Stop Zoning Code Refresh: Tell Your Representative No 

Code Refresh is a existential threat to Richmond and it’s citizens. This code is being passed through without much awareness of citizens. Your input matters. The city is remapping every single parcel in the City and devising new zoning categories. 

While the city claims that this will lead to more affordable housing and a beautified city, we know from history and experience that this will not play out in that way. This bill leaves room for large developers and builders to take over our community. 

Our Concerns with Code Refresh: 

 Affordable Housing? – Code Refresh is being promoted by generally well-intended folks, including our Mayor under the guise of affordable housing. It is our studied opinion-and that of many experts – that the Code Refresh plan as proposed will drive up prices and offer housing at almost exclusively market rates as developers will be able to buy up single family homes across the city and up to 3 new units on each one! Why market rates? Builders and developers must currently pay full market prices for lumber and materials, are profit-centric, and because limited housing grants are available in most cases, it is inevitable – “as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow” – that Code Refresh will generate development at full market rates. 

Gentrification  – Code Refresh promises not to displace lower-income Black and Brown residents, but the plan is almost guaranteed to cause widespread dislocation of vulnerable populations as profit-centric developers buy up houses and resell them or rent them out at rates higher than affordable for these communities. This will be the same pattern that forced tens of thousands of low-income residents out of Church Hill, Highland Park, and other areas.

Richmond Doesn’t Have Infrastructure for these changes. Our current systems can barely handle the current demand. Our clean water, sewage and stormwater systems are already overwhelmed. According to the Richmond Department of Utilities most neighborhoods don’t have the current capacity to handle additional units that are envisioned by Code Refresh. Imagine MORE water crises. 

Parking. Up to 3 additional units being built on existing lots throughout city could lead to hundreds of  more cars with nowhere to park. 

The Code was Written by a Contractor. This plan was developed and written by a paid contractor. They have brought in generic solutions from other cities and are financially incentivized by the nature of their job. City staff with local experience and full citizen involvement has not happened. The city has not been clear about changes made in several of the drafts and much of the code is too technical for the average resident to understand or be expected to sift through. 

The Code Refresh advisory committee is disproportionately made up of members with ties to the development, construction and related industries. They have their profits, not your interests in mind. 

33% increase over current height limit in most areas. By allowed a 33% increase over current heights of buildings in most areas, Richmond will lose its charm and natural sunlight that currently flows into homes. Imagine buildings in Carytown being taller than the Bryd theater.

More Sewage in the James. The city already is a large polluter of the James. It dumps raw sewage into the James with every major storm. By adding 100,000 new residents there will be 10 million gallons of new sewage. 

It is our opinion that Code Refresh as currently written will be determinetal to our community. Tell your representative no to Refresh Code today.