Dear City,
Please consider this editorial post a strong comment in favor of this edit (see in red below) to the City’s Urban Design Guidelines.
Citizens will be watching to see if the suggestion is mysteriously pulled at the last minute like with what happened with bird-safe glass.
Screenshot
At last night’s Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) meeting, neighbors listened carefully to a presentation by a representative of the Richmond Police.
When he was asked about the June 30th shooting and murder on the 100 block of S.Pine Street, he said it was not in his report because the 100 block of S. Pine is not part of Oregon Hill. Thankfully, neighbors, including the OHNA President, quickly corrected him.
Oregon Hill residents are tired of this continued nonsense.
The ‘Heights’ are ours!
MESSAGE TO CITY AND VCU OFFICIALS (ESPECIALLY CITY PLANNERS WITH CODE REFRESH): To say that the 100 blocks north of the Expressway are not part part of Oregon Hill is ‘fighting words’ – considered not acceptable and will be fully rebuked. If this keeps up, then some sort of retaliation may be in order to make the message stick. Code Refresh is already dead in the water due to the misrepresentation and distrust.
It’s one thing for the Richmond and VCU police to not count all the underage drinking in their crime stats for the neighborhood. It is another to not include violent crime. We are very aware of increased crime due to our proximity to the university.
Furthermore, and it should not be lost in this, the main suspect in the murder is still on the run, as far as citizens know.
From previous Richmond Police Department press release:
Richmond Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a wanted subject related to last night’s homicide on South Pine Street.
John Pettaway IV, 26, of Chesterfield County, has a warrant on file for Discharging a Firearm in an Occupied Dwelling. He is wanted in relation to the fatal shooting of Charlamon Stokes, 23, of Richmond, in the 100 block of South Pine Street last night.
Pettaway is approximately 5’9” tall and weighs approximately 155 pounds. His photo is attached. Pettaway should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911.
Anyone with information about this homicide investigation is asked to call Major Crimes Detective M. Godwin at (804) 317-6922 or call Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones may also be used. All Crime Stoppers reporting methods are anonymous.
This weekend there was a lot of war movies on cable tv and the Virginia War Memorial had lot of visitors. It is noteworthy that at this point in his second term, President Trump’s administration has attacked 7 different countries and is threatening more. And right now, the global economy is starting to feel ill effects of rising gasoline prices- a result of U.S./Israel’s war against Iran.
(Speaking of Israel, instead of doing more to investigate, expose, and account for what may be the largest and most successful sexual blackmail operation in history, CBS News is now editorializing about how Iran is propagandizing the Epstein files. The reality is that the whole world deserves to know the truth, extent, and ramification. Don’t let the corporate media gaslight you.)
In the midst of all this turmoil, NextEra Energy and (Oregon Hill’s neighbor) Dominion Energy announced a $67 billion all-stock merger to create the world’s largest regulated electric utility, serving about 10 million customers across Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Driven by surging AI and data center power demands, the transaction requires extensive state and federal regulatory approval and is expected to close in 12 to 18 months. The combined company will operate under the NextEra Energy name and trade under the symbol NEE on the New York Stock Exchange. It will have dual headquarters in Juno Beach, Florida, and Richmond, Virginia, as well as Dominion Energy South Carolina’s existing operational headquarters in Cayce, South Carolina. Dominion Energy’s utility companies will continue to operate as Dominion Energy Virginia, Dominion Energy North Carolina, and Dominion Energy South Carolina.
The local media focused on what this merger might mean for Richmond. Dominion employs 5,433 people in the Richmond area according to the most recent statistics. A press release said that Dominion’s local charity work will continue, and Dominion will commit an extra $10 million a year to its charitable efforts for five years after the deal closes within its current operating footprint. Center Stage theater patrons breathe a sigh of relief.
