All right, madam clerk.

We'll call the land use housing and transportation committee meeting to order.

Madam Clerk, can you read the chamber of emergency evacuation announcement?

Upon activation of the emergency alarm signal, all persons should immediately exit the building.

Please use the exits to the left or right front of the council chamber or the north or west stairwells outside of the rear doors of the chamber.

Do not use elevators or escalators.

At the exit in the building, security would direct everyone down 9th Street to the fenced area located between Clay and Lee Streets.

Able persons, so this is visually inherent pair of visitors with exiting the building.

Persons wish you to speak during the public comment period and or public hearings.

Persons appearing before the committee are now allowed to campaign for public office, promote private business ventures, use language or personal nature, which is also demeans any person, including comments directed at public officials or staff members that are not related to their official duties or just in question staff members directly.

All questions are to be directed to committee chair.

Fair to hear to the guidelines, members and speakers for any meaning time and further disciplinary action as necessary, which can include barn from attendance and future meetings of the committee for a period of six months.

Members of the public who register in advance to speak virtually will be called at the appropriate time, either during the public comment period or during the public hearing for the legislation on which they sign up to address.

This concludes the announcement.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Can we uh move to public comment period?

Oh well, yes, that's the public comment and then boards and commissions.

Is there anyone that would like to address the committee regarding items not on today's agenda?

Seeing none, the public comment period is now closed.

Thank you.

We'll do move to uh boards and commission report.

Okay.

Would you like to do the approval of the minutes?

Yes, ma'am.

The minutes to be approved from the June 16th, 2026 land use housing and transportation standing committee meeting.

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

Those minutes have been approved.

Good afternoon, Chair Jones, Vice Chair Robertson, Mr.

Breton, Pamela Nichols, Council Management Analyst.

And so I will be reviewing for you today the caring and projected vacancies through November of this month.

And starting with the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Supervisory Board, there is one vacancy for service provider assistant low-income individuals, and we have two applications from one from Karen Imus and Sandra Smith.

And we did reach out, and um staff does not have rejections for either any of these individuals.

So for the Affordable Housing Trust, we're going to continue the um service provider assistant low-income individuals to get more applications, and we're going to approve um the representative of a charitable institution.

Hi Banks, great, thank you.

And also would like to note that on the 21st, the mayor did fill his last vacancy for a lender from a financial institution, uh Mary White.

So she will be she has now um become a member of the affordable housing trust fund.

And then moving down to the commission of architectural review for Richmond Association of Realtors nominee, and we have a reappointment application from Larry Nutt and an initial application from Marie Crow.

Accept the reappointment.

We'll accept the reappointment.

Wonderful.

And then for the community transportation advisory committee.

Um we have Rodney Bonner and Kawisi Powell.

We what were you gonna say?

Yeah, so even though district representation is not a requirement, the um the roster currently assists of an individual from the first, third, and seventh district.

So let's continue that one as well to uh provide for more applications.

Okay, and then moving down to the public arts commission.

Um we have one vacancy and we have three applications, Yanika Buster, Kimley Newberry, and Kat Bromley.

We have received a recommendation that you all would consider um recommending Unique Abuster.

Okay.

Yep, that's good.

And for the um boards of commission for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority for a tenant representative.

We have a reappointment application from Diane Brody.

That's good.

Okay.

And that recommendation would also be before the organization development standing committee pursuant to the resolution.

And then moving on to for individuals who reside or have a principal place of employment in the city.

There are two vacancies.

Yes, for this is RRHA, correct?

That is correct.

Yeah, we're gonna continue those as well.

Okay.

Great, thank you.

Okay.

And then lastly, for the Safety and Healthy Streets Commission, you have two vacancies for uh individual qualified voter of the city who holds no office and is a transportation expert, and we have um received the request that you all would consider Lauren Breyer as well as Sarah Erkinson.

As long as so it so it's two vacancies.

Two vacancies, yes.

All right.

We'll accept those.

Okay, thank you.

And madam chair, so you all will will continue the to the October meeting.

Okay, wonderful.

Thank you.

And I move that we accept the slate as discussed.

Second.

The committee is voting on the motion to forward the actions for the appointment and reappointment applications as stated to council.

Mr.

Breton.

Aye.

Vice Chair Robertson.

Aye.

Chair Jones.

Aye.

That motion has been approved.

Thank you.

We'll move to the presentation.

Uh DHCD.

I'm trying to make sure I know which direction.

Okay, okay.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

I am Michelle Brown Peters, Deputy Director for Housing and Community Development.

Madam Chair and members of the loop committee, thank you for the opportunity to satisfy a requirement that is outlined in city code that we have to do a five-year evaluation of one of our twos and our toolbox.

And the evaluation calls for us to bring you information on the partial tax exemption program.

And so everything that we do on a daily basis is informed by pillar number two from the mayor action plan, and that is to contribute to thriving neighborhoods by making sure we're meeting the housing needs of the residents here in the city of Richmond.

And so this program is to incentivize the creation of new affordable units as well as the preservation of either a vacant building or existing units.

And to reduce the blight as well as simulate investment and encourage improvement in real property.

And so the goal is to provide more homes for more people and more ways to stay.

If you have a vacant building that's not contributing to a community and you are going to renovate it or preserve it to provide housing, then you are creating additional opportunities for renters here in the city of Richmond.

It's not limited to renters, though.

This program is for a homeowner who is on owner-occupied residential property.

If you meet the requirement of earning less than 80%, you can renovate your home as long as you increase the value by 20%, and you can benefit from the 15-year abatement of the tax.

And so to receive the exemption, your property must be at least 20 years old.

The ordinance is very specific.

It says it actually has to be in the same location for 20 years.

You have to be substantially rehabilitating the property.

And so that is defined by a 20% investment for single family and a 40% investment for multifamily.

Of course, it has to be a residential use.

It can be a mixed use building, but it's very clear in the ordinance that the commercial portion of that building is not getting a credit.

Only the residential, only the affordable residential gets the credit.

And the rent is capped at 30% of the household income.

And this is limited to individuals who earn no more than 80% of the merit area median income.

And so the first five years of the program, what has it supported?

And so when you look at the numbers, it may not jump out at you, but it is more than zero.

So in the first five years, the creation of 52 affordable units has transpired, has happened, has taken place, and 117 rate units have been provided, as well as the preservation of 130 affordable units.

These are the actual projects that are currently receiving the credit.

There are additional units to come online that are in our pipeline, but the numbers that you see here are the actual four applications that are actually receiving the credit.

And so impact today, we received 20 applications that have been submitted.

Of the 20 applications, seven were deemed ineligible.

We have 13 applications that were approved.

In that 13 applications that were approved, is that four projects that are completed.

So that four number at the very bottom is in the 13, which means we have nine projects that are in the pipeline.

20 applications came in, seven ineligible, 13 applications approved, four applications have completed the project.

They're at the end of the cycle, they're now benefiting from the credit, and we have a pipeline of nine projects.

So those numbers that you see beside the 13 applications represent the nine projects that are in the pipeline.

In the pipeline, we have 10 affordable units that are under renovation.

We have 142 affordable units that are under construction.

So the first one is preservation, where we use renovation, that's preservation.

The second one is new construction.

And then there are 146 market rate units that are currently under construction.

That's your pipeline.

Of the projects that are completed, we have 130 affordable units that have been preserved, 52 affordable units that have been constructed, and 117 market rate units that have been added to our housing stock.

So the financial impact of the program to date only include the four projects that are benefiting from the credit.

These numbers are not including the pipeline projects.

So of the four projects that are currently in receiving the credit, the credit is 253,440.

That's only the affordable units.

So any of those projects that are mixed use or have market and affordable, the only ones that are benefiting for the credit or receiving the credit are the affordable units.

