UDC Recommends Denial of Chaco Valley Street Plan, Citing Primary Traffic‑Circle Design

The Richmond Urban Design Committee on Tuesday recommended denial of the final Chaco Valley streets and transportation application (UDC‑2020‑67), citing concerns that the proposed primary traffic circle favors vehicle movement at the expense of pedestrian orientation and future public space. Staff had urged an alternative layout for the main circle and additional details for how the leftover parcels would be used as public space.

Planning staff summarized the project as a broad set of street improvements — including Oliver Hill Way, North 18th Street, Venable Street, Mosby Street and portions of the Lee Street viaduct — and said the design contains both benefits (protected bike lanes, shared‑use paths and circulation improvements) and a problematic main circle. "Staff recommends not approving the current layout of the primary traffic circle, allowing the applicant to find an alternative layout and return to UDC," Planning staff said during the presentation.

Committee members debated whether to approve with conditions, continue the application to allow a subcommittee to work with the applicant on urban‑design elements, or deny and send a formal recommendation to Planning Commission. One committee member argued the proposal is a "tremendous missed opportunity" to create public space at the city entrance and said urban design should be considered alongside traffic engineering. After discussion and amendments to the record, the committee voted to recommend denial based primarily on concerns about prioritization of vehicular movement, lack of placemaking at the freeway gateway, and unresolved residual‑land uses.

The UDC's recommendation is advisory; the project now goes to the Planning Commission, which will consider the application and the committee’s findings. Planning staff also noted that if Planning Commission approves the application, UDC’s staff‑recommended conditions should be included in the approval.