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To authorize the special use of the properties known as 2111 Venable Street, 2113 Venable Street, 2115 Venable Street, 2115½ Venable Street, 2117 Venable Street, and 2119 Venable Street for the purpose of up to fifteen single-family attached dwellings, upon certain terms and conditions. (7th District)
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WHEREAS, the owner of the properties known as 2111 Venable Street, 2113 Venable Street, 2115 Venable Street, 2115½ Venable Street, 2117 Venable Street, and 2119 Venable Street, which are situated in an R-63 Multifamily Urban Residential District, desires to use such properties for the purpose of up to fifteen single-family attached dwellings, which use, among other things, is not currently allowed by section 30-419.5, regarding lot area and width, of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with section 17.11 of the Charter of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, it has been made to appear that, if granted subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this ordinance, the special use granted by this ordinance will not be detrimental to the safety, health, morals and general welfare of the community involved, will not tend to create congestion in streets, roads, alleys and other public ways and places in the area involved, will not create hazards from fire, panic or other dangers, will not tend to overcrowding of land and cause an undue concentration of population, will not adversely affect or interfere with public or private schools, parks, playgrounds, water supplies, sewage disposal, transportation or other public requirements, conveniences and improvements, and will not interfere with adequate light and air; and
WHEREAS, (i) the City Planning Commission has conducted a public hearing to investigate the circumstances and conditions upon which the Council is empowered to authorize such use, (ii) the City Planning Commission has reported to the Council the results of such public hearing and investigation and its recommendations with respect thereto, and (iii) the Council has conducted a public hearing on this ordinance at which the person in interest and all other persons have had an opportunity to be heard;
NOW, THEREFORE,
THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. Finding. Pursuant to section 30-1050.1 of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, the Council hereby finds that the special use set forth in and subject to the terms and conditions of this ordinance will not (i) be detrimental to the safety, health, morals and general welfare of the community involved, (ii) tend to create congestion in streets, roads, alleys and other public ways and places in the area involved, (iii) create hazards from fire, panic or other dangers, (iv) tend to overcrowding of land and cause an undue concentration of population, (v) adversely affect or interfere with public or private schools, parks, playgrounds, water supplies, sewage disposal, transportation or other public requirements, conveniences and improvements, or (vi) interfere with adequate light and air.
§ 2. Grant of Special Use Permit.
(a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this ordinance, the properties known as 2111 Venable Street, 2113 Venable Street, 2115 Venable Street, 2115½ Venable Street, 2117 Venable Street, and 2119 Venable Street, and identified as Tax Parcel Nos. E000-0373/006, E000-0373/007, E000-0373/008, E000-0373/009, E000-0373/010, and E000-0373/011, respectively, in the 2025 records of the City Assessor, being more particularly shown on a survey entitled “ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey, Nos. 2101, 2105, 2107, 2109, 2111, 2113, 2115, 2115 ½, 2117, 2119 Venable Street and Nos. 810 and 812 N 22nd Street, Richmond, Va.,” prepared by Virginia Surveys, and dated May 16, 2023, a copy of which is attached to and made a part of this ordinance, hereinafter referred to as “the Property,” is hereby permitted to be used for the purpose of up to fifteen single-family attached dwellings, hereinafter referred to as “the Special Use,” substantially as shown on the plans entitled “SUP Submittal, 2111-2119 Venable ST, WBB Homes, LLC,” prepared by Bowman Consulting Group, Ltd., and dated January 14, 2025, “Map Showing a Proposed Access & Parking Easement Between Burton St. and Venable St. in the City of Richmond, Va.,” prepared by Virginia Surveys, and dated October 31, 2024, and “New 3-Story, Single-Family Attached Houses in Richmond’s Union Hill Neighborhood, Venable Development, Venable/Burton/N. 22nd Streets, Richmond, Virginia, 23223,” prepared by Chris Wolf Architecture, PLLC, and dated July 3, 2024, hereinafter, collectively, referred to as “the Plans,” copies of which are attached to and made a part of this ordinance.
