Planning subcommittee approves sending revised Richmond 300/CHSP guidance back to Planning Commission after public comment on design overlays

A Richmond Planning Subcommittee voted to return a revised draft of cultural heritage recommendations (linked to the Richmond 300 zoning effort) to the full Planning Commission after public comment and committee edits focusing on design overlays, demolition review, archaeological assessment funding and how the draft should inform — not "leverage" — federal Section 106 reviews.

The change moves a redlined draft back to Planning Commission with committee-requested edits so council can consider ordinance language later. Committee members and members of the public urged clearer limits on overlay authority, requirements that the city fund archaeological surveys, and addition of fiscal-impact language for any proposed design overlays.

Members of the public told the panel there is neighborhood interest in design overlays despite a city report that found little community support. "There is no community support for design overlays, or there's no community interested in design overlays. That's completely false," said Momen Khan, a resident of Oregon Hill, during the meeting's public-comment period.…