On the eve of ‘Richmond Habitat’s Framing the Future Gala’ at the Altria Theater this Saturday evening (sponsored by Co-star of course), I would like to make this direct plea to its board and the boards of other local non-profits: Ditch the City Code ReFresh plan before it is too late!

Code Refresh is a scam for developers that is being forced on Richmond citizens. It will not help affordable housing, it will raise taxes and displace more poorer, long term residents. We have already seen CodeReFresh backtrack on some of its promises for affordable housing- trust me, in the end, the planners will backtrack more to gain favor with their developer buddies.

Furthermore, if it is rammed through City Council, despite almost 70 percent of Richmond’s citizens being against it, it could spell the end for Oregon Hill and other City neighborhoods.

Oregon Hill, which historically became one of Richmond’s most dense neighborhoods, has fought hard for decades for historical preservation and its environment, despite continued pressure and encroachment. Notably, it has also embraced truly affordable housing decades ago and still provides ‘starter homes’ for young families. Don’t ruin it by giving developers (and, behind the scenes, VCU), free rein.

Also to the local Sierra Club: Code ReFresh will incentivize more demolition and take away green space, creating real environmental disasters.If you think storm water runoff is a problem now, wait until Oregon Hill plots are zoned with only a 5% vegetative space requirement. Expect more highly questionable excuses to bring down more mature trees. It’s truly a ‘taxes up, trees down’ situation that deserves rebuke, not coddling.

There are alternatives to this that need to come forward, free of corporate developers’ ambitions. Send a strong message that supports affordable housing that does NOT give into CodeRefresh’s bad planning and allow it to use your good name, with your hard work, in support of such disaster.