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To direct the City Planning Commission, as a part of its required review of the Master Plan in 2025, to prepare, submit to public hearing, and consider an amendment to the Master Plan that identifies the area generally bounded by Riverside Drive, Cowardin Avenue, Hull Street, and West 24th Street as a Neighborhood Node and to request that the Chief Administrative Officer cause the Department of Planning and Development Review, the Department of Public Works, the Department of Economic Development, and the Department of Housing and Community Development to collectively work with the City Planning Commission to prepare such amendment to the Master Plan. (5th District)
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WHEREAS, pursuant to section 17.06 of the Charter of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, the City Planning Commission by resolution dated October 5, 2020, adopted a new master plan for the City of Richmond, and the City Council by Ordinance No. 2020-236, adopted December 14, 2020, approved the master plan adopted by the City Planning Commission (hereinafter the “Master Plan”); and
WHEREAS, the Master Plan describes “nodes” as current and potential activity centers in the city of Richmond capable of accommodating growth in jobs and population that are deserving of aligned land use planning, transportation planning, and public policy to ensure that each node becomes a thriving crossroads for its respective community; and
WHEREAS, the Master Plan defines a “Neighborhood Node” as a local crossroads typically within or next to larger residential areas that offers goods and services to nearby residents, employees, and visitors; and
WHEREAS, it is the opinion of the Council that the area generally bounded by Riverside Drive, Cowardin Avenue, Hull Street, and West 24th Street, hereinafter referred to as the “Study Area,” has become a Neighborhood Node and the gateway to South Richmond due to considerable growth; and
WHEREAS, though the Master Plan suggests a vision of the Study Area as a highly-walkable urban neighborhood that is predominately residential, with a small, but critical percentage of parcels providing retail, office, personal service, and institutional uses, and though the Master Plan further envisions Cowardin Avenue as a major commercial corridor with transit-oriented development, the Master Plan does not provide a specific, place-based plan for achieving this vision and does not identify the Study Area as a Neighborhood Node; and
WHEREAS, Semmes Avenue, Cowardin Avenue, Bainbridge Street, and Hull Street, hereinafter referred to as the “Major Corridors,” are prominent roadways within the Study Area and are all on the high injury street network described in the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan, which prioritizes implementation of safety treatments for the high injury street network; and
WHEREAS, it is the opinion of the Council that the evolution of the Study Area as an activity center, community crossroads, and area of concentrated vehicular traffic, warrants greater attention in the Master Plan to ensure additional land use, transportation, and economic development planning work are performed so the Study Area can reach its full potential as a Neighborhood Node and gateway to South Richmond; and
WHEREAS, the City Planning Commission will review the Master Plan to determine whether it is advisable to amend the plan in 2025 as required by section 15.2-2230 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended; and
WHEREAS, it is the consensus of the Council that it should direct the City Planning Commission, as a part of its required review of the Master Plan for 2025, to prepare, hold a public hearing on, and consider an amendment to the Master Plan that establishes the Study Area as a Neighborhood Node and, in accordance therewith, sets forth a detailed vision for land use, transportation, and economic development in the Study Area that prioritizes placemaking, streetscapes, roadway safety improvements, and additional commercial uses;
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND:
That, in accordance with section 17.06 of the Charter of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, and section 15.2-2229 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, the City Planning Commission, as a part of its required review of the Master Plan for 2025 as provided in section 15.2-2230 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, is hereby directed to:
1. Prepare an amendment to the Master Plan that identifies the Study Area as a Neighborhood Node in the maps and lists of nodes on pages 25, 113, and C-2 of the Master Plan; identifies the Study Area as a Neighborhood Node among the descriptions of “South Richmond - Eastern Nodes” that begins on page C-11 of Appendix C of the Master Plan; and, in addition to such identification in Appendix C, describes in detail a vision, the growth potential, and primary next steps for the Study Area, which description shall prioritize placemaking, streetscapes, roadway safety improvements, and support for the development of additional commercial uses;
2. Submit such amendment to public hearing as described in section 15.2-2229 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, and conduct all other proceedings as may be required by law by no later than November 1, 2025; and
3. Adopt and certify to the City Council the requisite resolution to adopt such amendment in accordance with section 17.06 of the Charter of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, as soon as possible after the conclusion of the required public hearing.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That the Council requests that the Chief Administrative Officer cause the Department of Planning and Development Review, the Department of Public Works, the Department of Economic Development, and the Department of Housing and Community Development to collectively work with the City Planning Commission to prepare such amendment to the Master Plan by, at a minimum:
1. Making use of robust community engagement to develop a community-led vision and primary next steps for the Study Area;
2. Analyzing vehicular traffic and pedestrian safety along the Major Corridors to develop tailored recommendations and suggested improvements for transportation and pedestrian traffic that prioritize pedestrian safety and improve walkability and connectivity within the Study Area;
3. Developing a streetscape plan for the Major Corridors;
4. Considering zoning districts and available incentives that could best encourage a mix of uses in the Study Area, to include, in particular, additional commercial uses such as grocery and retail stores and other similar uses that would be of interest to and benefit the community; and
5. Considering how best to encourage the creation of mixed affordable housing in the Study Area.