State media also took stock of things. Earlier this month, Dominion asked Virginia’s state government for permission to finance an expected $21.79 monthly jump in the average consumer bill next year. Keep in mind that Virginia remains one of only four states that allow unlimited corporate campaign contributions. NextEra, with a history in Florida, is known for a lot of political subterfuge tied to its corporate spending. Cardinal News opined, “This moment is bigger than a merger. It is about whether Virginia’s energy future will be governed by public accountability or unchecked monopoly power.”
Despite all the speculation, this giant utility merger should be seen within an even larger question about our political/energy future. Writer Jonathan Watts did a good job of framing this question in a recent piece, “The American epoch of oil is collapsing. What comes next could be ugly”, in the British Guardian newspaper.
History has proven that when the dominant form of energy changes, there is often a shift in the global pecking order. We are now in the midst of one such transition as the epoch of petrol, predominantly produced in the United States, Russia and Gulf states, starts to give way to an era of renewables, overwhelmingly manufactured in China. But the outcome remains contested, and the process could be ugly. The new energy order is winning the economic and technological battle – wind turbines and solar panels were already producing record-cheap electricity even before the Iran war pushed up the costs of gas and oil-fired power plants. But the old petro-interests still have political, military and financial might on their side, and they are using that to try to turn back the energy clock.
As a result, democracies across the planet are now threatened by what might be called fossil fuel fascism – an extremist political movement that breaks laws, spreads lies and threatens violence in an increasingly desperate attempt to maintain markets for oil, gas and coal that would otherwise be replaced by cheaper renewables.
Of course, there’s much more in the piece about how the world arrived at this moment, but Watts, in the end, further delineates a dichotomy:
On one side are the vast majority of the world’s people, all of nature, 99.9% of climate scientists and the fastest-growing, greatest-job-creating chunk of the global economy: the clean energy sector.
On the other is Trump and the primary producers and users of fossil fuels, who need enormous taxpayer subsidies to stay profitable and ever greater violence to quell public unease and global opposition. The latter controls the US state – including the military and ICE – and is allied with much of the money of Silicon Valley’s power-thirsty datacentre companies. (The US and its tech oligarchs may be hoping that AI can replace energy as the country’s source of global power – but China is keeping apace on that front, too.)
Will this fossil fuel fascism, that billionaire-backed campaign to crush a green transition by any means necessary, hold back the tide of clean energy autonomy? It cannot be ruled out. The closest thing the world has to a planetary spokesperson recently warned of the dark forces threatening the future of all life on Earth: “Some fossil fuel interests remain hellbent on slowing progress, spreading disinformation, pretending the transition is unrealistic or unaffordable,” Guterres, the UN secretary-general, said last month. “Let’s tell it like it is; the world’s addiction to fossil fuels is one of the greatest threats to global stability and prosperity.”
So as this Memorial Day comes to an end, this editorial asks whose side you, dear reader, are on? That of growing and concentrated corporatism (aka fossil fuel fascism), or distributed, (small d) democratic, renewable energy?
Hi everyone! January 23rd is traditionally recognized as Ranked Choice Voting Day!
But, hey, don’t let the General Assembly, City Council, and winter doldrums get you down. For it is I, Scott Burger, the pirate king of Oregon Hill, here to entertain you and (counterintuitively to my monarchial rule) encourage grassroots democracy with yet another exciting public RCV poll.
Given yesterday’s RPS announcement, the noteworthy recent anniversary of last year’s water crisis, and ongoing struggles for the ‘unhoused’, what is more important?
1) Fully funding our public schools
2) A reliable, working, public water utility
3) larger homeless shelters
Now, I could add as choices a sustainable environment and larger rainy (sleety? snowy) day emergency fund, but let’s not get too crazy or hopeful. Let’s keep it relatively simple. This is not a mayor’s race.
After all, we are supposed to be beginning a new City budget process…
Remember, with ranked choice voting (RCV), you are allowed to vote for more than one choice, but you need to rank them.
