Henrico Planning Commission endorses River Mill expansion, opposes 2 other residential cases

At its Oct. 9 meeting, the Henrico Planning Commission recommended approval of a proposal from Winfrey Homes LLC to add 39 single-family homes to the River Mill development in Glen Allen, at the intersection of Winfrey Road and Woodman Road.

But the commission recommended denial of two other residential proposals – one in Highland Springs and another just north of Lakeside.

Two current residents of Winfrey Road spoke in opposition to the River Mill proposal, saying that it would result in many more residences per acre than the area currently holds. They also were worried about increased traffic, particularly with only one entrance planned to the development.

To address area residents’ concerns about traffic, Winfrey Homes will be widening Winfrey Road and adding a curb, gutter, sidewalk, and trees, officials said.

In the Highland Springs case, the commission voted 3 to 1, with one abstention, in opposition to the plans for the 95-home “Washington Park” community on North Washington Street. The applicant, Gem Capital LLC, has been working on this proposal since August 2024.

Area residents were divided on the proposal, with some citing the benefits of additional housing and the jobs construction would create and others saying development would harm the Chickahominy River and water table and bring more traffic to an already-crowded road.

One supportive resident, Chris Phillips, even pointed to his past opposition to a similar development, saying he had overestimated the costs and underestimated the benefits.

“Nobody wants change, but sometimes change is good,” Phillips said.

The second recommended denial came in response to a proposal for 21 townhomes in the Fairfield District on Brook Lake Drive adjacent to the Brook Run shopping center. This proposal had been discussed once before at the commission’s August meeting and the Henrico Planning Department had unaddressed concerns about the development.

Fairfield Commissioner Jaron Dandridge said he appreciated that the applicant, Ridge Homes LLC, had tried to address everything, but added “there are still a lot of items that are left out there.”

The Henrico Board of Supervisors holds final decision-making authority on each of the proposals and is scheduled to hear the cases at its Tuesday, Nov. 11 meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. in the Board Room of the Administration Building at the Henrico County Government Center, 4301 East Parham Road.

Members of the public who wish to attend in person or via livestream can find more information on the Henrico County website.

The commission also approved a plan of development for stormwater management infrastructure for a Varina District warehouse and distribution facility, at the end of Techpark Place. This approval will allow the project to move forward.

A proposal for 90 townhomes and 14 zero-lot detached single-family homes in the Varina District on North Laburnum Avenue, south of its intersection with Kingsridge Parkway, was deferred at the applicant’s request. It will be reconsidered at a future commission meeting.