Category Archives: government

Lee Bridge/195 Ramp Closures

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From Richmond police:

Richmond Police want to advise drivers to the closure of the Lee Bridge on Sunday night to accommodate the RVA Fireworks.

The Lee Bridge will be closed from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, July 3.

From the south – access to the bridge will be closed at Semmes and Cowardin avenues.

From the north – access to the bridge will be closed at East Byrd and Belvidere streets.

Also, while I am seeing stories about the 76 ramp, I am not seeing details on roadwork regarding the 195 ramp coming from Cumberland. I thought I heard something about it being closed for adding a new lane to the toll plaza. Anyone have the skinny?

Top Ten Issues For The Neighborhood

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Its been a little over two months since the “Mayor’s Walkthrough”. During that event, I handed each member of City staff and the Mayor a sheet of paper with a list of what I considered the top ten issues for Oregon Hill, in order of priority and importance. I should emphasize that this list represents my personal opinion, though I did present and discuss it at last month’s Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting.

1. Signed, binding agreement that VCU will not encroach into Oregon Hill any further. Note: OHNA has voted for this.

2. Extend urban business district zoning on W.Cary to Belvidere. Note: OHNA has voted for this. Community Development has worked on this.

3. Keep R7 zoning except where urban business (old storefronts) makes sense.

4. Where is the new canal bridge? Note: OHNA raised almost half a million in grant money for greenway.

5. Traffic circle/roundabout on Idlewood off of 195 exit that allows commuters coming off 195 to go west in addition to east on Idlewood, also adding an egress from Oregon Hill to the west on Idlewood (making the street two way again). Note: OHNA has voted for this. VCU said they would support, with financial help. Randolph and other groups attended planning meetings.

6. Noise ordinance needed.

7. Brick sidewalk repairs (Notice how this area, which is in Oregon Hill, is marked as VCU!)

8. Empty tree wells need filling

9. public trash/recycling cans needed on corners- the Fan has them, why not Oregon Hill?

10. Look at 4 way stop signs for some intersections to slow down commuters speeding on Laurel, trying to beat Belvidere lights.

Again, this list is not exhaustive. There are other issues that compete for the top slots. You will notice that I did not mention some of the more controversial ideas of parking permits/tags or going for City Historic District status (Oregon Hill already has federal/state recognition).

You will also note that none of my priorities target any particular residence or deal with property code violations. Although I understand the fear that my lobbying here brings in the CIty inspectors, I refute any insinuation that it is my intention, and I share the concern that officious action may be in retribution for publicizing issues). Please feel free to list some of your ideas in the comments below.

In the next few weeks I will be focusing on each of these issues more and hopefully have news of progress. THE top issue, a permanent land use written accord with VCU, may get an update as soon as this next week since VCU President Michael Rao has asked for neighborhood leaders to come to a “Monroe Park Campus Advisory Council” (not to be confused with MPAC, Monroe Park Advisory Council) meeting this Tuesday. I know OHNA leaders plan to attend.

Billboard Battle Continues

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RichmondBizSense.com has an article on the decade-long struggle with Lamar Advertising, the national billboard corporation. Excerpt:

Lamar, a Louisiana-based outdoor advertising company, filed suit against Richmond to stop the city from trying to force the removal of the billboard it operates downtown on Mayo Island.
The case argues that removal of the sign cannot be enforced regardless of whether or not it conforms to zoning regulations, thanks to a law passed in 2008.
That law prevents localities from forcing the removal of a structure or building if the property owner has paid taxes on it for more than 15 years.

The billboard is visible from Oregon Hill. I remember publicly speaking on this issue over ten years ago at City Council as an eyesore for the James River. Here is an excerpt from an earlier article on the controversy:

In addition to the Mayo’s Island billboard, which was built out of compliance with city zoning regulations in 1977 and has been ruled illegal a number of times, the company also plans to continue negotiations related to eight other billboards that for various legal reasons remain items of dispute with the city.

