Plan substitutes 110 townhomes for apartments

A development plan for 80 acres on Richmond’s southeast side now includes townhomes rather than apartments.

Bryan Stumpf and 11th Street Development LLC have again applied for zoning changes necessary to construct the Smith Hill planned unit development south of Backmeyer Road between South 37th Street and Garwood Road. Richmond Common Council denied an original zoning request during April.

That request included 178 single-family homes in four types and up to 220 apartment units. The new plan, according to materials submitted to Richmond’s planning department, still includes the 178 single-family homes; however, the apartments are replaced by 110 townhomes. The plan shows 26 townhome buildings along South 37th Street south of Backmeyer.

The land is zoned medium-density single-family residential, and rezoning some of the land to urban residential is required to permit the variety of homes and the townhomes. Fourteen of the largest home sites, labeled as for custom homes, meet the current zoning requirements.

The Richmond Advisory Plan Commission has advertised a public hearing on the rezoning petition at 5:30 p.m. July 24 in the third-floor chambers of the Richmond Municipal Building. The plan commission unanimously recommended approval of the original rezoning request that council subsequently denied.

Plan commission and council meetings each drew more than 50 people as Smith Hill moved through the system the first time. Supporters of the development said the city needs new housing and the variety of options Smith Hill would provide; however, many neighbors opposed the development. They cited crowding and traffic problems as well as infrastructure concerns about roads, drainage and water pressure. The planning department received more than 100 responses after sending letters to nearby property owners.

More information about the development and the zoning request is available at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/86438372b4c84e23bc36976e364d8f26/.