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.

Approval of the minutes.

The minutes to be approved from the April 21st, 2026, land use housing and transportation standing committee meeting.

If there are no amendments or corrections, then those meeting minutes stand approved as presented.

Those minutes have been approved.

Thank you.

Uh we'll do the papers for consideration.

Item one, ordinance 2026 113 to amend City Code concerning weeds and other vegetation and to amend by adding a new section concerning definitions for the purpose of establishing exemptions for Virginia friendly landscape landscapes.

That papers before the committee.

Good afternoon.

My apologies, Laura Thomas, Director of the Office of Sustainability.

We were discussing this paper, so I did not hear that, but we are on the Virginia friendly landscaping paper.

That is correct.

So to explain.

Could you please speak more to the mic?

Yes, absolutely.

Is that better?

Great.

Thank you very much.

So we're excited to have this piece of legislation before you all.

This paper is to establish and update the code to expand on the definitions around Virginia friendly landscaping and what that uh entails.

The overall intent of this paper is to reduce the workload burden and to reduce the impacts on community members that are getting fined for getting uh cited for having uh landscaping that's over 12 inches.

So this could be at somebody's home and their property, the grass weeds, etc.

are going over the 12 inches, code enforcement goes out.

Um we record that we will go out again and find and eventually we will ourselves go out and mow those yards.

And so we're trying to mitigate that by allowing those folks to have an alternative option, which is to certify with this program, and they are able to then install a native landscape that is better for the environment, and that does not trigger the 12-inch code violation.

So it's to give an additional avenue to those folks that are experiencing that overgrowth.

We work extensively with PDR and ensuring that code enforcement has had an opportunity to review and we have before you what our due diligence has determined to be the best requirements, including setbacks, registration, um, the work that the Office of Sustainability will do, including promoting it, ensuring there's a registry list, and other elements.

We do have, I believe, a visual of what this could look like as well, but um that I believe is right up there for you all if you'd like to take a look.

Great.

You all have that.

Um, and then we have another staff member here if you'd like to ask some technical details about the program development as well.

Madam Kirk, let's do uh public comment.

We'll come back to you with questions.

Is there anyone that would like to speak in opposition to item one?

Is there anyone that would like to speak in support to item one?

Please approach the podium and state your name for the record.

Good afternoon.

My name is Robin Alman.

I live in the fifth district, um, across from the city stadium.

Um I have owned the property for eight years, and I am moving it towards native plants.

I assume I have two minutes.

Is that right?

Okay.

Um I heartily embrace the move to encourage native plants within the city, but I am concerned with four specific items.

Number one, Section D states uh that you need to remove detached limbs and things like that, eliminating dead branches, which is an important part of shelter for wildlife, would be competing with the National Wildlife Federation certification that you require later.

So that needs to be clarified.

Section F IV includes the setback of at least five feet from all property lines.

Five feet is really a lot of space.

This would require me to remove more than 18 kinds of plants, not individual plants, but kinds of plants.

First, it should say Virginia native plants, but second, 80%.

I have six pages of native plants listed in my yard, and I don't think I'm anywhere near 80%.

So this would be a high bar for somebody who's just starting out.

And how do we get from the starting out to 80%?

Is there a process that you can't get certification until you have a certain amount?

The homegrown national park requires 60% or 66%.

So can we find someplace in between?

And how do we go from zero to 80 or 0 to 60 or whatever number you all come up with?

Finally, let's see.

Sorry.

The certification for the National Wildlife Federation or NWF requires $25 fee as a bare minimum.

The signage can actually cost a lot more.

And I think that is a barrier for people who wish to plant native plants but can't afford to do that.

So is there a fund setified for those people who want to participate but cannot afford to?

Finally, I believe there is a reference to No Mo May.

Although it alliterates, it's great in Britain where the average.

Yes, please oppose to following my state and a for the record.

My name is Lee Burleson, and I want to echo what Robin said almost every point by point.

And you know, I looked up the cost to become a member of the Wildlife Federation and have a certification and assigned your yard.

It's $90 altogether to do that.

So that's quite a bit.

And also with the branches and removal of dead branches, that is part of the requirement for habitat for this certification.

So those the two things are in opposition.

Also, what she said about Virginia native plants.

Um that the authority on that is the digital atlas of native plants of Virginia.

It shows county by county what's considered native.

And I think that that would be a good place to start.

The homegrown national park says that any help, even one native plant in your yard is a big help to wildlife.

And the idea is if everybody does a little bit, it'll string together and become one big park.

That's the whole concept of this.

So I and also, how could anybody start unless you do a full installation of native plants all at once, and who could afford that?

Good lord.

I mean, and I'm fully support this.

I just think we need to tweak the language a little bit.

So I think that also the the strip, the hell strip as it's known.

Um, if we just could keep the height of the plants at a minimum, you know, maybe maximum of two feet, 12 inches, something like that, people would still be able to walk and get by and get to their cars and everything.

Something's got to be there.

It could be dust or you know, whatever, but I think it would be an improvement to have some ground covers there that are steppable.

So mainly I just want to copy everything she said it was perfect.

But also I want to add one other thing.

I'm a commercial real estate agent, and I would love to see some maybe incentivized um way to get some of the commercial installations, which are installations all at once and from scratch to include a percentage of native plants.

Um, you know, there's a list of plants that's on there.

If there's some way to incentivize them cost-wise to put in native plants, that would be a big help.

There's a lot of new construction going on, and the things have a large amount of plannings.

Um, the area that's considered green area could be used for that purpose as well.

So that's just another thought.

Thank you.

Thank you for letting me share.

We have anyone else, panel clerk.

No, we do not.

The public hearing is now closed, bring it back to the committee.

Yes, I do.

Um I have a question for the patrons about the five-foot um setback and what the goal is of that.

Hi, uh, good afternoon.

I'm Tara Warden with the Office of Sustainability.

Um, the five foot setbacks came through conversation with code enforcement.

Michelle Coward is the deputy director there.

Um we spoke yesterday about this because we knew it was obviously a concern of the citizens.

There's yeah, there's there's reasonable pushback, and I think that that's that's a flexible standard that we can address through some code, some ordinance amendments or edits rather.

And um, what about the 80% uh threshold?

What was the thinking behind that requirement?

That's consistent with what's in our sustainable design standards and within DPU's um planting of native standards.

So we wanted to just keep consistent with what's already city policy.

I mean, my comment is that it sounds like this needs a little more workshopping to go through these, but I want to interested if anyone else has any thoughts before we do that.

Sounds like it doesn't.

Would you like?

I mean, fine, I make a motion.

No, all right.

Oh, well, my question was the 80% standard, and they answered that, and then it has been a comment that sounds like this needs more time, but I was interested to hear what everyone else thought.

I don't know.

Um, so what is the address of the property?

This is this is a citywide amendment to city-wise.

