RVA YIMBY Actions & Updates

[whw53]

PLEASE READ - RICHMOND CITY PUSHES FOR LIBERALIZATION OF ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS - LET'S SHOW OUR SUPPORT

Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. For those who live in the city limits, I'm kicking off this thread with a hot new petition to sign. This is in regards to the planning staff revealing last week, the text of a proposed ordinance which would allow ADU's 'by-right' - i think most of us know here that that means that they forgo any special planning process and are allowed under the zoning district as an accessory use. Why make it easier for ADU's or 'accessory dwelling units' to be built?

1. Housing supply - Richmond has declared  a housing emergency. ADU's unlock under utilized urban land to increase supply. if we want to make housing more affordable we need to unburden the development process. 

2. ADU's are good urban form - placing new supply in existing urban\suburban neighborhoods is a form of 'infill development'/ This places less pressure to build outward.  Additionally, it means new neighbors to supporting business, eyes on the street etc...

3. ADU's are good gateway projects - by this, I mean it exposes small land holders to the real estate development process. Good projects for small  entities to take on and to cultivate an ecosystem of builders\developers in an urban environment. 

 

 

Planning staff wants this to go back to to the Planning Commission i believe July 17th so please spread this link far and wide - we want to take this to City Council after it clears the Commission. We've beaten down parking minimums so lets keep the ball rolling here ! 

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/legalize-adus

 

City ordinance item - https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6273417&GUID=98588947-C90D-4E99-99A0-6C923EB2B596&Options=&Search=

Edited July 5, 2023 by whw53

[Rooster]

7 hours ago, whw53 said:

PLEASE READ - RICHMOND CITY PUSHES FOR LIBERALIZATION OF ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS - LET'S SHOW OUR SUPPORT

Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. For those who live in the city limits, I'm kicking off this thread with a hot new petition to sign. This is in regards to the planning staff revealing last week, the text of a proposed ordinance which would allow ADU's 'by-right' - i think most of us know here that that means that they forgo any special planning process and are allowed under the zoning district as an accessory use. Why make it easier for ADU's or 'accessory dwelling units' to be built?

1. Housing supply - Richmond has declared  a housing emergency. ADU's unlock under utilized urban land to increase supply. if we want to make housing more affordable we need to unburden the development process. 

2. ADU's are good urban form - placing new supply in existing urban\suburban neighborhoods is a form of 'infill development'/ This places less pressure to build outward.  Additionally, it means new neighbors to supporting business, eyes on the street etc...

3. ADU's are good gateway projects - by this, I mean it exposes small land holders to the real estate development process. Good projects for small  entities to take on and to cultivate an ecosystem of builders\developers in an urban environment. 

 

 

Planning staff wants this to go back to to the Planning Commission i believe July 17th so please spread this link far and wide - we want to take this to City Council after it clears the Commission. We've beaten down parking minimums so lets keep the ball rolling here ! 

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/legalize-adus

 

City ordinance item - https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6273417&GUID=98588947-C90D-4E99-99A0-6C923EB2B596&Options=&Search=

nice! signed and shared on FB...

[Downtowner]

Going to be honest coming from a tradesman point of view. The problem is there are not many people wanting to get into the trades the less you have the longer it takes to get anything built adding to the back log. I hate saying that but it’s true. Look at the ga building still won’t be in session next year due to material issues. I’ve been on projects recently where a switch gear or an electrical panel or breakers take way way longer than normal. Did one job in Charlottesville before I moved out of metro rva and was told that certain material wouldn’t arrive to us until November/December and job was to be completed in July. So it’s a bad bad problem lack of labor and having trouble getting material. General contractors are getting very on edge, combination of people not wanting to get dirty or do the hard grueling work of a trade. Me I like it because it keeps me in shape and keeps me going and I love being an electrician. So just remember only so many people in the labor force who want to do this type of stuff and it’s incredibly hard to find experience tradesmen journeyman master tradesmen either of those are getting harder to find. Even people to become a foreman don’t want to do that. So at the moment lots of young kids in the trade who are giggling around not taking it seriously like it’s a grocery store job. The children I have had have been incredibly hard to work with to try and train. The immaturity even seen 40 plus year old men who are incredibly immature and giggle like a little girl and it’s downright a really bad problem.  So from a construction stand point this is a few of the more major issues that I have seen the most. 

