Yesterday the City government released the latest drafts for its zoning ordinance rewrite project.

The Draft 2 zoning map now has 7 properties south of Green Alley changed from RA-A to RM-A zoning (6 dwelling units per building 40′ height, 70% lot coverage).

These properties now targeted with RM-A zoning are:
123 S. Pine
125 S. Pine
516 S. Pine

200 S. Linden (Grace Arents Housing)
202 S. Linden (Grace Arents Housing)

314 S. Cherry
316 S. Cherry
(314 and 316 were built in 1860, according to Zillow, and are now owned as a duplex)
407 S. Cherry has been changed from RA-A to RM-C

The athletic field of St Andrews is now proposed with MX-5 zoning with 75′ height limit.

The Draft 2 zoning map now proposes zoning for the properties north of Green Alley on the 100 blocks of Pine, Laurel and Cherry zoned RM-A.

Draft 2 zoning map now changed the St. Andrews Church and Pine Street Baptist Church zoning from RA-A to MX-3 zoning.

The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) voted that all of these properties should be zoned RA-A

In addition, some properties on the 600, 700 and 800 blocks of W. Cary Street are now proposed with MX-5 zoning and some with MX-3.

OHNA voted that all of the properties on these blocks of W. Cary should be zoned MX-3.

General office and retail are still shown as permitted uses by right under the RA-A and higher zoning.

It’s discouraging, but not surprising that the City’s ‘Code Refresh’ push continues to toss aside neighborhood input. After all, it already has a reputation as a scam for developers’ profits and very little to do with ‘affordable housing’.

City government and local corporate media go on and on about the need for Richmond to update its zoning, which they say has not been updated since the 1970’s, refusing to acknowledge that Oregon Hill was properly and appropriately rezoned for R-7 in 2002, not the seventies. It’s dishonest.