So the creation of the Virginia friendly landscape, establishing that this maybe the city can help me with these questions.

Yeah, whether or not we can we have a process by which we define what certification are required for creating this Virginia friendly landscape as an application process.

Um this ordinance approach stemmed from alignment with RBA Green 2050, our climate equity action plan and Richmond 300 and the sustainable design standards that are part of the city policy.

The intention was to give an uh basically an off-ramp for residents that are getting cited for violations of the tall grass and weeds ordinance.

So as the written ordinance is currently written, it gives an exception to violations of the tall grass and weeds ordinance.

That's currently uh states if you uh grow weeds over 12 inches, you get you can get fined by the city.

I think the first infraction is $50, and then all following infractions are $250 dollars per fine.

So fees can rack up, you know, with a substantial amount over some time.

And code enforcement has pulled 311 tickets.

So there the evidence suggests that this is an ongoing concern from residents that they're getting cited for things like this.

So we wanted to give an off-ramp that uh you know brings benefits to our ecosystem and provides pollinator benefits to uh the wildlife around.

So the the way that it's set up, if I could just give a general overview of those are there's some confusion, is that the standards that are established in the draft ordinance at your table?

Um they it establishes a framework wherein a third-party certification system already exists.

So the National Wildlife Federation has a pollinator certified process, so they have different standards, and I have my subject matter expert here, Daniel Klein, who is actually he could actually tell you what all those standards are.

Um, and with the way that that process is structured, it uh it offloads the requirement from our code enforcement team to be trained and skilled in a way that would allow them to like eyeball it would have a little sign outside of it.

So it's a sort of a way to uh you know market it as a as a pollinator meadow or garden or whatever the sort of eco benefit is, um, but also is an easy way for us to uh relieve the administrative burden associated with permitting another type of um landscape alternative.

Did that answer your question?

Okay, so the application process to get uh your property known as a Virginia friendly landscape.

Who who manages those applications?

So the way that it's set up in the in the ordinance is that a third party certification process that it currently exists outside of the city's process would be used.

An applicant would apply through the National Wildlife Federation, the NWF, where they provide for $25 fee, and uh you receive a certification and a sign that you then install in your yard.

This notifies the city that this is a certified national well wildlife federation landscape, and then we have a form that would be on our website and on the city's website on RVA Green2050.com, wherein residents could register their gardens as their certification.

So there's a sort of a feedback loop on an online portal.

Is this ordinance um the ordinance too?

I mean, some of the more important things we try to get orders for, we have to do a resolution, but this is an ordinance, I guess, or reasons that the attorneys have validated.

Um why are we doing this?

What benefit is this going to be to the city?

And are there property owners in the city who are seeking this service?

And to what degree do are we away of that?

Yeah, I'll let Daniel Klein answer that.

Hi there, I'm Daniel Klein.

I'm a sustainability coordinator for our office, and I helped draft this.

Can you hear me okay?

I'm Daniel Klein.

I'm a sustainability coordinator with our office, and I helped draft this ordinance.

So I'm going to give you.

You should be able to move the mic to adjust to sorry as that.

Okay.

So to answer your first question, it's a three-step process.

The first is to plan and plant a pollinator garden in your yard.

The second step is to apply through the National Wildlife Federation's website.

They have a program where they'll certify your yard.

And a third step is to fill out a form so the city knows that your yard is certified.

So it's only three steps, and that was sort of so that we don't have to develop our own certification.

We can go through this national organization.

It's a $25 fee to do at one time.

It includes a number of provisions, like what are called cues to care.

Essentially what that means is it communicates to your neighbors this is intentional.

It's not uh just weeds, it's an intentionally planted garden.

Um, and to answer your question about the the communities demand or request for this.

A couple of years ago, we became a B city USA.

It was an ordinance that was, excuse me, it was a resolution that was adopted to increase habitat and support biodiversity for pollinators.

Um so this is a way that we can help homeowners or business owners do this in their yard.

Um of the benefits, we're currently in a drought.

Native landscapes need less irrigation and they need less maintenance.

So ideally it's less maintenance for a homeowner.

They don't have to mow as often, pay for you know gas.

They don't have to irrigate with sprinklers.

So ideally it's an easier process for homeowners who don't want to have to manage an entire yard.

Um so we try to keep the process simple, three steps on our website.

Um, and this aligns the code with what's in Richmond 300, which calls for better support of pollinators and biodiversity, as well as RVA Green 2050, our climate action plan and the sustainable design standards, which applies to city projects.

But this idea of 80% natives came from that as well as from the RVA H2O plan, the clean water plan, also calls for 80%.

Those are fairly negotiable.

So if that seems like a high bar, 70%, or if Doug Tallamy says 60%, 60% is great.

Um, and that that five-foot buffer that also is negotiable.

Uh code enforcement.

So my my question really is only it's more specifically in regards to what city staff is going to be involved in this entire process, monitoring it, whatever is necessary.

Um what's the cost to the city as it relates to putting this in place?

How is it going to be managed internally?

Sure.

Uh so any homeowner who fills out that form to let us know, code enforcement will have access to that, so they'll see all the addresses that come in for anybody who registers their address.

That way, if code enforcement gets a tall grass complaint, they can check the database and see if that homeowner is actually part of this program so that they're actually exempt.

Um it should hopefully be more cost efficient for code enforcement because they will have fewer homes to go check on.

Sometimes the people get called out, but they're actually trying to do the right thing by having native plants.

So this is a way for them uh to kind of bring them into compliance in a way.

So ideally it it uh saves taxpayer dollars by being more cost efficient, more cost efficient for uh code enforcement.

Okay, so code enforcement, who does code enforcement for the city?

So um is code enforcement a way of this and the media with what is gone, any adverse impact that we need to know of as it relates to this.

Uh sure, MJ Vaughn director planning development review.

Uh so our team uh specifically, Michelle Coward, she's our deputy for property maintenance and code enforcement, uh, has been working with the Office of Sustainability.

Um I've also reviewed the ordinance.

Uh I think what it does is it's it's a benefit for us.

Um, that uh as Mr.

Klein said that when we go out um and somebody calls in tall grass, we can look in our database and say, all right, nope, it's not tall grass, it's not weeds, it's actually part of native landscaping, it's part of a pollinator garden, so that they would be exempt from citation.

Um our staff um I'll just say does not have the time to go through and get fully trained on what is, you know, all the nuances of native landscaping, because actually some and some codes are defined as weeds, but they're actually very helpful.

Um, and so this I'll I'll say just helps our team uh be very clear on what is permitted and what is not permitted.

And so that is um, and I think part of the discussion about you know signage and things like that um was to help also illustrate neighbors, right?

Before you call it in saying, oh, I see this is, you know, I'll say official native landscaping.

Um so it would be exempt from that tall grass ordinance.

So our teams have worked together, and I think this would be um beneficial for us and also efficient in terms of how we do uh enforcement on our team.

