Richmond, VA-Today, the City of Richmond's Department of Planning and Development Review (PDR) began administering a new Site Plan ordinance (ORD. 2024-314), which replaces the current Plan of Development process. The new ordinance aims to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies, improve transparency, and shorten timelines for those looking to build in the City of Richmond.

"Efforts to streamline development review began in early 2022, when the City's Planning Commission adopted a resolution calling for a new process," shared Kevin J. Vonck, Director of Planning and Development Review. "Over the subsequent three years, we mapped our existing processes, hosted dozens of discussions with stakeholders, researched comparative localities, and identified industry best practices to develop a new process that will best serve our development community."

This new process, visualized in the below flowchart, will standardize and streamline the City's review of proposed development projects, meeting following conditions (excepting one and two-family homes):

• Disturbing more than 4,000 sq. ft. of land; or 2,500 sq. ft. of land within a designated Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act Area;

• Making major changes to the public right-of-way or public utilities, including curb cuts;

• Increasing parking more than 10%;

• Installing public drive-ups, drive-throughs, fuel pumps, or charging stations; or

• Increasing the usable space of any building or structure by 2,500 sq. ft.

Those interested in learning more or submitting a project under the new Site Plan ordinance can learn more here.