‘Ugly Houses Coming’: Local Richmond group puts up billboard expressing concerns over Code Refresh

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — One group of Richmonders is speaking out — in a big way — about the city's plan for rezoning.

The Richmond Civic League (RCL), a group representing thousands of members, put up a billboard on 1220 N. Arthur Ashe boulevard, expressing opposition to the city’s Code Refresh proposal.

“It should be the residents of neighborhoods that are driving their own change,” said Director of Communication Copeland Casati.

The Code Refresh initiative began in February 2024 as an effort to improve walkability, upgrade zoning codes that haven’t been updated in decades and beautify the city’s neighborhoods. Code Refresh is part of a comprehensive plan looking to strengthen affordable housing programs in the city.

RCL said the community needs more input and is concerned the city has more developers than residents on the zoning advisory council.

For example, the 17-member Zoning Advisory Council is largely composed of individuals from the development sector and operates under the oversight of longtime Planning Commission chair Rodney Poole, who has held influential roles since 1993.

“It should be affordable housing that we focus on and the spirit of Richmond 300, which was a community-engaged decision,” Casati said. “We do not feel like Code Refresh is living up to that.”

RCL also said the proposal would allow residents' land to be rezoned without a public vote. They worry about too many homes packed too closely together.

Casati said the city must consider all these scenarios.

“Think about three homes on every parcel, on every block in your neighborhood. You just must ask, what is parking going to be like? What is the infrastructure going to be like? How are we going to handle power, water, sewage?” Casati explained.

The current draft does feature changes like new tree canopy requirements and zoning tweaks that stop developers from knocking down single-family homes to build duplexes.

8News reach out to the city regarding questions the group had on infrastructure and haven't heard back.

Residents now have until March 1 to explore the city’s interactive tools aimed at helping community members digest the second draft of Richmond’s “Code Refresh” and provide feedback on the plan.