Thank you.

I have a couple of questions, uh Daniel, yeah.

Uh the first question I have is um, well, one, thank you for the um presentation and the information that you provided.

I would like to ask, I think you I think I don't know, someone on your team mentioned um, and maybe this might be PDR, but that this was this stems from people ultimately being fined for tall grass.

Um, I guess my first question is I remember we talked about when code enforcement goes out.

It was to my understanding that they don't immediately give somebody a ticket that you go when you get a warning.

So, or is that a different type of code enforcement?

Do y'all do code enforcement for you know, for this particular enforcement different than we do if it's business or whatever?

Sure.

Um we do not provide warnings.

Uh as a warning.

We do not provide warnings.

So as it's uh laid out in city code currently, it is civil penalty.

So if our inspectors go out and they see it, um, they cite it.

Uh, and so I think that that's one of the issues in terms of I think this might help.

Um, and in terms of right, not having to do that citation right away, but but in terms of um certain penalties that are civil penalty, um, we do not provide a warning, we do cite right away.

Um, so how uh for Daniel, how how will the city be able to encourage more climate-friendly and native landscaping practices without creating barriers, specifically for renters, um, you know, ownable residents and homeowners with smaller urban lots.

Sure.

Um we've built a website for this, pending this is uh ordinance's approval.

That website will go live on our, it's a web page on our website, and we have a robust uh community engagement plan that goes along with this, mostly uh connecting with a lot of the current environmental groups that work with invasive and native plants to help get the word out.

Um, ideally this costs less than simply mowing a normal yard.

And so, in terms of equity and in terms of access, this can save taxpayers or this can save residents money by by making this kind of turf grass conversion.

Um, so in terms of um access, we'll do a big kind of push uh through our communication channels and our external stakeholders to get the word out, um, in terms of helping homeowners pay for these.

There's a program called VCAP, and there's uh a stormwater utility credit that can help cover the cost or reimburse folks for rain gardens, which is one of the three types of Virginia friendly landscapes that we laid out.

One is rain gardens, one is pollinator gardens, and one is wildflower meadows.

So there's some existing programs that can help cost share.

I'd love to see more, but that's where we are currently.

Okay.

Um, and then what about, and I think Director Bomb mentioned it about training.

Um, what are the plans, you know, to provide training to code enforcement, uh, particularly when we enforce this new ordinance, how's you know, making sure that is consistent and equitable.

Um, and like what does that actually mean in context?

Our office has spoken with code enforcement about providing some training for the code enforcement team.

There's a program called the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional Program that teaches about native plants, invasive species, and stormwater best management practices.

There's a one-day course that covers all of that, and so we're hoping to help cover that for code enforcement.

The other um opportunity that we're hoping to maximize is that pending this adoption, we're hoping to do a native planting at City Hall.

And that could be ideally a workshop for city staff to come out and see the plants go in the ground.

They'll have labels so they can watch them grow in and get a really good sense of these plants as they walk into work in the morning.

So hopefully that will be a good training exercise as well.

Thank you.

And in terms of um, since this is a citywide initiative, do we have data on the areas within the city that you have found are have been cited the most with um tall grass, et cetera.

What areas in the city?

Because I would like to maybe see if we could get that data to determine again, it's always about equity.

And so I would like to know what areas across the city are we seeing the most enforcement as it relates to tall grass and fonts.

It's a great question.

I have the data back at my computer.

I can follow up with uh with you all after this and provide a map that shows where these are occurring most.

And then my last question is um when we talk about um code enforcement.

I know for planning, so this is to this is directed to Director Bonk.

Um is this?

I understand that it's going to cut down, but as the process is being X, you know, I think sometimes we have these new things that come forward, and then when it's time for execution, so we've consistently heard that there's not enough staff to do code enforcement.

And I know that I think in the budget process you all receive maybe two new planners or something to that effect.

But how are you um basically looking to manage another program that is basically aligning with the team when you already stretched?

Uh, sure.

Uh I think in terms of I don't see this necessarily as a new program.

It's just looking at how we're interpreting the current ordinance.

And so we will still get calls uh right for complaints of tall grass.

Um, this just gives us another tool to look at when we go out and do those particular inspections.

So uh it doesn't change anything in terms of a burden for right having to do things proactively or adding staff to do it.

It's just looking at when we do go out and interpret the rules.

There will be a section of code that we are able to look at to say whether something is exempt or not.

Um I'll say the the cost and this was talked through with uh sustainability would be some staff time uh in terms of the training that would be needed.

Um, but I would say that would be you know mostly a one-time thing, maybe a little ongoing, but uh a small nominal amount.

Um, that that should not make a difference in terms of workload.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

We'll be looking for that data.

Yeah, it's the client.

We'll be looking for the data.

Oh, yes, ma'am, I'll get that to you.

I think this is a great idea.

I love that we are trying to promote more pollinator gardens to reach our goals of being pollinator friendly to have you know that type of biodiversity.

I do uh think that there are details that we could benefit from improving.

Um, I mean, it's even possible that this might benefit from going to an urban design committee or um sustainable resilience commission, or at least back to um back to this committee one month later with some possible edits.

Um, so I think that we should continue it.

And I guess I'm interested to know if you all think it'd be wise to actually engage something like the Urban Design Committee or sustainability, or if it would be enough for us to just take this back for some edits um within the council.

I would say that um if we're gonna continue it, we're gonna continue it.

Not necessarily outline like sending it to another commission to come back.

If we're gonna continue it, we should continue it with the request that we ask the department for.

Um, yeah, so that's uh great.

Well, then I appreciate that, and I agree, and I would like to uh make the motion that we continue this to um for one month so that we can engage with um with our administration and make a few more amendments.

I'll support his motion.

Uh I think we just need to be clear what we what we want, information we want to be answered.

I'm not sure I know exactly what that is, but I think it's important that we do that so that when it does come back, we we know what we what if we additional information specifically that we are looking for in order to make a decision.

So I'll just add really if we can get that data before the next meeting, that would be part of I guess what we're looking at.

So, so second the motion to continue for uh to the next meeting.

The committee is voting on the motion to continue item one ordinance 2026 11 to the June 16th 2026 land use housing and transportation standing committee meeting.

Mr.

Brenton, aye, vice chair Robertson, Chair Jones, that motion has been approved.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Can we move to the second paper?

Item two, resolution 2026 R022 to request that the CAO cause the department caused the Department of Housing and Community Development to conduct a feasibility and potential method study by which the city may purchase real property within the city for the development of affordable housing and to provide council with written recommendations for implementing for implementing the findings of the study.

That papers are for the committee, good afternoon.

How are you doing, Ms.

Coward?

I'm the other Michelle.

The other Michelle.

It's all right.

I'm Michelle Peters, Deputy Director for Housing and Community Development.

We fully support the goal of examining how the city can use property acquisition to create more affordable housing.

