Chesterfield planning commission details ZOMOD progress; public hearing set for July 15

The Chesterfield County Planning Department and Planning Commission on a work‑session update said Draft 3 of the county’s Zoning Ordinance Modernization project, known as ZOMOD, was released in March and is being reviewed at community meetings ahead of a planning commission public hearing set for July 15.

The planning commission’s update, delivered by Director Gillies and Planning Commission Chair Frank Petrovsky, outlined the outreach and technical work behind ZOMOD and a timeline that could lead to Board of Supervisors consideration this fall and possible enactment in early 2026. Director Gillies said, “In March of this year, we released draft 3,” and described multiple public sessions since then.

Why it matters: ZOMOD is a countywide rewrite of zoning rules that staff and commissioners say is intended to reduce the number of conditional‑use requests caused by an aging ordinance, create new tools such as mixed‑use districts and updated development standards, and align zoning rules with an updated comprehensive plan. Planning leaders said the package will not eliminate case‑by‑case review where the county believes it is warranted, and that adoption will trigger a sequence of related ordinance and plan updates.

Key points from the update

- Project status and schedule: Planning staff said Draft 3 went online in March and that five community meetings have been held, with one additional meeting in Bermuda scheduled. The planning commission set a public hearing for ZOMOD on July 15; staff said, if the process proceeds on schedule, the Board of Supervisors could consider ZOMOD at a public hearing this fall and that full…