(b) The adoption of this ordinance shall constitute the issuance of a special use permit for the Property. The special use permit shall inure to the benefit of the owner or owners of the fee simple title to the Property as of the date on which this ordinance is adopted and their successors in fee simple title, all of which are hereinafter referred to as “the Owner.” The conditions contained in this ordinance shall be binding on the Owner.
§ 3. Special Terms and Conditions. This special use permit is conditioned on the following special terms and conditions:
(a) The Special Use of the Property shall be as up to fifteen single-family attached dwellings, substantially as shown on the Plans.
(b) No fewer than seven off-street parking spaces shall be provided for the Special Use, which are to be accessed via an access easement on the adjacent property, substantially as shown on the Plans.
(c) The height of the Special Use shall not exceed three stories, substantially as shown on the Plans.
(d) All mechanical equipment serving the Property shall be located or screened so as not to be visible from any public right-of-way.
(e) All building materials, elevations, and site improvements shall be substantially as shown on the Plans, subject to the conditions of the Certificate of Appropriateness issued by the Commission of Architectural Review on June 25, 2024, in response to Application No. COA-144130-2024.
(f) Existing sidewalks and street improvements, including street trees, street tree wells, and cobblestones on Burton Street shall be maintained in their current condition, or, if damaged, repaired or replaced prior to the issuance of the final certificate of occupancy for the Special Use. Cobblestones along Burton Street shall be fully and correctly restored, in accordance with the requirements of the Director of Public Works, upon completion of any needed utility work.
(g) Prior to the issuance of any building permit for the Special Use, the establishment of up to fifteen residential lots, substantially as shown on the Plans, shall be accomplished by obtaining the necessary approvals from the City and recording the appropriate plats and deeds among the land records of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond.
§ 4. Supplemental Terms and Conditions. This special use permit is conditioned on the following supplemental terms and conditions:
(a) All required final grading and drainage plans, together with all easements made necessary by such plans, must be approved by the Director of Public Utilities prior to the issuance of the building permit.
(b) Storm or surface water shall not be allowed to accumulate on the land. The Owner, at its sole cost and expense, shall provide and maintain at all times adequate facilities for the drainage of storm or surface water from the Property so as not to adversely affect or damage any other property or public streets and the use thereof.
(c) Facilities for the collection of refuse shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of the Director of Public Works. Such facilities shall be located or screened so as not to be visible from adjacent properties and public streets.
(d) Any encroachments existing, proposed on the Plans or contemplated in the future shall require separate authorization and shall be subject to the applicable provisions of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, and all future amendments to such laws.
(e) The Owner shall make improvements within the right-of-way, including the installation of new sidewalk along a portion of Burton Street, substantially as shown on the Plans, which improvements may be completed in one or more phases as approved by the Director of Public Works. All improvements and work within the public right-of-way shall be (i) completed in accordance with the requirements of the Director of Public Works, (ii) considered completed only upon written confirmation by the Director of Public Works or the designee thereof that such improvements and work are in accordance with such requirements, and (iii) transferred to the City, following the written confirmation by the Director of Public Works, or the designee thereof, pursuant to a transfer of interest document approved as to form by the City Attorney and accepted by the Chief Administrative Officer or the designee thereof on behalf of the City. The Chief Administrative Officer or the designee thereof, for and on behalf of the City, is hereby authorized to accept, in the manner for which this subsection provides, all improvements and work required by and meeting the requirements of this subsection. The final certificate of occupancy shall not be issued for the Property until all requirements of this subsection are fully satisfied.
(f) In all other respects, the use of the Property shall be in accordance with the applicable underlying zoning regulations.
§ 5. General Terms and Conditions. This special use permit is conditioned on the following general terms and conditions:
(a) No permit implementing this special use permit shall be approved until satisfactory evidence has been presented to the Zoning Administrator that any delinquent real estate taxes applicable to the Property have been paid.
(b) The Owner shall be bound by, shall observe and shall comply with all other laws, ordinances, rules and regulations applicable to the Property, except as otherwise expressly provided in this ordinance.