However, we are requesting that this study be incorporated into the update of the city's strategic housing plan, which is due to council in December.

Earlier this year, council directed ACD to inventory displacement prevention programs and update the strategic housing plan.

And the Department of Housing and Community Development appreciate the support of the mayor and the council of that work.

That work is going to guide the city housing policy for the next three to five years.

Our team is committed to a comprehensive data-driven review of all available to incorporating this study into that larger effort will produce a stronger, more feasible recommendation.

For that reason, we respectfully ask that the resolution be amended so that the study becomes part of the one Richmond Plan update versus the 90 day timeline that is included in the existing resolution.

Thank you.

We do a public hearing for this question, but um thank you.

There's a 90-day, it's the last page it says that the chief administrative has requested to submit a written report of the results of this study to the council 90 days from the date of adoption of this resolution.

Page three of the resolution.

With the rewrite of or the update of the one Richmond Housing Plan, which means that it will be a report to council in December.

Please, that'll quick list to the public hearing on the paper.

Is there anyone that would like to speak in opposition to item two?

Is there anyone that would like to speak in support to item two?

Seeing none, the public hearing is now closed.

Bring it back to the committee.

Um what's the timeline for the update to the housing plan?

We are required to report back to council December 16th.

December 16th, yes, ma'am.

Which is May?

So about double not 180 days plus 180 plus days.

Okay, Mr.

Attorney.

Um to amend this paper, would we need to do an amendment?

Have the amendment introduced.

Is it the significant?

It's a resolution.

Um what's the procedure that I must follow in order to amend to extend the time of this request?

You'd be talking about a recommendation to amend.

A recommendation to amend.

Understood, but um, the question is the paper would have to be amended, reintroduced, and brought back.

So if the committee would like to recommend today, our office would prepare a motion to amend, and then council would consider that a motion to amend at its next meeting.

If council approves the motion to amend, then it could consider approval of this paper at its subsequent meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So we did a public hearing.

Yeah, okay.

Um then I will support the administration request for an amendment of 180 days.

Is that correct?

Closing up, uh, and that it will be included as a part of the update to the housing plan that is due in December.

Uh, and I make a recommendation that this paper move forward to council with that recommendation for the amendment.

I second.

The committee is moving on the motion to forward item two resolution 2026 R022 to council with the recommendation to approve with an amendment.

Mr.

Bretton, aye, Vice Chair Robertson.

Chair Jones.

Aye, and I'd like to be added.

I'd like to be added to that paper.

Noted, thank you.

Is anybody else?

That motion has been approved.

All righty.

Let's uh do presentation number one, traffic calming initiatives and engineering.

Good afternoon.

Andy Banan, Director of Transportation.

Um I brought my clock because there's a lot to go through.

I want to make sure I leave time for questions.

Um, let me jump right in.

This is an overview in response to questions that received um that got pretty specific.

So this could be a 10-week long seminar.

So I will uh move quickly through 20 slides in 10 minutes.

Um, maybe the left and right buttons.

Isn't that?

There we go.

Did you say 10 months or 10 years?

I could do 10 years also.

I've I'm capable.

Um high level and then street level first.

First, um, the high-level topics, the type of work that we do at the Department of Transportation, uh, the impact, and then what residents should understand.

The type of work lines with the mayor oral action plan.

So these are a handful of the pillars, the thriving neighborhoods, um, the goal being to reduce traffic related deaths and serious injuries, and then thriving and sustainable environment.

Two of those goals are improving infrastructure conditions citywide, and then to support walking, rolling, biking, and transit access.

And the impact, just to put that previous slide into plain language, is people of all ages and abilities have the freedom to move safely around our city however they choose.

Um, that's the plain language version of Vision Zero and Complete Streets.

So big picture of what residents should understand that every Richmond Department of Transportation project is in some way improving safety and expanding travel options for everyone.

It's also a systems approach to speed management that we're deploying, and this is working.

We've got a few slides coming up to demonstrate how this is working.

The systems approach is important because while we do get excited about sharing one project at a time or one treatment at a time, like a pedestrian hybrid beacon or a speed table or camera, the safety camera program.

It's all of these things in concert that are doing the job of improving safety.

So a couple of examples.

This is Maine and Carrie getting close into Carry Town before speed tables, and um a couple other nearby neighborhood projects and after.

And you can see this is about a year before and after.

The aren't the more that a street is orange or red, the higher the speed.

And so you can see Maine and Carrie Street where that orange virtually goes away.

That's because after these speed tables were installed and uh the curb extensions or the bump outs to make the streets feel visually narrower.

The speeds came down to the point where people are generally behaving.

Um we're still seeing other kinds of issues, but speeds, which is very important, are coming down.

Another example, um I didn't pinpoint just one street, uh, hit this area, the south side because there are so many, but Midlothian Turnpike, Forest Hill, Bainbridge, SENS, all of these are coming down from red to orange or orange to clear.

This is good, all of these are good signs.

And this isn't just one thing, it's all the things.

It's the traffic safety camera program, it's speed tables, it's bump outs, it's it's everything together.

Education campaigns also.

We're we're getting a lot of positive uh social media feedback about um where we're seeing neighbors telling other neighbors slow down, behave better, and all the variations of it.

Now, more specifically, uh I'll hit on these five topics.

Um, trends, the crash trends, some of the projects, um, our funding status and then constraints along with that, how we prioritize projects, and then um projects around the city.

The crash trends are very encouraging.

Uh, we never lose sight like week to week, day to day.

If something happens, we're alert, we're looking for ways to improve the built environment constantly.

But when you look back at the three-year annual average, which is you take the most recent three years of data and and take the one-year annual average of that and compare it to 2025, deaths and serious injuries from traffic crashes went down compared to that average from 2022 to 2024.

Um, that was 177 people killed or seriously injured compared to an average of 207.

Um, that's 30 fewer people who had their that were prevented from their lives being devastated by a serious crash.

Pedestrians specifically, um, this is from the treads data, which is uh state maintained by DMV, uh the traffic records electronic database.

Um, nine pedestrians were involved in uh fatal or serious crashes in 2026 in this in this window of time um January through April, compared to 16 pedestrians in that three, four months like that four month average over the previous three years, uh 23 to 25.

So again, 45% reduction.

That last slide was pedestrians.

This is total people, so however they're moving around city streets.

Um, this is 51 people in 2026 uh compared to 62 for that last um average of January through March, I'm sorry, January through April between 2023 and 2025, an 18% reduction in this severe crashes.

And again, it's important to point out these are the worst of the crashes, these are what we call life-changing crashes that either send somebody to the hospital or worse.

Um projects have several phases, and all projects work together to achieve Vision Zero and Complete Streets goals.

We track each project from planning concepts that are recognized in Richmond Connects and Richmond 300 that are resourced through federal, state, and regional grants, and then to design where the public is re-engaged to construction, and then public is notified that there's going to be work uh in their area, when opening day of a project is, and then all about the continued maintenance throughout.

