The City of Richmond has an in-depth process for rezoning land. Rezoning applications are reviewed at several levels from rezoning planners, formal reports and public hearings. All rezoning applications are processed by the City’s Development Application Division.
Rezoning a property in Richmond involves multiple steps. We’ve listed the steps you need to take to get your project going, and explain how and when Simple Sign can help facilitate this process for you.
How to Apply for a Rezoning Permit in Richmond
Step 1: Identify and Review your Legal Zoning Classification
Every property in Richmond has a legal zoning classification with respective by-laws on the types of buildings and operations that are allowed on the property. Check out this map provided by the City in order to find the zoning classification for your land. Review the applicable zoning by-laws for your property listed in Zoning Bylaw 8500 to verify your proposed project.
Step 2: Prepare and Submit Your Rezoning Application
The rezoning application document is available online on the City’s website here, or at the Zoning counter at Richmond City Hall. After reviewing your proposal and conducting any pre-application meetings, make the final edits to your application with considerations made from meetings with the public and any tenants. Ensuring the completeness of your application can result in a quicker turnaround time as you won’t have to deal with revisions.
A great option that the City of Richmond offers is a Fast Track option for uncomplicated rezoning applications. This allows applicants to move through the review process sooner to get projects started. Check out the details on the Fast Track application here.
Once the proposal for your property has been finalized, you can submit the formal rezoning application to the Zoning counter at Richmond City Hall. The application undergoes a technical review by city planners and other agencies. The period until you receive approval depending on several factors such as project complexity, missing information or revisions.
Step 3: Review and Referral of Your Rezoning Application
The City of Richmond conducts a detailed review of each application, and may request feedback from the public on the proposed project. The City Council may refer the application for a public consultation if they think it is appropriate. During this stage, the City will request for the rezoning applicant to install one or more rezoning signs on their property that notifies other landowners and community members of your plans.
Step 4: Requirement of Rezoning Application Signs
At this point, the City of Richmond will request for the applicant to install one or more rezoning application signs on their property that notifies other landowners and community members of your plans, and that an application has been submitted.
The City will send the applicant a letter to outline how many signs are required and also the exact text which should be included on the rezoning application sign(s). This process often means dealing with the hassles of approval, dealing with sign shops, and the annoyance of building frames to display your signs properly.
The team at Simple Sign can use this letter from the city planner to create the graphic design for the sign and install the rezoning application sign quickly and at a competitive price point.
Simple Sign is also able to proof any rezoning sign information to ensure it meets requirements and submit sign information directly to the City for approval.
We guarantee the installation of rezoning signs within 3 business days, removing the burden of handling signage design and installation from your busy schedule.
Step 5: Rezoning Application Meetings and Hearings
The proposed changes to the property are further reviewed and a report is generated. This report will include an assessment and recommendation for City Council. A meeting with the Planning Committee is scheduled where you can present your proposal and address concerns from the Committee and the public on your plans. Your application will be allowed to proceed, denied or need referral back to the City for additional analysis.
Following the Committee meeting, the report and consensus is forwarded to the City Council for further analysis. You may make another presentation if you wish, but in most cases this is unnecessary. This step may also result in your project being allowed to proceed, denied or need referral back to the City for additional analysis.
For rezonings that require by-law changes, the City of Richmond may request public hearings at which analysis and final decisions on rezoning applications occurs with input from the community.
Changes to the status of the application result in the need for an updated rezoning sign at the property.
In these cases, Simple Sign provides an updated rezoning sign patch, rather than changing the entire sign.
This ensures your requested changes are made quickly and cost-effectively. There is no limit to the number of patches that can be applied to your sign, so make changes as you see fit.
Step 6: Issuance of Rezoning Permit and Development Application
Following the approval of your Rezoning Application, you are eligible to apply for a development permit. Check out Simple Sign’s Guide on Applying for a Development Permit in Richmond to learn more about proceeding with your project.
When it’s time for the switch to a property development sign, removal service is always included in Simple Sign’s all-inclusive sign package for locally installed signs. Instead of your sign ending up in a landfill, we will recycle and reuse all sign materials.
