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Record of Proceedings

Richmond Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Standing Committee Meeting - September 23, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, September 23, 2026
BodyRichmond, Virginia
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, September 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:13:14

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:01

All right, Madam Clerk, we'll call this meeting to order.

0:06

You proceed with the chamber in emergency evacuation announcements.

0:11

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

0:16

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

0:23

Do not use elevators or escalators.

0:26

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

0:33

Able person should assist visually and hearing a pair of visitors with exiting the building.

0:37

Persons wishing to speak during the public comment period andor public hearings are generally allowed three minutes to speak.

0:43

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

0:59

All questions need be directed to the committee chair for you to adhere to the guidelines may result in speakers forfeiting any many time and further displaying action as necessary, which could include a bar from attendance at future means of the committee for a period of six months.

1:13

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, but the legislation on which they signed the two address.

1:24

Madam Chair's concludes announcements, and we do have some virtual speakers that would like to provide comment for one of the items of today's agenda when we reach the public hearing.

1:33

Awesome.

1:33

Yeah, and we can move right into that public comment period.

1:37

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

1:42

Seeing none, the public comment period is now closed.

1:46

All right, let's do the presentation.

1:50

Would you like to do the approval of the minutes?

1:52

Yeah, we want to do that too.

1:53

Thanks.

1:53

The minutes to be approved from July 21st, 2026, land use housing and transportation standard committee meeting at the no members of corrections, then those meeting minutes stand approved as presented.

2:03

Those minutes have been approved.

2:05

Thank you.

2:05

Now we'll do the presentation.

2:07

It is senior housing and aging in place.

2:20

Hi, everyone.

2:22

Hi, Councilmill Brenton, Jones, Roberts, and Jordan.

2:26

My name is Amanda Rinkle.

2:28

I'm the senior manager for federal entitlement programs with the Department of Housing and Community Development.

2:33

We're here with you today to be able to talk on senior housing and aging in place.

2:38

So for this presentation, for the first part, I'm actually going to call my colleague Sarah to be able to give us a great overview of all the work that's happening with her with her program first.

2:59

Good afternoon, everybody.

3:01

Thank you for having me.

3:04

I'm the manager of the Office of Aging and Disability Services for the City of Richmond.

3:10

We are under the Department for Neighborhood and Community Services, and we work very closely alongside our Office of Homeless Services.

3:24

Of one manager, myself, and two human service analysts.

3:30

One who oversees aging and another who we're hiring for right now, who oversees uh disability services.

3:39

I'm going to go ahead and take us into the next slide.

3:44

Oh, do I have the clicker up there?

3:47

You can do the left and the right button.

3:49

This is my first time.

3:51

One second, Nadia, can we get them on the screen over here?

3:55

Great.

3:55

Thank you.

3:57

So our mission, um, our mission, excuse me.

4:00

Our mission is to support older adults and individuals with disabilities to live with independence, dignity, and through advocacy of services and strong community partnerships.

4:11

So outlined on this slide, you'll see some of ourselves as we are the connective tissue for informational referrals for the city of Richmond and individuals and older adults looking for some of those supports.

4:25

That includes access to resources and benefits in health care, um, supporting safety and the rights of older adults and individuals with disabilities from abuse, neglect, exploitation for promoting health and well-being.

4:40

We do that through programs, caregiver support groups, and social engagement.

4:44

We also advocate on behalf of individuals with disabilities by providing assistance, housing, transportation, and most importantly, and fundamental to our strong but mighty team is building community partnerships across the city, both um within other offices and community partners.

5:03

So I wanted to highlight for the group some of our demographics.

5:07

It's no secret.

5:16

An age wave.

5:18

And what this means is that over 25.6 of the city's population is 55 and over, and that represents over 58,000 city residents.

5:30

14% of our city's population or 32,000 plus individuals have a disability.

5:38

And then I want to highlight that we have a growing cohort, over 23%, 54,000 plus unsung heroes, which are caregivers, which are really the backbone for a lot of city and city supports.

5:54

So what this means is that the city's investment in services today strengthens our communities for tomorrow as inclusive communities where access and supports and individuals have choice in their communities.

6:10

Many of our older adults in Richmond, as many of us know, are facing many financial challenges, especially with the rising housing costs, increasing the risk of housing instability and homelessness.

6:22

And here are some other key demographics and information that is from the American Community Survey.