(c) Words and phrases used in this ordinance shall be interpreted to have the meanings ascribed to them by section 30-1220 of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, unless the context clearly indicates that a different meaning is intended.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this special use permit is being approved due, in part, to the mitigating effects of each and every condition attached hereto; consequently, if any portion of this ordinance is determined to be invalid for any reason by a final, non-appealable order of any Virginia or federal court of competent jurisdiction, the invalidity shall cause the entire ordinance to be void and of no further effect from the effective date of such order.
(e) The privileges granted by this ordinance may be revoked pursuant to the provisions of sections 30-1050.7 through 30-1050.11 of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, and all future amendments to such laws. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of this ordinance shall constitute a violation of section 30-1080 of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, and all future amendments to such law, or any other applicable laws or regulations.
(f) When the privileges granted by this ordinance terminate and the special use permit granted hereby becomes null and void, whether as a result of the Owner relinquishing this special use permit in a writing addressed to the Director of Planning and Development Review or otherwise, use of the Property shall be governed thereafter by the zoning regulations prescribed for the district in which the Property is then situated.
§ 6. Implementation. The Commissioner of Buildings is authorized to issue a building permit substantially in accordance with the Plans for the Special Use subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this ordinance. An application for the building permit shall be made within 1,096 calendar days following the date on which this ordinance becomes effective. If either the application for the building permit is not made within the time period stated in the previous sentence or the building permit terminates under any provision of the Virginia Statewide Building Code, this ordinance and the special use permit granted hereby shall terminate and become null and void.
§ 7. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.
DATE: April 7, 2025
TO: The Honorable Members of City Council
THROUGH: The Honorable Dr. Danny Avula, Mayor (by request)
(This in no way reflects a recommendation on behalf of the Mayor)
THROUGH: Sabrina Joy-Hogg, Interim Chief Administrative Officer
THROUGH: Sharon L. Ebert, DCAO for Economic Development and Planning
FROM: Kevin J. Vonck, Director of Planning & Development Review
RE: To authorize the special use of the properties known as 2111 Venable Street, 2113 Venable Street, 2115 Venable Street, 2115½ Venable Street, 2117 Venable Street, and 2119 Venable Street for the purpose of up to fifteen single-family attached dwellings, upon certain terms and conditions.
ORD. OR RES. No.
PURPOSE: The applicant is requesting a Special Use Permit to authorize up to fifteen single-family attached dwellings within the R-63 Multifamily Urban Residential District. While the use is permitted, certain lot feature requirements, including lot area and width, are not met. A Special Use Permit is therefore required.
BACKGROUND: The subject properties are located in the Union Hill neighborhood on the south side of Venable Street, just west of its intersection with North 22nd Street. The City’s Richmond 300 Master Plan designates a future land use for the subject parcels as Neighborhood Mixed Use, which is defined as a “Existing or new highly-walkable urban neighborhoods that are predominantly residential with a small, but critical, percentage of parcels providing retail, office, personal service, and institutional uses.” (p. 82)
Primary Uses: Single-family houses, accessory dwelling units, duplexes, small multi-family buildings (typically 3-10 units), and open space.
Secondary Uses: Large multifamily buildings (10+units), retail/office/personal service, institutional, cultural, and government.
The current zoning for the properties R-63 Multifamily Urban Residential. Surrounding properties are all located within the same R-63 Multifamily Urban Residential District. The area is generally single family residential, with two places of worship present in the vicinity. The density of the proposed is fifteen units upon .403 acres, or 37 units per acre.
This subject parcels are also located within the Union Hill City Old and Historic District.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The Union Hill Civic Association was notified of the application; additional community notification will take place after introduction.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL: Richmond 300 Master Plan; Ordinance to be considered by the Planning Commission on June 3, 2025
FISCAL IMPACT: $300 Application Fee
DESIRED EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon adoption
REQUESTED INTRODUCTION DATE: May 12, 2025
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING DATE: June 9, 2025
REQUESTED AGENDA: Consent
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL COMMITTEE: Planning Commission, June 3, 2025
AFFECTED AGENCIES: Office of Chief Administrative Officer
Law Department (for review of draft ordinance)
RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING ORD. OR RES.: None
ATTACHMENTS: Draft Ordinance, Application Form, Applicant’s Report, Plans, Survey
STAFF: Alyson Oliver, Planner, Land Use Administration (Room 511) 646-3709