Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kevin Crawford granted variances to add a 200 sq ft efficiency and convert Richmond duplex into three units
Summary
At a June 10 Richmond City Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, the board unanimously approved two variances allowing the conversion of a longtime duplex at 301 NW 18th into three units (1,100; 800; 200 sq ft), including a 200 sq ft efficiency, despite staffrecommendation to deny the minimum-unit-size variance.
At its June 10 meeting the Richmond City Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved two variances that allow owner Kevin Crawford to convert a duplex at 301 Northwest 18th Street into three dwelling units, including a 200-square-foot efficiency unit.
The board first approved BZA12-2026, a petition from Crawford(CrawfordHome Improvement) to permit the conversion of an existing two-unit building into a three-unit building by creating a 200 sq ft efficiency within the existing footprint. Later the board approved BZA13-2026, a variance from the Unified Development Ordinance(UDO) minimum dwelling-unit size (1,000 sq ft) to allow proposed units of roughly 1,100, 800 and 200 sq ft.
Staff told the board that 27 adjacent property owners were notified and no responses were received; planning staff also said the UDO does not explicitly define "efficiency" units and that, while city departments raised no public-safety objections, staff recommended denying the minimum-dwelling-size variance under UDO article 2.12. Staff noted, however, that each proposed unit meets Richmond City Code 151.14 minimum space requirements for sleeping areas and dwelling units.
Crawford, who identified himself as the petitioner and owner, described the rear area as partially isolated by an upstairs staircase, a basement stairwell and a chimney and said he wants to use that space as a small efficiency. "I purchased a 301 Northwest 18th a while back as a duplex unit... the back room on the first floor is kind of secluded from the rest of the first floor," he said, arguing the layout creates use challenges that make the efficiency a practical option.
Board members questioned whether the staircase and interior configuration constituted a legally cognizable "practical difficulty" under state guidelines and the UDO. Staff said tech review did not definitively identify a hardship but acknowledged the layout can make the rear space awkward to access. The board members ultimately found the petition met the criteria stated in their findings of fact and approved both petitions based on those findings and the staff reports.
Both roll-call votes were unanimous: Rob Tidro, Sher Oler Hemingway and Jeff Cook each voted in favor. The staff record notes the approvals are contingent on compliance with Richmond City Code 151.14 (minimum space, use and location requirements) and on the written commitments attached to the petitions. The staff file also records that no adjacent property owner responses were received and that city departments raised no objections regarding health or safety.
What happens next: The approvals permit Crawford to proceed with permitting and building-permit applications, subject to building, electrical, fire and life-safety code inspections and any conditions spelled out in the written commitments. The board did not set additional conditions beyond requiring compliance with the cited city-code provisions and the written commitments already on file.