So, citywide, hundreds of projects at more than two thousand locations.

Um, this is the type of map.

If you I'll give an early plug for uh this Wednesday, Main Street Station is the speed management symposium.

You'll be able to see this, but zoomed way in.

Um, so please come to Main Street Station Wednesday night, 5 30 and get free food.

Um, another street level funding status and constraints.

This is exciting.

We're not going to stop talking about this.

1.2 billion dollars in transportation safety improvements.

And it's really important this next point that over 90% of that comes from federal, state, and regional grants, which frees up our local budgets for so many local um needs.

The big constraint, I'm not gonna read through all these details, but this big constraint is that it can take eight to ten years to get from an idea to the project completion in the ground, and that's just because of all the steps.

Now, it's still worth doing.

We had great ideas 10 years ago that are now in the ground.

We're coming up with things now that years from now will be in the ground, but just to give you a sense of the constraints that come along with these funding projects.

But like I said, right now over the next five to six years, 1.2 billion dollars that we'll be working on.

How do you decide what projects to pursue funding for?

This is something that we hear all the time.

Uh more people project managers will be talking about this in detail on Wednesday night.

Um we start with the high injury network.

If everything is a top priority, nothing is a top priority.

So the high injury network is the 9% of streets where 75% of the crashes are happening.

And what I want to draw your attention to on this map is the red lines, high injury network, that blue area, um, is the historically disadvantaged census tracks.

So you can see the disproportionate impact the high injury network has.

So this is another way that one approach to, you know, people say, Well, what does it mean to practice transportation equity?

It's this kind of thing.

It's understanding that for so many reasons the communities most in need need our attention.

And so you can see on the right hand side where our 2,000 locations of projects are happening.

You can see how heavily that overlaps with the areas that need it most.

Um, just briefly, how do specific projects get in the pipeline?

Um, one example is a road safety assessment, uh, where we have a whole bunch of people walk a site, collect a lot of information, anecdotes, raw data, um, from a lot of different points of view, develop recommendations, and then ultimately create ideas for projects, and then they go through planning, engineering, uh, and then ultimately installation.

And it's all these things are always aligned with the master plan, Richmond 300, Richmond Connects, and then, of course, the mayoral action plans.

Um, specific projects, they take time to explain from a budget schedule and scope perspective, uh, which is I know I'm close to my time, far more than we could do in a short overview.

But if there's a specific project that you're interested in getting a briefing on, we are happy to provide that.

Um, and then just at a glance, like these are the types of projects that are happening citywide, and again, all of this is to improve the built environment for all ages and all abilities and all modes of travel.

Here's the last plug: pedestrian safety and action plan.

This is going to be a fantastic opportunity for community engagement.

Um, it's not a secret, but it's not fully public yet because we haven't rolled it out to the public.

Um, but we will be very visible and asking for lots of input starting this summer.

Any questions for me?

You done, okay.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Bano.

This was great.

I especially loved that picture of Carrie in Maine near VCU where it went from you know orange down to being clear, like clear evidence that the infrastructure that we're putting there was making a measurable difference.

Um, do we make it a practice to do before and after assessments of our of our items and and you know, and can I request that that be a more um common practice that we see with so to I'll answer that in two ways, um, because as a rule, I can't answer a question only one way.

But one answer is yes, we know that there are proven ways uh to improve safety.

So, for example, we know that speed tables work, they slow people down.

We know that bump outs work, they slow people down.

Um we continually review both national studies and then just to make sure our own work is doing what it's supposed to do, make sure we're designing things appropriately.

Um, the other thing related to that question is as part of the community engagement division that is still brand new from the uh Department of Transportation, we'll be sharing regularly in addition to specific projects, but with all nine council members, you'll get updates from us that are in two different forms.

One is demystifying types of projects, just one thing at a time, and another is this type of before and after, so that in your district, you'll get some snapshots each.

So each time you want to share in your newsletter what's going on in my district and what's getting better, you'll have these kinds of uh before and afters.

Um I also wanted to ask about that.

I saw that that 10-year timeline for big expensive federally funded projects.

I know there's also kind of this other method of doing things more quickly using paint and flex posts, like you know, you know, or or funding from the city.

So, what is how would you describe our our lighter, quicker, cheaper um methods, and you know how much of that are we doing, and how are we managing that?

So we're we're focusing our quick builds all to get planners and engineers working together to make sure that we can quickly deploy using like paint and post is a great opportunity or great idea, um, description.

And I would say the three probably the three most popular and effective tools in the um quick build toolbox are paint, flex posts, and speed tables.

I include speed tables in there, even though it's asphalt, because through the paving program, we're able to do those so much cheaper than many other cities around the country, and that team has a template design that's able to deploy very quickly.

Um, so using those in a way in a strategic way where we know, for example, we don't have, let's say we're we're looking at links to extend or connect bike infrastructure, and we know that there's a gap that needs to be filled, or there's some transit lanes on a bridge, and we don't have uh necessarily a grant funding for that, but we can on the cheap uh quickly deploy with paint and flex post.

So that's we're looking through the same lens.

How do we save everyone?

How do we work towards vision zero and complete streets?

And is it an opportunity to for quick build, or do we already have funding lined up through another means?

And then sometimes it's a meet like perhaps there's a project that has funding, but it won't be built for several years from now.

So then we take the next step to say, well, is there an opportunity to have a quick build as an interim solution?

And then years from now, we'll have a final, you know, full permanent project.

Do we have a pipeline now of quick build projects that we already know we're planning to do for the next say six to twelve months?

We have several that are in design right now.

We have um we have road rearrangements or road diets um on bridges.

We're looking at uh dedicated transit lanes, so that does the magic two things of slowing vehicle traffic down.

Um the Route One bridge is under design right now, um, while making it easier for the bus to move through.

And we know we talk about this in context of of pedestrians and walkability that the bus is an extension of a walking trip, and so if we can do these quick build projects where the bus is out of traffic and predictable and reliable, it's an express sidewalk.

So we're looking for quick build express sidewalks.

Um, so yeah, there's several under design, and when they get to the point where um and a couple of them are very close, um, where we can share with the public, then we are eager to share those with the public.

Because again, this goes back to traffic calming, and we know that the vast majority of Richmonders wholeheartedly support uh speed management and traffic calming.

I mean, yeah, I don't wanna I don't want to scoop your stories from the public before they're like ready, but I am interested to know how that pipeline's going just to understand how healthy that is, how fast it's moving, how and and how well that that lighter picker cheaper pipeline is going.

I'd love to see a list of that, and I promise not to share it with the public before you you know you're ready.

Let me ask you one more thing about um a lot of people are concerned with like growth and development in the city and even with the code refresh, that additional people and additional traffic is gonna equate to additional danger.