And we do have that breakout.

The current revenue impact of the program is $86,976.

That's positive revenue impact because of the creation of the market units.

And again, this is all for just the affordable units.

This does not include the market.

The only reason we put the market rate units in there is so that you could see that those market units have allowed us to have a positive revenue of $86,976.

Here's a map of where all the projects are located throughout the city.

We have two projects in District 5, three projects in District 6, a project in District 7, 4 in District 8, and three projects in District 2.

So where do we go from here?

We we've been doing the program for five years.

We've had an opportunity to evaluate the program.

There are some things that jump out doing the evaluation.

One of the things I will highlight for you that we're working on is we need to do a better job of marketing the program.

You recognize that it's not just at this juncture that we have discovered that we've been figuring out how working with our comms team, how we can now right now, not waiting for a year when we're going to revamp the program or make changes to it, but how do we right now do a better job at marketing this too?

So we're asking, we're going to ask that we continue this program.

We do see it as a benefit.

Again, the numbers speak for itself.

No, it's not as many units as we would like to have, but it's definitely greater than zero.

And some of those buildings were sitting vacant.

So you you receive zero.

You receive the taxes off of that building sitting in its location vacant, not contributing to a community.

So we think the program is worth the while to continue.

We are updating the city strategic plan, as you have heard us say continuously to give us time.

We think that time that we are requesting will give us the data.

It will give us the opportunity to talk to developers.

It will give us the opportunity to continue to do the research to see where this program is working in other localities or jurisdictions that are similar to the city of Richmond.

It just gives us that time to do a comprehensive review to see how we can improve the program so that more people will use it and we can get additional units, affordable units as well as market rate units.

We are collaborating with the Department of Economic and Development.

They also have a partial tax for commercial, and we're trying to figure out a ways right now.

Their program, nor our program allows for a mixed use, mixed income type of abatement.

So if you have commercial, if you have residential, you have to pick one or the other.

If you do the residential program, you don't get any benefit from the commercial portion.

If you do the commercial program, you don't get up any benefit for the residential.

So the time that we're asking for next year to take a look at a holistic approach of how we should be structuring this program, we'll be collaborating with the Department of Economic Development to strengthen that, and that may be um allow us to have additional people to utilize the program and to provide commercial that's needed as well as affordable units and market rate units.

If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer your questions, but that concludes the update of the partial tax exemption program.

Thank you, Ms.

Peters.

I would like to know how we go about uh measuring and enforcing the affordability requirements after we grant something into the program and give the 15 year benefit.

So we have an annual review.

The program does have an annual review where all those who are participating are required to either, if they have a LATEC credit, the same package that they give to the state for their LATEC renewal, we get that package.

If they do not have LATEC, we get the annual rent roll, and we do inspections to verify that you are in fact providing the correct number of units based on your overall count, you're required to do 30% and to verify that you are not charging more than 30% of the tenants' income in rent.

And once we have this relationship with these buildings, are we interested or able to apply any additional requirements such as like an anti-demolition requirement or anything like that?

Do we do we impose additional city goals on these relationships besides the affordability?

We're I saw that question because we did get a list of questions, and we're taking that under advisement that when we're looking at additional things that we can do to enhance the program, and that's one of the things we'll take under advisement at this very moment.

I don't know the answer to that question.

I do hear you, um, it's my last one is um talking about marketing just to to use the program more.

Um, is there um would there also be a benefit to changing the requirements or you know, reducing the minimum size or the age beyond, or do you think there's enough capacity out there under their existing requirements to simply find more people to utilize this program?

Do we need to change the program or just market the program or should we also change it?

I think it's both.

I think we should do a better job.

I just think you can do a better job of marketing program right now.

You don't have to wait for the change to do that to get those who may not know about it, but are looking for ways to be able to provide affordable units or even market units.

Um, and then I do think we have to be realistic about the changes that maybe need that would be enticing that you don't have to do so much marketing, it'll speak for itself and individuals who would will come and make application and hopefully be successful and can benefit from the program.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Peters.

Uh question of the pipeline as well as those have been approved and that are in process.

Um any single family homes.

We had sorry, you finished?

Yes.

I'm sorry.

We had one single family home that was converted to a triplex, and out of that triplex, we got one unit.

That's the only um application that we've had for a single family.

I've had a lot of people to inquire, but they did not meet the income requirement in order to participate.

So when you're dealing with a single family, if you want to preserve your home or rehab or update it or do maintenance that you may have deferred, you have to meet the income of less than 80% of AMI.

Okay, so the question, the reason I'm asking about single family and single family existing owners participating.

Um the level of investment at 20% of the market value.

Right?

20% of assess that.

So with the escalation and so when we are dealing with affordable housing, um, and the homeowner, income level, 80% area medium income or less.

If their values of their homes have exceeded that affordability at 80% area of medium income, in order to make the repairs to their home that they need to make a requirement of 20% of an investment.

Uh, is where we started this initiative.

It's been at that for it since the beginning of time.

Um a lot of single family homeowners that uh add 80% income cannot afford 20% increase in investment to as a prerequisite for qualifying.

So when you look at the assessment of uh reevaluating the programming, um, I would strongly suggest that we be more sensitive to affordability for a family of 80% area medium income.

How much are we preserving existing homeowners at 80% with this initiative for tax relief?

Right.

Uh, and bringing the keeping their homes up to code and other kinds of investments that that they would be making as a part of their process.

Retaining existing home ownership is a major uh challenge for us.

And especially for families at this income.

So I want to believe, I don't know this factually.

You all may know from applications that you receive that the requirement for an increased investment up to 20% of the current escalated increase in values may be a greater impediment than the outcome resort that we would like to do, and that is preserve the opportunity for 80% early medium incomes to continue to be able to have decent quality homes and stay in the city of Richmond.

We'd like to just put that on the table as one of the criteria that are strongly evaluated.

And we evaluate, we will do that.

And because I've been the individual taking the applications, I can say to you that all the phone calls that we have received, it was not because of the 20% investment, it was income that was the issue for them while they wasn't eligible.

However, if an individual called and wanted to participate in this program because they had all these improvements they wanted to make, it may have been outside of our healthy homes program or the program that we're currently funding through federal for preservation.

I would share with them that they could apply if they were going to do any life safety improvements to their home, you know, with this program.

So we would refer them there that they might not get because you you the program for healthy homes not going to give you a specific type of cabinet and give you a uh fancy type of floor.

It gives you something in the middle, but something that would make it safe.

So if that's what they were trying to do is to address any deferred maintenance that's now creating a life safety issue with them staying in their homes, we do refer them to our existing preservation programs to see if those programs would meet the needs to keep the house safe and um lovable.

But most of the requests are not those types of repairs.

They're looking to, you know, they want to improve their home, they want to rehab, they want to do some life safety, but they also want some fancy windows, they want fancy flooring, but they make more than the 80% of area median income.

The 20% is not their issue.

But I do hear you, I have it in my mind.

We will write it down, and we would definitely look at it while we're evaluating the program.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Ms.

Peters.

Thank you.

All right, madam clerk, moving along to uh papers for consideration.

Item one, ordinance 2026 113 to amend city code concerning weeds and other resetation, and to amend by adding a new section concerning definitions for the purpose of establishing exemptions for Virginia friendly landscapes that pays before the committee.

Well, greetings, thank you for having me.

Uh Daniel Klein, I'm here with the Office of Sustainability to answer questions about the amendments that we made to the draft that we presented at the last meeting.

How's that's that better?

Great.

Um so we made a few revisions based off of the feedback that you all had, and then some of the community engagement that we did following the last land use housing and transportation meeting.

