Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee Meeting - May 20, 2026
Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee Meeting - May 20, 2026
The Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee met on May 20, 2026, to consider two legislative items and receive presentations on traffic calming and urban forestry. The meeting included public comment on a non-agenda zoning issue, public hearings on an ordinance promoting native landscaping and a resolution on affordable housing feasibility, and discussions on transportation safety and city beautification efforts.
Consent Calendar
- The minutes from the April 21, 2026 meeting were approved as presented with no amendments or corrections.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-Agenda Public Comment: Thomas Courtney, a nearby resident and registered agent of Floyd Grove Shepherd LLC, spoke about the VMFA Grove Avenue Storage Facility. He outlined a timeline: the project moved through plan of development approval in 2024 without a final zoning determination; in 2025 during the BZA process it was defended as an institutional accessory use; and by 2026 it reached the Certificate of Occupancy stage. He stated that recent FOIA responses do not show a completed public record confirming institutional control, and that a zoning confirmation letter he requested remains unresolved. He expressed concern that without a clear, appealable zoning determination, the city may need to identify a corrective land use path, such as requiring a special use permit.
- Public Hearing on Item 1 (Ordinance 2026-113): Two speakers spoke in support. Robin Alman (5th district resident) raised concerns about the 5-foot setback requirement, the 80% native plant threshold, the $25 National Wildlife Federation certification fee (with signage costing more), and a conflict between requirements to remove dead branches and wildlife habitat needs. Lee Burleson echoed these concerns, noted the $90 total cost for certification, suggested using the Digital Atlas of Native Plants of Virginia as an authority, and proposed incentivizing commercial installations to include native plants.
- Public Hearing on Item 2 (Resolution 2026-R022): No one spoke in opposition or support.
Discussion Items
- Ordinance 2026-113 – Virginia Friendly Landscapes: Laura Thomas (Office of Sustainability) and Daniel Klein (Sustainability Coordinator) presented the ordinance to amend city code to allow native landscaping as an alternative to compliance with tall grass and weed enforcement. The ordinance would establish a voluntary certification through the National Wildlife Federation, exempting certified properties from the 12-inch weed height limitation. Klein explained a three-step process: plan and plant a pollinator garden, apply for NWF certification ($25 fee), and register with the city. The goal is to reduce code enforcement burden and benefit pollinators and climate resilience. Committee members asked about the 5-foot setback (derived from code enforcement input), the 80% native standard (consistent with existing city policies), costs to the city, training for code enforcement, and potential equity barriers for renters and low-income residents. MJ Vaughn (Planning and Development Review Director) noted the ordinance would help code enforcement by providing a clear exemption. Daniel Klein added that existing programs like the stormwater utility credit can help offset costs. The committee discussed the need for amendments, including lowering the 80% threshold and adjusting the setback.
- Resolution 2026-R022 – Feasibility Study for Affordable Housing Property Acquisition: Michelle Peters (Deputy Director, Housing and Community Development) expressed support for the study but requested amendment to incorporate it into the update of the One Richmond Housing Plan, due to council in December 2026, instead of the 90-day timeline in the resolution. The committee discussed the timeline and procedure for amendment. Vice Chair Robertson moved to forward the resolution with a recommendation to amend the timeline to December 16, 2026.
- Presentation: Traffic Calming Initiatives and Engineering: Andy Banan (Director of Transportation) presented an overview of the department's work aligned with Vision Zero and Complete Streets. He highlighted crash trends: the 2025 three-year average showed 177 deaths/serious injuries compared to 207 average for 2022-2024, a 14% reduction; pedestrian involvement in fatal/serious crashes from January to April 2026 was 9 compared to a 16 average (45% reduction). The department has $1.2 billion in transportation safety improvements planned, with over 90% from federal, state, and regional grants. Projects are prioritized using the High Injury Network (9% of streets where 75% of crashes occur). Banan discussed quick-build projects using paint, flex posts, and speed tables, and noted that several are in design. In response to questions, he confirmed that before-and-after assessments are conducted, and the department will provide regular updates to council members. He addressed concerns about funding cuts and safety in growing areas, emphasizing a human-centered approach.
- Presentation: Urban Forestry and Beautification: Michael Webb (Urban Forester) and Torrance Robinson (Deputy Director of Operations and Maintenance) presented on urban forestry and sidewalk maintenance. Webb reported that the city has lost 10% tree canopy since 2010 (from 42% to 32%), with 63% of public spaces stocked. In 2025, 1,355 trees were planted in the public right-of-way. The city maintains 126 beautification locations (traffic circles, medians, etc.). Seven gateway projects using ARPA funds were completed, with one remaining on Broad Street. The Richmond Tree Plan (four-year project) launched in November 2025 and includes a hyper-local urban tree canopy assessment using LIDAR. Robinson discussed sidewalk maintenance: 800 miles of sidewalk, with spending aligned with sidewalk miles per district. Since 2021, over 200 city blocks have been reconstructed and 2,400 locations made safe via concrete shaving. Committee members asked about equitable distribution, coordination with accessibility, private partner involvement, tree bank legislation, and heat maps. Webb noted that code refresh may include a tree bank provision.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1 (Ordinance 2026-113): Motion by Vice Chair Robertson to continue to the June 16, 2026 meeting, to allow for amendments and to obtain data on tall grass citation locations. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously by the committee members present (Mr. Brenton, Vice Chair Robertson, Chair Jones all voted aye).
- Item 2 (Resolution 2026-R022): Motion to forward the resolution to council with a recommendation to approve with an amendment extending the timeline for the study from 90 days to be included in the One Richmond Housing Plan update due December 16, 2026. The motion was seconded and approved. Chair Jones requested to be added as a co-patron.
- Presentations: No formal action was taken. The committee received the information and the Chief of Staff committed to follow up on several items: providing tall grass citation data, developing an amendment for Resolution R022, obtaining a list of quick-build pipeline projects, coordinating with RDOT on school pickup/drop-off safety, and providing information on sidewalk expansion decisions, beautification location selection, and heat maps.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, Madam Clerk. We'll call this meeting to order. And 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 9th Street to the assembly area located inside the former public safety building parking lot. Able persons should assist visually and hearing impaired 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, promote private business ventures, use language or personal nature which is also or demeans any person, including comments directed at public officials or staff members than not related to their official duties or just a question staff members directly. All questions to be directed to the committee chair. Fair to hear today guidelines, may result in speakers forfeiting any meeting time and further discipline action as necessary, which include which could include borrowing from attendance and future meetings of the committee for a period of six months. This concludes the announcement. Thank you. Public comment. Is there anyone here that would like to provide comment to the committee? But item is not on today's agenda. Please approach the podium and stage and 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. The timeline is straightforward. In 2024, the project moved through plan of development approval without a final written zoning determination clearly resolving the facility's use classification. In March of 2025, during the BZA process, the project was defended on the premise that it would operate as an institutional accessory use connected to the VMFA and Commonwealth Control. In 2026, the facility has now reached the Certificate of Occupancy stage, but recent FOIA responses from the Department of General Services and the City of Richmond and related agencies still do not appear to show a completed public record confirming that institutional control condition before occupancy. That matters because the zoning premise has always been whether this is a lawful institutional accessory use controlled by the VMFA 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 council 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. Do we have anyone else, madam? I would like to address 11105. Is that basic 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.
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