Any debate over the Mayo’s Island sign is moot to Leighton Powell, executive director of Scenic Virginia. He says Lamar’s use of it as a bargaining chip in its negotiations over the other signs is a sign of bad faith.

“Here’s an update: The billboard — it’s still up, and it’s still illegal,” says Powell, who has a not-so-subtle suggestion: “The city should consider going after all of the illegal profits of that [Mayo’s Island] billboard dating back to 1977.”

Question for readers: If you put up an illegal commercial billboard on your own property, how long do you think the City would take before forcing you to remove it?

4th District MPACT meeting reminder

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From announcement:

4th Precinct Residents and Neighborhood Leaders-
Thank you so much for your support of MPACT over the last 6 months at 4th Precinct Headquarters. As of June, we will be combining our meeting dates and location with the 4th Precinct CAPS team to strengthen our attendance and the participation in both MPACT and CAPS.

Our June meeting will be Thursday, June 16th at Linwood Holton Elementary, 1600 W. Laburnum Avenue, in the school’s media center.
The CAPS meeting starts at 6PM and MPACT will begin once CAPS ends, or approximately 7PM.

The agenda for the MPACT meeting will include an overview of the Highland Park Quality of Life Plan by VCU Metropolitan Urban and Regional Planning students and a discussion of how such plans can be supported by the neighboring communities and possibly replicated in other communities. We will also review MPACT high priority concerns.

I hope that you can be a part of this discussion and consider attending both the CAPS and MPACT meeting. I look forward to seeing you on Thursday, June 16th.

Many thanks,
Emily

Emily E. Griffey
MPACT Coordinator
City of Richmond
phone- (804) 646-7527
cell- (804) 229-0393
emily.griffey@richmondgov.com

City’s DPU Completes Sewer Work Ahead of Schedule

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From City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities press release:

The sewer main repair taking place where Belvidere Street, Cumberland and Canal intersect has been completed as of today, June 13, 2011, four days ahead of schedule. See attached updated release for details.

From June 3:
DPU TRAFFIC ALERT – Belvidere and Canal Streets

RICHMOND, VA—Beginning Monday, June 6 through Tuesday, June 17, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. the sewer maintenance division of the city of Richmond Department of Public Utilities will be repairing a sewer manhole and adjacent piping where Belvidere Street, Canal Street and Cumberland Street intersect to repair a sewer manhole and adjacent piping.

During the repair work, no more than one lane, at any given time, will be closed. At least one travel lane will stay open at all times in any direction. The work zone will be well marked and traffic will be directed around the work zone. Minimal traffic disruption is expected. Motorists are asked to proceed with care around the work zone.

Defend Feeding In Public Parks

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For the most part I have tried to stay above the fray in regard to this past year’s Monroe Park controversy. As I have stated before, I appreciate neighbors’ efforts with the Monroe Park Advisory Council. Most City residents would like to see a cleaner park with better features (On a side note, others have tried to say the exact opposite in regard to the park and this neighborhood as some sort of elitist way to justify more encroachment by VCU and corporate entities). They understand the need to keep the existing trees and make Monroe Park a welcoming oasis in the surrounding concrete.

While I have sympathy for the Keep Monroe Park Open Campaign and I do support Food Not Bombs mission, (especially in the face of how many wars now?), I personally think that its not necessarily the end of the world for the local homeless or the public in general that the park be temporarily closed for needed renovations. With all due respect to the history of the homeless issue in Richmond, there are other public parks in the City (and there should be more public space created overall). I have tried to steer the controversy towards compromise, but in the end that’s where I stand.

However, I also stand with Food Not Bombs for the overall right to feed people in a public park (while taking personal responsibility for trash and safety). I am very troubled by what I am hearing from Florida where activists are being arrested for feeding the homeless. This country is headed for even worst times if this is what it has come to : making it illegal to nourish a fellow human being in need in an OPEN public park. I urge Richmond to fully consider what is at stake. I hope that we will not see this sort of fascism here and I hope that Food Not Bombs feels free to return to Monroe Park (or any other public park that they so choose) after renovations are completed.

