Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Committee Meeting – April 21, 2026
Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Committee Meeting – April 21, 2026
The Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Standing Committee met on April 21, 2026, at approximately 1:45 PM (EDT) to consider several ordinances, resolutions, and appointments, and to receive presentations from GRTC and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The meeting lasted about two hours.
Consent Calendar
- The minutes of the March 17, 2026 meeting were approved without amendment or correction.
Boards and Commissions Appointments
- Commission of Architectural Review (CARR): The committee voted unanimously to forward the appointment of Daniel Payne to City Council for approval.
- Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA): A motion to continue consideration of two vacancies (applications from Kyle Elliott, Andy Jackson, Chelsea Higg-Wise, Kevin Marchman, Brittany Watson, and Sally Wiley) to the July meeting was approved unanimously. Vice Chair Robertson noted ongoing important conversations with the housing authority as justification for the delay.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 2 (Bicycle Lane Parking Clarification): John Barkley, a North Side resident and teacher, spoke in support, describing how parked cars in bike lane buffers force cyclists into traffic and create safety risks for his daughter and himself during daily bike commutes. Louise Acker Corden, Chair of the Safe and Healthy Streets Commission, also spoke in support, explaining that the buffer zone prevents “dooring” and supports road diets that calm traffic.
- Items 5 & 6 (Street Naming): Michael Gorey spoke in support of naming the 2300 block of Rosewood Avenue after James “Jimmy Lee” Bracie, founder of the West End Striders, citing Bracie’s mentorship and community impact. Al Hutchinson, a former West End Strider, also spoke in support, crediting Bracie with changing his life and launching his career. No opposition was expressed.
Discussion Items
- Item 1 – Resolution 2026 R003 (Comprehensive Energy Efficiency Program): Laura Thomas, Director of Sustainability, expressed administration support for the amended version. The committee forwarded the amended resolution to council with a recommendation to approve (3-0).
- Item 2 – Ordinance 2026 088 (Bicycle Lane Parking Prohibition): Councilmember Jordan, patron, explained that the ordinance clarifies that buffer areas within bicycle lanes are included in parking prohibitions, aligning city code with federal/state guidelines. Daniel Wagner (Department of Transportation) confirmed the city would conduct enforcement training and prioritize areas like Franklin Street bike lanes and new Southside facilities. Vice Chair Robertson requested updates on implementation and also raised concerns about school zones without pull‑offs adjacent to bike lanes. The committee voted unanimously to approve and added Councilmembers Jones, Robertson, and Breton as co‑patrons.
- Item 3 – Ordinance 2026 084 (Diamond District Transportation Infrastructure Project): Dirona Moore Clark (Deputy Director, Public Works) reported that the city received $10.37 million from the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) for Phase 1A improvements, including new neighborhood streets, transit access, and signalized intersections. The project is expected to be completed by May 2027. The committee voted unanimously to forward to council.
- Item 4 – Ordinance 2026 085 (Free Rides to Work Program): Daniel Wagner presented a $275,000 Virginia Transit Association grant to continue the free rides to work program, which provides vanpool services for TANF‑eligible families, including expanded access to childcare. The program serves about 60 regular riders and has a waitlist. Palms and Pines operates the service. The committee voted unanimously to approve.
- Items 5 & 6 – Street Naming Ordinances (Bill Martin and James Bracie): Councilmember Lynch spoke in support of the Bracie designation, highlighting his decades of youth mentorship. The committee voted unanimously to forward both ordinances to council with recommendation to approve, and Councilmembers Jones, Robertson, and Breton added themselves as co‑patrons.
Presentations
- GRTC (FY27 Budget and North‑South BRT Update): Adrian Torres, Laura Toothman, and Joe Diller presented. The FY27 baseline operating budget is approximately $96 million, assuming 3% inflation and no service expansion. The North‑South BRT project spans 12 miles from the Henrico County line to Chesterfield County line with 30 planned stations; conceptual design includes dedicated lanes on Chamberlayne Avenue, peak‑hour lanes on Lee Street, and center‑running lanes on Midlothian Turnpike. The project is in early environmental design (NEPA) with construction anticipated in 2028–2032; total cost is estimated at under $400 million. GRTC expects to maintain fare‑free service through advertising revenue and regional partnerships. The committee thanked GRTC for the update.
- Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA): CEO Nesmith, along with other staff, presented an overview of RRHA’s operations, redevelopment progress, and alignment with the Mayor’s Action Plan (MAP). Key statistics: RRHA serves over 10,000 families (6,000 public housing residents and 4,000 Housing Choice Voucher participants); 80% of funding comes from HUD; the voucher program has a 97% utilization rate (3,967 of 4,060 baseline vouchers). Over the last three years, RRHA has supported 1,199 affordable housing units, 951 of which are on the Southside. Creighton Court Phase A (68 units) was completed in September 2025, Phase B (72 units) is leasing up. Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPVs) are used to prevent displacement; about 50–60% of relocated households at Creighton took TPVs. The committee requested follow‑up data on TPV success rates and discussed the upcoming “people plan” for case management.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Minutes approved.
- Boards & Commissions: Daniel Payne forwarded to council; RRHA vacancies continued to July 2026.
- Item 1 (Resolution 2026 R003): Forwarded to council with amendment, approved (3‑0).
- Item 2 (Ordinance 2026 088): Forwarded to council, approved (3‑0); co‑patrons added.
- Item 3 (Ordinance 2026 084): Forwarded to council, approved (3‑0).
- Item 4 (Ordinance 2026 085): Forwarded to council, approved (3‑0).
- Items 5 & 6 (Street Naming): Both forwarded to council, approved (3‑0); co‑patrons added.
- Follow‑up Items: Staff will track rollout of buffered bike lane enforcement, provide a plan for school zone pull‑offs, and report TPV success rates for Creighton Court Phases 2 and 3.
- Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 19, 2026, with presentations from the Department of Public Works on traffic calming and beautification.
Meeting Transcript
Madam Clerk, we'll call this meeting order. Please proceed with the chamber emergency evacuation announcement. Upon activation of the emergency and law signal, all persons should immediately exit the building. Please use the exits to the life left. Do not use elevators or escalators. Uh let's do approval of the minutes and then we'll do boards and vacancies. Okay. The minutes to be approved from the March 17th, 2026 land use housing and transportation standing committee meeting. If there are no amendments or corrections in those meeting minutes, stand approved as presented. Those minutes have been approved. Good afternoon, Chair Jones, Vice Chair Robertson, Mr. Breton, Pamela Nichols, Council Management Analyst. The report before you actually consist of two vacancies, which were previously considered by this committee, and then prior to council's appointment of those individuals, a request were made to send the recommendations back to this committee. So starting with the commission of architecture review, for the one vacancy, we receive an additional application from Daniel Payne, and we have received support from city staff for Daniel Payne to be considered for appointment. And then moving down to the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Since the last time this committee considered, which that for Kyle Elliott, he submitted a reappointment application. And then the reappointment application for Andy Jackson was referred back to this committee from by city council. And then in addition to that, we received an application from Chelsea Higg-Wise, Kevin Marchman, and he contacted our office and wanted to note that on his application, he put in error that he was not a city resident. However, he is a resident of the city and he resides in the 6th district, but his application shows that he is not. He said he was not. It was just he was confused on the application. And then we have an application from Brittany Watson and Sally Wiley. So there are two vacancies to be considered. And that's the one for architecture review and the enrichment redevelopment, correct? Um, so the first vacancy um for our um for carr, the recommendations for Daniel Payne, and then for Richmond V development and housing authority. There are two vacancies that you all are considering today. All right. So what are we? Do you want us to zoom individually or you want us to do it as a block would be fine? Okay if you're all comfortable. Um chair. We um uh I'd like to recommend uh not most ideal, but I think there's severe increased conversation that are being had with the housing authority at the present time, and we would like I would request that we continue delay and continue the appointment for the Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority. I support the uh recommendation for the commission of architecture review. A second and would you like to continue that to July or next month? July would be fine. That's fine. Wonderful, thank you. Thank you so much. Accept the app. Is that it? Okay. The committee is voting on the motion to forward the board recommendation of the commission of architecture review and to continue the board recommendations for the board of the commissioners for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority as stated to council. Mr. Breton, aye. Vice Chair Robertson. Aye, Chair Jones. Aye. That motion has been approved. Thank you all. Thank you.
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