Council recap: Pickleball, free rides to work and more housing
With three new members and a new mayor still settling in, the Richmond City Council has had a relatively light workload in the first few months of 2025.
Monday’s meeting was no exception.
The council had no business on its regular agenda, leaving only routine, mostly uncontroversial items packaged together on the consent agenda.
The council approves the consent agenda with a single vote, and rarely goes into detailed discussion on any particular item.
Here are a few things the council approved Monday:
- A special use permit for the new Padel Plant racket sports facility on the Canal Walk. The business, which offers food and drinks in addition to padel and pickleball courts, needed a permit in order to operate a recreation and entertainment facility that wasn’t in a “completely enclosed” building due to the project’s outdoor courts.
- An ordinance authorizing the city to accept $371,232 from the Virginia Transit Association to continue funding a program that offers free rides to work for Richmonders who lack access to other forms of transportation.
- An ordinance allowing the city to get $150,000 from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation to improve an outdoor classroom area at Bellemeade Park in South Richmond.
- Two pieces of legislation meant to clear the way for an 85-unit affordable housing development at 809 Oliver Hill Way. The project, expected to be completed in 2028, is being developed by Commonwealth Catholic Charities Housing Corporation.
- A grant agreement to assist with construction of a 20-unit affordable housing development being planned for 1903 and 1905 Semmes Avenue.
The council’s workload will start to ramp up later this week. On Thursday, Mayor Danny Avula is set to present his proposed budget for the next fiscal year. The council will spend most of April reviewing and suggesting amendments to the budget, with a final vote on approval expected in early May.
Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org