Um we've simplified this language, so we've moved away, we've struck the language that has to do with individuals certifying their yard, and we've simply added native plants to the list of exemptions that already exist uh in the in the Muni code for lawn heights.

Um the other two changes that we made are in the presentation that we handed you.

One is um we've changed the language around woody debris.

In the previous language, it talks a little bit about woody debris being unsightly and offensive, and we found that to be not very objective language, and so we updated that to uh essentially say that woody debris is allowed if it's included as part of a native landscape.

Um the last uh sort of update is is those in indicators of intentional stewardship, also known as cues to care.

What that means is things that uh homeowners and businesses can do to indicate to their neighbors and to code enforcement that their native landscape is on purpose.

It's not that they're letting their grass run wild.

So those are the major changes from our last session, and I'm here to answer questions, and I included some examples that you may want to see in that document.

I also added, we also added some more language around outreach and engagement following adoption of this pending adoption of this language.

So you could expect more presence of OOS staff at community meetings to talk about this type of landscaping, the benefits and resources available, as well as district meetings or any events, especially if there are specific events in your communities or your districts that you want us to be at, and you let us know, we can definitely make an effort to be there specifically to talk not just about this but other sustainability uh initiatives that we're working on.

Um we're gonna do public comment first, don't go too far in case we have these folks have 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 state your name for the record.

Good afternoon, um, Robin Allman.

Uh good afternoon, Chair Jones and Council members.

Um I live in the 5th district across from the city stadium.

Uh about two months ago I came to you uh to speak to ordinance two 2026-113, which aimed to amend the weed ordinances to promote native plants.

I was very grateful to you all when you moved to postpone the vote until some of the concerns raised were addressed.

And with the help of Wild Ones of Greater Richmond, of which I am a member, we listened to 14 interested organizations.

And happily, when we spoke with uh Tara Warden and Daniel Klein of the Office of Sustainability, they had already heard our concerns and addressed them.

The amended 2026 uh-113 is a better ordinance, and if adopted as amended, it is a beautiful example of democracy in action.

I certainly hope that we can continue to work with the Office of Sustainability to fine-tune their beautiful and hard work on the Virginia friendly landscape.

It has great bones and will be a great tool to promote our beautiful Richmond native plants and their pollinators.

And I thank you all for your willingness to work towards this goal.

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

Seeing none of the public hand is now closed, bring it back to the committee.

Thank you very much, madam chair.

Uh question.

I'm looking at your slide in regards to the 1,0452 weed violation and looking at the map.

So tell me what's the difference between the weed and the native plant and why are you bringing pointing us out to the violations for weeds?

Sure.

Um, that was a response or a request from the previous land use housing and transportation meeting where counselor Jones asked to see the breakdown of weed violations.

That was one of the reasons that we wanted to update this this ordinance so that folks who are growing native plants and establishing native landscaping and incorporating cues to care are not are no longer getting accidentally fined or violations from code enforcement.

So the idea is that this uh makes it basically brings folks into compliance who are already doing the right thing and makes it so that they can no longer or won't be fined accidentally.

Uh it also creates a pathway for folks who maybe be having trouble maintaining their yard.

So if they want to do this instead, this is an easier way to maintain a yard with less mowing and less irrigation.

And so the the incidence of violation should go down by sort of expanding this definition.

Okay, so for clarification, um the number of violations that we see here for weeds.

Are you saying that there may have been some confusion between weeds and native plants for these violations here?

And we was this legislation would clarify that so I will not get a violation for weeds when they're actually needed plants.

Exactly.

Is that correct?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, thank you very much.

Appreciate it.

All right, just want to say thank you for updating the proposal and for coming back with language that fits um and kind of breaks it down so that folks can really understand what it is that you all are attempting to do.

And for really agreeing to do more of the outreach.

That's one of the reasons why, based off of all of these violations, we asked that we'd make this also more educational for folks to really make and have a choice to decide whether or not they want to support this program.

And again, helping cut down on the folks like we have a lot of aging adults that can't cut their grass.

And so this is a way to really help with that.

So I appreciate all the work from the Office of Sustainability and just connecting with you to make this a great program for our residents, and we're looking forward to see it get jumped off and uh well, some is gonna be over soon, but we we looking forward to it.

So thank you.

Yeah, she has one more question, just one more question.

Um, because I want to make sure that the residents clearly understand uh maintenance of my property to have uh to avoid violation for weeds versus maintenance for native plants, because I don't want to send the message that native plants doesn't require maintenance as well.

Correct.

Native landscaping still does require maintenance.

Um it happens to be more seasonal, so folks typically do it every three months or four months because those are flowers, they tend to grow taller and they don't need to be mowed as much.

So it really one of the things that we did to help support this is we built a web page uh that includes a lot of information around what is and isn't a native plant, an invasive plant, etc.

So there's a lot of resources now for for homeowners.

There's a lot of organizations as well in Richmond who also do a lot of engagement around this.

So that should help clarify for folks like what kinds of maintenance works best for native landscaping.

But ostensibly, you can you can mow less often, you can water less often, uh and your your yard will still look really nice.

One last quick question on the numbers where we up on this sheet where it has the different areas that has the higher numbers.

Should we be looking for these numbers to go down once this program is launched?

I I hope so, but I don't want to commit to a hard yes or no.

Um, if we are doing our job and expanding the awareness of this program, those violations could go down.

Uh, but we'll be working with code enforcement on some additional training.

Um because we trying to make sure because if they go on wheat, no, I mean I'm just saying, but uh we also I mean, I think I I think we talked about this, but um there will be reporting, right?

Like you all will be reporting.

Did we uh add that as one of the amendments that like we get a report back on how the program is working, how many people have signed up so that we can monitor actually monitor whether or not we start to see these going down.

Yes, so this has a uh 90-day kind of roll out period.

So we have a little bit of uh a window to make sure that it's being received in the way that it's intended.

Okay, so Sophie, can you just follow up and make sure?

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Motion to approve, madam chair.

Second to approve.

Motion to approve or then it has amended.

Yes, thank you.

And I second that.

Okay.

The committee is rolling on the motion to forward item one ordinance 2026 113 to council with the recommendation to approve an amendment, Mr.

Breton.

Vice Chair Jones, Vice Chair Robinson.

I'm sorry.

Hi.

Chair Jones.

Aye.

That motion has been approved.

Paper number two.

Item two, ordinance 2026-166 to approve an amendment to the master plan of the city to incorporate the Oak Grove Hillside Bell Mean Community Plan, detailing the vision, guiding principles, goals, strategies, and big moves for development of and public investment in the Oak Grove Hillside and Bell Mead neighborhoods.

That papers before the committee.

Good afternoon, Chair Jones, Vice Chair Robertson, Councilman Breton, Mary Ann Pitts with uh Department of Planning and Development Review.

Today we're here to approve an amendment to the master plan to incorporate the Oak Grove Hillside Bellmead community plan.

This was a community plan crafted between 2023 and 2025, setting the vision for the area bounded by Morey, Commerce Road, Bellmead, and both sides of Richmond Highway.

This plan, the purpose of the plan was to address development pressure and guide the growth for this neighborhood, really focusing on how do we uh protect and allow for the residential neighborhood at the center to continue to uh thrive and exist while allowing for development to occur along the corridors of the surrounding neighborhood.

Uh planning commission approved this amendment to the master plan in October of 2025, and we're here to approve that amendment to the master plan.

I can provide additional details if you'd like on the specifics of that plan.

I know Councilperson Robertson was very involved as we worked through that plan.

It kind of shifted its purpose, its vision as we went through originally the focus was on looking at the redevelopment of Hillside.

Um it wasn't it wasn't one of the plan areas for Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority to be redeveloped.

So we continue to work on the plan, really focusing on the residents throughout the plan area and that development along the corridors and how do we support residents all throughout the entire plan area.

