Henrico Board of Supervisors approves new townhouse development in push to create more affordable housing in Eastern Henrico

Henrico’s Board of Supervisors approved a rezoning request that permits a new development of as many as 99 townhouses east of Sandston in a 5-0 vote at their July 22 meeting, with Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson saying the development will serve “everyday, working people.”

The new development is a part of a larger project in the Varina District spearheaded by developer Godsey Properties, which hopes to build about 900 properties across 150 acres near Sandston. Some units in the project, including some of the new townhouses, will be linked to the county’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, meaning that properties would likely sell for around $200,000 or less, according to Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas.

The average home price in Henrico is currently around $400,000, a cost that many working-class families cannot afford, said Nelson. The new townhouse development will provide more people in the county with a pathway to home ownership, he said.

“This will relieve the future Henrico County resident or current resident trying to purchase a home. This was about helping them, this was not about trying to put money in developers’ pockets,” Nelson said. “We really are trying to make housing more affordable in our county.”

The new development, planned for a 15-acre site south of the intersection between Dry Bridge and Old Williamsburg roads, will include a maximum of 99 two-story townhouses, with the majority having a one-car garage. The development will include sidewalks and a half-acre park that is linked to a larger one-and-a-half-acre park nearby through a trail system.

The townhouses, which will be part of a larger mixed-use community of condominiums, other townhouses, and some single-family homes, will also be less than a mile from Taylor Farm Park and about half a mile from a GRTC bus stop.

“There’s lots of amenities to get to, and you’re talking about a home price in the mid-200s and possibly even sub-200s with the housing trust,” said Tuckahoe District Supervisor Jody Rogish. “That’s a really, really affordable, nice place – that’s a new construction – to live in Henrico County.”

Godsey Properties originally planned a development of 41 single-family homes for the 15-acre area, and then decided instead to construct apartment buildings for renters ages 55 and older. However, the developer withdrew the apartment proposal earlier this year, instead opting for townhouses.

At the July 22 meeting, one Henrico resident, Jennifer Lieberman, voiced concerns about the new townhouses, saying she worried that the development would not be compact or walkable for families and instead force residents to rely on cars. 

“Why aren’t we building large condo facilities where people can purchase individual units, so that there can be more of a compact space for people to live in?” she said. “But more importantly, why are we building things that will cause more disruption to the environment?”

But with around six units per acre, Henrico Planning Director Joe Emerson said the development would be medium-to-high density, rather than a more spread out “urban sprawl” neighborhood.

“You don’t have any real sprawl here,” he said. “Getting more dwelling units in one place will lower your cost of delivery service, will allow other properties to remain as they are – large pieces with trees and open space and things – and creates a nice utilization in a more dense pattern.”

Supervisors also highlighted that areas nearby the development are slated for commercial use, with a Wawa being built just south of the development, and that new homes would likely attract more businesses and amenities in the Eastern Henrico area.

“As had been made clear time and time again, Reverend Nelson can’t make Starbucks come to certain areas. He can’t make Wegmans go out there,” said Three Chopt District Supervisor Misty Roundtree. “But these are homeowners that are coming in that are going to need grocery stores and recreational places and things like that. It makes it a more attractive area.”

Emerson said the development will require a new traffic light to be added to the intersection between Dry Bridge Road and Route 60, with Godsey Properties covering the cost. Henrico County will also add an additional lane and crosswalks to Dry Bridge Road. 

The county also has several upcoming road projects nearby the new development, including the construction of a roundabout on Williamsburg Road in 2028 and the construction of additional sidewalks along Route 60 in 2029.

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s government and education reporter. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.