School Board member Nicole Jones to fill City Council Ninth District vacancy
Nicole Jones
Richmond City Council appointed Nicole Jones to fill the Ninth District seat that President Michael Jones (no relation) is vacating due to his election to the Virginia House of Delegates.
Nicole Jones, who represents the Ninth District on the Richmond City School Board, will be sworn in and begin service in early January 2024. She will serve as an interim councilmember through the end of the remaining 2021-2024 council term, which ends Dec. 31, 2024. Jones can run for election for the following 2025-28 term.
Jones’ seat on the School Board is to be filled within 45 days according to state code, WTVR reports.
Richmond awarded $10 million grant for road safety projects
Richmond’s Department of Public Works was awarded a $10.77 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation through its Safe Streets and Roads for All Program. The grant is the second the city has received through the program this year.
The latest grant covers nine safety improvement priority projects and four safety planning initiatives, according to a release from the city. The grant also provides an implementation mechanism for safety improvements aligned with the city’s Richmond Connects Multimodal Strategic Transportation Plan.
“These improvements will safely connect underserved communities within Richmond, increase access to jobs and services, and create safer conditions for all road users by lowering speeds, mitigating risky behaviors, and reducing conflicts at intersections,” the release stated.
Riad Ali named new Richmond auditor
Riad Ali
City Council appointed Riad Ali as Richmond’s new city auditor effective today, Dec. 18.
In a release, the city said the position assists council “in its oversight of the management, integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of city government expenditures on behalf of Richmond residents.”
Ali previously served nearly 10 years as assistant inspector general in Broward County, Florida. He is a certified public accountant and a certified inspector general auditor and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Florida International University.
Ali’s appointment follows the retirement in October of former auditor Lou Lassiter. Audit Manager Bret Lewis has served as interim auditor since November.
Powhatan to vote on allowing small-scale meat processing in county
The Powhatan Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider approval of an amendment that would allow small-scale meat processing businesses to operate in the county at its meeting Monday (today).
The amendment to the Powhatan zoning ordinance would allow small-scale meat processing activities to take place in agricultural 10 (A-10), agricultural 20 (A-20) light industrial (I-1), heavy industrial (I-2) and animal confinement (AC) zoning districts as a conditional use.
In the agricultural 10 (A-10), agricultural 20 (A-20) and animal confinement (AC) zoning districts, the small-scale meat processing facilities would require at least 20 acres of land to operate.
The use, which would be a new use designation called “minor meat processing” in the ordinance, would also include livestock containment on a short term basis, slaughter and packing operations, according to a staff memo.
A public hearing will take place prior to the vote. The meeting agenda can be viewed here.
Planning Commission to hear zoning request for YMCA expansion in Chester
The Chesterfield Planning Commission is scheduled to consider a zoning request from the YMCA at its meeting Tuesday.
The YMCA has filed a zoning request seeking to reduce the number of required parking spaces at its facility at 3011 West Hundred Road in Chester. The nonprofit is planning to build a 7,900-square foot expansion of its Chester facility, which is currently about 45,000 square feet and features two athletic fields.
The expansion would typically require additional parking spaces, but the YMCA is seeking an exception to that requirement because the additional space is intended for existing programming and isn’t expected to increase membership or activity at the property, according to a staff report.
The meeting agenda can be found here.
Chesterfield approves moving Shamin Hotels project from Stonebridge to Springline
A 2023 master plan of the Springline at District 60 mixed-use development. (Courtesy Chesterfield County)
The Board of Supervisors OK’d last week an amended performance grant agreement between Chesterfield and Shamin Hotels that tees up a two-hotel project at the under-construction Springline at District 60 project.
Shamin plans to open a Hilton hotel with at least 260 rooms and at least 20,000 square feet of conference space as well as a second, extended-stay hotel of about 100 rooms at the mixed-use redevelopment underway at the site of the Spring Rock Green shopping center.
The amended agreement allows Shamin to step away from its previous plan to build a hotel-anchored mixed-use project across the street at the Stonebridge development, which the agreement originally incentivized when it was originally approved in 2019.
Among other changes, the amended grant agreement requires at least a $75 million investment by Shamin in its Springline project, an increase from the $30 million minimum that was required at Stonebridge.
Henrico OK’s Anthem campus redevelopment, Sheetz-anchored Staples Mill plan
A rendering of Kinsale Center, looking north along Maywill Street.
At their meeting last week, Henrico supervisors approved Kinsale Capital Group and Marchetti Development’s planned redevelopment of the former Anthem Inc. campus at the northeast corner of West Broad Street and Staples Mill Road. Called Kinsale Center, the $450 million, 29-acre project would include 692 apartments, a 147-room hotel, more than 350,000 square feet of new office space and over 32,000 square feet of street-level retail.
The board also OK’d Rebkee Co.’s revised plan for a Sheetz-anchored commercial development and 14 townhomes on a 10-acre undeveloped site across Staples Mill Road from the train station.
The board deferred to February requests from Lingerfelt and VOZ724 Park City LLC for office and industrial development on four parcels totaling over 40 acres between Williamsburg Road and Charles City Road in Varina.
Lego-like roundabout installed at Darbytown and Turner roads
Henrico County installed a roundabout to enhance safety at the intersection of Darbytown and Turner roads. For quick construction, the Department of Public Works selected a design that uses flexible, plastic pieces that assemble similar to Lego blocks, the county said in a release.
“This is an innovative way that we’re looking to do other roundabouts possibly throughout the county,” said LaTheasha Hinton, a capital projects manager for Public Works.
The $500,000 project started in August and was completed Oct. 31.
