Planning staff updates Oak Grove–Hillside–Bellemeade community plan; commission initiates rezoning for city parcel at 1240 Ingram Avenue

Planning staff on June 24 presented an updated Oak Grove–Hillside–Bellemeade (OGHB) community plan, saying the draft is intended to guide growth, limit displacement, and direct investments in sidewalks, drainage and neighborhood amenities. Commissioners followed the briefing by voting to initiate a rezoning of a city‑owned 47+‑acre parcel at 1240 Ingram Avenue to a transit‑oriented district to align the city parcel with nearby privately initiated rezoning requests.

Mary Ann Pitts of the Department of Planning and Development Review opened the presentation by summarizing the study area—Oak Grove, Bellemeade and parts of Blackwell—and the plan’s goals: support residential neighborhoods, manage development pressure, improve walkability and increase access to healthy food and services. Pitts said the area is near downtown and has experienced a resurgence in property values: "The median single family home assessment increased from 58,000 in 2019 to 133,000 in 2023," she said, and noted rising sale prices and a surge in assessed values that have accompanied new interest in the area.

Pitts described the plan’s themes tied to Richmond 300: high‑quality places (including property maintenance and anti‑litter measures), equitable transportation (new sidewalks, curb extensions and a braided trail along the Commerce Road fall line), a diverse economy (incentives and site readiness to attract grocers or smaller food retailers), inclusive housing (predesigned infill options, reducing displacement, home repair and long‑term owner‑occupancy supports) and environmental resilience (stormwater/drainage improvements). She said staff has developed an initial implementation matrix with potential leads, partners, estimated timeframes and cost ranges.

On housing and food access, Pitts said the plan examined why national grocery operators have not located in the area and noted that income levels and perceived crime are factors in grocers’ site selection. The plan includes strategies beyond recruiting a major grocer—community gardens, entrepreneurship and food access programs—alongside corridor rezoning to concentrate future commercial and higher‑density housing development on Richmond Highway and Commerce Road and protect the interior single‑family areas.

Commissioners asked for supplemental data before the plan returns for formal action. Commissioner Poole and others requested that staff work with the tax assessor to provide numbers on ownership changes since 2019 and to separate land‑value increases from improvements. Commissioner comments repeatedly urged an implementation track that ties plan adoption to specific funding and metrics; Pitts said she would refine the implementation matrix and return to the commission with a recommendation for an amendment to Richmond 300 in August or September.

Rezoning resolution: After the presentation, planning staff described a related, separate action: a proposed Planning Commission resolution of intent to amend the official zoning map to rezone the city parcel at 1240 Ingram Avenue from M‑1 (light industrial) to TOD‑1 (transit‑oriented nodal district). Planning staff explained the rezoning would align the city parcel with private owners’ rezoning requests along Commerce Road and make the larger set of parcels easier to plan and develop as a cohesive mixed‑use node. The commission voted to adopt the resolution of intent to initiate the rezoning process; the roll call recorded unanimous support from commissioners present. Staff noted the private owners’ ordinance (2025‑156) rezoning adjacent parcels to TOD‑1 and B‑5 will be before the commission in the coming weeks.

Why it matters: The OGHB plan and the Ingram rezoning reflect a multi‑pronged effort to channel growth to corridors, improve neighborhood infrastructure, and create sites suitable for retail and denser housing—measures staff says are intended to reduce pressure on single‑family interiors and improve access to services. Commissioners emphasized the need for measurable metrics and funding identification before formal adoption.

Next steps: Staff expects to return with a revised implementation matrix and a formal resolution recommending an amendment to Richmond 300 for Planning Commission consideration in August or September; the rezoning process for 1240 Ingram will continue through the public hearing and ordinance stages.

Provenance: Presentation and Q&A (Mary Ann Pitts) recorded in the June 24 transcript; initiation of rezoning for 1240 Ingram Avenue recorded in the same meeting’s agenda and roll call vote.