COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Adopted: August 11, 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & CONTRIBUTORS Title: Henrico County Vision 2026 TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Comprehensive Plan Arthur D. Petrini, Director, Department of Public Utilities Timothy A. Foster, Director, Department of Public Author: County of Henrico, Virginia Works Department of Planning Karen K. Mier, Director, Division of Recreation & Parks John Vithoulkas, Director of Finance Adoption Date: August 11, 2009 FORMER TECHNICAL ADVISORY Effective Date: August 11, 2009 COMMITTEE MEMBERS Reta Busher, Former Director of Finance Harvey L. Hinson, Former Deputy County Manager Agency: Department of Planning for Community Development J. Wesley Malcomb, Former Director of Recreation & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Parks The Department of Planning would like to E. Lee Priestas, Former Director of Public Works acknowledge the many contributions that were Robert K. Thompson, Former Director of Public Works received during the formulation of the Henrico County 2026 Land Use Plan. We would like to PLANNING DEPARTMENT thank the consultants who got us off to a good R. Joseph Emerson, Jr., AICP, Director start. We acknowledge the efforts of all County Jean M. Moore, AICP, Assistant Director staff that were involved with this project, as well as David D. O’Kelly, Jr., Assistant Director the involvement of the citizens of Henrico County James P. Strauss, Principal Planner for sharing their view on the future, which in turn, Rosemary D. Deemer, AICP, County Planner IV, helped shape the Plan. Special thanks to Project Manager individuals who assisted in many ways, but whose Seth D. Humphreys, County Planner IV names do not appear on this page. This massive Lee J. Tyson (formerly of the Planning Department) project could not have been accomplished in the Director, The Permit Center timeframe that it was without your help. Finally, we would like to thank the County Manager and his CONTRIBUTING COUNTY AGENCIES staff, the Board of Supervisors and the Planning Department of Community Revitalization Commission for all the time and effort afforded to Department of Finance Planning Department staff throughout this Division of Fire endeavor. Department of General Services Department of Public Utilities ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS Department of Public Works Board of Supervisors Division of Police David A. Kaechele, Chairman Division of Recreation and Parks Patricia S. O’Bannon, Vice Chairman Media Services & Public Relations James B. Donati, Jr. Public Libraries Frank J. Thornton Richard W. Glover CONSULTANTS McBride, Dale, Clarion Planning Commission Kimley-Horne and Associates, Inc. Bonnie-Leigh Jones, Chairman Tischler-Bise Ernest B. Vanarsdall, C.P.C., Vice Chairman Greeley and Hansen E. Ray Jernigan, C.P.C. Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory of C.W. Archer, C.P.C. Virginia Commonwealth University Tommy Branin COUNTY ADMINISTRATION Virgil R. Hazelett, P.E., County Manager Randall R. Silber, Deputy County Manager for Community Development Joseph P. Rapisarda, Jr., County Attorney Adopted August 11, 2009 Henrico County Vision 2026 Comprehensive Plan - I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & CONTRIBUTORS Adopted August 11, 2009 Henrico County Vision 2026 Comprehensive Plan - II TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & CONTRIBUTORS ........................................ I TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................... III LIST OF MAPS ......................................................................................... V LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................... V LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................... VI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................VII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE COUNTY ................................. 1 CHAPTER 2: OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN ............................................... 3 ROLE AND PURPOSE OF THE PLAN ........................................................... 3 LEGAL BASIS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ......................................... 3 PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ............................................................... 4 PLAN CHAPTERS ..................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 3: HENRICO TODAY ............................................................ 9 POPULATION ........................................................................................... 9 HOUSING ................................................................................................ 9 EMPLOYMENT ......................................................................................... 9 LAND USE ............................................................................................ 10 NATURAL, CULTURAL & HISTORIC RESOURCES ...................................... 15 RECREATION & PARKS .......................................................................... 15 PUBLIC FACILITIES & SERVICES ............................................................. 16 TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................. 18 PUBLIC UTILITIES .................................................................................. 19 FORECASTS FOR PLANNING ................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 4: THE VISION, GOALS & OBJECTIVES ......................... 23 THE 2026 VISION .................................................................................. 23 ECONOMY ............................................................................................ 23 INFRASTRUCTURE/SERVICE PROVISION & GROWTH COORDINATION ........ 25 LAND USE & COMMUNITY CHARACTER ................................................... 28 NATURAL, CULTURAL & HISTORIC RESOURCES ...................................... 32 TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................. 35 CHAPTER 5: LAND USE ....................................................................... 37 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................ 37 GENERAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES ........................................................ 37 LAND USE GROUPS ............................................................................... 39 CHAPTER 6: COMMUNITY CHARACTER ........................................... 55 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................ 55 CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES OF THE LAND USE GROUPS ................ 56 CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN ....................... 78 CHAPTER 7: PLANNING & ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS ................... 81 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................ 81 SPECIAL FOCUS AREAS ......................................................................... 81 PRIME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SITES .............................................. 106 ENTERPRISE ZONE .............................................................................. 113 CHAPTER 8: NATURAL RESOURCES ............................................. 119 OVERVIEW .......................................................................................... 119 CHESAPEAKE BAY PRESERVATION ACT ................................................ 119 PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCES ............................................................... 121 PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS TO DEVELOPMENT ......................................... 127 Adopted August 11, 2009 Henrico County Vision 2026 Comprehensive Plan -III TABLE OF CONTENTS PROTECTION OF POTABLE WATER ....................................................... 143 POINT AND NON-POINT SOURCES OF POLLUTION ................................. 151 REDEVELOPMENT IN INTENSELY DEVELOPED AREAS ............................ 156 AIR QUALITY ....................................................................................... 156 NOISE ................................................................................................ 159 NATURAL RESOURCE POLICIES ........................................................... 163 CHAPTER 9: RECREATION, PARKS, OPEN SPACE & CULTURAL RESOURCES ....................................................................................... 165 OVERVIEW .......................................................................................... 165 RECREATION AND PARKS .................................................................... 165 LEVELS OF SERVICE ............................................................................ 189 HISTORIC RESOURCES ........................................................................ 190 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................... 191 POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................... 192 CHAPTER 10: TRANSPORTATION .................................................... 203 OVERVIEW .......................................................................................... 203 TRAVEL MODES .................................................................................. 203 EXISTING ROAD CONDITIONS ............................................................... 214 2026 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO ............................................. 216 LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION ................................ 217 THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN ....................................................