Also remember that the political establishment (and their corporate masters) will not allow an all-of-the-above choice as it wants large corporations and tourism to get a steady stream of taxpayer dollars in the form of tax breaks and subsidies. LIVE Nation and New Market Corporation were not going to build their new riverfront amphitheater by themselves (or were they?). Co-Star was not going to incentivize itself, now was it? Otherwise VCU might not have received their money. The corporate welfare must continue, according to our current leadership, opportunity costs, public choices, and alternatives be damned.
Remember what I said about keeping the pressure on!
Happy Ranked Choice Voting Day!
Ready? Vote:
I will try to update this post with results later, if I am not thrown into the new ICE facility in Hanover. (Remember, ICE received “only” $14 billion in funding, despite public demands to abolish it altogether. But that goes back to national priorities…)
This is not an easy editorial to write so close to the holidays, but it is a substantial and necessary follow up to an earlier one. The disclaimer that this does not portend to represent the views of all Oregon Hill residents is in full effect.
In 2018, the country, and indeed the world, was still feeling the reverberations of the powerful #MeToo movement. This community news site, in a strongly worded editorial, cheered it on, despite the political winds, and called for stronger investigations and prosecutions of Trump’s sexual assaults, among others.
But this was before things became even more dark and twisted with the headlines of Epstein’s arrest and “suicide” (no, it was most likely not a suicide).
Today, at this time, it is extremely important to recognize some things:
Many of Epstein’s victims went to the police and FBI years ago, and in some cases, even over a decade ago. They named names (yes, including Trump).
Horribly, and shamefully, the system protected Epstein and other predators.
It’s continuing to do so now. No predators should be ‘redacted’! EXPOSE THEM ALL!
In addition to that call, there is another aspect of the Epstein papers that the corporate, mainstream media is ignoring. The American people, and indeed everyone around the world, should see what was probably the biggest and most successful sexual blackmail operation in the history of espionage.
It’s past time for the political establishment, centrists and statists all around, to admit that Epstein did not act alone. Americans deserve to know that Epstein tried to buy cyber weapons for Israel, had Israeli intelligence and their former Prime Minister stay at his house dozens of times, ran the third largest pro-Israel charity in America that itself declared it, “acted from pure Zionistic motivations.” And that he helped Mossad and CIA connect during the Iran Contra conspiracy. Epstein lobbied to get the United States to bomb Syria and Iran on behalf of Israel.
Not to mention that his hench-woman (who is now playing for a Trump pardon) was the daughter of the legendary Israeli spy, Robert Maxwell.
And the establishment politicians and media want to act like the public can’t know who Epstein worked for and with? Come on!
No, this is not ‘antisemitic’, nor is it all-out Israel-bashing. The state of Israel correctly says that it routinely faces deadly threats, and must be creative and resourceful in defense. Every ‘intelligence’/spy/counterspy agency in the world has used the very old tradition of sexual blackmail -it’s a natural part of ‘spycraft’. The United States supplies over $4 billion in ‘domestic’ and military aid to Israel, but as the old saying goes, ‘all is fair in love and war’.
Or is it? Remember the paroxysms of partisan furor over the last decade over foreign interference in government and in our very elections? The redactions we have seen so far in the released Epstein files are certainly not about protecting victims, and they are about more than protecting Conman-In-Chief Trump, Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Noam Chomsky, and many others. The American people should know the extent of THIS foreign ‘interference’.
Besides the aforementioned sexual exploitation victims of Epstein (and Maxwell, and others), there is also the matter of ongoing genocide in Gaza (now estimated over 650,000 dead, with over 350,000 of those being children under five years of age, not to mention the millions displaced). How instrumental was this sexual blackmail operation in swaying upper echelon leaders and journalists into keeping the United States government complicit with this genocide, even through the tumultuous Presidential election?
All of the world’s people deserve to know.
In the spirit of the #MeToo movement, and in remembrance of the Holocaust-
NEVER AGAIN!
Celebrate the holidays and enjoy time with family and friends, but please keep some headspace in solemn reflection and prayers for ALL victims.
