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Henrico planning director: residential approvals up 6% amid large greenfield projects
Summary
Joe Emerson told the Board that fiscal 2025 saw larger greenfield rezonings driven by projects such as Arcadia and an expansion at White Oak Technology Park, and that "year to date, we have seen a 6% increase," while neighboring counties declined. Supervisors asked staff for follow-up data.
Joe Emerson, Henrico County's Director of Planning, told the Board of Supervisors at a Feb. 24 special meeting that his office has tracked higher acreage for greenfield rezonings in fiscal 2025 driven by large developments. "Year to date, we have seen a 6% increase, while there is a decrease in Hanover and Chesterfield," Emerson said, citing maps and graphs of rezonings and provisional use permits.
Emerson said major projects, including Arcadia and the expansion of the White Oak Technology Park, account for much of the increase in acreage. Supervisors pressed staff on specific counts: Supervisor Tyrone E. Nelson requested a tax-base report broken down by district; County Attorney Andrew R. Newby offered to compile that report. Supervisor Daniel J. Schmitt noted a difference between the number of hotel rooms Emerson presented and figures from Richmond Region Tourism; Emerson told the Board the region's tally includes proposed rooms not yet online.
Chair Roscoe D. Cooper III asked staff to provide information on what future development might look like for senior communities and expressed concern about homes being purchased then converted to rentals, stressing a focus on homeownership and walkable, affordable neighborhoods. Staff said they would return with the requested district tax-base data and additional analysis on senior housing trends.