Get Ready For City’s Sustainability Plan

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From announcement:

Richmond Community:

The Mayor will hold a community workshop on June 9th from 6-8 p.m. at
the Carillon Tower in Byrd Park to present progress made thus far on
the RVA Green plan and take citizen input. For more information on
this city project, visit: http://www.richmondgov.com/sustainabilityplan/

No word yet on making local firework displays more green…

Oregon Hill Speaks Up In Favor Of Passenger Rail

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At last night’s Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting, residents voted in favor of sending a letter to the Commonwealth Transportation Board asking them to support funding for Virginia’s passenger trains.

Here is some background on the issue from Virginians For High Speed Rail:

Dear Supporters,

We have launched our latest web-form to ask the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board to support the funding currently in their draft six-year transportation plan to maintain our current Amtrak Northeast Regional Service and future expansion to Norfolk.

This funding is vital to the continued operation of the regional trains that serve Alexandria, Manassas, Burke, Woodbridge, Culpeper, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Ashland, Richmond, Williamsburg, Newport News, Lynchburg, with future stops in Norfolk and eventually Roanoke.

Please help us encourage the CTB to fully fund passenger rail over the next six years!

To view and sign the message go to www.vhsr.com/action/sixyearplan

Sincerely,

Danny Plaugher

Follow us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/VAHSR
Follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/VHSR
Make a tax-deductible contribution at www.VHSR.com/donate

Its worth noting that OHNA’s support and this current issue are about maintaining and improving our current passenger rail, not necessarily more expensive high speed rail.

More stuff for your calendar….

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Byrd House Market tomorrow from 3:30 pm to 7 pm.

Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meets tonight at 7 pm at the William Byrd Community House.

Recycling and trash pickup this Wednesday morning.

In addition to the Byrd House Bash, the 4th Precinct MPACT meeting is on Thursday. From announcement:

The 4th Precinct MPACT meeting will be this Thursday, May 26th at 6:30PM at the 4th Police Precinct Headquarters (2219 Chamberlayne Avenue). We hope that you will attend to learn more about neighborhood issues and connect with city administration regarding your concerns. Roslyn Johnson, Deputy Director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, will present an overview of the summer recreation activities planned in the 4th Precinct and across the city.

This will be the last meeting of the MPACT team on the 4th Thursdays. Starting on Thursday, June 16th the MPACT team will combine meeting days and locations with the 4th Precinct CAPS team at Linwood Holton Elementary in the media center. In June, the CAPS meeting will be 6-7PM and the MPACT meeting will be 7-8PM. Citizens and residents are welcome to attend both meetings. CAPS focuses on cross-departmental issues to enforce property maintenance and public safety, while MPACT focuses on the high priority areas for MPACT (potholes, illegal dumping, street lights and more), sharing information between residents and city agencies and general concerns.

For more information about CAPS, please visit: http://www.richmondgov.com/CommunityAssistedPublicSafety/index.aspx

For more information about MPACT, please visit: www.richmondgov.com/mpac

Also,

Just in time for the start of Hurricane Season, Virginia’s Hurricane and Emergency Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday runs May 25-31st, 2011. During this time, purchases of items designated by the Department of Taxation as hurricane preparedness equipment, including batteries, flashlights, bottled water of all types and sizes, cell phone batteries, coolers, portable generators and many other useful items can be purchased with no sales tax added during the week. Portable generators must be priced at $1,000 or less, and other eligible items must be priced at $60 or less for each item. Many retailers will post signs listing all the allowable items so that Virginians can get ready for hurricane season.
For details, including guidelines, frequently asked questions, and a list of eligible purchases, click here.

Remember, Hurricane Seasons starts June 1st, so be prepared! While we do not live on the coast, flooding often hits Central Virginia during this time. To learn more about getting ready for hurricanes and floods, visit www.ReadyVirginia.gov.