May the new year bring better justice, peace, and stronger, grassroots, non-violent revolt!
Local writer and educator Ed Slipek passed away after a brief illness and there have been a number of good tributes published.
Bennet Funeral Home Obituary
Richmond Magazine
Style Weekly
Richmond Bizsense
Laurel Street neighbor Charles Pool wrote:
Ed Slipek was a passionate writer who worked tirelessly to encourage brilliant new architecture as well as to wake up Richmond to the treasures of our city’s historic neighborhoods before they are lost to greed and stupidity. I am so very, very grateful for the many articles that he wrote regarding the Oregon Hill community and architecture. Ed was not one to use email, and he kindly allowed me to drop off research on his Spring Hill doorstep on the latest issues. His articles really made a difference in those issues and in the public perception that Oregon Hill is a rare historic resource well-worth preserving.
It is a revelation to read an example of Ed’s brilliant writing that is as pertinent today as it was in 2002 when Oregon Hill was appropriately zoned as a residential neighborhood. Ed’s words are just as relevant now when the Oregon Hill Historic District is again fighting for survival against Code Refresh upzoning proposals that would allow 75′ tall buildings and huge apartment buildings on some blocks of the historic district of modest, two-story homes:
https://www.styleweekly.com/proceeding-as-planned/
Ed’s words live on. We were blessed with his wise words, and there have been few people that have had such a positive impact on our city as Ed Slipek. He will be greatly missed.
You do know about ‘Code Refresh’, right?
Yesterday the City government released the latest drafts for its zoning ordinance rewrite project.
The Draft 2 zoning map now has 7 properties south of Green Alley changed from RA-A to RM-A zoning (6 dwelling units per building 40′ height, 70% lot coverage).
These properties now targeted with RM-A zoning are:
123 S. Pine
125 S. Pine
516 S. Pine
200 S. Linden (Grace Arents Housing)
202 S. Linden (Grace Arents Housing)
314 S. Cherry
316 S. Cherry
(314 and 316 were built in 1860, according to Zillow, and are now owned as a duplex)
407 S. Cherry has been changed from RA-A to RM-C
The athletic field of St Andrews is now proposed with MX-5 zoning with 75′ height limit.
The Draft 2 zoning map now proposes zoning for the properties north of Green Alley on the 100 blocks of Pine, Laurel and Cherry zoned RM-A.
Draft 2 zoning map now changed the St. Andrews Church and Pine Street Baptist Church zoning from RA-A to MX-3 zoning.
The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) voted that all of these properties should be zoned RA-A
In addition, some properties on the 600, 700 and 800 blocks of W. Cary Street are now proposed with MX-5 zoning and some with MX-3.
OHNA voted that all of the properties on these blocks of W. Cary should be zoned MX-3.
General office and retail are still shown as permitted uses by right under the RA-A and higher zoning.
It’s discouraging, but not surprising that the City’s ‘Code Refresh’ push continues to toss aside neighborhood input. After all, it already has a reputation as a scam for developers’ profits and very little to do with ‘affordable housing’.
City government and local corporate media go on and on about the need for Richmond to update its zoning, which they say has not been updated since the 1970’s, refusing to acknowledge that Oregon Hill was properly and appropriately rezoned for R-7 in 2002, not the seventies. It’s dishonest.
Email sent last night to Mayor, City Council representative, planners, neighborhood association….
Mayor Avula,
I have to tell you, I have to let you know- this Code Refresh process is so horrible. I strongly object to the rezoning proposed for the Oregon Hill Historic District which would greatly damage the affordable housing and historic fabric of the neighborhood. But I am also mindful of other neighborhoods in this City that have no clue as to how this runaway train will hit them in the future.
