A plan to build 45 townhomes on a long-vacant property in Richmond’s Hilltop district is scheduled to go before the Design Review Board on Nov. 12.
The proposal would develop a 2.2-acre lot at 3151 Garrity Way, east of Blume Drive and just west of the vacant property formerly occupied by Chevy’s restaurant. The applicant, Vanguard Properties on behalf of Zhangs Management Group, is requesting approval to build 12 townhouse-style buildings with 45 total units. Each unit would have its own entrance, garage parking, and a small private patio.
The project also asks for two conditional use permits, one to reduce parking below the city’s minimum requirement, and another to allow ground-floor living space in five units. A vesting tentative map would divide the property into 45 residential lots and three shared open-space areas.
According to city staff, the plan fits the site’s “Regional Commercial Mixed-Use” zoning and surrounding development, which includes apartments, hotels and offices. The site was previously approved in 2008 for a 98-unit apartment complex that was never built.
The proposed townhomes would range from two to six bedrooms. Designs include garages for one to three cars per unit, a looped private driveway, and two small parks totaling about 8,600 square feet of open space. About 48 new trees would be planted, and a stormwater planter would manage runoff near the northeast corner of the site.
City staff recommend approval of the project, saying it would provide new housing, including five moderate-income units, and make use of a vacant lot. Environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act is still in progress.
