Richmond has appointed Angie Rodgers as its new economic development director, who currently serves as deputy chief administrative officer for economic development in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Rodgers previously held positions in Washington, D.C., including chief of staff for the deputy mayor for planning and economic development and director of the New Communities Initiative, overseeing redevelopment of four public housing properties.
She succeeds Leonard Sledge, who led Richmond’s economic development department for five years before relocating to Hampton last year. Since then, Matt Welch, senior policy advisor for planning and economic development, has served as acting director.
In a statement, Rodgers expressed enthusiasm about contributing to a thriving and equitable business environment in Richmond. She will officially begin her role on August 4.
Mayor Danny Avula has also initiated two strategic work groups to address regional water service challenges. This decision follows a joint meeting between City Council and the Henrico Board of Supervisors.
The first group, led by Richmond Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald and Public Utilities Director Scott Morris, will focus on long-term planning, including capital investments, debt strategies, and ratepayer impacts. They will collaborate with financial consultants Davenport Financial Advisors and Raftelis as needed.
The second group will be a regional coalition of water utility leaders and technical experts from Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover counties. This team will coordinate operational planning, review capital improvement proposals, assess rate models, and explore state funding opportunities. It will also establish a framework for regular updates from Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities to regional partners.
The formation of these groups coincided with an increase in water supply from Richmond’s treatment plant to Henrico during maintenance at the county’s Gaskins Road facility. Both groups have already held initial meetings, with technical experts including county utilities directors.
In other local developments, Henrico County will consider a rezoning request from Godsey Properties to replace 41 single-family homes with 99 townhomes on approximately 15 acres within the Landmark development near Sandston. Meanwhile, Schell Brothers has withdrawn a proposal for a 26-home subdivision northeast of Pouncey Tract and Shady Grove roads.
Chesterfield County supervisors are set to vote on a townhome project at the former Genito Cinema 9 site, now called Genito Crossing, which includes up to 112 units and a recreation area. The proposal is a reduced version of an earlier plan for 232 units, mostly apartments. Additionally, a commercial development on East Hundred Road is under review, which could bring 53,300 square feet of retail and restaurant space across multiple buildings.
Chesterfield officials are also hosting a virtual meeting to discuss updates to the county’s subdivision ordinance, aligning it with the ongoing zoning ordinance revision. The planning commission has already endorsed the new zoning ordinance, which will reduce land-use districts from 24 to 14, aiming to streamline development processes and allow for smaller lot sizes.
In Ashland, Vice Mayor John Hodges has resigned from the Town Council due to health concerns related to cancer. Council plans to appoint former member Kathy Abbott to complete his term through December 31, with a formal vote scheduled for August 5.
— news from Richmond BizSense
— News Original —
The Agenda: Local government briefs for 7.21.25
Maryland official tapped to lead Richmond economic development department
Richmond announced its next economic development director will be Angie Rodgers, currently deputy chief administrative officer for economic development for Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Rodgers previously was chief of staff for the deputy mayor for planning and economic development for Washington, D.C., where she also served as director of its New Communities Initiative, responsible for redevelopment of four D.C. public housing properties.
Rodgers replaces previous director Leonard Sledge, who led Richmond’s economic development department for five years before taking a job in Hampton last year. Matt Welch, senior policy advisor for planning and economic development, has led the department as acting director since then.
In a statement, Rodgers said she looks forward “to doing my part to create a thriving, equitable business landscape that benefits all Richmonders and am grateful for the opportunity to do so.”
Rodgers will start with the city Aug. 4.
Richmond mayor calls for work groups on regional water issues
The City of Richmond announced that Mayor Danny Avula has directed the formation of two strategic work groups that will focus on regional water service issues. The announcement follows a recent joint meeting on the topic between City Council and the Henrico Board of Supervisors.
An internal work group led by Richmond Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald and Public Utilities Director Scott Morris will focus on scenario planning and evaluate long-term options, including capital investment needs, debt management strategies and ratepayer impacts, according to the announcement. The group will work with financial and rate consultants Davenport Financial Advisors and Raftelis as needed.
The second work group will be a regional collaborative of water utility leaders and technical experts from Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield and Hanover counties. The group will focus on operational planning and coordination and will review proposed capital improvement plans, evaluate rate models, coordinate on potential state funding requests, and conduct joint tabletop exercises.
The city said the group “will also establish a consistent structure for Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities to provide routine updates to regional partners. This work group builds on existing jurisdictional cooperation and is a continuation of shared efforts to strengthen the region’s water infrastructure.”
The working groups were announcement the same day that Richmond’s water treatment plant increased the volume of water supplied to Henrico during maintenance at the county’s Gaskins Road treatment facility.
The two groups have held initial meetings, according to the announcement. A city spokesperson said technical experts on the regional group include the utilities directors for the counties.