Years ago, I went to Richmond300 meeting and pleaded for my neighborhood in person. Richmond300 was passed despite my neighborhood’s protest and a promised amendment. I have emailed comments repeatedly and told they don’t count. I went to a Westover Hills Code Refresh meeting at some pizzeria and added the little post-it notes in person, but I am told they do not really count. I went online to put some notes on the digital map, but it was not easy at all. I have worked in corporate IT and I found this website cumbersome, confusing, and distressing. I can’t imagine my more elderly and impaired neighbors even attempting to take part in this. Even the Sept. 28 ‘deadline’ is not clear to anyone. This is so stacked against us.
And believe me, Richmond residents are seeing how other parts of the City, the wealthier neighborhoods, are not being threatened or impacted by ‘Code Refresh’. The economic discrimination is OBVIOUS and NAUSEATING.
Despite the discouragement, I am emailing you, planners, and other people these recommendations, and I again ask that these be counted, considered, but also documented and made part of official records.
• All properties within the Oregon Hill Historic District that are currently zoned R-7 must be zoned RA-A.
• Maximum Lot Coverage in RA-A: The maximum lot-coverage ratio in the RA-A district shall be reduced to fifty-five percent (55%), matching the existing standard under R-7 zoning.
• The Oregon Hill Historic District, including the Jacob House boundary, shall be excluded in its entirety from the VCU circle of influence map. I REPEAT: • The Oregon Hill Historic District south of West Cary Street must be removed from the “VCU Node” circle, consistent with the Richmond 300 Master Plan.
• Parsons House Condominiums (Parsons Street Parcel): The zoning classification for the Parsons House condominium property shall be revised from RX-4 to RA-A.
• Field to the west of St. Andrew’s School: The zoning classification for the open field parcel north of the school shall be revised from RX-6 to RA-A.
• Cary Street Corridor: The zoning classification for properties fronting Cary Street shall be revised from MX-6 and RX-4 to MX-3.
• Residences North of the Alley Near Cary Street: The zoning classification for the existing R-7 residential lots north of the alley between Cary Street and Green Alley shall be revised from MX-6 and RX-6 to RA-A.
• Citywide duplex: Duplexes should be permitted citywide, as they are in RA-A.
• Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan: While not a function of the map, the Planning Commission should adopt and implement without delay the draft Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan
• All of the properties on the 100 block of South Pine, 100 block of South Laurel and 100 block of South Cherry Street, including 104, 106 and 106-1/2 S. Pine Street; 103, 105 and 109 S.
Laurel Street; and 117, 119, 121 and 123 S. Cherry Street must be zoned RA-A.
• All properties that are currently zoned B-3 within the Oregon Hill Historic District must be zoned MX-3, and MX-3 must be revised to have a 35 foot maximum height limit. These
properties include all of the 600, 700 and 800 blocks of West Cary Street which must be zoned MX-3.
• The RA-A zoning proposed for much of the Oregon Hill Historic District must not allow business use “by right”. Retail, dining uses and alcohol sales must NOT be allowed “by right” in RA-A zoning.
• The the maximum lot coverage must be no greater than 55% in the RA-A zoning, and the maximum height limit must be 35 feet.
• The two-story Parsons Row condominiums at 605 Spring Street must be zoned RA-A.
• The St. Andrews athletic field at 316 Linden Street must be zoned RA-A.
• MX-3 must be revised to have a 35 foot maximum height limit. All properties that are currently zoned B-1 within the Oregon Hill Historic District must be zoned with MX-3 with a maximum height limit no greater than 35 feet, consistent with the adjacent RA-A properties.
• Any rezoning must recognize the importance of, and encourage the use of, the Special Use Permit process which has served the neighborhood well.