[ancientcarpenter]

12 hours ago, Downtowner said:

Going to be honest coming from a tradesman point of view. The problem is there are not many people wanting to get into the trades the less you have the longer it takes to get anything built adding to the back log. I hate saying that but it’s true. Look at the ga building still won’t be in session next year due to material issues. I’ve been on projects recently where a switch gear or an electrical panel or breakers take way way longer than normal. Did one job in Charlottesville before I moved out of metro rva and was told that certain material wouldn’t arrive to us until November/December and job was to be completed in July. So it’s a bad bad problem lack of labor and having trouble getting material. General contractors are getting very on edge, combination of people not wanting to get dirty or do the hard grueling work of a trade. Me I like it because it keeps me in shape and keeps me going and I love being an electrician. So just remember only so many people in the labor force who want to do this type of stuff and it’s incredibly hard to find experience tradesmen journeyman master tradesmen either of those are getting harder to find. Even people to become a foreman don’t want to do that. So at the moment lots of young kids in the trade who are giggling around not taking it seriously like it’s a grocery store job. The children I have had have been incredibly hard to work with to try and train. The immaturity even seen 40 plus year old men who are incredibly immature and giggle like a little girl and it’s downright a really bad problem.  So from a construction stand point this is a few of the more major issues that I have seen the most. 

The GA building won't be ready for the 2024 session? Is this official?

Just to play devil's advocate, as I worked in construction briefly, I don't blame people for not wanting to go into construction. The work is there and so is the money. That's not the problem. The problem is the extremely toxic and abusive work cultures. I worked with a guy that thought it was funny to push unused pieces of wood of the 3rd store ledge b/c he didn't want to pick them up and put them in trash bin, almost hitting people below him - management did nothing about this. Plenty of racism, misogny, and alpha male-ing that I don't need to mention as I'm sure you know. 

The job isn't draining, it's the people and work culture. Nobody wants to go to work and be talked down to constantly. New generation has too much self worth for that nonsense and I don't blame them. I'm not breaking my back to build some billionaire investment fund's apartment building with a negative quality of life on me and my family. No thank you!

Edited July 6, 2023 by ancientcarpenter

[Rooster]

GA building should open later this year. It wasnt ready for THIS years session as originally planned...

[whw53]

Morning everyone - ADU ordinance has been continued per Council member Jordan's request of PC to September. We had submitted list of current signatories of petition action to PC but will likely re-submit list closer to continued date- so petition remains open! 

 

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/legalize-adus

[ancientcarpenter]

40 minutes ago, whw53 said:

Morning everyone - ADU ordinance has been continued per Council member Jordan's request of PC to September. We had submitted list of current signatories of petition action to PC but will likely re-submit list closer to continued date- so petition remains open! 

 

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/legalize-adus

 

Spoke with Councilwoman Jordan's office last week. They are very optimistic about this. I pushed hard on the "Short Term Rental" discussion. Everyone including their grandmother is against ADUs being short term rentals, including Councilwoman Jordan and I imagine most of the other representatives. This is very good news. 

My big question was "How do we enforce short term rental rules/laws?" and then answer was a choppy but optimistic one. In summary, it came down to "it takes a while but PLEASE put in a RVA 311 ticket if you feel any unit is a short term rental and it will be investigated. It may take a while but it will go through the right process. If they are in violation, the city is hoping to work with Airbnb to have them removed from the service." 

This is very good news. In my opinion, start tagging these places on the RVA311 app - and if you don't have the RVA 311 app, hop off your dinosaur and install it! - so the city knows early. I got the impression they are looking to update and improve the rules on short term rentals in the near future which is wonderful. 

