Richmond Land Use Housing and Transportation Committee Meeting - July 22, 2026
Richmond Land Use, Housing and Transportation Committee Meeting - July 22, 2026
The Land Use, Housing and Transportation Committee of the Richmond City Council met on July 22, 2026, at 2:15 PM to consider a range of items including appointments to boards and commissions, a five-year evaluation of the partial tax exemption program, an amendment to the weed ordinance to allow native plants, adoption of the Oak Grove Hillside Bellmead community plan, a resolution to support planning in the Historic Westwood neighborhood, resolutions supporting Smart Scale projects for Chesterfield and Henrico, and a memorandum of understanding for the Gilpin Court redevelopment. All members (Chair Jones, Vice Chair Robertson, Councilmember Breton) were present.
Appointments to Boards and Commissions
- The committee approved a slate of appointments and reappointments, including: Karen Imus and Sandra Smith for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (service provider vacancy continued); Larry Nutt reappointed and Marie Crow for the Commission of Architectural Review (Realtor nominee); Yannicka Buster recommended for the Public Arts Commission; Diane Brody reappointed as tenant representative for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA); and Lauren Breyer and Sarah Erkinson for the Safety and Healthy Streets Commission (transportation experts). Several vacancies were continued to allow for more applications.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 1 (Weeds/Native Plants Ordinance): Robin Allman (5th District resident, Wild Ones of Greater Richmond member) spoke in support, praising the amended ordinance as a “beautiful example of democracy in action” and thanking the Office of Sustainability for addressing previous concerns.
- Item 3 (Westwood Neighborhood Resolution): Nine speakers supported the resolution, including Jeanette Brown (President, Westwood Civic League), who noted the neighborhood’s 150-year history and its listing as one of Virginia’s most endangered places (May 2026). Other residents (Amy Addocks, Crystal Randall, Tammy Rose, Trina Lewis, Ron Skinner) emphasized historic contributions, threats from redevelopment (e.g., “McMansions” replacing cottages, infrastructure failures), and the need for protections. Tammy Rose raised concerns about potential zoning changes affecting churches. Robin Levy (Bird Park resident) urged preservation to avoid displacement. Cyan Crump (Executive Director, Historic Richmond) detailed the city’s past neglect (e.g., refusing water/sewer, attempting demolition for a dog park) and reported a 50% increase in tax assessments over the past year, pressuring generational homeowners. All speakers requested approval.
Discussion Items
- Partial Tax Exemption Program (Five-Year Evaluation): Michelle Brown Peters (Deputy Director, Housing and Community Development) presented findings. The program incentivizes affordable housing creation/preservation via 15-year tax abatement for properties at least 20 years old with 20% (single-family) or 40% (multifamily) rehabilitation investment. To date, 20 applications were submitted; 7 ineligible, 13 approved, and 4 completed projects. Completed projects yielded 52 affordable units constructed, 130 preserved, and 117 market-rate units created. Pipeline includes 10 affordable units under renovation and 142 under construction. The current tax credit for affordable units totals $253,440, with a positive revenue impact of $86,976 from market units. Councilmember Robertson questioned enforcement (annual rent roll and inspection) and suggested adding anti-demolition conditions. She also raised concerns about the 20% improvement threshold for low-income homeowners (80% AMI), noting it may be a barrier; Peters committed to evaluating thresholds. On marketing, Peters said efforts would improve, but program changes may also be needed.
- Item 1: Ordinance 2026-113 (Weeds/Native Plants): Daniel Klein (Office of Sustainability) presented revisions: struck certification language, added native plants to lawn-height exemptions, clarified woody debris as part of native landscapes, and added “cues to care” (indicators of intentional stewardship). The ordinance includes a 90-day rollout period with reporting. Chair Jones emphasized educational outreach to reduce weed violations (presented a map of existing violations). The committee supported the updated language.
- Item 2: Ordinance 2026-166 (Oak Grove Hillside Bellmead Community Plan): Mary Ann Pitts (Department of Planning and Development Review) explained the plan, developed 2023–2025, covering the area bounded by Morey, Commerce Road, Bellmead, and both sides of Richmond Highway. It addresses development pressure while preserving the residential core. Planning Commission approved it in October 2025. Councilmember Robertson praised the community engagement and requested semi-annual implementation benchmarks.
- Item 3: Resolution 2026-R024 (Westwood Neighborhood): Councilmember Breton introduced the resolution, asking PDR to collaborate with residents to create a community-driven plan to preserve historic and cultural character. Amendments clarified boundaries (including Dunbar Street, Burney and Stokes Lane, north side of Patterson Avenue) and added historical clauses. Councilmember Robertson and Chair Jones expressed strong support, stressing the need to rectify past injustices and document the neighborhood’s history. Councilmember Robertson noted the city’s history of annexing and under-investing in African American communities.
- Items 4 & 5: Resolutions 2026-R026 and R027 (Smart Scale Projects): Daniel Wagner presented. The resolutions support Chesterfield and Henrico County Smart Scale round 7 projects, which include interchange improvements and traffic calming on Hull Street. Wagner explained that failure to adopt would screen out adjacent projects; Henrico and Chesterfield have already supported Richmond’s projects.
- Item 6: Resolution 2026-R029 (Gilpin Court MOU): Thad Williamson and Sharon Ebert (Mayor’s Office) presented a memorandum of understanding between the city and RRHA for redevelopment of Gilpin Court (781 deeply affordable units) citywide. Key components: a joint Gilpin Transformation Working Group, a Jackson Ward Community Plan Steering Committee, one-for-one replacement of all units, resident-centered case management (people plan), and a 10-year timeline. The city will lead overall plan implementation; RRHA will lead the housing component. A people plan manager (Edward Richards) was hired. Councilmember Robertson and Chair Jones requested an implementation strategy with clear roles, alignment with the code refresh and RPA Rising, and expanded support for voucher holders outside Gilpin. Williamson emphasized council’s role in accountability.
Key Outcomes
- Board appointments slate approved (unanimous vote: Breton aye, Robertson aye, Jones aye).
- Ordinance 2026-113 (Weeds/Native Plants) approved as amended (unanimous vote).
- Ordinance 2026-166 (Oak Grove Hillside Bellmead Plan) approved (unanimous vote).
- Resolution 2026-R024 (Westwood Neighborhood) approved with amendments (unanimous vote).
- Resolutions 2026-R026 and R027 (Smart Scale support) approved (unanimous vote).
- Resolution 2026-R029 (Gilpin Court MOU) approved (unanimous vote).
- The next committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, 2026 (no August meeting). Staff will follow up on action items: evaluation of partial tax exemption program conditions (anti-demolition, 20% threshold), 90-day report on native plant ordinance (Office of Sustainability), implementation benchmarks for Oak Grove Hillside Bellmead plan (PDR), and an implementation strategy for the Gilpin MOU including alignment with code refresh, RPA Rising, and support for voucher holders.
Meeting Transcript
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.
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