Plan for more townhomes at Landmark development on Henrico agenda
Henrico supervisors meet in regular session Tuesday at 6 p.m.
A public hearing will be held on a rezoning request from Godsey Properties to allow 99 townhomes where it had originally planned 41 single-family homes on about 15 acres within its 150-acre Landmark development near Sandston. The section is on the east side of Dry Bridge Road between Landmark’s developed sections and Old Williamsburg Road.
Schell Brothers has withdrawn its request to rezone 9 acres northeast of Pouncey Tract and Shady Grove roads for a 26-home subdivision.
The full meeting agenda can be viewed here.
Chesterfield supervisors to vote on townhomes at Hull and Genito, commercial project on East Hundred
The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors is slated this week to vote on projects to redevelop the site of an old movie theater off Genito Road and add new commercial square footage in the East Hundred Road corridor.
Village of Faith Ministries is seeking zoning approval to build a townhome development of up to 112 units on the 14-acre site of the former Genito Cinema 9 property at 11000 Hull Street Road, where the church has its Southside location.
Dubbed Genito Crossing, the redevelopment project would also feature a central recreation area and other common areas.
The latest proposal is a scaled-down version of an earlier plan for 232 units, most of which would have been apartments. The planning commission voted to recommend approval of the project last month.
Also on the board’s docket is a zoning request that would tee up an expanded commercial project on East Hundred.
Developer George Emerson is seeking zoning approval to allow the development on 3.1 acres between East Hundred, Meadowville Road and Rivers Bend Boulevard. The request before the board would consolidate those acres with a 5.5-acre site that was rezoned for commercial use in 2024, creating a project area of 8.6 acres.
The total project is planned to feature 53,300 square feet of retail and restaurant space spread across multiple buildings, according to a conceptual layout plan. The development would be accessible via two entrances on Meadowville and one entrance on East Hundred.
The full agenda for the board’s Wednesday meeting can be found here.
Virtual meeting today to discuss Chesterfield subdivision standards update
Chesterfield officials plan to hold a virtual meeting today (July 21) to discuss an ongoing update to the county’s subdivision ordinance.
Work is underway to update the ordinance, which governs how county planners review requests to subdivide commercial and residential properties, to align it with the county’s concurrent update of the zoning ordinance, codify policies and clarify requirements of subdivision rules, according to a county news release.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. Information on how to attend virtually can be found here. People who want to participate need to register by noon. The county plans to gather comments on the draft until July 31.
The planning commission is slated to hold a public hearing on the subdivision ordinance in August, and the board of supervisors is expected to vote on adoption in October.
Chesterfield Planning Commission endorses new zoning ordinance
Chesterfield County took another step closer to adopting a new zoning ordinance last week.
The planning commission unanimously forwarded a recommendation to approve the proposed new ordinance to the board of supervisors, which is expected to vote on final adoption in September.
The update, known as the Zoning Ordinance Modernization Project, or ZOMod, is intended to make the decades-old document more aligned with modern development trends and more user-friendly.
Chesterfield would have 14 land-use districts under the proposed ordinance, and they would be a combination of brand-new designations and others that consolidate existing designations. The ordinance currently has 24 designations.
The new ordinance’s districts would include a mixed-use designation as well as residential districts aimed at a range of different types of housing. County officials have said a major objective of the update is to make it easier for developers to build a wider variety and less expense homes, and the new ordinance would introduce smaller lot size minimums.
The ordinance update project would also feature a total conversion of every property’s current designation into the closest new district. County officials have said that effectively there would be minimal changes, because approved zoning conditions would be carried forward.
Ashland vice mayor steps down from town council amid cancer battle
Vice Mayor John Hodges stepped down from Ashland Town Council due to health concerns relating to his ongoing cancer battle.
At council’s July 14 meeting, Hodges said he could no longer serve at the level he believes the town deserves, according to a release that included comments from Mayor Steve Trivett.
“John’s steady presence, institutional knowledge, and kind heart will be missed at Town Hall,” Trivett said in the release. “He is the very best of public service—humble, honest, and wholly devoted to his community.”
In his resignation letter to council, Hodges wrote: “It has been the greatest honor of my career to serve the people of the Town over the past 8 years (August 2017 to July 2025). The support I have received from fellow Council Members and the staff has been outstanding and beyond expectations. I know I am leaving the Town in good hands and hope for nothing but the best for everyone in our wonderful community.”
Prior to his time on council, Hodges worked for Hanover County for 30 years, retiring in 2010. With a professional background in planning, he represented Ashland on regional bodies such as PlanRVA and the Central Virginia Transportation Authority.
Council announced that it intends to appoint former councilmember Kathy Abbott to serve the remainder of Hodges’ term, which runs through Dec. 31. A formal vote is scheduled for Aug. 5. If approved, Abbott would be sworn in at the Aug. 19 council meeting.