Richmond mayor announces restructuring of development agencies
Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones' administration announced yesterday its first shakeup of City Hall with a plan to create a consolidated Department of Economic and Community Development.
Peter H. Chapman, who was hired this summer as deputy chief administrative officer for economic and community development, will lead the new department, which will control the city's real estate holdings and its business-development financing programs.
Jane C. Ferrara, who has been director of real estate services, will be the deputy director and chief operating officer.
"This restructuring will create a more robust and interdisciplinary agency that is fully equipped to undertake a more aggressive redevelopment agenda for Richmond," Jones said in a statement.
Officials also announced that the current director of economic development, Carthan F. Currin III, and his deputy director, Dara Glass, are leaving their positions. Currin could not be reached for comment, but city officials said he would be joining an unspecified local law firm.
The new department will combine what had been the departments of economic development and real estate services with the part of the Department of Community Development that deals with federal grant funds, including those that have supported the Neighborhoods in Bloom revitalization program.
The Department of Community Development is being renamed the Department of Planning and being restructured to focus on issues of planning, zoning, inspections and design. It will be led by Rachel O. Flynn, who has been director of community development.
Officials also announced the creation of a Development Council, led by Chapman, to better coordinate the work of city agencies and authorities.
Council President Kathy C. Graziano reacted cautiously to the announcement and made it clear that she considers the reorganization to be a proposal, not a definite change.
"It makes sense to me to have clearer communication between economic and community development," she said. "I think we need, and I'm sure administration will give us, the rationale for why these other changes are necessary."
Graziano said she expects the administration will get an opinion from the city attorney on whether the changes need to be approved by ordinance. Under the city charter, the council has the power "to create, alter or abolish departments, bureaus, divisions, boards, commissions, offices and agencies" unless otherwise provided.
Tammy D. Hawley, the mayor's press secretary, said the changes take effect immediately, but she acknowledged that some sign-off by council on the names of departments might be necessary. She added that no ordinances related to the changes are being drafted.
"Organizationally, this is occurring," she said.
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or
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Reader Reactions
She has been rude to the Planning Commission in a public setting, which is very unprofessional. She has been as confrotational as Wilder. She has changed requirements on developers midstream. She has been unresponsive on several key economic development projects, including Mead WestVaco. She has refused to meet with applicants, which last time I checked is her job.
By trying to block development that Partnership for a Smarter Growth opposes she is helping them raise money based on people’s fear of development. I have never heard them come out for a development, even when it fits in with their stated goals. Why not? There is no money in that for them. Her relationship with this organization should be carefully scrutinized.
In case you forget the property owners in the city are tax payers too, not just the residents. Everyone should be heard and treated with respect. I don’t think the Planning Director should pander to development interests, but they also shouldn’t pander just to a certain group of citizens. They should be professional and objective and recommend what is best for the city overall. She seems to have forgotten this by her disrepsect for the Planning Commission and her outright obnoxious attitude towards anyone who doesn’t think the same way she does.
Her role should not be that of policy maker. That is the role of the Council and the Mayor, who are elected by the people. She is supposed to carry out their policies while upholding the zoning ordinance and treating all people with respect.
In response to “Really?“—Rachel Flynn has been the best thing to happen to Richmond in a long time. She is intelligent, thoughtful, forward thinking, and has the best interest of the city as a whole at heart. We need more like her.
Keep Flynn as far away from the Economic Development side of things as possible. All she knows how to do is to put up unecessary roadblocks and unrealistic demands to try and stop development to “help” her friends at the Partnership for Smarter Growth.
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