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Committee approves conceptual design for Richmond Police equestrian center with community outreach, canopy protections
Summary
The committee conceptually approved a plan to relocate the Richmond Police mounted unit to a new equestrian center at 3910 Crestview Road, adding conditions on community outreach, tree-canopy retention, building orientation to the street, and renderings showing public engagement.
The Urban Design Committee on Sept. 11 recommended approval of a conceptual site and building design to construct a new Richmond Police equestrian center at 3910 Crestview Road, subject to a set of staff and committee conditions.
Applicant representatives said the project would relocate the police mounted unit from a flood-prone facility in Henrico County into the city, on a roughly 7-acre, city-owned parcel in the East End. The proposed facility includes an office building, a barn with an indoor arena and eight stalls, pastures (with approximately 120,000 square feet cleared early in construction), trailer and parking facilities, and landscape buffers. Architect David Sears and Chris Nelson (site lead) said the design is conceptual and noted the project previously returned to the committee in 2018; detailed color and material selections will be presented at a later technical review.
Committee members raised multiple concerns and required additional work before final approval: the project must recanvas and engage immediately adjacent neighborhoods, consider reorienting or rearranging buildings and pastures to reduce tree-canopy loss, provide detailed renderings showing how the office building addresses the street (larger windows, pedestrian access), present fencing details that avoid visible chain link from the public right-of-way, and provide stormwater and manure-management details for wash and maintenance areas. Parks/Police representatives said some construction funding will come from private fundraising (Friends of the Mounted Unit) and that the project will phase certain security features such as automated gates.
Deputy Chief Sydney Carter of the Richmond Police Department said the city and an affiliated nonprofit have led site testing and fundraising and stressed the department’s interest in keeping the unit in-city where feasible. She told the committee the mounted unit currently keeps horses in the county because the city barn flooded and that the proposed site has been evaluated for soil and siting concerns.
Committee members voted to approve the conceptual plan with the following added conditions: undertake neighborhood outreach and return with community feedback; explore building locations that reduce canopy impacts and preserve more trees; provide final drawings and renderings that show how the facility engages the public right-of-way; supply details on stormwater, fencing, lighting (dark-sky sensitive), composting or manure-handling procedures, and ADA access between parking, barn, and offices. The motion (as amended) was carried by unanimous vote.
