Richmond City Council hears update on citywide zoning code refresh; open houses planned

At an informal meeting, the Richmond City Council received an update from Mary Anne Pitts, deputy director of the Planning Department, on the city's code refresh project, a multi-module rewrite of Richmond's zoning ordinance that staff says is moving from background work into drafting a new ordinance and a draft zoning map.

The code refresh matters because the rewrite will replace the city's current zoning text and maps and could change allowable uses, building form and heights, and administrative procedures across Richmond neighborhoods. Pitts told the council the project began in February 2024 and that the team has completed background work, including a pattern book that compares existing conditions to the current ordinance.

Pitts said staff is now drafting the ordinance and a draft map in three modules: districts, uses and a…