Henrico Planning Commission endorses Glenwood Farms redevelopment

A proposal to remake the Glenwood Farms apartment and shopping center near the intersection of East Laburnum Avenue and Mechanicsville Turnpike earned the endorsement of the Henrico Planning Commission at its July 11 meeting.

The proposal would replace the entire existing 34-acre development with 950 residential units and some commercial space. Portions of the site, currently containing 300 apartments and 24,000 square feet of commercial space, already have fallen into disrepair and been condemned, with the previous owner having been removed by the lender.

“Our goal is to take a project that has been neglected and transform it into a new community with a mix of housing choices for different kinds of housing needs,” said Jeffrey Geiger, who represents the developer.

The development would happen in two phases. As many as 555 of the residential units would be multi-family, with some being restricted to families with a member who is 55 or older. Phase I would include 325 apartments and condos (175 of which would be age-restricted) and 140 townhouses north of Laburnum. Phase II would finish the remainder of housing construction.

Residential buildings would all be three stories tall, with one four story building. One-over-one and two-over-two condos and duplexes would be permitted in lieu of townhouses, at a specific conversion rate, and one-third of the units would be 16 feet wide. Additionally, the site would include amenities like “pocket parks,” pools, and clubhouses.

Fairfield Commissioner Jaron Dandridge emphasized the importance of these, saying that he would make sure they came to fruition.

The county would build a public road connecting Howard and Bolling roads on the north side of the property. Pedestrian and mass transit connectivity would be a major component of the plan as well, including bus stops on the north and south sides of Laburnum Avenue.

Given Laburnum’s 45 mph speed limit, Dandridge raised concerns about pedestrian safety. County Traffic Engineer John Cekja explained that officials will be seeking to install an overhead pedestrian crossing traffic signal, since cars are not required to stop for crossing pedestrians on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or greater.

In response to Henrico Planning Department requests for more specificity about what commercial uses the developer would seek to locate at the site, Geiger said that the first choice would be a school or daycare.

The Henrico Board of Supervisors will make a final decision on the proposal at its Aug. 13 meeting.