Supervisors approve transportation projects, move precincts, honor longtime employee

As expected, Henrico’s Board of Supervisors Tuesday night voted to temporarily move 5 voting precincts for the June 23 primary elections.

The board also approved amendments to two contracts with VDOT and approved an initial agreement for one other.

And supervisors honored longtime Henrico employee Randy Silber, currently the deputy county manager for community development, who is retiring June 19 after nearly 35 years with the county and 43 years overall in local government.

The five voting precincts (and their new temporary locations) are:
• Canterbury (which will move from Westminster Canterbury House to Belmont Recreation Center);
• Oakview (which will move from Chestnunt Grove Assisted Living Facility to Brookland Middle School);
• Stratford Hall (which will move from ManorCare Stratford Hall to Moody Middle School);
• Cedarfield (which will move from Cedarfield to Pocahontas Middle School);
• Laburnum (which will move from Mountain of Blessings Christian Center to Montrose Elementary School).

The VDOT projects include:

• a new one along North Parham Road, which will be entirely funded by VDOT through federal money; it will involve installation of a new traffic signal with pedestrian signals and crosswalks at the intersection of N. Parham Road and Homeview Drive, an upgrade from the existing “span”-style wire traffic signal to one with mast arms at North Parham and Skipwith and the construction of more than 2,500 feet of 5-foot-wide sidewalk with ADA ramps along the south side of North Parham between the two intersections and all the way to Old Parham Road;

• an updated one along East Laburnum Avenue between Mechanicsville Turnpike and Bolling Road, which in addition to sidewalks, curb and gutter also will include construction of concrete pads and benches at two GRTC bus stops in the corridor; the project will cost about $961,000, and VDOT will pay at least $792,000;

• the completion of an asphalt trail at Dorey Park in Varina with an additional 1.1-mile segment, at an expected cost of about $535,000, of which VDOT will pay about $190,000; the project was bid last year but prices came in much higher than the original budget of $284,000, which was set six years ago.

Nelson praises county, volunteers
Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson praised Henrico’s efforts and those of more than 200 volunteers who this past weekend visited more than 10,000 homes in Central and Eastern Henrico to provide masks and other virus-related information, as well as Census information, to residents.

“It was an extraordinary event,” Nelson said. The county will conduct a similar effort in the West End on Saturday, though officials have not yet announced the specific location.

Public hearing set for short-term rental permit fee
The board also scheduled a public hearing for June 23, at which it will vote to consider implementation of a $300 conditional use permit fee for certain home owners who want to rent their properties on a short-term basis through platforms like airbnb.

Not all such rentals would require such a permit; only those whose owners intend to rent them for more than 60 days a year, or to more than six people at a time, or who don’t want to be present during rentals must seek permits from the county. That process will allow input from neighbors to be considered by the Board of Zoning Appeals before a decision is rendered.

If the conditional use permit fee is approved next month, Planning Department officials would begin considering requests July 1, Planning Director Joe Emerson told the board.

Owners of all properties in the county listed for short-term rental will be required to register them with the county for an annual fee of $200, as well as an 8% lodging tax for each stay. The board voted in February to legalize short-term rentals, which had been prohibited even though they have been occurring.