The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of September 23, 2024:
Hanover County examines short-term rental regulations
Reported by VPM News’ Lyndon German
Hanover County’s planning staff is looking to curb the use of “Airbnb-style” rental properties within the county — but has failed to come to a consensus on its own rules and regulations.
As Planning director Jo Ann Hunter told Hanover’s planning commission Thursday, “It has been a surprisingly divisive ordinance, so we thought it would be helpful to slow things down, have this meeting with the planning commission and get this right.”
Virginia Code defines a short-term rental as a room or space purchased to be occupied for fewer than 30 consecutive days. These spaces are commonly associated with services like Airbnb and can come in many forms: guest rooms within an owner’s primary residence, accessory dwelling units or separate investment properties.
Both Henrico County and the City of Richmond have established policies outlining the conditions under which short-term rentals are permitted, but as of yet, Hanover has no such ordinance.
LINK microtransit program continues connecting Greater Richmond's riders
Reported by VPM News’ Billy Shields
Some weekdays, Chesterfield County residents may see vans emblazoned with the purple logo of the Greater Richmond Transit Company shuttling along the Hull Street Road corridor.
The vans are part of GRTC’s LINK program, a “microtransit” service that debuted in November 2023. Riders in Chesterfield County's designated zone, which extends from Chippenham Parkway past Route 288, can use the GRTC on the Go mobile app to request a fare-free ride to any other point in the area — including GRTC bus stops.
“Public transit is for everybody, but there are places where the density of your community might not support a bus,” said GRTC spokesperson Henry Bendon. He said LINK came out of a 2021 regional study into how the transportation system could expand.
In addition to Chesterfield, LINK offers microtransit service around Anderson Highway in Powhatan County, Ashland in Hanover County, the Azalea Avenue–Meadowbridge Road corridor straddling Hanover and Henrico counties, and Sandston near Richmond International Airport.
In other news:
- Electoral board vice chair says she wants to remove Registrar Balmer (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
- State emergency department audit finds $33 million deficit, $4 million embezzlement (Virginia Mercury)
In case you missed it:
- The hidden story of Native tribes who outsmarted Bacon’s Rebellion (The Washington Post)*
- On the hunt for the elusive Martinsville hot dog (Cardinal News)
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
