contribute, an amount in cash, that would be equivalent to what the cost of constructing those improvements would be so that the city would have those funds, available when the city also brings money to the table to construct those improvements,\" Lloyd said, asking the commission to send the ordinance to council so counsel could amend it and then return it to the commission for consideration in July.

The commission voted to continue the item and refer it without a recommendation so city council can consider amendments. The motion passed on a roll call with all members voting in the affirmative.

Why it matters: The referral pauses action on a large multifamily proposal that would add up to 180 units and a clubhouse on Snead Road and defers to City Council the task of finalizing an ordinance that clarifies whether the applicant will build improvements or provide a cash contribution for future city construction.

What the commission discussed and decided: Lloyd explained the proposed change is intended to let the city hold funds equivalent to the cost of constructing pedestrian or right‑of‑way improvements while the city secures its own funding. Commission members and staff discussed the procedural mechanics required if counsel modifies the ordinance and how the change affects noticing and scheduling. The commission and applicant agreed the amended ordinance would need to be re‑noticed before the planning commission could act again; commissioners set July 15 as the next hearing date for the matter.

No final land‑use approvals or construction permits were granted. The commission’s action was procedural: (1) forward the ordinance to council without a recommendation to allow counsel and Department of Public Works to finalize the language and (2) continue the item to the July 15 Planning Commission meeting to consider the amended ordinance if council refers it back.

What happens next: City Council may amend the ordinance; if council does so and refers it back to the commission, the Planning Commission will consider the amended ordinance at or after its July 15 meeting. If council does not send an amendment back, the commission will take further direction at a later date.","The Richmond Planning Commission voted to send the special‑use ordinance for the 5009 Rear Snead Road project — proposing up to 180 multifamily units and a clubhouse — back to City Council without a recommendation and continued the item to the July 15 meeting so council can consider amendments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning staff outline new citywide site‑plan ordinance, note HB 2660 timeline changes and July 1 rollout

Planning Commission approves two‑family detached dwelling at 3102 P Street after neighbor opposition

Commission approves special‑use permit for four two‑family dwellings at 1000 N. 20th; subdivision exception granted as companion

Planning Commission refers 5009 Rear Snead Road 180‑unit special‑use proposal back to council without recommendation; continued to July 15