All right, thank you.

We'll do a public hearing, so don't go too far.

Anyone that would like to speak in opposition to item two.

Anyone that would like to speak in support to item two.

Seeing none, the public hearing is now closed, but I can get back to the committee.

Uh I don't have any questions, I don't think.

Um but I would like to say that um we are fortunate, we were grateful to be able to amend the master plan to include Hillside.

Um we are really looking forward to the opportunity to bring this back for an amendment to the master plan for the Oak Row Bell Mead community and appreciate all the work that have been done to get us to this place and for the benefit of my colleagues.

Um pay attention to the dates on this thing.

This is a long six-year.

Okay, so it takes a while to get through this total process of creating a plan, neighborhood engagement, and being ready to bring it back for an amendment to the master plan.

Um, but lots of work has been done, lots of community engagement, and one of the things that I would like to make a request is that we want to proceed with looking closely at the implementation strategy and the timeline for that and getting the community engaged with having at least uh semi-annual annual benchmarks of accomplishments so that people will know that we not only plan, we actually execute the plans as well.

But um thank you for the work that you've done and your total team and and the consultants that have helped us through this process, and um, we're looking forward to this amendment and motion Madam Chair for approval recommendation of approval to the full body.

Thank you.

And Madam Clerk, would you please add um my name to this legislation that started uh long before the only patron that is on it at the present time?

Um would appreciate that.

Thank you.

Shade.

Uh we don't have any more questions.

Thank you.

The committee is going on the motion to forward item two, ordinance 2026 166 to council with the recommendation to approve.

Mr.

Bretton.

Aye, Vice Chair Robertson, Chair Jones.

Aye.

That motion has been approved.

Thank you.

All right.

Paper number three.

Item three, resolution 2026 R024 to cause PDR to collaborate with the residents, residents and stakeholders in the Westwood neighborhood to evaluate and develop community informed design guidelines and strategies to preserve the cultural and historic character of the neighborhood and to provide a written report of such findings and recommendations.

That papers before the committee.

Thank you.

Yes.

So, madam chair, it is my honor to be introducing this resolution today.

This resolution requests that the Department of Planning and Development Review work alongside the residents of Historic Westwood to develop a community-driven neighborhood plan to amend the city master plan to identify the best tools to preserve the neighborhood's historic and cultural character, support long-term neighborhood stability, and guide future investments.

I'm going to say I've been trying to get this resolution to the floor since February 2025.

So I'm really glad to be here today finally hearing it.

And because I really believe it is an overdue for this kind of focused planning effort.

It also enters into the public record within those whereas clauses, a history of the outstanding history of the contributions of this neighborhood to the city and to the public record, which I believe is also highly valuable.

So I'm happy to see so many neighbors here to speak hopefully in favor of the resolution.

And I'm looking forward to hearing them speak about their neighborhood.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Breton.

Madam Clerk, because of the um amount of folks to speak to this paper, we are going to limit public comment to two minutes.

And so we can proceed with that now.

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

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

If you are able, please form a line at the podium.

Good afternoon.

Madam Chair and Co-Chair, and also to umbe our district um representative.

My name is Jeanette Brown.

I am uh the president of the Westwood Civic League.

I'm also associate minister at Westwood Baptist Church.

I also own the property at 5300 Stokes Lane, which my mother purchased in 1960.

And 19, I think it was 1969.

First property, a single mother, my mother, with four kids, was able to purchase.

The history is rich.

Over 150 years in existence.

We have had to fight to hold on to this community.

Uh the city in particular.

They wanted to turn this into a dog park.

That's the truth.

And ever since his existence, before we came into the city when we were in Hangraiko County, um, there were up here battles and fights with the city in terms of maintenance infrastructure, and we still have those.

30 seconds.

Will help us identify what needs to be done to preserve this rich history.

Not just that the city of Richmond benefits from, but the state as well as this country.

When you look at the numerous uh people that have come from Westwood and the impact that we've had.

In addition to that, in May 2026, we were listed on the list of most endangered places in the state of Virginia.

So if we don't do anything, that is your time, we lose it.

It is my request, hope and prayer that this will go forward, be approved so we can look at what we can do to save Westwood.

Thank you so much.

Good afternoon, Chair Jones, Vice Chair Robertson, Councilmember Brenton.

Um, my name is Amy Addocks.

I live in owner home in Historic Westwood.

I absolutely love the community and the neighborhood.

I have worked in cultural preservation and uh have a graduate degree in it from Brown University.

I've worked for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's African American Research Department, Monticello, the best preserved plantation in North America, as well as Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond, where I research uh the structural inequality in the city of Richmond and its impact on black communities.

Um I want to thank everybody who has written in and shown up today to support this resolution.

I also really want to thank Councilmember Bretton and Grady Hart for all the work that they've done behind the scenes.

Um, and I want to thank all of our fearless leaders who continue to fight for the community.

I feel very honored to be able to live in Westwood.

I would like to live there for the rest of my life.

I like my neighbors to live there too.

Um, and so I hope ask that you please vote in favor of this resolution and help us save Westwood.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, good afternoon.

I am Crystal Randall, a 50-year resident of Historic Westwood on Park Avenue.

Prior to our family's residency, we lived short term with my uncle and aunt Leonard Warden Jr.

and Wilhelmina Randolph Wharton after our first uh home suffered a fire.

My aunt and uncle are part of the Warden family that helped frame Westwood.

And my great grandfather helped his friend build a home on Parish Street.

Where I reside was the original part of my aunt and uncle's land when my parents were married, and my home now sits.

Historic Westwood community and our neighborhood is what you would want to pattern our city after.

The land isn't just historic.

What has been done with it is we have survived post-res reconstruction, Jim Crow, and redlining to produce doctors, lawyers, politicians, educators, entrepreneurs, and civil rights warriors to get here today.

I am in support of the resolution so that you may learn of us firsthand and eventually protect our neighborhood, its interest, and others like us to help continue our triumphs and preserve our land.

Thank you very much.

Good to see you.

Thank you so much for having us.

I am a homeowner in Historic Westwood.

I actually moved in in May of 2025, and I moved into new construction on the corner of Marion and Parish.

So I provide a different uh perspective and am honored to be here with my uh lifelong neighbors.

Umce I have moved into that new construction, I've already had my water pressure inexplicably uh and permanently decrease.

I've had several city trucks and a school bus be unable to make the turn at my property's corner and have dislodged sidewalk stones.

These have actually required me to have a professional come out to reset them already once.

Um we've also had a sinkhole open uh a few weeks after two heavy cherry picker city trucks came out and parked for hours down on parish.

Um I also have experienced uh issues from my land and the new houses development, including erosion, uh abandoned broken chain-linked fence portions left for me and the adjoining city of Richmond Westwood Park to deal with at some point in the future.

Uh, this includes poison oak and ivy that have grown through.

It's also left to be shared with the park, um, as the growth can't be addressed on my own property because of the chain link fence that's been left between the fences.

Um, so in summary, as one of the newer owned homeowners of new development in Westwood, I really I recognize the uniqueness of the neighborhood, um, not just historically in events that are truly the backbone of the city of Richmond, um, but even visibly with the diversity of architecture.

30 seconds, ecologically, with the mix of native species, including endangered bluebirds.

Uh, we even have a local fox.

Um, but I also recognize that uh it wasn't necessarily set up well to even support my single home new build development in the last year.

So, in summary, I ask um to please work with the residents already here to come to a common commonly livable solution and support this resolution.

Thank you.

Thank you.

To chair um first vice and um Andrew Breton.

My name is Tammy Rose, a long-time resident of Richmond, I mean of Westwood, historic Westwood.

