County outlines changes to zoning ordinance

Posted April 7, 2025 at 11:35 PM, Filed Under: All News, Front Page

By Greg Pearson

Chesterfield County is preparing its citizens and businesses for a change in zoning names but is concerned that they may think the comprehensive re-write of the zoning ordinance — called ZOMod — will affect the status of their current properties.

There will be a name change, said Assistant Director of Planning Steve Haasch but “we are not changing the current zoning.”

Haasch, Planning Manager for Chesterfield’s Comprehensive Plan Rachel Chieppa and Chesterfield’s Zoning Administrator Thomas Jenkins conducted a program that outlined the county’s draft plan before the Brandermill Region Men’s Club (BRMC) at its April 3 meeting. The BRMC invited non-members and a total of 63 persons attended.

A re-write of the zoning ordinance follows the updated comprehensive plan completed in 2019. Much of today’s zoning ordinance was written in the 1970s, and the re-write will improve the efficiency and transparency, providing for a “wider range of housing choices,” said the county planners.

The major processes of zoning and site plans will remain the same. So will most of the development standards (signs, fences, landscaping and building designs), notifications to the public and enforcement process. The density of developments will continue to be determined by the comprehensive plan.

The presentation made before the BRMC precedes additional community meetings on ZOMod:

  • April 10 — Providence Elementary School
  • April 16 — Cosby High School
  • April 17 — Beulah Recreation Center
  • April 21 — Matoaca High School
  • April 22 — Midlothian Middle School
  • April 28 — Thomas Dale High School, West Campus
All community meetings are from 5:30 pm -7:30 pm.

The PowerPoint presentation made by county staff to the BRMC can be viewed HERE.

All BRMC meetings may be attended by any resident of Chesterfield County and begin at 10 am at the Brandermill Church. Deputy County Administrator Matt Harris and Budget Director Gerard Durkin will present a program on the newly adopted FY26 budget on May 1. The FY26 budget takes effect July 1.

On June 5, representatives of the Chesterfield Utility Department will explain the need for constructing a 1,500 foot flood wall surrounding the Swift Creek Water Treatment Plant and provide an update of water quality standards and hydrilla control in the Swift Creek Reservoir.


Assistant Director of Planning Steve Haasch


Rachel Chieppa is the Planning Manager of Chesterfield’s Comprehensive Plan


Chesterfield Zoning Administrator Thomas Jenkins