NORTH WEST
When it comes to the City Code, former treasury secretary John Snow apparently thinks rules are for the little people. timesdispatch.com
…they carefully researched whether any houses could be built that would block the view. The city’s answer, John George said, was no….City Council member Bruce W. Tyler said the Snows’ request is “not unreasonable,”….”It is unreasonable for anybody to ever think that something is going to stay static.”…. timesdispatch.com
The City of Richmond Charter special use permit allows council to waive zoning laws for constituents. Council uses it dozens of times each year and grants extreme waivers, such as allowing multi-family residences in an industrial zone. Map … More
From the city website:
| Assessment Year | Land Value | Improvement Value | Total Value | Reason |
| 2012 | $750,000 | $965,000 | $1,715,000 | Office Review |
| 2011 | $750,000 | $2,180,000 | $2,930,000 | Carry Over |
| 2010 | $750,000 | $2,180,000 | $2,930,000 | Reassessment |
| 2009 | $750,000 | $2,180,000 | $2,930,000 | Reassessment |
| 2008 | $425,000 | $1,984,000 | $2,409,000 | Reassessment |
| 2007 | $425,000 | $1,984,000 | $2,409,000 | Reassessment |
| Transfer Date | Consideration Amount | Grantor Name |
| 7/8/2011 | $1,650,000 | WACHOVIA BANK NA TRS |
| 12/21/2009 | $0 | WACHOVIA BANK NA TRS |
| 5/19/2008 | $3,000,000 | BRANNAN W SCOTT & MELISSA W |
| 12/29/1999 | $265,000 | LOCKE LANE LC |
| Assessment Year | Land Value | Improvement Value | Total Value | Reason |
| 2012 | $750,000 | $833,000 | $1,583,000 | Reassessment |
| 2011 | $750,000 | $868,000 | $1,618,000 | Carry Over |
Read the history here.
Most residents and shop owners interviewed by CBS 6 support growth.
But many also harbor serious reservations about how the plan will be implemented, especially as it relates to traffic flow and parking.
The city and state would each need to contribute $17.1 million, or 25 percent, if the federal Small Starts program covers 50 percent of the project’s capital costs, according to GRTC.
via GRTC may ask U.S. for funding | Richmond Times-Dispatch.
A luxury condominium project on the southwest corner of Libbie and Guthrie Avenues, The Tiber has been designed to be the finest and most luxurious condominium project in the Westhampton area.
Under Tyler’s proposal, the Westmoreland Place Association would retain the right to approve the resurfacing materials — and a city estimate puts the cost at more than 3½ times that of a common resurfacing in the city.
[Ed. Libbie Avenue is changing because the city does not adhere to its Master Plan. Development applications should be denied. Instead, the applications are approved and used to justify a new Master Plan.]
“Libbie Avenue is changing,” Taylor said. “Developers and property owners are having to jump through many hoops to get special permits. For example, it’s changing from residential to office, but it takes about 6 to 9 months for those permits to be acquired.”
via Tradition in transition: Libbie, Grove, And Patterson | RVANews.
Richmond is launching an effort to update its master plan for the area around Libbie, Grove and Patterson avenues in the West End.
via Richmond launches master-plan update for West End area | Richmond Times-Dispatch. By Will Jones
Since 1997 two residential parcels on Libbie between the commercial districts have received special use permits–both during Mr. Tyler’s time on city council. Both were inconsistent with the Master Plan. Read the rest of this entry »