City Invites Public To Neighborhood Planning Workshops For VUU & Chamberlayne Industrial Center Areas

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The City’s Department of Planning and Development Review invites the public to participate in a neighborhood planning effort for the area surrounding Virginia Union University, Brook Road and Chamberlayne Avenue. The public is encouraged to attend Neighborhood Planning Public Meetings and Planning Workshops that will be hosted by the City on June 16 - 19 at the Dovetail Construction Company, 1620 Brook Road.

       Public Meeting No. 1:    Monday, June 16, 6 to 8 p.m.
       Public Meeting No. 2:    Thursday, June 19, 6 to 8 p.m.
       Open Design Studio:    Tuesday, June 17, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.
                                            Wednesday, June 18, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.

The City has selected Urban Design Associates to assist in the development of the plan and facilitate public meetings during the week of June 16. At the first public meeting on Monday evening, attendees will be introduced to the design team who will lead a public discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of the area and a vision for its future. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the team will engage attendees in an on-site design studio of preparing design alternatives to address the issues raised at the public meeting. At the second public meeting on Thursday, June 19, the team will present initial design solutions followed by roundtable discussions for public evaluation. A third public meeting will be held in early fall to present more fully developed recommendations based on resident evaluations.

Once complete, the plan is expected to guide the programming and design of future land uses, inform the City’s capital improvement process, identify strategic partnerships with private landowners, and generally outline the relationship of the built environment to the growth and vitality of the area. The final product of this effort will be a plan to be adopted by the City Planning Commission and City Council as an amendment or supplement to the City’s Master Plan.

For questions regarding the neighborhood planning workshops please contact James Hill at (804) 646-7552 or James.Hill@richmondgov.com.