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After months of hearings, council declines Lavender Hill outdoor-events permit amid neighborhood noise, safety concerns
Summary
The City Council declined to authorize a special‑use permit for Lavender Hill at 1705 Commonwealth Avenue after residents and the planning commission cited noise, parking and proximity to homes; council discussed but did not accept a narrower compromise that the applicant said she would support.
The Richmond City Council voted not to authorize a special‑use permit (SUP) that would have allowed extensive outdoor events at Lavender Hill, a private event and community space at 1705 Commonwealth Avenue. The item followed 20 months of review and a Planning Commission recommendation to deny the application by an 8–1 vote.
What was proposed: Planning staff described the SUP as written: up to 52 outdoor event days per year, maximum five per month, event hours 9 a.m.–10 p.m., a maximum of 120 attendees for outdoor events, and a staffing ratio of at least one staff member per 50 attendees; amplified music would end before 9 p.m. The planning commission recommended denial after considering neighborhood impacts.
Neighbors objected to scale, noise and enforcement: Residents who live within yards of Lavender Hill…
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