Whenever something new gets built in Richmond or a substantial improvement is made to an existing structure, chances are that the project was reviewed and approved by members of the city’s Planning Division and Planning Commission.
In other words, these are important city bodies that have a big influence on what gets built in Richmond — from home renovations to big commercial developments to city parks and beyond.
Planning Commission meetings
WHEN: 6:30 p.m., first Thursdays monthly, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: City Hall, 440 Civic Center Plaza, or watch via KCRT Channel 28.
AGENDAS: See past and upcoming agendas.
Interested in becoming a commissioner? Learn about vacancies and how to get appointed by contacting senior administrative analyst Kuan Choi at (510) 621-1231.
But how exactly do the Planning Division and the Planning Commission work with each other, with other city agencies, and the public? What are the basics that local residents, business owners, and developers looking to do projects in Richmond need to know? And where can you go to learn more?
We put together a brief primer for Richmondside readers to answer these big questions and help get residents connected to services.
Richmond Planning Division
Building and maintenance projects in Richmond are guided by Planning Division staff and appointed Planning Commission members, who make decisions about approving development projects at different stages. The types of projects can vary widely, from new business applications to changing how a parcel of land is used, such as turning an office building into housing units or turning a vacant lot into a park. A private developer can bring a project idea to the city or a current landowner can propose a parcel be used differently.
The Planning Division handles all building projects from the permit phase onward, and makes sure they are compliant with the city’s General Plan, a sweeping document approved by the City Council and the City Manager that provides rules and regulations for building and maintaining Richmond’s roads, parks, housing, businesses, and more.
Planning Division staff also review project proposals from residents, business owners, contractors, and developers to ensure that they comply with the state’s Environmental Quality Act and building codes and local land-use ordinances. Staff will also advise public officials and other public agencies, real estate professionals, business operators and residents on projects. For example, anyone submitting proposals for new housing, from apartment buildings to accessible dwelling units, must initially submit an application to the Planning Division and review the proposal with planning staff, according to Richmond Planning Manager Hector Rojas.
Planning Division staff also work with Richmond’s advisory Historic Preservation Commission, which conducts studies of Richmond’s historic sites and buildings and makes policy suggestions on how to best manage them.
Members of the public can download permit applications, schedule inspections, look up building records, find a staff directory, and conduct other business with the Planning Division using their online portal, eTrakiT.
Planning Division staff can be reached by phone at (510) 620-6706 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. or via email at planning@ci.richmond.ca.us.
The Planning Division’s front-counter hours are Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The office is located at 450 Civic Center Plaza on the second floor.
Richmond Planning Commission
The Planning Commission consists of seven City Council-appointed members serving two-year terms. (See the current planning commissioners.) It’s an advisory body to the Richmond City Council, overseeing planning and development policy issues and proposals. Its main goal is to prepare, maintain and implement the policies of the city’s General Plan.
Scroll through a photo gallery of the Richmond City Planning Commission:
Richmond Planning Commissioner Jonathan Harrison Credit: David Buechner Credit: David Buechner 
Richmond Planning Commissioner Gay Timmons Credit: David Buechner Credit: David Buechner 
Richmond Planning Commissioner Bruce Brubaker Credit: David Buechner Credit: David Buechner 
Richmond Planning Commission Alexander Golovets Credit: David Buechner Credit: David Buechner 
Richmond Planning Commissioner Aaron He Credit: David Buechner Credit: David Buechner
The commission is the decision-making body for many land-use proposals, major subdivisions, land-use permits, and variances — which are waivers that allow a property owner to do something that deviates from existing zoning laws.
According to Rojas, ​​development proposals only come to the Planning Commission for review when a land-use decision is needed to move a project forward or when a proposal requires a General Plan amendment, rezoning, or a variance or conditional-use permit.
Planning Division staff make recommendations to the commission on whether or not to approve such requests. Projects that only require an architectural review go before the city’s Design Review Board.
As a public body, the commission’s decisions can be appealed by the applicant to the City Council for modification or further study.
