Type:

Neighborhood Node

Vision:

Currently, the Stratford Hills Node consists of two strip commercial centers on the north and south sides of Forest Hill Avenue, strip commercial along Forest Hill Avenue, multi-family dwellings including a 13-story condominium tower, and parking lots adjacent to wooded residential neighborhoods. Additionally, this Node is situated near entrances to the James River Park System; and in the future, the connections to the Park should be improved. In 2037, the parking lots and dated commercial structures can be redeveloped into a walkable mixed-use community center that continues to include unique local restaurants, retail, and neighborhood services catering to the surrounding neighborhood and to differentiate this Node while also incorporating multi-family residential units. Additional auto-related uses on the Forest Hill corridor should be discouraged.

Future development should encourage high-quality design and an urban form with medium- scale buildings that are located closer to the street with parking located in the rear in shared lots. There is the potential for additional larger multi-family and mixed-use development to complement the Hathaway Towers.

Enhancements are needed to improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclist along Forest Hill Avenue and access to the Node from the surrounding neighborhoods. The existing transit should be supported and enhanced with more frequent routes and improved access to and amenities at the transit stops.

Growth Potential: Medium - The surface parking lots and underdeveloped strip commercial can be redeveloped to provide a mix of uses including residential.

Primary Next Steps:

Rezone this Node in alignment with the Future Land Use Plan to allow for a mix of uses and increased residential density by-right and discourages auto-related uses and suburban strip commercial development form. (see Goal 1 and Goal 14)

Implement design standards to create a high-quality and well-designed neighborhood Node that includes creative solutions for transitions between varying intensities of building types and land uses. (see Goal 4)

Improve pedestrian and bike infrastructure to/from this Node - specifically improving connections into the residential neighborhoods, along Forest Hill Avenue, and to the James River.(see Goal 4 and Goal 8)

Implement high-frequency transit along Forest Hill Avenue and connect riders to the bus stops along Forest Hill by providing increased pedestrian connections from the residential neighborhoods (See Goal 8)

Click here for info and a pdf link to the City of Richmond’s Master Plan

Click here to read more and see our requests from the city.