And I today I would just want to talk to you a moment about the changes that may or may not occur for churches, our church is part of our community, and right now it is um zoned as resident, uh, residential.

If it changes to a mixed use, what is going to happen is going to be detrimental to our community.

One of the things we have our neighborhood backs up to the Jewish community center, and that's in Henryko.

They already own a lot on Stokes Lane.

If for any reason you do add to the draft or code refresh that churches would be um zoned as mixed use, what's going to happen is that that lot that the JCC owns could potentially they could have duplexes on it, they could make it mixed use as well because of the lack of concern in terms of 30 seconds, the um special use permits.

So I am for the resolution, and I hope that we will be able to change and make sure that the church is continue as a residential zone versus a mixed use, so that we won't have the encroachment on the back end of Westwood, which would be that of Henryco JCC, their Jewish Community Center.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I'm Robin Levy.

I reside in Bird Park, another beautiful historic district here in the city, speaking in support of the resolution.

Ask that you give the historic Westwood neighborhood the attention and protection it deserves.

Westwood is a century old neighborhood that has been home to generations of families.

It has provided stability, community, and an opportunity for residents to build wealth through the appreciation of their homes over many decades.

Today that legacy is at risk.

Surrounded by high-value neighborhoods, Westwood is increasingly vulnerable to redevelopment that could replace its historic homes with oversized new construction that bears little resemblance to the community that exists today.

Growth and invest and investment are important, but they should not come at the expense of erasing a neighborhood's history or displacing the people who helped create it.

Please protect this vulnerable neighborhood, preserve its character, respect the families who have called it home for generations, and ensure that progress does not come at the cost of its identity.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi.

I'm Ron Skinner.

Oh gosh, echoes.

Okay, is that good?

No.

All right.

Okay.

All right.

Anyway, well, I am here to speak in favor, of course, this resolution.

I was really tickled when uh brought it forward at a community meeting.

Uh although I wish it had teeth, but I guess you don't get any teeth at this stage.

Uh it's just in its infancy of protecting us.

I lived in Westwood for about 20 years.

I bought a house on tax sale.

I've loved it.

You can walk anywhere, you don't have to have a car.

Um, it is just in the other part of the neighborhood that I really like.

I really got this when I moved in.

There's there's so much of community there.

Obviously, I'm I'm not uh long-term residence here.

It was given as a black community.

You can read about, of course, Believe Black's book by uh what's his name anyway?

Anyway, there's a lot of history, and the thing you really pick up, and I picked this up from the house, because a lot of the contents were left in the house, the dignity of these people and how it was kept alive.

It's annoying to think how generally this group was treated just because it didn't have power.

And I'm hoping that we've gotten beyond that now.

I know we haven't totally, but at least in this body, we've gotten beyond that, and we can say this is worth saving.

This is one of the parts of Richmond, we don't tear down 30 seconds.

Hide it in shame because it was one of our better worst ideas.

So that's all I want to say.

It's worth keeping.

This is the better part of Richmond, so please help us preserve it.

And thanks for attending to this matter.

Thank you.

Could you please repeat your name or repeat your name?

Yes, Ron Skinner, Horn Street.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Councilferson.

Councilmember Jones, Council Member Robinson, uh, Councilperson Bretton.

Uh thank you for your time.

Thank you for your time.

My name is Trina Lewis, and I'm a trustee for Westwood Baptist Church, born and raised in the Westwood community, born and raised in a place where distant family member of mine, Arthur Ash is great-grandmother, grew up in this neighborhood and was uh part of my mother's circle, who also grew up in the neighborhood.

I was born in the neighborhood in 1963.

My uncle was born in the neighborhood in 1939, during a time when there wasn't a sewer system and wasn't going to be allowed as it was mentioned before that it was better to turn this community into a park than to have us black folks live in the community.

And that fight continues today.

So this is kind of I'm nervous because this is revisiting of some old um old policies, right?

You know, I grew up here where Senator Benjamin Lambert was a member of the church and invited me to my first council meeting, right?

I grew up here and now as an employee of the city of Richmond.

I know that this is a heartfelt moment.

You know, it's not, it's about gentrification and it's about upzoning that is causing some serious changes.

I grew up, my family grew up on Dunbar Street.

My grandmother, my uncle built a house on Glenburn on uh Dunbar from Snowdon Lane.

I grew up on Grant on Glenburnie Road, which was also a part of the Cunningham Ash family legacy.

Uh my mother passed a couple of years ago after living her whole life in the 30 seconds.

And I appeal to you to support this resolution.

We're here to work with you.

You see, all this is only a portion of the members.

We are Westwood.

We are Westwood Baptist Church, and this is an endangered plaque historical community, and I know we feel that all around, North Side, South Side, West End here.

Please help us to preserve it.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

My name is Cyan Crump, and I'm the executive director of Historic Richmond, and I'm here to speak today in support of the Westwood neighborhood and what and resolution 2026 R024.

We support the Westwood neighborhood and their request for a design overlay to help protect the neighborhood from planning decisions that are leading to displacement.

Westwood was founded more than 150 years ago, as you've heard, by the recently emancipated enslaved workers from the Patterson family plantation.

They bought a parcel of land, they built their community around a church, they built their own school and their own stores and their own homes.

Their self-sufficient small community thrived.

In 1944, it was annexed by the city as suburban Richmond development and circled them.

You have heard all of the residents speak about how the city took their taxes but refused to connect them to city water and sewer infrastructure.

And you have heard how they said, claiming that the community was unsanitary.

The city tried to demolish the entire neighborhood to make a park.

The city bust their kids across town rather than allow them to attend the West Hampton School across the street.

We've worked with this neighborhood and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to see the neighborhood officially recognized as historic.

But this does not mean that there are any protections to help save it from encroaching development.

This community's land has been taken for commercial development over and over again.

The federal government took their land to build a post office.

The city took their land to build the West End Library.

Market dynamics driven by the densification of the Patterson Libby corridor and this small neighborhood's proximity to higher value real estate today are leading to displacement.

Because of these developments, the city's tax assessments on Westwood's land values have increased approximately 50% in the past year.

So the city tax assessor is essentially saying we don't want you to stay here in your generational home.

Speculative developers have seen these small cottages not as affordable homes to be preserved, but as ripe for demolition to be replaced by McMansions.

That is we are pleased to see the city recognizing that its planning decisions have impacts on the historic Westwood neighborhood and its people.

This place is special and its people deserve a say in its future.

Please support this resolution.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Madam Clerk, you said we had a someone online to speak to the paper as well.

Yes, we did have someone sign up, but they do not appear to be online.

Thank you.

Public um hearing is now closed.

Bring it back to the committee.

Um thank you.

Um Councilman Bripton for this resolution and thank you to the community.

Um I think the last time I had an opportunity to really hear from the community, which really pulled out, pull my heartstrings deeply, is when uh we had a major development that was taking place right there next door to you guys when you came down and made the same plea that you're making today.

Uh I'm a little surprised that it's taken us this while to get to this resolution.

Uh because I had at the time on the planning commission felt like we had all agreed that this needed to be done for the integrity and the respect and the preservation of this neighborhood and the history of what this neighborhood means in the city and in many of our annexed communities that have been annexed into the city and where the investment uh because they are African uh created, built African American communities have not gotten the equity of investment as we see in other sections of the city.

So I first of all I want to I want to compete, commend each one of you for continuing to carry this and not let this just go away.

Um you may not be as many as it were when you initially created this neighborhood, but your voice can be just as powerful and just as strong and it's necessary because the history books will write us off as not having existence as a people that build our own communities, build our own churches and build our own schools and take care of ourselves, irregardless if political policy is willing to do total demolition and respect a dog park instead.

So I want to commend you.

I want to encourage you.

Uh I want to be added as a patron to this paper.

