Cherry Street neighbor and Monroe Park advocate sent this message yesterday:

Friends-

The following message was received from an employee of DPW today as I was inquiring about the irrigation system that VCU installed about 10 years ago in Monroe Park and that we urgently need to make the park look its best for the UCI race:
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I sent an update the first week of May and I thought I included you. Sorry but here goes.

We had a water line break near the house. Repaired. We have the need for a dozen new heads, different varieties. Then the real problem. When they were replacing the sidewalk along Franklin St they tore up over 300 ft of water lines and a large number of the 640 heads. They also tore up some sections along Belvidere but nothing like on Franklin. I have notified my superiors about the damage and in addition my lack of funds and active PO to make the necessary purchases. Even if I could make the purchase I only have one irrigation person to make the repairs. It would require weeks of his time and all other systems would suffer. I included Gregg Hall with VCU in my original e-mail and I apologize again for omitting you.

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Without the irrigation system, the park and fountain plantings will turn brown and die this Summer before the UCI race. These questions come to mind:

* Since they have to remove the sidewalks to repair this damage, will they do it correctly in brick as specified by the master plan or waste more money on concrete? Will those responsible be held accountable? Where will this money come from to repair the irrigation?

You couldn’t run a business the way this city is being run now. We are hemorrhaging taxpayer money due to blatant incompetence.

I urge you all in the most emphatic terms to contact your city council representative IMMEDIATELY and demand a stop- work order, correct, appropriate and competently installed 7 foot brick sidewalks with environmentally friendly planting strips as specified by the CITY COUNCIL APPROVED Monroe Park master plan (page 79- its on the richmondgov.com website under planning department master plans) and that those responsible for this incompetent foul up be held accountable. Acting CAO Chris Beschler says he takes responsibility for the mistaken concrete sidewalks. Why doesnt he make amends for this tragedy and the incredibly poor supervision on this project.

Thanks,

Todd Woodson