The nearly 7-acre site is across from Fire Station 17 and sits downhill from Semmes Avenue. (BizSense file photos)
A sizable housing development for lower-income renters in South Richmond has received the city’s approval.
City Council gave the green light Monday night to a planned 266-unit apartment project at 2201 McDonough St. in the Swansboro area.
The new apartments, from Tennessee-based developer Elmington, would rise on a nearly 7-acre grassy area to the west of the Belle Heights neighborhood. The units would be available only to those earning up to 60 percent of the area median income. Elmington unveiled its plans in the spring and applied for a special-use permit needed for the development.
The apartments would be spread across three buildings ranging in height from three to five stories. Since the project site is downhill of Semmes Avenue, the five-story buildings would appear closer to three stories when seen from street level.
Through the course of its special-use permit application, Elmington agreed to some added conditions, including building two speed tables nearby on McDonough and West 22nd streets, putting a balcony or patio on each unit, and not using vinyl as a building material. Elmington also agreed to build no fewer than 1.3 parking spaces per unit, or a total of around 345 spots.
The land’s current owner, local firm Harper Associates, had previously eyed the site for a second phase of Belle Heights townhomes as well as apartments. In the spring Elmington said that it had the land under contract.
The proposal received some pushback from residents during the public comment period at Monday’s council meet. Most of those who spoke against the project expressed concerns about the site’s infrastructure and access, as well as traffic impacts from the development.
Among those speaking in favor of Elmington’s plans were members of pro-housing advocacy group RVA YIMBY (an acronym for ‘Yes In My Back Yard’), who pointed to the scarcity of housing in the city and how the land in its current state isn’t benefiting the community.
A site plan of the proposed development.
Much of the discussion from council — which President Kristen Nye said was among the most robust discussion periods for a special-use permit she’s seen — centered on the buildings’ access to Semmes Avenue, where many bus lines run. Elmington’s attorney, Williams Mullen’s Preston Lloyd, said they would look at options for increasing accessibility during the development process.
After over an hour of deliberation, council voted to approve Elmington’s SUP. The only “no” vote came from Councilwoman Stephanie Lynch.
Lynch, whose district includes the site, said she felt it would be unwise to vote for the proposal without commitments from the developer on accessibility, traffic safety and infrastructure.
Council also voted to continue a pair of items concerning the city’ real estate tax rate. Council members Reva Trammell, Ellen Roberston and Council Vice President Ann-Frances Lambert are proposing lowering the city’s real estate tax rate to $1.16 per $100 of assessed value, while Nye is pushing to keep it at its current rate of $1.20 per $100 of assessed value.
Lastly, council voted to delay a vote on local firm Kinloch Capital’s special-use permit to build a three-story, 12-unit apartment building at 1220 W. Cary St., which sits along an increasingly bustling stretch of Cary Street. That request was continued to council’s Oct. 15 meeting.
Elmington, meanwhile has at least one other project in the works in the city. It’s planning a roughly 400-unit income-based apartment development in the Northside near Six Points.