I thought this was well far along from the time we went to the planning commission, but thank God we're here where we are.

Um, but I also want to ask that we do a better do the best job possible to document the history of this.

I mean, to tell the full full story and document it not only in the city of Richmond, but in the state of Virginia, and that we get a proclamation.

Right, ladies, I know I just told you your voice can be heard, but um I don't want the clerk to tell you no clapping during the um, but we understand, and I appreciate the applause.

It's well earned.

Um it's it's painful.

It's regrettable to think of our history, and our history hasn't changed.

History is still doing some of the same policies and same procedures and dishonor and respecting uh people, especially people of color and especially African Americans.

Um we don't want to get lost in the color codes that we don't distinguish the fact that the injustice that has been done for years.

So I want to encourage you, thank you at me as a patron.

Um Mr.

Breton, let me be a support system in any way we can to make sure that we document this history and not only we documented that we do absolutely unconditional policies and procedures to protect the integrity and the culture of this neighborhood.

Absolutely.

Thank you so much.

Yeah, all right.

Thank you to everyone that came down to speak today.

Thank you to uh my colleague, councilmember Breton, and to Mr.

Hart, wherever you are, because I know I ride this man so hard.

I'm serious.

I we have had conversations on everything that you can think of when it comes to marginalized communities, and I'm proud of you for standing for this.

I think that um we're just gonna go ahead and somebody got to be the first, but I just want to really acknowledge in this moment not just what Westwood is and and and how Westwood is setting the tone for the mayor's pillar, right?

Of telling our story.

There are multiple communities, Creighton, Island Park, Hillside, Blackwell, Gilpin, Jackson Ward, Southside, granted, Westwood.

Like these are the communities that have held this city together for years.

And so we should take this and let it be an example of what we need to do and do right by people.

And so as we move with the coal refresh, I know that our team is working really hard to try and really move the needle on this, but at the same time, let us never forget.

And I am really glad that this has come forward because sometimes it just you sound like a broken record.

And you sit up here and you're constantly advocating for these neighborhoods, Southside.

Like you say, it was annexed.

And so a lot of this is still happening today.

And because so much of it is happening.

And that is true allyship to really be able to help and move these communities forward that have been left behind for so long.

And so I think this is a testament to show that we can do this, and we can work together as council to really and truly honor the history, you know, the policies that have been wronged in some of what we're trying to write through this code refresh and really be um sensitive but also intentional about what it is that we are attempting to do.

So again, hats off to you.

And I know they put the pressure on you.

Where's Ms.

Tammy?

I remember the day she came.

She sat right in that corner over there, and I said, Oh, not the lady that came down from Westwood, not you putting in a resolution, because remember she came down, and I was like, okay, but you know, this is what we're trying to encourage our communities in the big six in-house, and y'all are here today to do exactly what you are doing.

Use your voice and so that folks can know that you are here, and we need to see more of you once this is passed so that you can continue to open the door for so many that need to come behind all of us.

So again, thank you.

Um you have anything.

Well, I do have a small procedural step, I just have to say before we complete.

Yep.

You got you got a letter?

No, no, no.

No, it's not a it's no.

Um, I just want to say that there's technically the the paper that is has been introduced.

Um there is an um an amendment that we will be introducing before we vote on it.

I just want to clarify what that is so you know what you work in to co-patriot.

It's um it's primarily clarifying the uh outer limits of the neighborhood to be clear about Dunbar Street to come on Burney and Stokes Lane to the north side of Patterson Avenue.

Some of that labeling is missing from the paper.

So there's also some additional history has been added into the whereas clauses just to continue to tell more of the story.

Um, and a few of the goals are have been edited um just for clarity and uh uh so that is the there's some small amendments here because of the resolution, we are able to do that in real time as we go.

I just want to make sure that you're aware of those as you continue to support the paper.

Um Madam Clerk, can you add me to the paper as well?

Um all righty.

Well, um, it is my honor to uh recommend that we um forward this for approval to council.

Center approval with an amendment exactly okay.

Second.

The committee is voting on the motion to forward item three resolution 2026 R024 to council with the recommendation to approve with an amendment.

Mr.

Brenton.

Aye, Vice Chair Robertson.

Aye, Chair Jones, aye.

That motion has been approved.

Thank you, madam clerk.

All right, we'll do four and five in the block.

Item four, resolution 2026, R026 to express the city council support for and request the Commonwealth Transportation Board to provide funding for Chesterfield County's smart scale round seven candidate projects for 2026 and item five resolution 2026 R027 to express city council support for and to request the Commonwealth Transportation Board to provide funding for her Renko Counties Smart Scale Round 7 candidate projects for 2026.

Those papers are before the committee.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the committee.

Uh my name is Daniel Wagner.

Here to speak to these two papers.

So this resolution of support will allow our partners in the region to pursue applications for the state's smart scale program.

Um you'll remember that a few months back we brought forth a resolution uh of support for the city's projects.

Now that we've gotten all the information from our colleagues across the region, we now can uh submit resolutions of support for their projects.

The important piece of the puzzle here is if we do not adopt um a resolution of support for their projects that are adjacent to the city, then they will be screened out of contention.

Um so we want to give these folks the opportunity to have their projects heard, just like the city will ours.

Um RICO has already adopted resolutions of support for our projects.

Chesterfield will be adopting ours within the next couple of weeks.

Um it's very important that we push these forward.

It's also a good uh recognition of the partnership that we have with our regional uh partners.

So Chesterfield, for example, um has a project that is just on the outskirts of the city.

You'll see it says interchange improvements.

Um we do not mean widening an interchange.

Uh we've actually partnered with them to provide um some traffic calming along Hull Street.

So on the city side, we have a project that's been submitted as an application right outside River City Middle School to ensure that we're slowing folks down uh coming down Hall Street into the city.

And Chesterfield is doing their part by attempting to get funded their part of the project on their side of the city-county line.

So that's just a good example of how we can use these processes to plan together and then make those really critical investments that keep everyone safe across the corridors because we know that those don't stop at the county line.

Um we continue to see unsafe driving behavior and we need to invest in those corridors accordingly.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, let's call the public hearing on the paper.

Is there anyone that would like to speak in opposition to item four and five?

Is there anyone that would like to speak in support to items four and five?

Seeing none to public hearing is now closed, bringing it back to the committee.

Okay.

Second.

The committee is voting on the motion to forward item five resolution 2026, R020 R026 and resolution 2026 R027 to council with the recommendation to approve.

Mr.

Breton, aye.

Vice Chair Robertson.

Aye.

Chair Jones.

Aye.

That motion has been approved.

All right, number six.

Resolution 2026 R029 to request that the CAU, CAO execute a joint Gilpin transformation working group MOU between the city and RRHA to establish the intended roles of the parties as partners in the redevelopment of Gilpin Court and to request that the CAO enter a similar MOU with RRHA for future redevelopment of other Richmond public housing communities.

That papers before the committee.

Good afternoon, uh Chair Jones and uh members of the committee.

I'm Thad Williamson, senior policy strategist in the mayor's office.

Um really excited to be moving the ball in a significant way on one of the city's most significant challenges and one of Mayor Abula's uh top priorities.

And this is relates to development of memorandum of understanding between the Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority and the City of Richmond to govern how public housing redevelopment, not only in Gilpin Court, our largest and oldest public housing community, but public housing citywide needs to take place in ways that establish transparency, establish clear lines of authority, and establish critical commitments to our residents.

And so I just want to say a word before I hand over to my colleague, uh Miss Ebert to walk through uh the MOU and the slides.

Just a couple of background things.

First, you know, uh, I don't know if I can move the slide.

Oh, okay.

It's been a minute.

So since I've been up here.

But anyway, um, the uh a couple of basic premises.

