Land-Use Plan: Henrico Doesn’t Intend to Pave Over Varina

WASHINGTON The Henrico County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing June 9 to obtain additional input on the county's proposed 2026 Comprehensive Plan. Of the 35 community members who addressed the board, the majority focused on the overall theme of growth and its perceived impact, especially to the Varina District in eastern Henrico.

While it is important to address some of the issues raised at the public hearing and highlight relevant aspects of the plan, the intention is not to refute or diminish the concerns of Henrico residents, but rather to clarify certain facts and present a more balanced picture.

The Comprehensive Plan is a guide. It provides recommendations for the location of potential development to help residents, businesses, and appointed and elected officials make decisions affecting land use in the county over the next 15-20 years. Certainly, the designation of property for a particular land-use category raises some expectation of its potential future use. This helps the community -- and local government -- to anticipate the need for infrastructure and services as population and employment grow.

Virginia code requires Henrico to maintain a Comprehensive Plan, but the plan itself is not legally binding. It does not and cannot change the zoning of any property, regardless of its recommended future use. Only a property owner can request such a change, and only after the county holds separate public hearings. The plan provides a basis for deciding if such a change is appropriate.

THE PLAN recommends land use changes throughout the county, such as higher density in more developed areas and new designations to accommodate growth, including areas within Varina. By allowing higher density in certain portions of the Varina District, the plan would facilitate growth in concentrated areas to help protect the rural character of the district and reduce sprawl as a whole.

During the June 9 hearing, several residents expressed concern about the potential "paving over" of Varina and the perceived elimination of the Prime Agricultural (PA) land-use designation. This category applies to areas suitable for agricultural uses because of topography, soil conditions, and/or the location of farms. It shares similar traits with land designated Rural Residential (RR) -- areas with rural characteristics in general, such as homesteads on one or more acres, with or without forestry or small farm uses. Both categories exist in the county's current 2010 Land Use Plan and remain valuable. Areas with these designations typically are zoned A-1, Agricultural District, and have the same development rights under that classification.

The 2026 Comprehensive Plan does not propose the elimination of the PA category. Rather, it combines the RR/PA designations to reinforce their similar rural character. In the 2010 Land Use Plan, the county recommends approximately 36 percent of all land in the Varina District as RR/PA. In the proposed 2026 Plan, approximately 31 percent receives these designations -- nearly 25,200 acres.

In addition, another 21 percent of the district is preserved for conservation or is owned by county, state, and federal agencies for open space and parks. More than half of the land designated Open Space/Recreation countywide is located in Varina.

Another concern raised at the recent meeting -- a 2005 survey conducted at the outset of the Comprehensive Plan update -- requires clarification as well (3,100 county households received the survey; 725, or about 23 percent, responded). Some residents have criticized the 2026 Plan, saying that it does not support the community's desire for "further restricting or managing development in rural areas," as referenced in the 2005 survey.

THE CONTEXT of that reference is incomplete. The full statement reads: "Overall, 82 percent of the respondents support further restricting or managing new development in rural areas not served by county sewer." A significant majority of the survey's respondents support managing growth in rural areas where there are limited provisions for public sewer and infrastructure -- an important distinction. Henrico manages development in rural areas without public sewer through subdivision and zoning ordinances.

Throughout this lengthy process, Henrico residents' participation and input have been essential in the development of the 2026 Comprehensive Plan; the voice and commitment of our community has helped provide a clearer path. Since 2006, the Planning Department has received and responded to more than 600 comments at public open houses held in each magisterial district, town hall meetings, at public hearings held with the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, and online on the Planning Web site. As a direct result of public input, the Planning Department has made 65 changes to the plan.

We look forward to additional discussion with our residents as the process continues to move forward.

Virgil R. Hazelett is Henrico's county manager. Contact him at (804) 501-4257 or find out more at http://www.co.henrico.va.us.