Henrico Rezoning: Balancing Housing Needs and Local Concerns

On Nov 12th, The Henrico Board of Supervisors voted to deny two rezoning proposals for the area between Kaechele Elementary School and the Henrico County Line.  This area is currently zoned A-1 Agricultural.  Both proposals, one from Markel/Eagle and one from Jim Capital requested rezoning to R-5AC General Residence District to allow up to 95 single family homes on approximately 65 acres.

Pros Cited

Affordable housing is an issue in Virginia, and especially in Western Henrico.  This project would have reserved at least 10 units for households at 80% of median income.  In addition, a private stream-restoration project had preliminary approval from the Virginia DEQ that would supposedly reduce the amount of pollution currently flowing into the Chickahominy River.

Cons Cited

Neighbors and civic speakers repeatedly raised concerns about school capacity, traffic and flooding. Dennis Berman said, “This project will put 2 of our 3 schools into trailers,” citing local school impacts and “nearly 800 trips every weekday” the development would add to local roads.

After extended public comment and board discussion, Supervisor Rountree moved to deny the rezoning; the motion carried by voice vote.

Balancing Act

There were other rezonings approved, denied and deferred at this meeting for across Henrico County and this session shows the balancing act between meeting housing demand and responding to local concerns about school capacity, flooding and traffic. Several approvals included explicit affordability or workforce-housing commitments; several denials and deferrals emphasized the board’s insistence on defensible drainage and traffic engineering before substantial-scale projects proceed.

What’s next?

The Henrico Planning Commission Nov. 13 will hear proposals for three residential developments in the county that could add as many as 465 new housing units.

“The largest of the three would result in the construction of 358 or more new homes near the interchange of I-295 and Nuckols Road in Glen Allen. The community, to be known as Westford Glen, would take shape on a mostly wooded 76-acre site along the east side of Nuckols Road between Hickory Park Drive and Fords Country Lane (near the site of the Springfield Road Public Use Area).”