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Planning Commission recommends approval for three-unit building at 3000 Q Street amid neighborhood parking concerns
Summary
The commission approved a special-use permit for a three-story, three-unit building at 3000 Q Street, forwarding the case to City Council after public opposition cited parking, noise and privacy concerns. The applicant said projected rent would be below 80% AMI.
The Richmond City Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of ordinance 2025-035, a special-use permit to authorize a three-unit multifamily dwelling at 3000 Q Street in the Churchill North neighborhood.
Madison Wilson, city planning staff, presented the request, saying the property is a vacant 990-square-foot lot in the R-6 single-family attached zoning district. Staff recommended approval, noting the proposed multifamily use aligns with the Richmond 300 master plan designation of neighborhood mixed use and that the project would be "a multifamily dwelling containing up to 3 dwelling units" with no off-street parking required as a condition of the special use. Wilson also read conditions that include a maximum height of three stories and screening for mechanical equipment.
Alessandro, who identified himself as CEO of Baker Development Resources and the applicant's representative, described the proposal as a three-story building holding the corner at Q and N. 30th Streets, with one-bedroom, one-bath units of about 650 square feet. He said the design uses brick and siding and was "designed to provide attainable housing opportunities to individuals increasingly priced out of the single-family market." Alessandro also said the "projected rent is below 80% AMI." He told the commission the owner removed a proposed ground-floor commercial/live-work element after neighbor concerns and agreed to a six-foot privacy fence to screen trash areas.
Two nearby residents spoke in opposition during the public hearing. Maxwell Shope, the homeowner at 1105 N. 30th Street, said the block already faces parking pressure, and added concerns about increased noise and trash. Amy Ferry, a neighboring resident who described herself as permanently handicapped, said recent development had increased density and parking strain and called the proposed three-story, three-unit building on a 16-foot-wide lot "baffling." Both speakers urged that single-family or duplex development would be a better fit for the lot.
In reply, the applicant's representative noted that many properties on the block do not provide off-street parking and that the city eliminated parking minimums to encourage more efficient land use. He said informal parking capacity exists nearby along commercial nodes and that, if parking becomes an issue, options exist such as property-by-property off-street parking or street-level changes coordinated with DPW. The representative also said the proposed building would be conditioned by the special use to be less impactful than future zoning changes under the citywide rezoning.
Commissioners discussed the project's narrow lot width, the city's elimination of parking minimums, and concerns about impacts on older residents on the block. Several commissioners expressed support for adding small, “missing middle” housing in line with Richmond 300 goals. The commission voted by roll call: Mr. Poole — Aye; Miss Greenfield — Aye; Miss Joyhawk — Aye; Miss Robertson — Aye; Miss Roe — Aye; Mr. White — Aye; Mr. McKenzie — Aye. The motion passed; the recommendation for approval will be forwarded to City Council.
Notes: Staff recommended that outstanding building code violations be resolved as a condition of approval. The application was presented with elevations and floor plans showing the three 1-bedroom units at roughly 650 square feet each.