How would you describe your department's ability to manage safety in the face of additional development and how does development make your job easier or harder?

Um we welcome more people.

Richmond's a fantastic city, so we we welcome more people coming to Richmond.

And for the folks that are already living in Richmond, um, we hope that they stay and grow their families here.

So our job is to make sure that as more people come and as our city grows that they're able to move around safely.

And so starting with the human being as the center of the universe, if you're a young child, you should be able to walk around.

If you're if you're on a skateboard or use a wheelchair, or you happen to be older and drive a car, however, you move through the city, you should be able to do it safely.

Um, our prior that's our priority, and so there are in certain areas there's gonna be times when we say, um, this area is desperate for more bike infrastructure.

There's some, but it's it's too far away.

These people need more options.

Um, but it's always centered around the human.

Um, there are places around the country that still I would this is more like a 1960s, 1970s mindset where their their approach is to speed up car traffic to get through a city, but that's that's the opposite of our point of view.

Our point of view is you're here, you've arrived.

Welcome.

Um, you're gonna be able to walk or ride a bike or use the bus or drive, but it's all going to be at managed speeds.

Appreciate the presentation to all those billions of dollars that we're getting coming outway.

Thank you for the work you're doing.

Thank you, Mr.

Bono.

I have a quick a couple of questions.

Um anticipating any um loss of funding from the federal dollars that we receive.

We know that a lot of some of that funding has been cut.

Have we anticipated any uh loss?

From from the like recent political uh, not that not that we've we've there have been a couple of times when we've looked into that and and um as far as we know, we're all good with our funding.

Awesome.

And then my other question is we talked you talked a little bit about um like your corridor corridor strategy, um, and I guess what um attempting to gain a sense of understanding is when you think about South Side, right?

And folks are coming in from Chesterfield and they're coming straight down either Melothian or Hall Street into the city, downtown areas, versus maybe like a north side or a maybe fan museum where you can walk around.

And so some of that, well, I don't even want to make an assumption.

I guess my question is are you seeing more cars to your point from earlier in certain areas?

Like, are you seeing more?

Like I I've lived in Southside, and I don't think I've seen as many cars on Hall Street, Melothian, all like since I've lived over there.

And I know a lot of it is due to like road diet changes and things of such.

But I guess how are you all monitoring when you talk about pedestrian safety, even though people are not walking on Southside, but you have more cars, how are you managing that from maybe across citywide or district per district?

Because there is definitely a lot of traffic on the corridors, but you won't see that same traffic in a walkable area.

So how are we when we talk about in terms of equity?

Because a lot of times a lot of folks that come forward are requesting all of these essential tools from you all, but they are in areas that have sidewalks that are walkable that are bikeable, and then the areas that are not, how are we being able to ensure because people are getting hit crossing those corridors?

So I mean, so it's that earlier point, it's it it is uh I mean you're you're highlighting what um that issue of there if everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority.

And so that's why it's so important to start with where we know the extreme dangers, and that's that's the high injury network.

Um, and there are there will always be ways for the Department of Transportation to deal with um say the nuisances of a chipped sidewalk or um a tree branch blocking uh a light or something like that.

But for the really important stuff, we one way to think of it is um emergency room versus uh a paper cut.

If someone has experienced life-changing trauma and you've got surgeons on them, they're bleeding out that all the attention has to be here.

This person who has a paper cut will be helped, but not at the same pace as over here.

So that's how we're approaching these corridors.

Um, we recently completed several school safety studies that were on the corridors around the schools, schools that are on the high injury network.

So we value kids, of course, everywhere.

We've done school safety studies all over the place, you know, looking at things like crosswalks, but of all the schools, you you want to especially start with the ones that are physically on the high injury network, just as one example.

Um, and then the nature of of how people move is gonna be different in the more spread out areas, like the further you get south than it is, like you said, in the more compact areas up in the north.

And so it's it just takes a different different points of view of how to deal with situations, different types of situations.

So there are safety problems in the tight grid in the north side that are different than the safety problems in the south side.

You might have more people running red lights, for example, on short blocks and skinny streets than down where in south side it's more likely a speed issue.

Um, and so we we one advantage of uh being in an environment where you can do road diets, rearrange the street space um to get people more options to moving around, is they can there's still room for them to drive, but if there's more people that choose to drive or the same number of people choose to drive, it's gonna be there's more of them, they're gonna slow down naturally just because there's more of them on that street.

Um, so that's one reason why you see quite a few road diets in the south side is that there was so much space from decades ago uh that now it gives us a great opportunity to stitch together a great.

I mean, we call it a bike network, but you can use it for skateboards or scooters um so that when you have things like on-street bike lanes connected to the James River Park Trail, uh, the eventual fall line trail, all these sorts of things are gonna be wonderful connections where again people will be able to drive, but all the way from the down, even in Chesterfield County up through Southside, you won't have to drive your car.

That'll be great.

Yeah, thank you for that.

And I and I definitely have you know seen a lot of the work that is happening, but I I think that you know, we kind of my colleague and I see this a lot also, just being on the board of GRCC, where there are a lot of people that do have to drive.

They don't, you know, to where they work from.

Um, and so I was just interested in like really getting a better sense of understanding so that we can communicate it, you know, as well that these are the things that are happening specifically in those areas that we know.

And you answered my next question, which was gonna be about schools, where the timing of, you know, the timing that certain schools have to be open is also part of the timing of it being on a high entry network and people flying trying to get the work and so they're late.

So I was just wondering also, like, have you seen or what is the plan around that?

I'm I'm specifically talking about the one on Hall Street, too, because that one has been.

I think that it's it's not your typical time as like all of the middle schools.

It's later, it's on a high school level, so which means it's during rush hour, and the traffic is just bananas.

And and that's why we have a lot of issues over there.

So I was just like interested in hearing a little bit more about that.

But we can talk offline.

But I I do appreciate all the um work that has been going into South Side, and just I wanted to make sure that we were going back on the data because we've been dealing with a lot of that for a very long time.

And so I just want to make sure that when to your point we talk about priority, that priority is not today.

Was that well one advantage you'll see of all the construction that's already going on in South Side, so like Pole Street and Jank Road and some of these other major projects where um we're we're doing these big improvements, the construction alone is gonna help slow people down.

So the projects that were thought of many years ago that are finally funded and about to go under construction, that's gonna slow people down while these next projects are getting lined up to be done.

So there's a there's a lot of great stuff coming.

Thank you, Fondos.

We appreciate you, and thank you, Mr.

Bottle, you know, presentation.

Any other questions?

All right, thank you so much.

Madam Clerk, next presentation.

Good afternoon.

Michael Webb, urban forester with Department of Public Works.

We'll be speaking with you today about uh urban forestry and beautification efforts across the city.

So I wanted to start with talking about how the urban forestry division supports the mayoral action plan and specifically the six pillar thriving sustainable built environment, uh goal B and D, both uh inclusive of green infrastructure improvements and quality of life across the city.

