Rushing to get to their August recess, City Council spent less than 90 minutes passing more than 40 pieces of mostly routine legislation that largely involved approvals of special use permits for development and authorizations for future transportation projects.

Among the more noticeable items, council approved Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s request to borrow $4.2 million to support development of a subdivision of 139 units of affordable homes on Dove Street in Highland Park.

Better Housing Coalition, a nonprofit that develops income-restricted houses and apartments, is undertaking the work on the property that is designed to complement the previously completed Highland Grove apartment complex that replaced public housing and blighted private housing.

The development began in the spring, and the new borrowing is described as additional resources to keep on track the housing development now underway beside Overby-Sheppard Elementary School. The land being developed for the sub division once held the headquarters of the Virginia Army National Guard.

As anticipated, the council also approved a modified ban on wild and exotic animals such as lions, tigers, elephants and alligators as a protection for first responders, though the legislation was not supported by any data showing how many residents keep such animals.

The approved legislation provides loopholes that will allow falconers to continue their hobby of training predatory birds such as hawks and authorizes residents who have poisonous snakes to keep them.

The legislation also was amended to ensure the city’s Department of Animal Care and Control did not run afoul of state and federal laws that already govern the private care and keeping of wild birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

Council also:

• Cleared the way for a 20-story retail and apartment complex that Richmond-based Hourigan Development is planning for 2 acres of the riverfront in Manchester that was the site of grain silos.

• Approved honorary street signs for Dr. Roscoe D. Cooper III, founder and pastor since 1994 of the Metropolitan African-American Baptist Church; the late Dr. Ruth I.G. Moore, a pastor for 60 years who co-founded the Tower of Deliverance Ministries in Richmond and later led the Faith, Hope and Victory Church in Ash- land; and the late Mozelle Willis Minor, a parachute rigger for the Tuskegee Airmen who participated in Richmond civic and church affairs for 70 years.

• Placed on hold was passage of the first Public Services Commission to review the work and future plans for the Department of Public Utilities at the request of the lead patron, 1st District Councilman Andreas D. Addison. Mr. Addison said he wanted to propose amendments that would allow representatives from counties that buy utility services from the city, such as Chesterfield and Henrico, to serve on the commission and also restructure future subcommittees.