The following letter and signatures will be submitted to the City Planning Commission:

To: the Planning Commission City of Richmond VA
and to Sarah Abubaker , 4th District City Council

Re ORD-2024-312 (7100 Jahnke Road)

This is a communication from numerous residents of the Boulder Parke Townhomes, Hioaks Road, Old Jahnke Road, Castleton Road, and Westover Gardens communities that surround 7100 Jahnke Road on the North side of Jahnke Road.

Given two previous Planning Commission meetings about ORD 2024-312 (7100 Jahnke Road) and an upcoming meeting on April 1, 2025, it seems likely that the Commission is nearing a decision point about the SUP request, assuming it is not further modified. 7100 Jahnke Road is zoned R-1 and is a gateway to an extensive established residential community on the North side of Jahnke Road. In both oral comments and extensive written communications over several years, residents have consistently opposed approval of the SUP based on several aspects of the SUP:

• The land at 7100 Jahnke Road is about the size of a typical home lot in the surrounding residential area. Constructing a 3 story building containing 14 apartments (with some short-term rentals) and corresponding parking would be grossly out of character for the established R-1 residential area.
• Allowing retail sales of any kind, including any restaurant, at the site would be out of character with the R-1 residential area. Further, the potential sale of nuisance items, including addictive substances, would create explicit dangers to the residents and children in the area.
• As proposed, the SUP project would add to traffic burdens and safety in the Jahnke Road/ Hioaks Road area. Substantial accident hazards and pedestrian hazards already exist there, including hazards to bus stops and the pickup and discharge of children by school buses. Further, if any traffic studies have been conducted that have not factored in the overall increasing density of the area, then the Commission lacks crucial information about traffic.
• Neither long-term nor short-term rentals at the site should be allowed. Further, short-term rentals in the same building with long-term rentals would inevitably lead to frictions (e.g., noise, in and out traffic at any hour, pets, parking disputes). Effective ongoing supervision of behaviors and enforcement of ratios of long-term to short-term renters would not be possible. As of March 26th, there are 200 apartment vacancies within a 1mile radius, indicating lack of demand. These new unit's are not needed.
• The Commission and the City Council have already approved a project on the South side of Jahnke Road (7001 Jahnke Rd) to include a gas station, a retail/convenience store, and four dwelling units , finding that project acceptable near several multi-dwelling communities and consistent with the city’s Master Plan, and on property already zoned commercial.
• In contrast, the North side at 7100 Jahnke Road is a residential lot that would not maintain value over time as an apartment or for retail use. This lot is a gateway into an established neighborhood with majority owner-occupied individual residences.
• This stretch of Jahnke Road does not meet modern day site distance and access standards (in plain language – so many stoplights and so much going on in such a short distance). This is a capacity issue for Jahnke Road and surrounding feeder roads and highway exits. The intensive use as proposed for 7100 should not be placed in such a dangerously designed intersection.
• In short, this project would bring harm to our community. Please preserve our neighborhood by not approving this SUP.

Residents in the neighborhood of 7100 Jahnke Road have offered alternative possible uses for the land that would fit the existing character of the North Side of Jahnke, include:

• Construct a single-family home on the property consistent with 7100’s R-1 zoning. -or-
• Construct a one story office building conducting business during regular business hours requiring little parking - e.g., an employment agency, or an insurance office. -or-
• Use the land for something that will make a desirable contribution to the welfare and safety of the entire area. Examples: a small branch library, a police station or pocket park. Proactive pursuit of such uses would fulfill the Commission’s PLANNING purpose rather than being consumed with just reacting to SUP requests.