• The affordable workforce housing in Oregon Hill must not be displaced by zoning that allows greater density.I am sharing previous news posts in regard to Richmond300 and Code Refresh, with the hope that these will also be considered and documented.
https://www.oregonhill.net/2025/09/25/ohna-deadline-to-comment-on-re-zoning-code-refresh-is-sept-28/
I particularly point to this link directly underneath this sentence, as it gives a small glimpse of the huge corruption and subterfuge we have faced. The amount of time and energy that we have invested in battling VCU, City, developers in order to keep our historic community intact deserves more appreciation and recognition.
https://www.oregonhill.net/2025/09/25/some-historical-perspective-on-the-current-zoning/REFORM! REFORM! REFORM!:
https://www.oregonhill.net/2025/09/07/newspaper-coverage-and-ltes-bring-strong-calls-for-government-reform/https://www.oregonhill.net/2025/07/04/max-lot-coverage-in-new-ra-a-zoning-threatens-neighborhood/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2025/03/16/is-oregon-hill-under-attack/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2025/01/28/review-of-planning-review/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2024/10/25/community-hospital-saved/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2024/08/13/richmond300-code-refresh-meetings-this-week/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2024/02/28/editorial-save-community-hospital/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2023/03/29/neighborhood-association-opposes-demolition/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2023/03/09/top-down-planning-changes-threaten-neighborhood/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2022/12/12/meeting-on-city-initiated-zoning-changes-tomorrow-evening/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2022/08/11/please-send-an-email-letter-for-oregon-hill/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2022/06/28/victory-city-council-passes-amendment-resolution-unanimously/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2022/06/24/richmond300-amendment-for-oregon-hill-at-city-council/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2020/12/16/the-wayne-commission/
https://www.styleweekly.com/opinion-let-us-succeed/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2020/11/15/land-use-committee-meets-tuesday/
https://richmondfreepress.com/news/2020/nov/05/oregon-hill-neighborhood-open-speculation-destruct/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2020/10/05/planning-director-punked/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2020/09/30/mayor-wants-to-take-away-parkland-for-affordable-housing/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2020/09/26/olingers-storefront-canard/
https://www.styleweekly.com/guest-commentary-runaway-train/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2020/07/17/city-planners-scheme-a-last-minute-end-run-around-citizens/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2020/06/05/richmond-300-plan-would-irreparably-damage-oregon-hill/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2019/11/15/presentation-to-richmond-300/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2019/10/29/richmond-300-continues-to-ignore-city-residents/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2019/10/16/ohna-letter-to-city-council-and-richmond300-committee/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2018/11/12/single-family-to-be-removed/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2018/10/15/ohna-letter-to-richmond300-planners/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2018/05/14/demolition-of-historic-buildings-on-w-cary/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2018/03/16/public-demonstration-planned-for-sunday-afternoon/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2020/09/17/revisiting-a-history-of-assessments-on-small-house/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2012/05/02/ohna-letter-for-349-s-laurel/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2010/10/09/two-years-later-still-waiting-for-positive-step-by-vcu/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2009/11/29/editorial-filling-in-the-gaps-in-historic-urban-neighborhoods/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2008/09/10/belvidere-plans/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2008/09/10/1990-park-plans/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2008/09/06/what-might-have-been-or-what-could-be/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2008/07/19/rezoning-meetinggreen-drinks-at-built-gallery/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2008/06/25/re-zoning-and-the-disappointing-marty-jewell/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2008/04/30/last-house-on-100-block-of-s-belvidere-demolished/
…. I could also bring up the sordid history of the developer Salomonsky, City government, FBI, and Oregon Hill residents, but let’s truncate there for now.
The stink is already apparent and overwhelming.
In the end, I am not surprised by this disaster. It’s not about “racial justice”, density, or affordable housing. Pretenses of ‘working with the community’ are laughable. It’s glaring to any citizen paying attention that this whole thing, Richmond300/Code Refresh, is a scam, a plot designed to prey on longterm residents for the benefit of unscrupulous developers. When you combine this con job with other factors, including rising utility rates and the RRHA debacle, it has become very clear that the City of Richmond is at war with its less wealthy residents, wanting to eradicate and replace us.I completely agree with neighbors and other City residents that the “Code Refresh” initiative needs to be scrapped and Rodney Poole and director Vonck replaced with competent people, determined to do what’s best for our community, and not just developers.
