City Council agenda includes affordable housing, new market for Hull Street, mixed use for Jahnke, more

The agenda for Monday’s City Council meeting has a number of items specific to this side of the river:

• ORD. 2024-295 To declare a public necessity exists and to authorize the acquisition of certain fee simple interests and easements for the public purpose of facilitating the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Seaton Acres Drainage Improvement Project

  WHAT IT MEANS: The city needs easements to address drainage issues with the existing infrastructure in Piney Knolls.

• Ord. No. 2024-304 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to issue grants, loans, or a combination thereof from the City’s first and second Tranches of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds to certain entities in designated amounts and to authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City, to execute all necessary documents to effect such issuance for the purpose of financing the construction and preservation of single-family and multifamily dwellings.

  WHAT IT MEANS: Directs federal money to affordable housing projects including the Townhomes at Liberty Place, New Manchester Flats VI, SCDHC The Hollands, Oak Grove Townhomes, and Blackwell Affordable Homeownership.

• Ord. No. 2024-310 To authorize the special use of the property known as 6241 Forest Hill Avenue for the purpose of up to two single-family detached dwellings, upon certain terms and conditions. (4th District)

  WHAT IT MEANS: The applicant is requesting a Special Use Permit to authorize the construction of one single-family detached dwelling on top of a garage behind their house.

• Ord. No. 2024-311 To authorize the special use of property known as 5790 Hull Street Road for the purpose of (i) an automotive repair and automotive parts sales facility and (ii) a grocery, convenience, and specialty food store, upon certain terms and conditions, and to repeal Ord. No. 89-246-231, adopted Sept. 11, 1989, and all amendatory ordinances thereto. (9th District)

  WHAT IT MEANS: The owner of the property is currently using the rear as an automative repair shop. He would like to open a food market in the front building and needs special permission to do this.

  From the application:

  The market will include freshly cut delicatessen meats, gourmet cheeses & desserts, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and a collage of multicultural delectables. I have been a business entrepreneur and restaurant owner for over forty-five years. It is my goal to bring to our neighborhood a diverse variety of tastes and flavors from around the world.

• Ord. No. 2024-312 To authorize the special use of the property known as 7100 Jahnke Road for the purpose of a mixed-use building containing up to 14 dwelling units, with off-street parking, upon certain terms and conditions. (4th District)

  WHAT IT MEANS: They would like to build a 3 story building with 14 dwelling units (7 of which would be short term – like AirBNB) and 3,250 square feet of commercial space for “neighborhood-serving commercial uses such as “retail; office; art galleries; barber shops and beauty salons, including manicure, spa, tanning and similar services; and specialty food and beverage stores (including retail bakery); laundromats and laundry and dry-cleaning pick-up; and restaurants and other food and beverage establishments.”

• Ord. No. 2024-313 To close, to public use and travel, an alley in the block bounded by Maury Street, East 4th Street, Everett Street and East 3rd Street, consisting of 1,980? square feet, upon certain terms and conditions. (6th District)

  WHAT IT MEANS: The property owner wants to build 35 2-unit townhomes on the whole block, but the parcel is partially bisected by a public alley. They want to close the alley.

• Ord. No. 2024-315 To amend Ord. No. 2023-180, adopted June 26, 2023, which authorized the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on the behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept the second tranche of American Rescue Plan Act funds in the amount of $10,000,000.00 from the United States Department of the Treasury and amended the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 General Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the General Fund Budget for certain agencies by $8,000,000.00 of the $10,000,000.00 of ARPA funding from the Department of Housing and Community Development, to recapture funds in the amount of $500,000.00 from BR2 Owner, LLC, and to amend Ord. 2024-099, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 General Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by transferring $500,000.00 from the Department of Housing and Community Development, creating a new line item in the Non- Departmental budget called “ARPA-Housing Families First,” and appropriating such $500,000.00 transferred from the Department of Housing and Community Development to the new Non-Departmental budget line item called “ARPA – Housing Families First,” all for the purpose of expanding affordable housing initiatives.

  WHAT IT MEANS: Gets $500,000.00 from BR2 Owner, LLC, also known as the Brady Square III project to fund other existing affordable housing projects. Brady Square is the affordable housing project that sits half-completed after work stalled about this time last year when contractors reported that they were not being paid. Note: they have still not been paid.

• Ord. No. 2024-R036 To designate the property known as 250 East German School Road as a revitalization area pursuant to Va. Code ? 36-55.30:2. (9th District)

  WHAT IT MEANS: Will help fund the development of 236 multifamily units, which restricts 174 units to persons earning 60% of the area median income (AMI), and 62 units restricted to persons earning under 50% AMI, these units will be subsidized by Project-Based Vouchers (PBV).

• Ord. No. 2024-218 To provide for the granting by the City of Richmond to the person, firm or corporation to be ascertained in the manner prescribed by law of a franchise for the management of the Hopkins Road Transfer Station located at 3506 Hopkins Road and the East Richmond Road Convenience Center located at 3800 East Richmond Road in accordance with a certain Franchise Agreement. (8th District/7th District)

  WHAT IT MEANS: Handles getting an operator for the waste management spots. There is some controversy here.

• Ord. No. 2024-282 To authorize the special use of the property known as 1321 Porter Street for the purpose of a multifamily dwelling containing up to four dwelling units, upon certain terms and conditions. (6th District)

  WHAT IT MEANS: They want to develop something with slightly more density than is currently allowed