More than 50 people attended Richmond Planning Commission's final meeting on the Downtown Master Plan, but less than half stayed till the end.

After nearly three hours of reviewing and making revisions to the plan, the commission voted unanimously Monday night  to send it on to City Council.

The action happened almost a full year after the city first began holding public meetings to solicit citizen input regarding the Downtown Master Plan. So far, it has drawn rave reviews for its ideas and vision for the future, but also criticism from property owners who have different plans for development.

There was no public comment during last night's meeting since commissioners heard those comments at a meeting earlier this month.

Brooke Hardin, deputy director of community development, gave the commission an overview of several of the changes before commissioners went chapter by chapter through the plan.

Since the plan's creation, the city has held more than 20 public hearings with hundreds of people in attendance and nearly 150 speakers, Hardin said.

Changes to the plan include:

w numerous changes to the illustrative plan to accommodate property owners and public comment;
w removal of the Carver community from the study area because it didn't want to be included;
w expanded boundary of the plan to include the Fulton area and the entire Dominion Resources Tredegar campus;
w change from transect-based description of downtown to character areas;
w created character area maps to serve as a bridge between the illustrative plan and a more traditional future land use; and
w amended initial character area map to accommodate concerns regarding special districts.

The major changes in transportation included bus rapid transit and adding a phase-in plan for changed streets from one-way to two-way, as well as providing the pros and cons of such actions. Planners also further developed plans and clarified the language for the bicycle section.

There were also several changes regarding infrastructure, particularly in the Shockoe area.

Regarding the river, the city made the following changes:

w included statements regarding alternatives to the purchase of Mayo Island and the former Tarmac property for public space and included maps that showed development options;
w added language regarding the expansion of the stormwater detention basin on Chapel Island;
w revised the language regarding the relocation of the substation on Brown's Island; and
w clarified the path of the Virginia Capital Trail and included a map.

Planners also clarified in the historic preservation section that the old and historic designation is a voluntary label.

Overall, Hardin said they also clarified numerous issues of private property rights; clarified public art; amended the maps and text addressing the Richmond Coliseum and the surrounding areas as well as included ideas for development there.

They also addressed items of concern related to the growth of Virginia Commonwealth University and the state, such as adding priorities for implementation.

The plan will go to council at its Monday meeting where it will likely be sent to committee for further analysis.