6:29

So over 22,000 plus households are age 65 plus, which represents over 21.7% of all Richmond's households.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing████████████████████████24%
Historic Preservation███████████████████████23%
Housing████████████12%
Procedural███████████11%
Parking Management██████████10%
Human Services██████6%
Traffic Safety██████6%
Transportation Safety████4%
Community Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Richmond Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Standing Committee Meeting

September 23, 2026

The Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Standing Committee met on September 23, 2026, beginning at approximately 2:45 PM. The meeting included a presentation on senior housing and aging in place, discussion and action on several ordinances and resolutions related to parking, affordable housing, rental inspections, and master plan amendments, and a staff report.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of the minutes from the July 21, 2026 meeting was moved and approved without correction.
  • Ordinance 2026-278 (to eliminate duplicative annual affidavit requirements for renters in the affordable dwelling unit program) was forwarded to council with a recommendation to approve by a unanimous vote (3-0). Councilmember Jones requested to be added as a patron.
  • Ordinance 2026-279 (to designate the 00 block of South Alburn Avenue in honor of Vicky Hester) was forwarded to council with a recommendation to approve by a unanimous vote (3-0). Multiple councilmembers requested to be added as patrons.
  • Ordinance 2026-208, 2026-209, and 2026-210 (master plan amendments incorporating the Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan, Richmond Connects multimodal plan, and Richmond Inspire parks plan) were each forwarded to council with a recommendation to approve by unanimous votes.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Paper #2 (parking distance): Speakers in support included the president of the Carver Civic Improvement League, a virtual speaker from the Alexandria parking management (Max De Villiers), Daniela White (president of the Fan District Association), and Jeremy Hoffman (president of the Greater Scotts Addition Association). All supported changing the prohibited parking distance from 30 feet to 20 feet from intersections to align with state standards and other localities, emphasizing safety and clarity.
  • Paper #3: An attorney from Williams Mullen spoke in support, noting the administrative burden of duplicate reporting for developers using both density bonus and affordable housing performance grant programs.
  • Paper #4: Chaz Warren spoke in support, highlighting Vicky Hester's legacy through Babes of Carytown and community contributions.
  • Paper #7 (Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan): Cyan Crump, Executive Director of Historic Richmond, spoke in support, noting extensive community engagement and 187 pages of support letters.
  • No opposition was expressed on any agenda item.

Discussion Items

  • Senior Housing and Aging in Place Presentation: Staff from the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Office of Aging and Disability Services presented data on Richmond's aging population: over 25.6% of residents (58,000+) are 55 and older, 14% have a disability, and 23% are caregivers. Key challenges include housing cost burden (65.8% of renters and 32.4% of homeowners cost-burdened), and a growing older adult homeless population (44% of those experiencing homelessness are 55+). Programs like Healthy Homes (21 households assisted in FY26, 70% over 62, with 52 on waitlist), CDBG-funded rehab, and tax relief were discussed. Councilmembers inquired about prioritization of home renovation vs. new construction, income data, program outreach, and the role of the new transportation office in supporting seniors.
  • Paper #1 (Ordinance 2026-190): Continued to the October 20, 2026 meeting without discussion.
  • Paper #2 (Ordinance 2026-197): Sponsored by Vice Chair Jordan. Proposed changing the prohibited parking distance near intersections from 30 feet from stop signs to 20 feet from the intersection of curbs, consistent with state code and Alexandria's practice. Over 1,359 citations were issued in 2026, predominantly in permitted parking zones, with none on the high injury network. The amendment preserves DPW's discretion to implement longer distances where needed. Council discussion included the need for clear signage and a report on implementation. The paper was amended to require DPW to provide a signage plan within 60 days and a report on results within 6 months, then continued to October 20, 2026.
  • Paper #5 (Resolution 2026-R035): Sponsored by Councilmember Lynch. Requests the CAO to submit a fiscal impact statement within 90 days on establishing a rental inspection district at Belt Atlantic Apartments (216 units, ~17% vacancy, 1,247 RPD calls, 218 incident reports, 427 fire/EMS responses, 7 building code violations, 33 311 requests). Discussion focused on tenant protections, community engagement, and the process leading to possible district creation. Director of PDR noted the goal is compliance and voluntary cooperation. Approved by unanimous vote.
  • Paper #6 (Resolution 2026-R036): Sponsored by Councilmember Robertson. Requests the administration to evaluate and prepare for implementing five housing bills from the 2026 General Assembly session, including preservation right of first refusal, extended eviction notice (5 to 14 days), expedited approval for affordable housing, expanded EDA tools, and by-right development on religious/nonprofit land. HCD Director indicated the 90-day assessment is feasible, but full implementation will extend beyond. Approved by unanimous vote.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes approved as presented.
  • Ordinance 2026-190: Continued to October 20, 2026.
  • Ordinance 2026-197: Amended and continued to October 20, 2026.
  • Ordinance 2026-278: Recommended for approval by council (3-0).
  • Ordinance 2026-279: Recommended for approval by council (3-0).
  • Resolution 2026-R035: Recommended for approval by council (3-0).
  • Resolution 2026-R036: Recommended for approval by council (3-0).
  • Ordinance 2026-208 (Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan): Recommended for approval (3-0).
  • Ordinance 2026-209 (Richmond Connects plan): Recommended for approval (3-0).
  • Ordinance 2026-210 (Richmond Inspire plan): Recommended for approval (3-0).
  • Staff report: Next meeting scheduled for October 20, 2026, with presentations on parking management and speed mitigation. Pending follow-up items were noted.
  • Meeting adjourned at approximately 6:15 PM (dinner time).

