Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Henrico Board creates new R-5B zoning and adopts related street standards to encourage smaller-lot housing
Summary
The Henrico County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 11 adopted a comprehensive plan amendment and two ordinances creating a new R-5B small-lot residential district and associated street-layout standards, part of county efforts to expand housing tools.
Henrico County supervisors voted Feb. 11 to add a new zoning category, R-5B, and approve related development and street standards intended to make smaller-lot single-family housing easier to build.
The trio of measures approved in separate votes includes a comprehensive plan amendment (resolution 55-25), an ordinance adding the R-5B General Residence District to Chapter 24 of the county code (ordinance 56-25), and an ordinance establishing new street layout standards for that district (ordinance 57-25). Board members approved each measure after a brief staff presentation and without public opposition at the hearing.
County staff described the package as an additional regulatory tool to support housing production. Planning staff also noted the items had been the subject of a recent work session and were presented to the board for formal public hearings and separate votes.
Supervisor Reverend Cooper moved approval of the resolution; Supervisor Rountree made the motion on one of the ordinances and Mr. Rogers (as recorded) moved another. Each motion was seconded and passed following the public hearing process. No members of the public spoke against the measures during the meeting's public-hearing segment.
The board and staff framed the action as adding flexibility for smaller-lot family residential development; staff told the board the package was “an effort to add an additional tool to assist in housing in the county.” The changes will now proceed through any administrative steps required for implementation under the county code.
The measures were presented as three separate items so stakeholders and the board would have discrete votes on the plan amendment, zoning text amendment and street design standards. The county manager and planning staff said the adoption follows prior work-session discussion and is intended to be another tool for housing policy.
Implementation timing and any required administrative rulemaking or specific subdivision standards tied to the new district were not detailed during the hearing; staff indicated implementation steps will follow the ordinances. The board took no additional direction beyond adopting the three items.
Forward-looking steps include staff integration of the new standards into development review processes; no timetable for implementation was specified at the meeting.
