Property owners in Richmond must now personally sign authorization forms before any rezoning application can move forward on their behalf, under revised procedures from the city’s Department of Planning and Development Review.
The updated application process, revised in April 2025, requires property owners to complete a sworn affidavit acknowledging they have authorized an applicant to submit rezoning or conditional rezoning requests. The requirement extends to all owners of a given property, with additional documentation needed when multiple parties hold ownership stakes.
The change addresses a procedural gap in Richmond’s land use system. Previously, developers and applicants could navigate the rezoning process with less formal verification of property owner consent. The new authorization form explicitly states that signing “acknowledges that you, as the owner or lessee of the property, authorize the above applicant to submit the above selected application/s on your behalf.”
For properties with complex ownership structures, the city now mandates that names, addresses, telephone numbers, and signatures of all owners be provided. When legal representatives sign on behalf of property owners, an executed power of attorney must accompany the application.
The authorization requirement applies not only to straight rezoning requests but to conditional rezoning applications as well. Conditional rezonings allow property owners to voluntarily limit how they can use their land in exchange for approval of a zoning change — often used when developers seek higher-density designations while agreeing to certain design standards or use restrictions.
The form is processed through the Land Use Administration Division at City Hall, Room 511 on East Broad Street. Applications must include the subject property address, applicant contact information, and the specific type of land use request being pursued.
Beyond rezoning, the same authorization framework now covers site plans, wireless facility installations, special use permits, certificates of appropriateness in historic districts, community unit plans, and subdivision plats. The consolidation suggests the city is standardizing owner verification across all major land use categories.
The procedural update comes as Richmond continues to process development applications across its neighborhoods. The explicit consent requirement creates a paper trail connecting property owners directly to zoning change requests — documentation that could prove significant in disputes over whether owners knowingly participated in rezoning their land.
Applications missing required owner signatures will not move forward until the authorization is complete.
- Property owners must now sign authorization affidavits before rezoning applications can proceed
- All property owners must provide names, addresses, phone numbers, and signatures
- Legal representatives must attach executed power of attorney when signing for owners
- Procedures were last revised in April 2025
Public records reporting · April 16, 2026