One, uh, I don't think this is controversial, but the conditions in our public housing communities are are really uh not something we should be proud of as a city and we can do better, we must do better.

But also, and one of the reasons change has been taken such a long time is it's truly a difficult thing because we're trying to significantly improve the quality of our deeply subsidized housing without reducing its quantity.

And that's where the one-for-one replacement uh is such a core commitment.

And so we want to make sure we're creating better living environments and better neighborhoods for our kids to grow up with and to thrive and really create the city, a thriving city with all in which all people and places thrive.

Um, and so that's it's difficult given our resources.

So our observation for the mayor's team coming in last year was that we needed to take some time to uh clearly articulate our expectations for the housing authority and to the community about how we believe this needs to go to be successful, but also uh this is a two bigger project for the housing authority alone, for the city alone.

We need to come together, and then we're going to need to pull other people on as well from really every sector of the city.

So this is an important start.

And the last thing I'll say, besides the fact that it's really been a pleasure to work with Mr.

Nesmith's team on negotiating this MOU that's before you.

We're actually not even required to get council sign-off on this, but we thought it was critically important to ask for you to do so because we want to show that the council and administration are completely on the same page as to what's happening, and also because we believe city council, specifically this committee has a critical role to play in holding us both accountable, both the city and the and the housing authorities.

We want your full buy-in, so that's why this resolution is before you.

So now I'll turn it over to our DCO, Sharon Ebert, to walk through some of the specifics.

Thank you.

Thank you, uh, Mr.

Williams and Chair Jones, Vice Chair Robertson, Council Member Britton.

Um thank you for having us this afternoon, Sharon Ebert, I'm the DCAO for planning and economic development, and along with Mr.

Williamson, um Amy Popovich, uh DCAO for human services, and Merrick Malone, the director of housing and community development, have been part of the core team negotiating with RRHA, and we also have support from Sarah Carpenter in the mayor's office as a senior policy advisor helping us with the documents.

Along with our RHA's team and CEO Stephen Neesmith, who has uh been very active and willing to get this MOU finished.

So we thank him and his team.

Um of the terms of the MOU, we know that you've had an opportunity to review it, but for everybody else's consumption, we're asking uh that the MOU create a joint Gilpin Transform transformation working group, which will consist of senior staff from both the city and the housing authority with expertise in public housing and operational authority to lead the execution of the plan.

And the plan is the Jackson Ward Community Plan.

And I hope that each of you received an electronic copy of the plan last week.

Um the working group will ensure that that Jackson Ward Community Plan is being properly implemented and aligned with the vision and goals and objectives developed by the Gilpin Court residents as well as the community stakeholders that took an active role in creating that plan.

The city and the housing authority will, as one of its first steps, uh establish a Jackson Ward Community Plan Steering Committee.

And it is uh our hope that the steering committee uh will be an active participant uh in helping to advise us along the way.

Uh the committee is uh set up to meet with the city and the housing authority representatives on a monthly basis to provide guidance and advice and resident input throughout the entire transformation process, and we know that this is not a short-term process.

We anticipate this process to take at least 10 years.

Um so the city will have the executive authority to implement the overall plan.

Uh, that means that the housing plan, the neighborhood plan, and the people plan will all be um under our authority.

However, there is a specific carve out in the housing plan for Gilpin Court and any of the properties that the housing authority owns within Jackson Ward, um, and they will take the lead in all aspects of that housing component.

Um we've already hired the people planager, uh, Mr.

Edward Richards uh started last Monday, um, and we're excited that he has joined uh the team, and we are in the process of posting a position for a senior advisor for public housing transformation uh later this month.

Um so we have started to do some of the um very first implementation steps.

Um I want to point to several principles, guiding principles in the Jackson Ward community plan that we will be following.

Um we will incorporate continuous community engagement and community capacity building.

We will be resident resident-centered and we'll support and partner with residents throughout all phases of the implementation process.

We'll include meaningful participation by community businesses and community organizations.

We will recognize and incorporate black art, culture, and traditions in our work.

We will provide a defined range of neighborhood services and amenities accessible to all residents.

We will be inclusive of all residents and support individual economic advancement and local community-based businesses.

In addition, we will include a broad range of housing types in the redevelopment of the neighborhood, serving a wide range of household incomes with priority to the replacement of all GIP and court housing units.

We will include a multiple of homeownership structures for existing and future residents as well.

The plan incorporates multiple community benefit goals, and here are just a few and important ones.

One for one replacement of all 781 deeply affordable housing units.

One of the first things we will do under our people plan is to assess all of the residential households living in Gilpin Court and provide and offer case management services to them to meet their identified needs, helping to advance those who want to economically and educationally and obtain and maintain stable quality housing and jobs.

Excuse me, forward needed progress on one of the city's most pressing and difficult challenges.

The finalized document is expected to be considered for approval by the RRHA board.

We've gone twice to the board in June and in July to present and offer uh answers to any questions they may have, and we're very optimistic that the housing authority board will support this MOU based on those conversations.

Uh and we are here today hoping that you will also support the MOU.

And we're available to answer any questions, and I'd like to turn the mic over for just a few minutes for Mr.

Stephen Neismith, the CEO of RRHA to provide comment.

Thank you, Sharon.

Madam Chairman Vice Chair, Councilman Brenton, and uh staff.

I just want to quickly say that uh as a song says, and no, I'm not gonna do any singing.

It's it's been it's been a long time coming.

And we've it's it's been a long time.

We know we've been through ups and downs, but I think at the end of the day, we're in a place where we need to be.

As I told Mayor Vulu when Issahi and I spoke on this phone, if we can all uh execute what is contemplated uh in the MOU.

Uh it will be, I believe, uh the largest partnership and potential investment uh to transform in a transformational way, uh redevelop not only public housing but it's its sister and that's called affordable housing.

I want to conclude by saying I want to thank our um our board of commissioners because along the way my team and my team and I, boy, we what I love about team, we go back and forth and yes and no, Mr.

Nesma, if you're right or wrong.

Um, thank my team.

Lots of hours.

They spent uh some weekends for which I will not compensate them for.

I don't think our board, uh, our board of commissioners.

Um they were is uh Sharon Ebers here was with us all the way, and they went some back and forth as well.

And I thank the leadership uh of uh Chair Jackson and Chair Parker.

Thank you.

Let's do a public hearing on the paper first.

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

Is there anyone that would like to speak a support to item six?

Seeing none, the public hearing is now closed, bring it back to the committee.

Yeah, I mean thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank you, Mr.

Wimson, Ms.

Ebert, and Mr.

Ned Smith for the collaborative negotiation and conversation and back and forth and um getting to the place where we are today.

I think uh MOU between the city and the housing authority is um one of those kinds of things that historically we have had some type of agreement with the city and the housing authority in the past, and so somewhere along the line we uh failed to continue to have those kinds of agreements in place, and so this is a grand opportunity to get back to that place of having uh mutually agreed upon MOU with the city and with the housing authority as it relates to the redevelopment of our public housing community, which is um a major undertaking.

Um we just recently received an email from someone in regards to some concerns that they have that they wanted us to make sure that we tighten up some of the language in this MOU.

Um I just received this uh 330.

So we have not this came after the committee met, so we haven't had an opportunity to review this.

Um I do uh wanna make sure that as we go through this process that we are sharing information uh throughout the process.

We've spent a lot of money and a lot of time putting together the Jackson Ward plan or quite some time.

And like many things that happen in the city, we we spent a lot of time investing and putting together some plans and uh making sure that we are hearing the voice of the residents to only find out when the paper is before us for a vote.

People are concerned that we haven't covered all of the areas that we need to cover.

So we want to make sure that we do that, and I think that is um that's a continual process.

