The highlighted area includes the 96-acre site that the City of Richmond is looking to purchase. (Google Maps)
Casino site acquisition on Richmond planning agenda
The Richmond Planning Commission meets Monday at 6 p.m.
Business on the consent agenda includes an ordinance to declare a public necessity for the city to acquire the site of the rejected casino project in South Richmond. The ordinance would authorize the acquisition of 4700 Trenton Ave. and part of 2001 Walmsley Blvd., the 96-acre, Philip Morris-owned site where Urban One proposed its One Casino + Resort that was twice-rejected by city voters.
The city plans to pay $5.5 million for the property and use it to create a new park, extend Walmsley Boulevard from Commerce Road to Richmond Highway, and develop an economic development site.
Also on the consent agenda is a final review of a renovation to the Main Street Station Train Shed to add a lower-level vestibule for the planned Shockoe Institute. The facility would be a starting point for the Shockoe Bottom Heritage Campus, now called The Shockoe Project, and would fill the northern-end ground floor of the train shed.
The full meeting agenda can be viewed here.
HHHunt, Mungo Homes projects to be first eligible for Henrico housing trust fund
A groundbreaking ceremony for Parkside Townes was held in conjunction with Henrico’s announcement of its first housing trust fund recipients. (Henrico County photo)
Officials announced last week that HHHunt’s Parkside Townes and Mungo Homes’ Discovery Ridge residential developments would be the first to qualify for Henrico County’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund program.
Twenty-five units in Parkside Townes and five in Discovery Ridge will soon be available to first-time homebuyers who meet household income and other program requirements, the county said in the announcement.
Parkside Townes is a 123-unit townhouse community HHHunt is building on Whiteside Road in Sandston. Mungo Homes is building Discovery Ridge at Gayton Road and Lauderdale Drive in western Henrico.
Announced in May, the trust fund was established by the Board of Supervisors with $60 million in previously unbudgeted revenues from data centers, one of Henrico’s fastest-growing industries, the county said. The nonprofit Partnership for Housing Affordability (PHA) is administering the program and developed eligibility criteria with Henrico’s Department of Community Revitalization.
Project applications began being accepted in September, and last month, a review committee gave conditional approvals for Parkside Townes’ and Discovery Ridge’s inclusion in the program. Formal agreements are expected to follow, the county said.
To be eligible for funding, a builder or developer must submit an application to PHA and, following a review and conditional award, enter into an agreement with PHA that would establish a maximum sales price for the participating dwellings and set income limits of eligible buyers. The program is designed for individuals with household incomes between 60% and 120% of the area median income.
Assistant director promoted to lead Henrico community development
David Pennock
David Pennock was appointed director of the Henrico County Department of Community Development, effective Nov. 2. He has served as assistant director since 2008 and succeeds Lee Tyson, who is retiring in December after 18 years as director and more than 21 years with the county.
Pennock previously worked in the planning department from 1999 to 2001 and held planner positions with Hanover and Albemarle counties from 2001 to 2008.
Community Development oversees The Permit Center, Henrico’s one-stop shop for residential building permits. The department received more than 40,000 inquiries last year and has an approved staff of 15 and a budget of $1.2 million for fiscal year 2024-25.
Pennock has a bachelor’s degree in urban affairs and planning from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Chesterfield developing land use plan for Route 10 corridor north of airport
A map showing the proposed Northern Route 10 Corridor Special Area Plan boundaries, outlined in yellow. (Courtesy Chesterfield)
Chesterfield officials are working on a special area plan for a 3.5-mile section of Route 10 north of the Richmond Executive-Chesterfield County Airport.
The Northern Route 10 Corridor Special Area Plan would be a guide for Chesterfield officials regarding growth and development in the area that is subject to the plan, according to the county’s website. The plan’s recommendations would be applied to a roughly 860-acre area along Route 10.
County officials want to determine new land uses that would be appropriate to diversify the economic profile of the area. The plan would include guidance for infrastructure improvements, building design and bike/pedestrian access.
A public meeting intended to gather input on the proposed plan is scheduled Nov. 4 from 4-7 p.m. in the multipurpose room of the Community Development Building at 9800 Government Center Parkway.
If approved, the plan would be incorporated into the county’s comprehensive plan, a long-range land-use planning document. The plan wouldn’t change existing zoning in the corridor.
Development of a draft plan is anticipated to take place in the winter and spring of 2025, with a public review of the draft slated for summer 2025, according to the county’s website.
Chesterfield makes internal hire to fill police chief post
Frank Carpenter, right, embraces Chesterfield Supervisor Jim Holland during an event held Oct. 31. (Courtesy Chesterfield)
Edward “Frank” Carpenter, a nearly 25-year veteran of the Chesterfield County Police Department, has been tapped to lead the agency.
Carpenter was recently selected by the Board of Supervisors, and took on his role as police chief effective Oct. 31, according to a Chesterfield news release. He had previously been deputy chief of operations.
“I am profoundly humbled by the Board of Supervisors choosing me to lead one of the nation’s premier law enforcement agencies,” Carpenter said in a prepared statement.
“The men and women of our department recognize the immense responsibility of serving a community that prioritizes public safety. It’s my honor to work with those dedicated professionals, county leaders, residents and businesses to ensure that Chesterfield remains a safe place to live, learn, work and play.”
Carpenter takes over from Jeffrey Katz, who retired in May. Bradford Badgerow served as interim chief.
Carpenter is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He has degrees in criminal justice and public safety. He has been the chairman of the Central Virginia Regional Narcotics Task Force since 2023.
Chesterfield’s police department has more than 500 sworn officers, and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
Goochland renews local shopping incentive program
Goochland has renewed a program to spur spending at county businesses following a pilot implemented last year.
The Goochland Economic Development Authority voted last month to renew the Goochland County Open Rewards Shop Local Program, according to a county news release. The program, which launched as a pilot in November 2023, is a customer rewards program that allows people to earn cash back for money spent at Goochland businesses like restaurants and retail shops.
The EDA funded the pilot with $5,000, which is the same amount allocated to the program in its first year, per the release.
The EDA and economic development department work with Bludot Technologies, a California-based company, to operate the program. People enroll in the program by downloading Bludot’s mobile app, and rewards are earned by linking credit cards used for payments or uploading receipts to the app.
“Many of our small businesses rely on local visitation and this program encouraged spending locally to support our small business community in Goochland County. Using BluDot’s unique Open Rewards program will keep Goochland dollars in Goochland County and support our local businesses and economy,” Economic Development Director Sara Worley said in a statement.
Goochland said the program has distributed $4,700 in rewards and helped create more than $110,000 in spending at businesses in the county. People enrolled in the program earn 5% back for transactions.