Preservation, smart growth urged in Henrico
Published: January 23, 2009
More than two dozen people said last night that they want to see Henrico County do more to preserve historic and natural areas, make the county more bicycleand pedestrian-friendly and improve residents' quality of life.
They spoke during a public hearing held by the Henrico Planning Commission on a 272-page document that has been drafted to guide development in the county through 2026. About 80 people attended the hearing.
Jane Koontz, who lives in the rural Varina area, urged county planners to strengthen wording in the plan that encourages smart-growth concepts.
"Dense land-use categories should not be used to line the pockets of developers or large landowners. Our agricultural base is being depleted by targeted growth for Varina," Koontz said. "All Henrico taxpayers, including West Enders, are going to pay through the nose for the excessive growth targeted for Varina."
Richard McNeil, who serves on the county's historic preservation advisory committee, urged stronger protections for historic sites in the plan. County resident A.R. Goodwin cited records showing that 162 of 183 county-recognized historic sites and structures were destroyed between 1976 and 1998.
"We have a wealth of historic preservation areas and cultural resources in Henrico County. However, they are not protected by anything other than a lick and a promise," McNeil said. "We are looking for some stronger language in the land-use plan to acknowledge historic holdings and do something to protect them for future generations."
Michael Czekajlo, who lives in the western end of the county, was among half a dozen people who bemoaned the county's reputation for being one of the least bikeable and walkable localities in the Richmond area.
"As it is, I can't walk anywhere with my kids. I can't cross Broad Street from Target to go to Whole Foods, which is idiotic," Czekajlo said. "I think there is a general disconnect between the plan and the quality of life people want."
After the two-hour hearing, Henrico Planning Director Joe Emerson said the Planning Commission will schedule a work session to consider last night's comments and discuss the plan. The panel will send the plan to the county Board of Supervisors, which also will hold a public hearing before adopting the plan.
For details about the draft comprehensive plan, visit http://www.co.henrico.va.us/planning/2026plan.htm. Written comments may be sent to the Henrico County Planning Department, P.O. Box 90775, Henrico, VA 23273-0775.
Contact Melodie N. Martin at (804) 649-6290 or
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Reader Reactions
i just read that strolling across broad st “is idiotic.“ its time to change that type of thinking. that type of thinking is why the we have to get in a car to drive across a street. it doesn’t take a tree hugger to realize planners need to stop sprawling before its too late. it may be too late to get from the west broad target to whole foods by foot, but then again, maybe not ... but some people must first open their minds and stop clinging to the ideas that put us in the situation in the first place. henrico is not urban. it has urban areas, and rural areas, and suburban areas, and industrial areas so forth. lets redefine progress now by protecting the best parts and improving the worst. - ken
Bsmart… take it from a real estate attorney. You’re wrong. See, suburban development is not just a home. A home and the people who live in it pay taxes for an average lifespan of 60 years which, when money is properly managed by a county, covers the costs it has brought to a community. But for every new home that’s built, 55-60 jobs are created in the Richmond area, jobs from construction worker to restaurant server to account manager to clothing store salesperson to you name it. People get paid and spend money, pay taxes and contribute to the quality of life here. Those jobs are here because suburban development is here. Take away suburban development and the customer base for those jobs goes away, which means those jobs and the tax revenue that comes from them also go away.
Ask yourself this question… why is it that the most well-managed county in this area—Henrico County—is also the only county that doesn’t charge cash proffers on new homes and doesn’t have financial problems today?
This concept that growth doesn’t pay for itself is so ridiculous it can’t be quantified. Growth more than pays for itself, and Henrico County proves it every day. The problem we have around here is these other counties that take the lazy way out and charge tens of thousands of dollars in cash proffers to anyone daring to improve their quality of life by buying a new home (no, developers don’t pay it, homebuyers pay it in the price of the home) take the extra money they generate and waste it on ridiculous things. That’s why Chesterfield is $38 million in the hole, Hanover is $17 million in the hole, and every county around here that charges proffers has a budget deficit of some kind.
James, suburban development actually costs taxpayers more than it generates in tax revenues. New developments need new roads, public water supplies, sewers, sewage treatment plants, schools, fire houses, police stations, etc. Public dollars pay for these new services.
Obvoiusly, there are some Henricans too dense to grasp what the county is trying to do. See, Varina is a dilapidated area BECAUSE there has been no development. Apparently Jane Koontz likes living in a dilapidated area, but the county recognizes how much more tax revenue it can generate and how much more quality of life it can provide if it upgrades that area and East Henrico as a whole.
And in case you missed the news Jane, an agricultural base is NOT what an urban county should strive to achieve. The agricultural base and lack of revenue it generates is why you have no services in Varina!
If you want country living, move to Louisa or Caroline counties. Henrico is an urban area and should be treated as such. Do we need more pedestrian-friendly access? Yes, and the plan provides it. But what truly IS idiotic is thinking you should be able to stroll leisurely across Broad Street—the main thoroughfare in Henrico County—at ANY location. Go to Goochland. You can walk across Broad Street there. It’s the country.
Remember, a comprehensive plan is a GUIDE, not law. Henrico needs a comp plan that will help a city improve quality of life. This plan has some holes but all-in-all it does that. The planning commission and the Board should approve it.
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