Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Committee Meeting - May 19, 2026
Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Standing Committee Meeting - May 19, 2026
The committee met to consider two legislative items and receive presentations on traffic calming and urban forestry/sidewalk maintenance. Public comment was heard on a zoning matter and on the proposed Virginia-friendly landscape ordinance. Key outcomes included continuing an ordinance for revisions and forwarding a resolution with amendments.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Thomas Courtney (nearby resident and registered agent of Floyd Grove Shepherd LLC) provided an update on the VMFA Grove Avenue storage facility. He stated that a private warehouse on a separate residential parcel raises zoning questions about institutional control. He noted that private counsel has asserted trespass restrictions against him, which highlights the public issue: if the facility is treated as commonwealth-controlled for zoning while private ownership is asserted, the city should explain the factual basis for compliance before occupancy. He requested a zoning confirmation letter that remains unresolved.
- Robin Allman (5th district resident) spoke in support of the intent of Ordinance 2026-113 but raised concerns: (1) removal of dead branches conflicts with National Wildlife Federation certification; (2) the 5-foot setback from property lines is excessive and would require her to remove many native plants; (3) the 80% native plant species requirement is a high bar for beginners; (4) the $25 NWF fee and additional signage costs create a financial barrier. She suggested a lower threshold (60–66%) and asked about a fund for low-income participants.
- Lee Burleson echoed Ms. Allman’s points and added that the NWF certification costs $90 total; the dead-branch removal requirement contradicts habitat needs. She proposed a lower height limit for hell strips (e.g., 2 feet) and suggested incentivizing commercial installations to include native plants.
Discussion Items
Ordinance 2026-113 – Virginia-Friendly Landscapes (Continued)
- Tara Warden (Office of Sustainability) explained the ordinance creates a framework to allow residents cited for tall grass/weeds over 12 inches to certify their property as a pollinator garden via the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) program. The 5-foot setback came from code enforcement and is flexible; the 80% native species threshold matches existing city policy (sustainable design standards, DPU standards). The city will maintain a registry; code enforcement will check the registry before citing.
- Daniel Klein (Sustainability Coordinator) detailed the three-step process: plan/plant, apply to NWF ($25 fee), then register with the city. He noted the ordinance aligns with Richmond 300, RVA Green 2050, and the RVA H2O plan. The 80% figure is negotiable; the 5-foot buffer is also flexible.
- Kevin Bunk (Director of Planning and Development Review) confirmed code enforcement does not issue warnings – civil penalties begin immediately. The ordinance provides an off-ramp and reduces workload. Training for code enforcement is planned.
- Committee members expressed support for the goal but requested more time to refine details. Member asked for data on citation locations by equity area. The committee voted to continue the item to June 16, 2026.
Resolution 2026-R022 – Feasibility Study for Affordable Housing Property Acquisition (Forwarded with Amendment)
- Michelle Peters (Deputy Director, Housing and Community Development) supported the goal but requested the study be incorporated into the update of the One Richmond Housing Plan (due December 16, 2026) instead of the 90-day timeline in the resolution. She argued this would produce stronger recommendations.
- The committee held a public hearing with no speakers. After discussion, the committee voted to forward the resolution to full council with a recommendation to amend the timeline to align with the housing plan update (December 16, 2026). Chair Jones and another member asked to be added as patrons.
Presentation: Traffic Calming Initiatives and Engineering
- Andy Baynum (Director of Transportation) presented an overview. Key data: fatal/serious injury crashes reduced 18% in Jan–Apr 2026 vs. 2022–2024 average (51 vs. 62); pedestrian crashes down 45% (9 vs. 16). The department uses a systems approach including speed tables, curb extensions, cameras, and education. The High Injury Network (9% of streets where 75% of crashes occur) guides prioritization, overlapping with historically disadvantaged areas. $1.2 billion in funding (90% from federal/state/regional grants) is available for projects over next 5–6 years. Quick-build projects (paint, flex posts, speed tables) are also being deployed; several are in design. The department welcomes growth but focuses on managed speeds and multimodal safety.
Presentation: Urban Forestry and Sidewalk Maintenance
- Michael Webb (Urban Forester, DPW) reported 63% tree stocking in public spaces, a 10% canopy loss since 2010 (from 42% to 32%), with 80% of losses on private land. The Richmond Tree Plan is a four-year project to conduct a hyperlocal canopy assessment and develop a community-informed plan. The city planted 1,355 trees last year; a tree bank bill under code refresh could help offset private development losses. Beautification covers 126 locations (mostly traffic-calming infrastructure).
