Henrico supervisors approve new Comprehensive Plan without Lakeside redesign

Henrico’s Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the county’s new Comprehensive Plan July 28 but removed several proposals from the plan, including one that was created to urbanize and redesign the Lakeside corridor.

The new 2045 “HenricoNext” plan, a 20-year guide for development in the county that planning staff have been working on during the past five years, would change land use designations for only 12% of the county, said Henrico Planning Director Joe Emerson, mostly by encouraging redevelopment and infill development (increasing density nearby already high-density areas). 

Several proposals that would have more significantly changed the county’s land use were removed or revised by the supervisors on Tuesday night, including:

• the new “A-2” agricultural zoning designation designed for A-1 areas east of I-295, which would have restricted new development to one unit per five acres, was removed from the plan. Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson instead called for a new committee to further discuss the proposal and other rural preservation efforts over the next 18-20 months.

• the new “Prime Agricultural/Rural Conservation (PA/RC)” zoning designation for about 50% of land in the Varina District east of I-295 was left in the plan, but the initial one-unit-per-five-acres restriction for the new PA/RC zones was revised to one unit per one acre. 

• a redesign proposal for the Lakeside Avenue corridor, designed to foster increased density with new townhomes and mixed-use buildings as well as decreased road space by expanding sidewalks and adding bike lanes, was scrapped from the plan. Board Chair and Fairfield District supervisor Roscoe Cooper said that he planned to meet with the Lakeside community to further discuss and rework the proposal.

• six sections of new concept roads (including a road connecting Pin Oak Lane to Grapevine Road, a road connecting Cox Road to Church Road, a road connecting New Market Road to Buffin Road, and segments of a road running parallel to Osborne Turnpike) all were removed from the plan.

• a proposed new road crossing the James River that would connect to Commerce Road in Richmond City was removed after a request by Nelson, who instead asked for the county to implement special studies of the Osborne Turnpike and James River corridors.

• a study about coastal resiliency and a study on the creation of agrotourism districts in Henrico were requested by Nelson.

Both the Henrico Planning Commission and the Henrico Board of Supervisors recommended revising the PA/RC proposal and removing the A-2 proposal. The two initial proposals would have significantly limited development and preserved rural areas in Eastern Varina.

Rural conservation is still a priority of Henrico County, said Nelson, but many landowners in Varina had expressed concerns about the county limiting their ability to build on their own properties.

“I know some of you have reminded us that land that you have has been passed down from generation to generation, and some have held onto it to subdivide for their families,” Nelson said. “So go home and rest if you’re watching tonight. We’re not trying to impede what you do on the land that you own.”

At Tuesday’s public hearing, many Lakeside residents and business owners spoke out against approving the new redesign proposal for the corridor. 

Patrick Oxenham, a 20-year Lakeside resident, said that while he supports the “garden district” aspect of the redesign and the idea of expanding the corridor’s tree canopy, the 2045 proposal did not address more immediate needs the community has been voicing.

“I don’t believe Lakeside residents are afraid of change, I believe that they are tired of feeling ignored,” Oxenham said. “We still have sidewalks that simply end instead of connecting neighborhoods. We still don’t have safe pedestrian crossings where residents walk everyday. . . Many of these needs have been discussed for years, yet today we’re being asked to embrace a 20-year vision before those priorities have even been addressed or even acknowledged.”

Cooper, who has recently come to represent the Lakeside neighborhood after the corridor was shifted to the Fairfield District, said that he planned to hold town halls and community meetings to further discuss a plan with residents and business owners and “figure out the best path forward.”

“I just want all you all to know that you are all seen and you are all heard,” he said.

A handful of other Henrico residents also brought forward concerns about the county passing the Comprehensive Plan without having sufficient public engagement in the process and without completing a countywide plan on public utilities and water conservation.

“When I was at the East End meeting at the recreation center, a lot of people were coming out and they were more confused, there was more and more questions,” said Varina resident Aileen Rivera. “The 2045 Comprehensive Plan remains incomplete based on important elements that were not addressed, including a strategy for water conservation.”

Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas said that the Henrico Department of Public Utilities is set to create its own plan in alignment with the Comprehensive Plan over the next 9 to 12 months and promised that there would be opportunity for public input.

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.