Meeting Transcript

All right, Madam Clerk, we'll call this meeting to order. You proceed with the chamber in emergency evacuation announcements. Upon activation of the emergency alarm signal, all persons should immediately exit the building. Please use the exit 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 person should assist visually and hearing a pair of visitors with exiting the building. Persons wishing to speak during the public comment period andor public hearings are generally allowed three minutes to speak. Persons appearing before the committee are not allowed to campaign for public office, promote private business ventures, use language of a personal nature, which is also demeans any person, including commerce directed at public officials or staff members that are not related to the official duties or just support the staff members directly. All questions need be directed to the committee chair for you to adhere to the guidelines may result in speakers forfeiting any many time and further displaying action as necessary, which could include a bar from attendance at future means 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, but the legislation on which they signed the two address. Madam Chair's concludes announcements, and we do have some virtual speakers that would like to provide comment for one of the items of today's agenda when we reach the public hearing. Awesome. Yeah, and we can move right into that public comment period. Is there anyone that would like to speak to the committee regarding items not on today's agenda? Seeing none, the public comment period is now closed. All right, let's do the presentation. Would you like to do the approval of the minutes? Yeah, we want to do that too. Thanks. The minutes to be approved from July 21st, 2026, land use housing and transportation standard committee meeting at the no members of corrections, then those meeting minutes stand approved as presented. Those minutes have been approved. Thank you. Now we'll do the presentation. It is senior housing and aging in place. Hi, everyone. Hi, Councilmill Brenton, Jones, Roberts, and Jordan. My name is Amanda Rinkle. I'm the senior manager for federal entitlement programs with the Department of Housing and Community Development. We're here with you today to be able to talk on senior housing and aging in place. So for this presentation, for the first part, I'm actually going to call my colleague Sarah to be able to give us a great overview of all the work that's happening with her with her program first. Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for having me. I'm the manager of the Office of Aging and Disability Services for the City of Richmond. We are under the Department for Neighborhood and Community Services, and we work very closely alongside our Office of Homeless Services. Of one manager, myself, and two human service analysts. One who oversees aging and another who we're hiring for right now, who oversees uh disability services. I'm going to go ahead and take us into the next slide. Oh, do I have the clicker up there? You can do the left and the right button. This is my first time. One second, Nadia, can we get them on the screen over here? Great. Thank you. So our mission, um, our mission, excuse me. Our mission is to support older adults and individuals with disabilities to live with independence, dignity, and through advocacy of services and strong community partnerships. So outlined on this slide, you'll see some of ourselves as we are the connective tissue for informational referrals for the city of Richmond and individuals and older adults looking for some of those supports. That includes access to resources and benefits in health care, um, supporting safety and the rights of older adults and individuals with disabilities from abuse, neglect, exploitation for promoting health and well-being. We do that through programs, caregiver support groups, and social engagement. We also advocate on behalf of individuals with disabilities by providing assistance, housing, transportation, and most importantly, and fundamental to our strong but mighty team is building community partnerships across the city, both um within other offices and community partners.

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