- Torrance Robinson (Deputy Director, Operations and Maintenance) reported on sidewalk maintenance: over 800 miles of sidewalk, 200 city blocks reconstructed since 2021, 900 spot repairs, 2,400 locations shaved. Spending by district correlates with sidewalk distribution (e.g., 9th district has 2% of sidewalk and thus lower spending). New sidewalk construction depends on capital funds or development.
- Committee questions addressed equitable distribution, heat maps (staff to provide), coordination with accessibility, and workforce development partnerships (e.g., with Groundwork RVA).
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance 2026-113 (Virginia-friendly landscapes) was continued to June 16, 2026 by a unanimous vote (Bretton, Robertson, Jones in favor). Staff will provide data on tall grass citation locations by area.
- Resolution 2026-R022 (affordable housing property acquisition study) was forwarded to council with a recommendation to amend the timeline to align with the One Richmond Housing Plan update (report due December 16, 2026). The motion passed unanimously.
- Staff will follow up on: quick-build project pipeline list, Hull Street school pickup/drop-off timing conflicts, sidewalk network expansion decisions, beautification location selection criteria, and heat maps for Councilmember Robertson.
- Next committee meeting scheduled for June 16, 2026, with presentations on housing/business permitting timelines and surplus land/affordable housing.
Meeting Transcript
... Oh my god. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Okay. Okay. Good afternoon, Madam Clerk. We'll call this meeting to order. Can you proceed with the chamber emergency uh announcement? Upon activation of the emergency alarm signal, all persons should immediately exit the building. Please use exits to the left or front or right front of the council chamber or the east or west stairwell outside of the rear doors of the chamber. Do not use escalate elevators or escalators. At the exit of the building, security would direct everyone down ninth street to the assembly area located inside the former public safety building parking lot. Able persons should assist visually inheriting a paired visitors with exiting the building. Persons wishing to speak during the public comment period and or public hearings are generally allowed three minutes to speak. Persons appearing before the committee are now allowed to campaign for public office, promote prize b promote private business ventures, use language or a personal nature, would dissaults or demeans any person, including comments directed at public officials or staff members that not related their official duties or just a question staff members directly. All questions to be directed to the committee chair. Thank you. Is there anyone here that would like to provide comment to the committee? Please approach the podium and state your A for the record. Good afternoon. My name is Thomas Courtney, and I am a nearby resident and registered agent of Floyd Grove Shepherd LLC. I'm here to provide a brief update regarding the VMFA Grove Avenue storage facility. MFA or the Commonwealth rather than a private warehouse on a separate residential partial. This is not something that I created after the fact. In October 2022, Mr. Davidson stated that a use of a separate lot for the museum, if owned by the foundation, was not permitted as a principal use. The later pathway depended on commonwealth lease or control, yet no final appealable written zoning determination has been issued resolving that question. If the institutional control premise cannot be confirmed before occupancy, then the city may need to identify a corrective land use path rather than treating the issue as resolved by construction alone. One possible path would be requiring the private applicant to seek a special use permit approval so the use, operational control, neighborhood impacts, and conditions of occupancy can be reviewed publicly instead of being inferred from an incomplete or contingent records. The concern is now more concrete because private counsel has recently asserted private trespass restrictions against me. I raised that carefully, not to litigate a private property dispute here, but because it highlights the public facing issue. If the facility is treated as institutional or commonwealth controlled for zoning purposes, 30 seconds. While private ownership and private restrictions are asserted, then the city should clearly explain the factual basis for zoning compliance before occupancy is finalized. I have requested a zoning confirmation letter to clarify this issue. That request remains unresolved. This is not about one neighbor or one project, it's about whether residents can obtain a clear appealable zoning determination when approval depends on contingent facts such as institutional control and operational use. Thank you. Thank you. This is for public comment for items not on the agenda. You could come back for the public hearing for that item. Do we have anyone signed up online? No, ma'am, we do not. Okay, so public comment. Public comment period is now closed. Thank you. Approval of the minutes. The minutes to be approved from the April 21st, 2026 land use housing and transportation standing committee meeting. Thank you. We'll do the papers for consideration.
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