Sincerely,
Scott Burger
Three quick addendums:
As I mentioned, the wealthier areas of Richmond are unscathed by the rezoning and are shown (appropriately) in white (without color) in the proposed zoning map.
And speaking of Salomonsky, remember that Rodney Poole even appointed Salomonsky’s business partner, Brian White, to the Zoning Advisory Council.
Lastly, notice that on the proposed zoning map that planners are proposing 90′ tall buildings on Dominion’s property on Tredegar Street and the Venture Richmond (really DPW’s) canal property. In other words, the public can say goodbye to the public views of the historic riverfront, according to this proposed zoning map.
While local television stations bandied ongoing amphitheater concerns and new signs (more on those at a later time), Richmond Times Dispatch reporter Samuel Parker examined the details in regard to another City Hall threat against the neighborhood- rezoning.
Oregon Hill residents have been contemplating on this matter from the beginning- going back to the original ‘Richmond 300’ meetings on land use and calling foul on the narratives that came forth from them. City Hall brushed off the heartfelt complaints by neighbors and in what has become a horrible pattern, self-congratulated itself and celebrated dubious awards. The City government did the same thing with its water utility even as the water plant failed, something that surprised even longtime critics, exposing the real rot underneath.
Thankfully, in the last week or so, Mr. Parker, in a few in-depth newspaper articles, focused on who City’s Planning Department officials really are and brought significant light to conflicts of interest and tenures that should have ended decades ago.
Laurel Street neighbor Charles Pool wrote a well-written and complimentary Letter To The Editor (LTE) in gratitude for Parker’s work and the Times Dispatch newspaper published it this past Saturday morning. Pool’s correspondence also served to underscore the result of Planning Department problems- “an illegitimate process with a bonanza of new zoning proposals by developers, for developers”, that have more to do with profiteering than City’s well-being or affordable housing. Pool also described some of the disastrous impacts of these current proposals on this historic neighborhood and strongly called for immediate reform.
(By the way, also see the poignant LTE (“Correspondent Of The Day”) from the president of Chesterfield’s NAACP, Nicole Thompson-Martin, on Dominion’s dirty fossil fuel ambitions – “Letter: Clean energy isn’t just cheaper, it’s more equitable”)
Cherry Street neighbor and former president of the neighborhood association Todd Woodson re-posted Pool’s letter on social media and further challenged the City government.
I’ve been civically active in Richmond, Virginia for 25 years because I love our historic City and recognize the amazing progress we can and must make to ensure equity and prosperity in all corners. That said, I have seen it so damn corrupt here in the past that the FBI has had to intervene, sending lawless developers and City Councilors to jail.
If you care about our community, please read this LTE in today’s Times Dispatch. We are on a precipice of destroying much of what’s good and beautiful in Richmond because the developer “foxes are in the henhouse”. Our Department of Planning and Review has acknowledged paying for and using compromised data to implement terrible zoning changes in our historic neighborhood. Oregon Hill was appropriately rezoned to R7 in 2002. R7 maintains the character of this family oriented enclave (which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places) while at the same time promoting a dense fabric of reasonably affordable housing.
I call on Mayor Avula and City Council to DO THE RIGHT THING! Remove the bad leadership from our Planning Commission and Department , scrap the current Code Refresh abomination and start from scratch with the added voices of environmentalists , social activists, historians and other grassroots community members. If it aint broke dont fix it. The current Code Refresh is simply Urban Renewal 2.0 and only benefits the greedy that are currently wielding power.
Mr. Parker does deserve gratitude and laurels for bringing more attention to longstanding problems with Richmond’s Planning Department, and citizens and residents are both cheering and adamant. Will Mayor Avula and City Council represent the citizens and residents of this city, or will they continue to cowardly adhere to developer money? (And yes, this does include issues with the new corporate amphitheater as well as debate over the future of public housing).