As mentioned before, the scam continues.
From Cherry Street neighbor Todd Woodson:
Code Refresh is a bad idea brought to you by developers for developers. Please consider signing the petition to make the City seek zoning changes of more than 25% of the City through referendums. The City can’t be trusted on this and saying Code Refresh will increase affordable housing is the “Big Lie”.
The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) recently emailed its August Events newsletter. As always, residents can subscribe for this newsletter and utilize the OHNA calendar. Visit ohnarva.org
Excerpt:
Craft night at Pine St Baptist Church – Thursday, August 20th, 6:00PM – 8:30PM
• Back-to-School night at Holly Street Playground – Friday, August 21st, 6:30pm – 7:30pm. Bring fruit, treat, or snack to share if you like! Fountain will be on!
• 5th District Code Refresh Meeting: Monday, August 24, 2026; 6pm-8pm; First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1000 Blanton Avenue
• OHNA Meeting (virtual) – Tuesday, August 25, 7:00PM – 9:00PM
• Hollywood Cemetery at Night: Full Moon Tour on Friday, August 28, at 7:30-9:30pm; $25/person; link for more information.
Want to add an event to the September update? Email the Events Committee at ohna-events@googlegroups.comIt’s time to plan the Fall Festival! We need resident input on the fundraising beneficiary. Please fill out this survey to nominate a nonprofit. We will later vote on the nominees to make the final beneficiary selection(s).
From the Events Committee Idea Mill:
Do any of the below ideas pique your interest? Email the events committee at ohna-events@googlegroups.com to link up with others interested in planning these efforts.
• Meals: interested in organizing a food-related event? Ideas can include regular potlucks, food swaps, bulk meal prep.
• Art Show for late 2026 – early 2027: the talent in the neighborhood needs to be showcased! We have a great opportunity to create our own gallery show.
• Holly Street Playground fountain evenings: sign-up for a date to turn the fountain on and off. We can broadcast the opportunity to neighbors.City-related Info and Updates:
Code Refresh: Round 3 of the city’s re-zoning proposal will be available on Monday 8/17, here: https://rva.gov/planning-development-review/code-refresh.
Public Utilities billing problems: The city is working on fixing its billing system. Customers who believe they may have a billing or payment issue should contact DPU at 804-646-4646 during normal business hours or email dpucustserv@rva.gov
Richmond’s new Department of Transportation has a newsletter. The first issue is here: https://mailchi.mp/rva/introducing-access-rva; or subscribe here: https://rva.us18.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f99abcad558960f82c27f3ada&id=7d89dcce2dPine Street Baptist is also accepting donations for their unhoused services; drop off during neighborhood events or between 9-5 Monday through Thursday. Items needed include travel sized toiletries (sunscreen and bug spray included), shelf stable snacks such as beanie weenies, new socks and underwear. They also maintain a Free Closet where you may donate gently used clothing items and shoes.
Lastly, remember to check the Allianz Amphitheater schedule for upcoming shows in case parking gets tight in the evenings on those days!
Tomorrow is a “Red Wednesday”, which means trash and recycling pickup.
Please go over what can be recycled.
NOTE: CVWMA (Central Virginia Waste Management Authority) has announced that all curbside recycling must now be INSIDE the CVWMA containers with lid closed. Items beside the container or on top of it will not be collected. In fact, incorrect setouts may not be collected at all. This is new as of July 1 for all our curbside recyclers, with the exception of townhomes/condos still using small bins. (And yes, this also applies to flattened cardboard boxes.)
Ideally, rolling recycling containers are stored and deployed in the back alleys along with trash cans. Please make sure you pick up containers after pickup tomorrow night. More CVWMA information can be found at this link:
https://cvwma.com/cvwma-locations/richmond/
In order to take your recycling to the next level, read this: 10 ways to improve your recycling.
In local recycling news, Henrico County Fire crews had to battle a dumpster fire at an East End recycling facility.
In national recycling news, researchers publishing in Nature Food magazine looked at what might happen if food waste bans now used in places such as Massachusetts and Vermont were adopted across the U.S. As WBUR reported, their analysis showed that sending food scraps to recycling systems instead of landfills could shrink food waste’s overall climate impact by up to 99%. Nationwide food-waste recycling would cut methane as well as landfill nutrient pollution linked to toxic algal blooms, lowering risks to waterways and nearby communities. The study also projected a major plastics drawback: Without better packaging and sorting, contaminated compost under a nationwide ban could spread up to 20,000 tons of plastic onto farmland each year.
Looks like the truth is coming out.
With many people doing the end of July moving thing, a lot of new people are moving into the neighborhood.
From FaceBook post by neighbor Mariah Huffman:
Welcome to Oregon Hill – a free neighborhood guide!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g_sTm3_awALk3OcJjQigMQoUExwPaXIDAAoQMLSIz4Q/edit?usp=sharing
This is as mobile-friendly doc, and an ongoing work in progress! Anyone should be able to view and share.
Thank you to everyone who has helped add to this so far. Both Stephenie Lynch’s office and Verenda Cobb from VCU have offered to help print this out. I am still working on a print-friendly version that will be easy to read. At the August OHNA meeting I will ask for help planning how to distribute the printed versions (they will have a QR code for easier link access).
We (we being neighbors) have also been invited to come hang out with Verenda at the VCU SOVO Fair on Friday, Aug. 21 from 3-6pm in Monroe Park. This is the student activities fair that kicks off the school year. I will work on a condensed print-out we can leave at the table for OH resident students.
In addition, the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association has this page on its website:
https://ohnarva.org/oregon-hill-411/
Air Quality Alert issued July 17.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has issued a Code PURPLE Air Quality Alert across The Richmond Metro Area
Now it’s Code Purple. Due to high levels of \(PM_{2.5}\) particles, the Virginia DEQ strongly advises that everyone, especially children, the elderly, and those with heart or lung disease, avoid all outdoor physical activity.
At least one local environmentalist had this to say –
“I’m mad as hell that Dominion Energy is increasing its climate pollution when climate change is causing forest fires and these oppressive heat comes that are killing people.”
From email announcement:
OHNA MONTHLY MEETING JUNE 23, 7pm on ZOOM
(editor’s note: please email ohnarva@gmail.com for Zoom meeting information and password)
Welcome
Approval of Minutes: Scott RacetteCommunity and local Officials Updates: Councilmember Lynch; Verenda Cobbs, VCU, Ashley Graves (VCU PD); Kelyn Gibson, Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, Johnny McRoy, RVAPD,
Announcements:
Committee reports:
Zoning, Parks, Events, Traffic and Safety, Bylaws, Amphitheater, Treasurer
Continued Business:
Action: Motion from May 26th Meeting regarding Oregon Hill Parks Stewards and FOOHPNew Business:
Action: OHNA Traffic Committee Safe Streets Priorities Memo—
Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association
Valerie L’Herrou, President
John Bolecek, Treasurer
Amanda Bradley, Co-Vice-President
Bryan Clark Green, Co-Vice President
Jennifer Hancock, Co-Vice President
Susan Hill, Co-Vice President
Phaedra Hise, Co-Vice President
Scott Racette, SecretaryJOIN OHNA: https://forms.gle/joCpHqcPrShu8qf86
For events and more: https://ohnarva.org/
About a dozen or so Oregon Hill neighbors met earlier this evening at the Pine Street Baptist for a meeting of the Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council, which doubled as the non-profit organization’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. Although quorum number was not reached, there was a lot of good conversation and pizza. Current board members presented and relayed information, discussed history, answered questions from attendees, and brought up possible future endeavors. Expect a future meeting date to be announced.
