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Council approves special-use permit for four homes on Tuxedo Boulevard despite neighbor objections
Summary
The council approved ordinance 2025-231 to allow four detached single-family homes at 3219 Tuxedo Boulevard after the applicant reduced the proposal from five to four units. Neighbors raised parking, lack of existing alley access and displacement concerns; the planning commission had recommended denial of the earlier five-unit plan.
The Richmond City Council voted to approve a special-use permit allowing up to four single-family detached homes at 3219 Tuxedo Boulevard (ordinance 2025-231) after the applicant amended an earlier proposal for five units.
Kevin Javaughn, director of planning development review, summarized staff's position and the application history, saying the initial proposal had been for five detached homes, the planning commission recommended denial of that plan, and the applicant later amended the request to four units. "Staff recommended approval," Javaughn said.
Neighbors who spoke during the public hearing urged the council to deny the permit. Michael Berlodas, who lives at 3213 Tuxedo Boulevard, said the narrow loop street has limited curb space and no functional alley and argued the project would add roughly 16 bedrooms and could produce several additional vehicles per unit, exacerbating parking and access problems. He also said the applicant's plans referenced a future alley that would require neighboring properties to redevelop and therefore is not a reliable mitigation.
Laura Stevens, a Sherwood Park resident, raised procedural concerns: she said surveys and plats submitted with the application referenced an alley that does not exist, omitted required side-yard setbacks and would allow front-yard parking. She also disputed the applicant's characterization of the homes as "affordable," noting that the stated price point (around $400,000) would require an income level well above the neighborhood median.
Councilmembers noted the planning commission had denied the original five-unit plan and that the amended four-unit plan had not returned to the commission after the change. After discussion, the council voted to adopt ordinance 2025-231. The clerk recorded individual roll-call votes, with two members recorded as abstaining.
Why it matters: Neighbors argued the project risks removing an existing naturally occurring affordable home and replacing it with higher-priced units, and flagged traffic, parking and procedural inconsistencies in the application materials. Council members who supported the amendment emphasized the developer's willingness to reduce density from five to four units.
Next steps: Ordinance 2025-231 was adopted at this meeting; administrative steps for final permitting and any required inspections will follow according to planning and building processes.