It's kind of like folk like me that um only put gas in my car when it yells.

Uh and some people don't yell until it's time to cast a vote, then they pay attention.

And I'm not suggesting that all people are like me.

Um, but I am suggesting that we should keep short accounts with everyone that is involved in the process and make sure that they're continually hearing us and that they are also going along with where we are and the progress that had been made and where there are opportunities that are necessary or just good policy that we be willing to come back and do amendments as we need to.

Like you said, Miss Ebert, this is a long-term agreement, and I think that it's wise for us to uh agree that in addition to the adopting the MOU that we agree also that we will put together an implementation strategy that would come back from the administration and partnership with the housing authority and the organizational representation of the residents of the community of Jackson Ward as well as the uh Richmond Redevelopment Housing Tenant Associations and related organizations, so that the implementation agreement is well spelled out and it's mapped out, and people can feel very comfortable that they will always be at the table.

All of us, not just one over the other, all of us will be at the table.

I respect the fact that you did not have to bring this to city council, but I would also like to say if you expect the appropriation, I think you're wise to bring it to us, okay.

But I would also like to say if you expect the appropriation, I think you're wise to bring it to us, okay?

Just putting it out there.

Um, because this will not happen without the final vote of appropriation from the city council.

So I'm grateful that you recognize the necessity, not requirement, but the necessity of council being involved throughout this process.

Residents that live in Jackson Ward and in Richmond Redevelopment communities are citizens of the city of Richmond.

And that put us at the front seat of accountability and responsibility.

And so we want to make sure that I'm asking for an implementation strategy and plan of action.

I want it to be accompanied with roles that the city is going to play the housing authority, what council needs to play.

Because when the budget comes, that's the time that you are gonna really know that we may we this this MOU is serious.

With no dollars appropriated right now, it's a great uh policy document.

Uh that we want to make sure the lifeline of it goes beyond any administration.

And so that implementation strategy is something that I think is extremely important.

I'm sure that some of the concerns that have come to us from a citizen in the last in the you know, first 30 minutes of this are some of the things that we want to make sure that we all look at.

Um it may not require an amendment to this MOU at the state, but it should definitely address the concerns within the implementation strategy to give everyone comfort that we are not leaving something undone in the process.

So with that, um Madam Chair, uh motion for approval.

I understand that there's still dialogue.

I'm just putting the motion on the table.

Thank you.

When Ms.

Robinson speaks, you say, okay, their motion is on it.

Um just really quickly, thank you for the presentation.

I agree with my colleague, Ms.

Robinson, about just needing a greater um breakdown of what you know is actually gonna work.

Like I think two things that immediately come to mind for me when we talk about the people plan is are we aligning this with the RBA rising, like the work that's being done through that?

So that's one of my questions.

The other question is, you know, I guess what does the plan entail?

Um, and then um because the big six was never in the master plan, and I think you if I'm correct me if I'm wrong, but yeah, I was about to say, but it was amended and it went back in it.

How does this align with the co-refresh?

Like that's one of my concerns, my questions.

Um, and how if if if it does, I think that's something that we need to address because if we rezone in and then we changing from what is, and you named about like a couple of different neighborhoods in different areas.

So I think that is something that we should definitely be looking at to ensure that we don't set something up and then have to come back later and be like, oh, we missed that.

So I think this is a prime time to really be thinking about those kind of in tandem.

So the co-refresh and this plan moving forward.

Um, and as Mr.

Robinson stated, um we did get some some questions from the Gilpin informed uh residents, but I see that there is they are inclusive of this MOU, but I think we do want to take time to read that and hear what they are asking.

Maybe they have also already shared that with you all.

If not, I would they have okay, great.

Um, and then my other question was this people plan, like I think that this MOU is great, and I really am excited about this people plan and how it's gonna move.

But I guess my question is for those that are and have already moved out of public housing but are across the city with vouchers, but they did never, they never were a part of the people plan and they're still struggling.

How do we plan to work with them?

Like I think that is something to think about as well, because like I have a number of affordable, Ms.

Robinson, we have a number of affordable housing projects that are coming up, and we are advocating for vouchers and we're advocating.

We know that people are moving into those um those projects, but they are they are not part of this people plan.

So I think that that is something that we should think about, that they are those that are already have moved on and living in new housing, have vouchers, but have not had the level of support and resources that is going to come from this people plan from the Gilpin.

So I do think we need to think about those as well.

Um and I don't know how we do that or how we pull and look and see who has what, but I really think um that is an important so that everybody, because when we talk about equitable equity, you know, we can't do something over here and then forget those that are still um trying to uh you know move towards economic mobility.

So I do think that that's important.

And lastly, um I think that um you know, I want to thank you all, Mr.

Williamson, uh DCL Ebert and the rest of the team for bringing this to us.

As you said, you didn't have to, but I think this just represents uh, you know, a working collaborative approach that takes into account being inclusive.

And this is about every resident, whether you live in a big six or you live, you know, someplace else.

And so that to me is a is a sign, you know, that we are taking those things into account and really I said it earlier, just continuing to be intentional about our residents that are living at the lowest um you know, economic rate in this city.

And so um, as this builds out and as it continues to go, I look forward to land use, as you said, walking lockstep with you and really being able to report out here to be able to show the growth and show what is happening so that people can fully um know that this investment is not something that we're just doing just to be doing, but that we are really looking to transform.

This is about transformation, and so we are really looking for that.

And as my Ms.

Robinson said, as council, making sure that when we invest in that, it is true transformation, not we want to make sure we have capacity, we're not taking on something that we can't, and then we like, oh, we can't get to that.

So those are some of the things that I would be interested in seeing moving forward.

But thank you so much.

Thank you for bringing this forward.

And the motion is on the floor.

So I second that motion.

The committee is going on the motion to forward item six resolution 2026 R029 to council with the recommendation to approve, Mr.

Burton.

Aye.

Vice Chair Robertson.

Aye, Chair Jones.

That motion has been approved.

Thank you, madam chair.

All right, we're going to move to oh, discussion items is that you, Sophie, with the August committee meeting.

And we're not meeting in August.

There is no meeting in August.

Thank you.

Um, and so we do want to you you all have had a chance to look at the um adoption, the schedule for the rest of the year, correct?

Yes, yes.

All right.

Um, so do we need to vote on that?

Or we just no?

Okay.

Well, we'll turn it over to Sophie, our lovely land use and housing transportation uh policy.

Thank you, Chair Jones.

Um, so as you stated, there will be no August meeting.

Um, our next meeting will be Tuesday, September 22nd.

There we will hear a rescheduled presentation from the Department of Economic Development on their annual real estate report and a presentation from housing and community development and aging and neighborhood services on seniors in housing and aging in place.

Um, I logged a few things to follow up with y'all on.

Um, the first is from HTD's presentation.

Uh, they will look at the feasibility and legality of requiring additional conditions like anti-demolition to properties that receive the partial tax exemption.

And we'll also look into the 20% improvement investment threshold for single family homes in their program evaluation for the native plan ordinance if it's adopted at City Council.

I'll follow up with the Office of Sustainability after the 90-day rollout period and get an update, and I'll also keep an eye on this with future presentation planning and we'll send over the website they talked about.

For the Oak Grove Hillside Bell Mead Community Plan, I'll follow up PDR to share implementation benchmarks and timeline.

And for the joint Gelpin Transformation Working Group MOU, I'll follow up with staff for further details, including an implementation strategy alignment with RPA Rising and Code Refresh and ways to provide increased levels of support for folks outside of the people plan who receive housing vouchers.

Thank you so much, Sophie.

Sophie is very detail oriented and has been really helping to get our presentations in in a good way.

So thank you.

And with that, um, if there's no further business, this meeting is adjourned.