Specifically goal B, uh our division maintains plants trees to provide a healthy and functional green spaces to all within the city.

Improvement of public realm maintenance.

Our division is dedicated to improving green infrastructure management through Right Tree Right Place.

Give you a broad overview of our division responsibilities through 311 requests we prune, remove and plant annually with our internal crews as well as supplement with contractor services, uh tree emergencies 24-7 in terms of if we have trees blocking streets, more major arteries through the city, uh debris management.

If we have a hurricane or a big storm, uh our staff also supplements the snow program and any permit issuance in regards to tree removal, tree planting requests, or uh particular maintenance that a citizen may be interested in performing to a city asset.

Our staff is housed by 16.

We've got nine staff in the operations and maintenance, including inclusive of three ISA certified arborists.

Our beautification team is five staff and planning.

We have two.

Most of those responsibilities include mulching, weed abatement, pruning of shrubs and trees, irrigation management on some of the roundabouts.

Most of those sites were traffic infrastructure improvements, so traffic circles, medians, bulbouts, traffic calmers, those sort of things.

And here's an overview of those 126 locations throughout the city.

So in 2023, we received ARPA funds for initiative to create gateways throughout the city of Richmond.

We completed seven as of now.

Those have been in the ground for there'll be their second growing season, and we have one remaining on Broad Street that will feature landscape lighting, and that will be completed in the fall of this year.

I'll just give you an overview of some of the snapshots of those locations.

So we've got Jenk Road and Chippenham Parkingway, Stanley Point Road, Grove Avenue and Hamilton Street, Azalea Avenue, West Over Hills Boulevard and Forest Hill Avenue, Richmond Highway, Walmsley Boulevard, and Belmont Road.

And now I'm going to talk a little bit about our tree canopy overview for our public spaces.

So we have 63% stocking, and what I mean by that is how many trees we have occupying those plantable spaces.

From our tree canopy assessment in 2010, we were at 42%.

From a recent one that was performed from the Chesapeake Bay Innovation Center, we're at 32%.

And so we've lost 10% canopy in that time period.

We've been at Tree City USA for 33 years, and this is a breakdown of our top five species.

And I will mention very briefly that some of these species aren't working.

So what's working years ago that was planted that occupies most of our plantable area are not able to be climate resilient.

They can't deal with this 104 heat index and drought that we have right now.

So just want to touch on that.

So 20% of that's only public space.

So we're losing a majority of our urban forests from private development.

So talking about our tree planting program, we planted 1,355 trees in the public right-of-way last year.

All of our planting services are contracted.

And this picture is some of those trees that went in the ground last year.

And these are small quanzan flowering cherries.

And I would like to highlight that I mentioned right tree right place.

Those trees are small stature and size, so they're not going to get large and go in the wires and cause issues where you know our Dominion goes and does improper pruning practices.

So talking about long-term planning for the urban forests of Richmond, we launched the Richmond Tree Plan, which is a four-year project last year in November.

And from then we've held several community engagement events, tabling events about the plan and what it will do.

From there, we're going to be finishing our urban tree canopy assessment.

We have a tree canopy assessment that was completed in 2025, but that was from a regional assessment from another from the Chesapeake Bay Innovation Center.

Ours is going to be hyper-local, very accurate.

We have brand new LIDAR imaging from DIT that's going to give us a really good idea of where we're losing canopy and where we can actually plant trees.

And so from all that information will guide us on to what we can actually achieve through community engagement efforts and how do we get there?

So then we'll be drafting the plan.

And so right tree right place is planting trees where they can belong, meaning not putting big trees in small spaces where they damage infrastructure, utility wires, water meters, those kind of things, putting the appropriate species, as well as climate resilient species that can deal with the heat and climate change.

And all of this will be in alignment with previous initiatives through Richmond 300, RVA Green 2050, and the H2O plan through DPU.

And with that, I'm gonna hand it over to Torrance Robinson to talk about our sidewalk maintenance.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair, Torrance Robinson, Deputy Director of Operations and Maintenance.

And I'll I know our time is running short, so I'll try to quickly go through the sidewalk maintenance program in the department.

The sidewalk maintenance program aligns with the mayor's pillars of sustainable built environment and thriving neighborhoods.

And that program consists of over 800 miles of existing sidewalk, 800 miles of existing sidewalk maintenance, which we break the maintenance we break up into three categories.

First category is large-scale maintenance, which we call CIP, but not to be confused with new CIP projects that's that's funded through geobonds.

This is uh city dollars and it's large scale sidewalk of typically of a block or more.

And the second category is maintenance spot repairs, which we do with in-house staff, and it's typically um up to 150 linear feet.

The uh the third uh maintenance that we do is uh shaving, which is uh concrete shaving, which is for lifts of over uh two and a half inches.

So again, the existing sidewalk program, the sidewalk maintenance program is funded through our complete streets budget, and the uh spot repair, which is category two on the previous slide, is funded through uh roadway maintenance dollars.

Uh since 2021, we've had a few highlights.

We've all we've um we've we've done with um with complete street dollars, over 200 city blocks have been reconstructed, and over 900 locations have been repaired through in-house with in-house forces.

Um going down to the third category, we've had over 2400 locations made safe through the shaving of concrete.

If you look at the chart to the left, the chart the it shows the amount of spending over the last five years based on the percent of sidewalk within each district.

So the first column on the left shows the percent of funding again over five years that was spent.

And if you look at the chart closely, the percent of funding aligns with aligns fairly closely with the amount of sidewalk that's in each uh that's in each district.

So, for example, the first district has uh 12% of the sidewalks with uh or existing sidewalk with within the city, and 13% of the budget has been uh or the funding was spent in there.

So just moving on.

And um, like I said, I wanted to quickly go through that.

So if there are any questions about sidewalk or any questions about uh trees, we'll be glad to ask, that's what we talk about over here because we would he said it good.

Oh well, my question was how do we pump up those district nine numbers but um but yeah more seriously like how do we um make the decision that we're able to invest in additional sidewalk what type of conditions you know are are amenable to that so we again this this presentation is about existing side maintenance so as you know the uh the district nine is annexed or has been annexed it doesn't have a lot of sidewalk but uh the spending does reflect the amount of maintenance is needed so if there's funding to be had that can be put into new sidewalk through via new development or through uh capital dollars then um we'll be glad to get them and glad to install them um I had some questions for the arborist um I'm sorry do we use do we utilize contractors for our for our work or do we do it all ourselves so Michael Webb Urban Forester so we supplement we don't assign all of the work to contractors we have an internal crew as well um it depends on the work it's like does it require a crane is it really big those sort of things um and I saw that you you said that we that we support neighborhood groups with planting can you say more about our the ability for private partners to assist with planting and with maintenance and and how we facilitate that.