Edited July 24, 2023 by ancientcarpenter

[whw53]

Yes, unfortunately the delay is due to tying this in with the STR discussion which will drag it out. RVA YIMBY is not taking a position on the STR legislation which will be introduced this fall. The planning director's perspective is rational imo and i wish these had been kept separate. We already have strict Airbnb rules - the issue is there is almost no enforcement. 

I am personally ok with these being used to meet the demand for short term rental accommodations as i believe it incentives supply in general in the long run. An ADU which is invested in for the purpose of housing STR occupants can be turned into long term accommodations by simply yanking it off AirBNB with a click of a button.  It also gives homeowners struggling with high property taxes more flexibility to make passive income, The demand for STR's doesn't diminish by a ban - it just gets transplanted into other building types that are harder to convert into full time residential (hotels). So there's trade offs here - not everyone is against these being used as STR's. The demand for STR's isn't unlimited - if the demand does help actualize some of these units being constructed in however I am in full support. 

[Rooster]

5 hours ago, whw53 said:

Yes, unfortunately the delay is due to tying this in with the STR discussion which will drag it out. RVA YIMBY is not taking a position on the STR legislation which will be introduced this fall. The planning director's perspective is rational imo and i wish these had been kept separate. We already have strict Airbnb rules - the issue is there is almost no enforcement. 

I am personally ok with these being used to meet the demand for short term rental accommodations as i believe it incentives supply in general in the long run. An ADU which is invested in for the purpose of housing STR occupants can be turned into long term accommodations by simply yanking it off AirBNB with a click of a button.  It also gives homeowners struggling with high property taxes more flexibility to make passive income, The demand for STR's doesn't diminish by a ban - it just gets transplanted into other building types that are harder to convert into full time residential (hotels). So there's trade offs here - not everyone is against these being used as STR's. The demand for STR's isn't unlimited - if the demand does help actualize some of these units being constructed in however I am in full support. 

I agree - whats the STR downside, rowdy neighbors?

[whw53]

Hi everyone - please consider joining RVA YIMBY for our volunteer month event this Saturday August 19th. We will be partnering with RVA Clean Sweep in the BPB commercial area and grab coffee\drinks afterward at the Smoky Mug. Attendees who are not already members are eligible for a 1 year FREE 'volunteer membership' to RVA YIMBY.  There will be swag. 

https://actionnetwork.org/events/rva-yimby-goes-sweepin-august-social

- Will

[whw53]

 CALL TO ACTION!  Thru the grapevine, there is some concern regarding a project before Planning Commission this Monday the 18th. Please see the legislative item linked in the bullets below - this is for a 250 unit affordable housing project Lynx Ventures has proposed in the Oak Grove neighborhood within greater Manchester (8th District). I don't have all the details as to the concerns from contact's side, but I'm guessing potential is out there that this could be delayed or scaled back. As of now the ask is if you can this weekend let's get some letters in to support this project prior to the meeting at 1:30 pm Monday. Doesn't need to be anything fancy , but plenty to like here - density, affordability, transit accessible location depending on what you're about.

• Project site is at 2200 Ingram Ave - one of the largest contiguous parcels in the Oak Grove neighborhood - former public tract, Lynx won it in auction last year. 
• legislative item for ORD 2023-243 containing this special use permit or SUP is here - https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6339705&GUID=97DAD29E-32BB-49CB-B0D4-E53143784567&Options=&Search=
• see attachments section within link above for examples of letters of support, the staff report for detail and recommending approval etc.
• developer home page - https://lynxventures.com/
• Send emails to [email protected]

Edited September 16, 2023 by whw53

[whw53]

@Iceteracould you move the above to the RVA YIMBY thread. Hit the wrong one - thanks!

Edited September 16, 2023 by whw53

[Icetera]

On 9/16/2023 at 8:11 AM, whw53 said:

@Iceteracould you move the above to the RVA YIMBY thread. Hit the wrong one - thanks!

Done.

