The Agenda: Local government briefs for 7.14.25

Chesterfield has released its latest draft of a proposed zoning ordinance update, which would include new zoning districts and other changes. Pictured is the Springline at District 60 project in late 2024. (BizSense file)

Chesterfield draft zoning ordinance up for review by planning commission

The Chesterfield Planning Commission is slated Tuesday to review a proposed overhaul of the county’s zoning ordinance.

The commission is expected to vote on whether to recommend approval of the draft zoning ordinance update. The impending decision is the latest step for the county’s years-in-the-making Zoning Ordinance Modernization project (ZOMod).

The ordinance document specifies which land uses are permitted where and under what circumstances in Chesterfield.

The updated ordinance is planned to feature a total of 14 land-use districts, which would be a mix of brand-new designations and others made to consolidate existing districts. The ordinance would limit the development of data centers more strictly than the current ordinance and introduce a range of other changes.

As part of the ZOMod project, all existing zoning districts would be converted into the most comparable new districts. County officials have said that effectively there would be minimal changes, because approved zoning conditions would be carried forward and properties would be converted to the closest new district based on current zoning and usage.

A public hearing will be held prior to the commission’s vote. The board of supervisors is expected to render a final decision on whether to adopt the new zoning ordinance at a future meeting.

In early June, Chesterfield released the fourth and what’s expected to be the final draft of the ordinance rewrite, which can be found here. Since then, county officials have further tweaked the document with additional changes that can be found here.

Chesterfield launched the ZOMod project in early 2021. The project aims to make the zoning ordinance more responsive to modern development trends and a more user-friendly document. Most of the zoning ordinance dates to the 1970s, and the last major update was in the late 1990s.

The full agenda for this week’s planning commission meeting can be viewed here.

Hanover Planning Commission to vote on new regs for vape and CBD stores

Tobacco and Vapor Zone at 7340 Bell Creek Road in Hanover. (BizSense file photo)

The Hanover Planning Commission is scheduled this week to review proposed restrictions on shops that primarily sell vapes, hemp items and similar products.

Hanover officials have unveiled a proposed amendment to the county’s zoning ordinance that would establish new rules on those retailers, such as requirements that they secure conditional-use permits and be a certain distance away from schools and parks before being allowed to open.

The commission on Thursday is expected to review the new regulations and forward a recommendation on whether they should receive final approval by the Hanover Board of Supervisors at a future meeting.

Under the proposal, future shops that primarily sell hemp products, vapes and similar items would need to be at least a mile from the property lines of public and private schools and at least a half-mile from the boundaries of municipal parks. They would also need conditional-use permits, which are approved by supervisors on a case-by-case basis.

The shops would only be able to operate in the B-2 and B-3 business districts as well as the M-1 and M-2 industrial districts with an approved permit, among other new restrictions. The rules would apply to stores that have 15% or more of their total display space devoted to the products subject to the proposed regulations, or allow on-site consumption of the substances.

The commission’s full agenda can be found here.

West End infills, Jahnke Road apartments on Richmond planning agenda

A newer rendering of Center Creek Homes’ plan for an infill townhome development at 3923 Grove Ave. (Image courtesy Center Creek Homes)

The Richmond Planning Commission meets Tuesday at 6 p.m.

On the agenda is a special-use request continued since November to allow a mixed-use building with 14 apartments, up to half of those short-term rentals, and 29 off-street parking spaces at 7100 Jahnke Road. Behind the request is Marwa Enterprises LLC, which purchased the half-acre site across from Chippenham Hospital in 2023.

Developers Jeremy Connell and Julie and Paul Weissend seek a special-use approval for their plans for an eight-home infill at 3801-03 Hanover Ave. The three-story townhomes would fill the backyards of two existing houses on the properties.

Also on the agenda is a special-use request from Center Creek Homes for an amended plan for 16 townhomes beside a centuries-old house at 3923 Grove Ave.

The full agenda can be viewed here.

Odie Donald sworn in as Richmond CAO; finance director resigns

Odie Donald, right, with Mayor Danny Avula at Donald’s swearing-in as Richmond’s new chief administrative officer last week. (City of Richmond photo)

Odie Donald II was sworn in July 7 as Richmond’s next chief administrative officer. He replaces Lincoln Saunders, who resigned in December.

Donald brings over two decades of municipal government experience, including as city manager of South Fulton, Georgia; leading the consolidated government of Augusta/Richmond County, Georgia; and most recently as chief of staff to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.

Donald was selected from a pool of 200 candidates following a national search. In a release, Mayor Danny Avula said Donald brings “exactly the kind of experience, vision and heart we need.”

“He understands both the technical complexities of municipal operations and the human stakes of every decision we make,” Avula said.

“I’m honored to join Mayor Avula and the Richmond team in building a local government that truly serves every resident,” Donald said in the release. “Richmond is an amazing place, and I’m excited to get to work and do whatever I can to make sure our residents and neighborhoods have everything they need to thrive.”

City Hall had been led since January by interim CAO Sabrina Joy-Hogg, who resigned in May from her position as deputy CAO for finance and administration. Sharon Ebert, DCAO for planning and economic development, had been serving as interim CAO since.

Rene Almaraz, the city’s procurement director, is serving as interim DCAO for finance and administration following the departure of Brandon Hinton, a deputy manager for Henrico who had been filling the role while on loan from the county. Avula earlier this month announced that Henrico had requested that Hinton return to the county after serving in the city role for about one month.

A day after Donald’s swearing-in as CAO, the city confirmed that finance director Sheila White had submitted her resignation, the Times-Dispatch reported.

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