So in terms of maintenance it would be easy as a no cost permit through our website if if the citizen or constituent wants to prune a tree for clearance or those sort of things if they want to plant it's the same thing so no cost um permit to plant in the public right of way and we have an approved list so it's not like it has to be one species but we like to see well we review those through a site visit.

And the question about the lost canopy is pretty significant what how can you speak to the city's plans to re regenerate and improve the canopy like how far along what what types of tactics are we hoping to use to regenerate that?

So I'll speak to two points on that.

Given we don't have the final urban canopy assessment we're look we're we're talking high level here so we know that we're losing it to private development because that's where the biggest green spaces are as well as um you know plantable space because it's 80% of richmond in terms of tools to slow that down um I don't know if you're aware but through code refresh there is uh inclusion or how to include the bill that recently got available to the entirety of the state of Virginia that is a tree it's a tree bank bill which basically if a developer can't meet a certain canopy coverage depending on the site classification whether it's commercial or residential then they have to pay into that canopy bank if they can maintain that canopy like what is already on the site or they can plant enough on the site within a certain amount of time it will reach that canopy size then they don't have to pay but that will be a pivotal tool whatever format it is whatever size or requirement but having something to slow down the loss as well as another component that we're urban foresters across the nation are trying to discuss is how do we get trees for residents funded to be able to be planted on their properties meaning through grant opportunities those aren't available right now but we're all talking how does that what does that program look like and because then you can populate those private spaces.

Thank you that sounds great and I I hope that the code refreshes maxing that out is what I hope to see.

How tightly do you couple the removal of trees, the planting of trees?

Do you try to do like a one for one-for-one, or do you just try to plant as much as you can and remove what you have to, or do you try to keep that relationship official?

We typically plant every year over the amount we remove in the public spaces.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I have a couple of questions for you.

How are the current 126 beautification locations selected?

And how is the city thinking about equitable distribution of beautification investments through the neighborhoods as the program expands?

So the first part of your question was how they're distributed.

A lot of these were traffic traffic initiatives to slow down, you know, like traffic calming, traffic circles.

So I can't speak to what how all those were prioritized, but in terms of how they were designed, they had, you know, they had plantable spaces to be a beautified area where whether it's shrubs and perennials or trees and fallbouts and medians and those sort of things.

Yeah, okay.

Um and then how is the field of urban foresty, you know, evolving beyond just like the canopy um goals and how is Richmond looking to position itself, of using you know, uh a department like urban forestry to advance part of like what was brought before us with the climate resilience and public health placemaking, et cetera.

So the goal with the Richmond Tree Plan is to have a community informed plan, and so behind that is understanding from a neighborhood level, uh specifically in our heat islands, how do we get canopy in those areas from an advocacy stand advocacy standpoint as well as from the standpoint of how do we plant in those areas?

Because it's not as easy as planting trees in urban heat islands because it's not in a public right-of-way sense.

There may not be a plantable tree well or tree lawn because it may just be sidewalk.

And so, as I mentioned earlier, if we can find a way to facilitate trees being large trees, not small trees, giveaways that can be planted in residents' properties, because some of sometimes that's the only plantable space.

And if it's private development, then you lose, you know, 100-year-old oaks that have you know vegetated an entire neighborhood, and therefore then it's a big blip of heat.

Um, and so in terms of stewardship for programmatic climate resilience, the plan will help address that.

And I know I've been asking this all the two years.

Is there any opportunities for the tree plan and beautification work to more intentionally incorporate cultural expression, local history, public art or neighborhood-led designs into the into public realm improvements?

I believe so, and I think that's a great consideration that I will share with our team as well as any community partners that we discuss with.

Yeah, I know I've been definitely asking about that.

And then one last question, two last questions.

But one is how does the how do you all coordinate beautification and tree planting work with accessibility goals for seniors, people with disabilities, and pedestrians using the public right away?

Great question.

So there are a myriad of times that we look at people request a tree, and we're like, we can't plant a tree there because it's gonna block either AA handicap accessibility concern for someone to be able to get out of their car as well as visibility um for pedestrians on a crosswalks, um, and then from a beautification sense, we have to look at what is that, you know, understory landscape, what's it gonna look like when it establishes?

Is it gonna block line of sight?

Is it going to impact you know, like you were saying, accessibility concerns?

And lastly, um uh my question was um about the cool the city program.

I know that some of that is part of the tree canopy and the program and essentially some of that incorporated, I believe, training or the hiring of arborists.

So, what is the status of that?

And how is that program connected to your um wheelhouse?

So I know that Groundwork RBA has the largest component of work of workforce development.

We don't have a component, the city of Richmond doesn't have a component of that, but um they have been in discussion and talks with how that um that program will function best and how those people can become an apprentice arborist and become an arborist.

There's been detailed discussions on how we can support that effort as well through a service learning projects across Richmond.

So those um workforce development is not the intention is to not be hired by the city.

No, I never said it wasn't the intention.

No, just asking.

I mean, I support that wholeheartedly because that's you know, you have hyperlocal experience of what's going on in Richmond in terms of what trees are working, where we need maintenance, where we need um more trees, those sort of things.

So we're not, we're not, but we're not actually working with groundworks.

They are the ones training them, and the training goes through them, and then they pretty much become certified through groundworks.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Thank you so much.

I'm sorry, one question.

You said what?

Heat maps, what about them you want to know?

Do we have she wants to do we have heat maps?

We do.

Is that something that we can get?

Okay, okay.

If you could get that to us, we'd be greatly appreciated.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, thank you so much, Mr.

Torrents.

Thank y'all.

All right, uh, Madam Clerk, we don't have any board vacancies.

We will do staff report.

Hello, thank you for another great land use housing and transportation committee meeting.

Um, so I have several items to follow up on.

Um, the Office of Sustain of Sustainability will provide data for where tall grass citations are being issued.

The Council Chief of Staff Office will develop an amendment to resolution 2026 R022 to incorporate the study into the one Richmond Housing Plan update expected by December 16th of this year.

I'm going to uh retrieve a list of the lighter, quicker, cheaper, quick build pipeline projects and their progress.

I'm going to follow up with Rdot regarding whole street school pickup and drop-off timing conflicts due to the location on the high injury network and subsequent street treatments.

Going to get information for how decisions are made to expand the sidewalk network in underserved areas, like the 2% in the 9th district, along with information for how the 126 beautification locations were selected.

And lastly, we're gonna get Ms.

Robertson those heat maps.

Our next meeting is scheduled for June 16th, where we will hear presentations from planning and development review on housing and business permitting timelines, along with a presentation from the housing and community development on surplus land and affordable housing.

You will also consider appointments to fill vacancies on the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board.

And that's it from me.

Thank you for your in-depth presentation and all the work that you've done to prepare for the meeting and great questions.

Thank you so much.

Uh Madam Clerk, if there is no further business, this meeting is adjourned.