Henrico supervisors approve assisted living facility in Near West End

The Henrico Board of Supervisors voted unanimously June 14 to approve the rezoning of a 6.1-acre plot of land on Patterson Avenue for the construction of a one-story, 98-unit assisted living facility.

According to the county’s 2026 comprehensive plan, the land – bordered by Maybeury Elementary School, Welborne United Methodist Church and the Tuckahoe Family YMCA – originally was intended to be used as an urban residential area with 30 single-family homes. Because of that designation, Tuckahoe resident Colleen O’Meara took to the mic during the meeting’s public hearing portion and requested that the board deny the Hampton Manor of Richmond’s rezoning and provisional use permit requests.

“This is a situation, this language is a situation where legislators write a law and then they immediately exempt themselves from having to follow the law,” O’Meara said. “You have to follow the comprehensive plan – if you don't, it's not much of a plan, is it?”

The flexibility required to rezone the area, she argued, would not be warranted in this case since it would not be used for a public service like a park or school. The board could amend the comprehensive plan, but only after a public notice and public hearing, she said.

Before voting, Tuckahoe District Supervisor Patricia S. O’Bannon addressed the concerns brought up by O’Meara’s objection. Every other proposed residential development for the site requested to build 40 or more units and would have a higher impact on the surrounding area than the assisted living facility, O’Bannon said.

Since the Hampton Manor of Richmond facility will be no more than 25 feet in height, it would be less of a burden on the neighborhood than a dense residential area or alternative private use would be, O’Bannon said. Regarding consistency with the comprehensive plan, the facility’s residential and relatively quiet use would serve as a good fit, she said.

Representatives of Hampton Manor met with residents of nearby communities to address concerns and avoid complaints regarding the facility’s construction and operation, attorney Andrew Condlin said as he gave a presentation about the project’s logistics.

A resident of the townhomes across from the plot of land Hampton Manor will occupy said that her concerns were heard and resolved through community meetings with the developer and developer’s representatives.

“I believe that Hampton Manor will be a good neighbor to us, and I believe it will be a good project for that corner, and I support it,” she told the board.

Condlin outlined the facility’s landscaping and construction plans, explaining the impacts both would have on neighboring roads and facilities. Buffers, fences and foliage would be built around Hampton Manor’s perimeter to shield it from Patterson Avenue and Maybeury Elementary. A right-turn lane would be added on Maybeury Drive and vehicle entry/exit times would be coordinated with the school and YMCA to prevent traffic.

Regarding concerns about stormwater runoff – a matter of growing concern in the Greater Richmond Area – Hampton Manor’s construction will use underground stormwater facilities and has dedicated money to help clean out a forebay stormwater facility located across from the site, Condlin said.

Construction will be limited to the hours of 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays to avoid untimely disruption of the surrounding residences and businesses, Condlin said.