School Board member Nicole Jones to fill City Council Ninth District vacancy
Nicole Jones
Richmond City Council appointed Nicole Jones to fill the Ninth District seat that President Michael Jones (no relation) is vacating due to his election to the Virginia House of Delegates.
Nicole Jones, who represents the Ninth District on the Richmond City School Board, will be sworn in and begin service in early January 2024. She will serve as an interim councilmember through the end of the remaining 2021-2024 council term, which ends Dec. 31, 2024. Jones can run for election for the following 2025-28 term.
Jones’ seat on the School Board is to be filled within 45 days according to state code, WTVR reports.
Richmond awarded $10 million grant for road safety projects
Richmond’s Department of Public Works was awarded a $10.77 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation through its Safe Streets and Roads for All Program. The grant is the second the city has received through the program this year.
The latest grant covers nine safety improvement priority projects and four safety planning initiatives, according to a release from the city. The grant also provides an implementation mechanism for safety improvements aligned with the city’s Richmond Connects Multimodal Strategic Transportation Plan.
“These improvements will safely connect underserved communities within Richmond, increase access to jobs and services, and create safer conditions for all road users by lowering speeds, mitigating risky behaviors, and reducing conflicts at intersections,” the release stated.
Riad Ali named new Richmond auditor
Riad Ali
City Council appointed Riad Ali as Richmond’s new city auditor effective today, Dec. 18.
In a release, the city said the position assists council “in its oversight of the management, integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of city government expenditures on behalf of Richmond residents.”
Ali previously served nearly 10 years as assistant inspector general in Broward County, Florida. He is a certified public accountant and a certified inspector general auditor and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Florida International University.
Ali’s appointment follows the retirement in October of former auditor Lou Lassiter. Audit Manager Bret Lewis has served as interim auditor since November.
Powhatan to vote on allowing small-scale meat processing in county
The Powhatan Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider approval of an amendment that would allow small-scale meat processing businesses to operate in the county at its meeting Monday (today).
The amendment to the Powhatan zoning ordinance would allow small-scale meat processing activities to take place in agricultural 10 (A-10), agricultural 20 (A-20) light industrial (I-1), heavy industrial (I-2) and animal confinement (AC) zoning districts as a conditional use.
In the agricultural 10 (A-10), agricultural 20 (A-20) and animal confinement (AC) zoning districts, the small-scale meat processing facilities would require at least 20 acres of land to operate.
The use, which would be a new use designation called “minor meat processing” in the ordinance, would also include livestock containment on a short term basis, slaughter and packing operations, according to a staff memo.
A public hearing will take place prior to the vote. The meeting agenda can be viewed here.
Planning Commission to hear zoning request for YMCA expansion in Chester
The Chesterfield Planning Commission is scheduled to consider a zoning request from the YMCA at its meeting Tuesday.
The YMCA has filed a zoning request seeking to reduce the number of required parking spaces at its facility at 3011 West Hundred Road in Chester. The nonprofit is planning to build a 7,900-square foot expansion of its Chester facility, which is currently about 45,000 square feet and features two athletic fields.
The expansion would typically require additional parking spaces, but the YMCA is seeking an exception to that requirement because the additional space is intended for existing programming and isn’t expected to increase membership or activity at the property, according to a staff report.
The meeting agenda can be found here.
Chesterfield approves moving Shamin Hotels project from Stonebridge to Springline
A 2023 master plan of the Springline at District 60 mixed-use development. (Courtesy Chesterfield County)
The Board of Supervisors OK’d last week an amended performance grant agreement between Chesterfield and Shamin Hotels that tees up a two-hotel project at the under-construction Springline at District 60 project.
Shamin plans to open a Hilton hotel with at least 260 rooms and at least 20,000 square feet of conference space as well as a second, extended-stay hotel of about 100 rooms at the mixed-use redevelopment underway at the site of the Spring Rock Green shopping center.
The amended agreement allows Shamin to step away from its previous plan to build a hotel-anchored mixed-use project across the street at the Stonebridge development, which the agreement originally incentivized when it was originally approved in 2019.
Among other changes, the amended grant agreement requires at least a $75 million investment by Shamin in its Springline project, an increase from the $30 million minimum that was required at Stonebridge.
Henrico OK’s Anthem campus redevelopment, Sheetz-anchored Staples Mill plan
A rendering of Kinsale Center, looking north along Maywill Street.
At their meeting last week, Henrico supervisors approved Kinsale Capital Group and Marchetti Development’s planned redevelopment of the former Anthem Inc. campus at the northeast corner of West Broad Street and Staples Mill Road. Called Kinsale Center, the $450 million, 29-acre project would include 692 apartments, a 147-room hotel, more than 350,000 square feet of new office space and over 32,000 square feet of street-level retail.
The board also OK’d Rebkee Co.’s revised plan for a Sheetz-anchored commercial development and 14 townhomes on a 10-acre undeveloped site across Staples Mill Road from the train station.
The board deferred to February requests from Lingerfelt and VOZ724 Park City LLC for office and industrial development on four parcels totaling over 40 acres between Williamsburg Road and Charles City Road in Varina.
Lego-like roundabout installed at Darbytown and Turner roads
Henrico County installed a roundabout to enhance safety at the intersection of Darbytown and Turner roads. For quick construction, the Department of Public Works selected a design that uses flexible, plastic pieces that assemble similar to Lego blocks, the county said in a release.
“This is an innovative way that we’re looking to do other roundabouts possibly throughout the county,” said LaTheasha Hinton, a capital projects manager for Public Works.
The $500,000 project started in August and was completed Oct. 31.