[whw53]

TONIGHT!! CALL TO ACTION - ADU BY RIGHT HAS BEEN MOVED TO REGULAR SESSION AGENDA. Let's speak up for more housing. With short term rental (STRs)  on the docket this evening as well, city hall will be crawling with NIMBYS - we don't want this to get derailed again by that companion legislation.  I suspect a lot of speakers are going to conflate the 2.

This needs to go through - for property rights, for affordability, and for a market urbanism  that's necessary for the dynamism and density Richmond deserves.

Drink's afterward - if you speak up, first round is on me. 

RSVP - https://actionnetwork.org/events/adu-by-right-city-council - RSVP

Edited September 25, 2023 by whw53

[rjp212]

Looks like all the measures passed tonight. Love that ADUs are by right now! 

[Rooster]

11 minutes ago, rjp212 said:

Looks like all the measures passed tonight. Love that ADUs are by right now! 

thats great news - now I want to build a tiny house in my back yard

[whw53]

 CALL TO ACTION!                                                                           CALL TO ACTION!                                                                                     CALL TO ACTION! 

Evening UP'ers - hey I want to call attention to this development off Lombardy. It is pursuing both an SUP and rezoning to facilitate it's 6 stories. This project is huge for the Lombardy corridor and at 6 stories represents  a good demonstration of what the greater Chamberlayne area could be. If you could take 10-15 mins and write a quick letter of support to the Planning Commission before end of the week that would be amazing - this is set to go before that body Monday. 

Note there is some comment that is skeptical of the project so we need to come out strong esp. if you live in North Side. In your letter please reference the ordinance number 2023-266. 

https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6347112&GUID=764C5B5C-FB55-4247-A47D-93EFBE835AD9&Options=&Search=

Send letters to the following email address - [email protected]

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by whw53

[whw53]

FYI RVA YIMBY will be out at the Scott's Addition Pumpkin Fest today - come say hi!

[whw53]

Last minute but reviewing the PC agenda for tomorrow and I see that this 74 unit proposed townhome project in the Walmsley area of South Richmond has some pushback per the public comment attachments.May be too late to get a letter of support in tomorrow morning but the meeting is at 1:30 ET tomorrow if anyone feels called to comment. Application materials and staff report attached at link for more info. Canterbury Development is the principal developer. 

https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6378261&GUID=8441C283-A761-4307-9D90-737A8FC69058&Options=&Search=

 

Teams link to meeting - https://tinyurl.com/CPC-6-Nov-2023

Edited November 6, 2023 by whw53

[whw53]

 

[whw53]

Manchester YIMBY's - the Manchester Alliance meets Thursday evening 12\14 at Benchtop Brewing on Hull St.. Note you can also tune into this meeting on Instagram.I don't see much  development wise  taking the agenda at face value but something that could be interesting are these board elections. Candidates will be making pitches to the group so I'm sure development\growth will be a talking point. Would be good to know the temperature in the room on this from candidates and ppl posing questions. One of the candidates, Jamal O'Neil, has called for a moratorium on development in an op-ed published earlier this year in BizSense. (edited) 

Edited December 13, 2023 by whw53

[whw53]

The Historic Jackson Ward Association is hosting a special meeting today 6pm at 700 N. 4th St in one of the UNOS building conference rooms. The developer Mike Hopkins will be on hand to address prior and answer new questions about the residential portion of what is being coined 'Jackson Place' - a forthcoming redevelopment of former RRHA land bounded by 3rd, 2nd, Jackson, & DuVal St.

This is a project that has yet to be submitted to the city formally so is in a pre-planning phase thus is especially vulnerable to feedback. I am reaching out to Mike personally because I can not make tomorrow but am interested as a Jackson Ward resident in supporting the densest version of the vision he has for this site. The project is to also include a hotel and possible corner street level commercial use at 2nd and Jackson. 

[whw53]

happy new year  - a couple of things I'm tracking for the City Council meeting next Monday the 8th. We are tentatively planning a kick-off later in the month or early Feb but if anyone wants to hit the ground running we could act around these or other items either at city hall that night or get some material to council before.

