At the Planning Commission meeting today, Planning Director Mark Olinger stated that he was highly offended by the rendering of the possible building that could be constructed in Oregon Hill if the ‘mixed-used’ designation with four-six story building height was approved. He stated that he would never allow such a horrible building to be constructed in Oregon Hill. Apparently Mr. Olinger did not realize that it was a photo of the very building that he approved in Oregon Hill on West Cary Street! He simply cannot be trusted.
Of course, when Oregon Hill resident Charles Pool tried to respond to Olinger’s presentation, the Planning Commission Chair muted him.
We need a new Planning director, and probably a whole new administration and Planning Commission. The Richmond300 plan cannot be allowed be allowed to pass when it is effectively ignoring the input of citizens who just don’t want to see their neighborhood ruined by greedy developers.
This is what we can expect from Richmond’s establishment, which has a bad history of running roughshod over its less wealthy residents. Sadly, its doubtful the local media will pick up on it, because they do not want to offend said establishment.
Were there reasons these mixed-use properties were deemed appropriate on Cary St.? It does seem like an area where through-traffic would drive some income.
If all people care about is income and money, then Richmond is going to be in pretty bad shape in a few years.
Unless the income fuels the right stuff. That’d be cool.
Unk, you see the crap they built at 805 W. Cary?
Richmond is going to wind up looking like every other newly (crappy) developed mid size city in America- and then when things start going bad twenty years from now, VCU will roll right in to play savior. This is spelling out doom for what was a historic, charming place to live.
This is what happens when you have a corrupt Planning Commission that only cares about money and does not care about residents.