The Richmond Planning Commission largely backed the city’s Hilltop Horizon land plan at its meeting Thursday.
The plan for the 143-acre area that includes Hilltop Mall proposes building heights of 2-3 stories (townhomes/stacked flats) along the west and east edges, 3-4 stories in transitional districts, 3-6 stories in high-intensity mixed-use bands and 5-plus stories in the central “gateway” near Garrity and Blume. The gateway would have the highest concentration of housing, retail, dining and offices.
Commissioners said this design buffers neighborhoods and creates a central destination with shops, jobs, a transit hub and public spaces.
Despite their general support, commissioners asked for basics the plan still lacks: build-out ranges (such as minimum and maximum number of homes), phasing, a clearer plan for the transit hub, tighter bike-ped links and addressing needs for schools, public safety and utilities.
The plan faces opposition in the community. Some residents welcome a denser center with walkable amenities. But several neighborhood leaders said prior outreach favored medium-density housing, retail, entertainment, and open space that could arrive sooner.
Prologis, which owns 78 of the area’s 143 acres, including the mall property, is also requesting lower intensity, saying current market conditions do not make high-rise housing feasible. They want flexibility under CM-5 zoning and a program averaging about 40 homes per acre. They also expressed support interim “activation” of the land while a feasible long-term mix takes shape.
Staff will bring the land plan and the Commission’s feedback to the City Council in September.