•  CHURCH HILL\CHIMBORAZO  <Monday 1\8 @ 6pm> SUP needed to facilitate construction of 10 rowhomes at 901-909 N 36th St. Attached dwellings are not permitted in R-5 zoning district. ORD 2023-346 - DETAILS

 

•  1ST DISTRICT - WEST BROAD <Monday 1\8 @ 6pm>  SUP needed for mixed use multifamily building at 4605, 4623, 4625, and 4627 West Broad Street that will contain live-work units on ground floor facing Broad. Building mass exceeds TOD-1 incline plane height adjacent to residential district. ORD 2023-347 - DETAILS

 

•  MANCHESTER <Monday 1\8 @ 6pm> Developer is requesting the city vacate right-of-way along an unimproved stretch of W 20th St. A contiguous tract here could allow for a larger development footprint. Opposition from Spring Hill and Belle Heights civic groups. ORD 2023-340 - DETAILS

[I miss RVA]

14 hours ago, whw53 said:

happy new year  - a couple of things I'm tracking for the City Council meeting next Monday the 8th. We are tentatively planning a kick-off later in the month or early Feb but if anyone wants to hit the ground running we could act around these or other items either at city hall that night or get some material to council before.

•  CHURCH HILL\CHIMBORAZO  <Monday 1\8 @ 6pm> SUP needed to facilitate construction of 10 rowhomes at 901-909 N 36th St. Attached dwellings are not permitted in R-5 zoning district. ORD 2023-346 - DETAILS

 

•  1ST DISTRICT - WEST BROAD <Monday 1\8 @ 6pm>  SUP needed for mixed use multifamily building at 4605, 4623, 4625, and 4627 West Broad Street that will contain live-work units on ground floor facing Broad. Building mass exceeds TOD-1 incline plane height adjacent to residential district. ORD 2023-347 - DETAILS

 

•  MANCHESTER <Monday 1\8 @ 6pm> Developer is requesting the city vacate right-of-way along an unimproved stretch of W 20th St. A contiguous tract here could allow for a larger development footprint. Opposition from Spring Hill and Belle Heights civic groups. ORD 2023-340 - DETAILS

Good stuff! Hoping all of these measures pass with no hiccups. The development in the 4600 block of W. Broad is the new six-story mixed-use building we've talked about. Am thinking the SUP request will be approved based on what's been previously reported.

I checked out the plans for the rowhouses on N. 36th Street - pretty cool. The plans can be found at the link below. (NOTE - it will open a blank tab and download the pdf document to your PC.)

https://richmondva.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12541872&GUID=EFBFD5F5-0895-42A3-AB2B-B296AE611810

Edited January 4 by I miss RVA

[eandslee]

14 hours ago, whw53 said:

happy new year  - a couple of things I'm tracking for the City Council meeting next Monday the 8th. We are tentatively planning a kick-off later in the month or early Feb but if anyone wants to hit the ground running we could act around these or other items either at city hall that night or get some material to council before.

•  CHURCH HILL\CHIMBORAZO  <Monday 1\8 @ 6pm> SUP needed to facilitate construction of 10 rowhomes at 901-909 N 36th St. Attached dwellings are not permitted in R-5 zoning district. ORD 2023-346 - DETAILS

 

•  1ST DISTRICT - WEST BROAD <Monday 1\8 @ 6pm>  SUP needed for mixed use multifamily building at 4605, 4623, 4625, and 4627 West Broad Street that will contain live-work units on ground floor facing Broad. Building mass exceeds TOD-1 incline plane height adjacent to residential district. ORD 2023-347 - DETAILS

 

•  MANCHESTER <Monday 1\8 @ 6pm> Developer is requesting the city vacate right-of-way along an unimproved stretch of W 20th St. A contiguous tract here could allow for a larger development footprint. Opposition from Spring Hill and Belle Heights civic groups. ORD 2023-340 - DETAILS

I have also reviewed all of these and likewise, would support these changes and hope all of these pass - they just make sense.  I’ll be watching. If you get news before we do, please post it here. Thanks for keeping us informed!