A Brief History of the Monroe Park Advisory Council

(To be clear, there was also a Monroe Park Advisory Council in the nineties which was started to address a request to remove many of the trees in Monroe Park according to member Napi Ippolito. The master plan they adopted was never really considered viable by the city at the time and consequently never “got legs” as the current one has).

The year is 2002. I was serving as president of the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) in its second year of existence. We had worked with the City in rezoning Oregon Hill to R7 that year which prevented proposed apartment complexes from being built on the Hill. The neighborhood was much more in favor of single family home ownership. Oregon Hill had just lost a contentious battle with the City the previous year over rezoning the property owned by Dominion Va Power on the river bank below Oregon Hill to build a high rise tower (which has not been built at this time). Oregon Hill had also won a battle with the City over an effort by the City to sell one of our Parks (now called Pleasants Park) to a “well known” developer as surplus. During this period, corruption was present at City Hall with two City Council members later serving prison terms. It was a different form of government in the city then, without a strong mayor but with a strong City Manager, a man named Calvin Jamison.
I’ll never forget the day two City Park employees (who are still great friends) came into my music store and asked if the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association would support a new proposed policy (initiated by City Manager Jamison) which would essentially turn Monroe Park into a parking facility for dozens of buses, cars and city trucks. My jaw dropped. I had enjoyed times in this Park since I was a 14 year old kid growing up in the west end and riding the bus downtown to events like Kool Aid Sundays and other concerts/gatherings in the Park. Springsteen played there as did Jerry Lee Lewis, Its a Beautiful Day, Cold Blood, Mercy Flight, Bill Blue Band and many many others. The parking proposal made me sick to my stomach but I said I would bring it up to OHNA. The Neighborhood Association unanimously opposed it. I made plans to host a Town Hall Meeting/Presentation at St Andrew’s Church auditorium on Idlewood with the help of my neighbors. Both Maura Meinhardt and Charles Pool worked hard to help get the meeting organized and publicized.
The meeting was a success. Among those in attendance were Councilman Bill Pantele (whose district included Monroe Park), as well as future MPAC members John Peters, Turk Sties (also head of the Near West Team), Mike Rohde (husband of future MPAC member Pat Daniels) and many others. Councilman Pantele, who I cant say enough good things about, took the ball under his arm, rejected the Parking Lot scenario and in the upcoming year formed the Monroe Park Advisory Council from representatives of the surrounding communities to include Oregon Hill, Carver and the Fan District and VCU. Members were approved by City Council and meetings began sometime in late 2003 or 2004.
In 2005, both Pat Daniels and I received awards from the City. Mine was for Community Mobilization, an award I am very proud of. Pat has accomplished much as a volunteer and really deserved her award.
It took until 2008 to come up with a final master plan after a well publicized and well attended Charette. I would be lying if I said there weren’t contentious debates during the MPAC meetings but agreements were reached. The even hand which really brought the best out of the group was Park employee and group facilitator Larry Miller. Rachel Flynn of the City’s Planning Department was also a great Champion of the park as were Tyler Potterfield and the many staff members at 3 North. Consultants were hired to write down the master plan which was adopted by MPAC, the planning commission and urban design committee. Many hours of work was put in by these citizens and city employees to give Monroe Park a much needed renovation.
I am very proud of this team effort- truly a grassroots, citizen based effort to make Richmond’s Oldest Municipal Park, a Park filled with so much history, into a clean and wonderful facility, renovated with sensitivity to its Historic background. The public was always welcome at MPAC meetings as well as the Charette. Monroe Park, once renovated (new lights, redone pathways, and much much more) will be a welcoming facility for ALL Richmond residents and a shining jewel for ALL Richmonders to keep and enjoy.
Many thanks are due to all members of the Monroe Park Advisory Council and 2nd District council person Charles Samuels who are working so hard to see this great plan enacted- something which should have been done many years ago. And to Bill Pantele whose dream will soon pay dividends to the Citizens of Richmond.

Charles Todd Woodson
November 14, 2010.

First the info:

The City of Richmond has partnered with Earth Aid as part of its Green Richmond Initiative to help promote energy conservation and efficiency in our community, and to enable Richmond residents, our partners, and the community as a whole to track their energy and water usage online!

EarthAid.net/richmond is a free service that enables your household to track all of your actual electric, gas, and water utility usage in one place online, compare your usage to friends and neighbors, and find easy ways to save money. In addition, you earn Earth Aid Rewards Points based on how much energy and water you save at home—points you can redeem for discounts and offers at over 200 local, regional, and national participating businesses, including dozens right here in Richmond!

Second, the ask:

If you are an Oregon Hill resident, I invite you to join the Richmond Oregon Hill group by clicking here. Hopefully, more on this aspect later…

Third, the follow-up:

The local Sierra Club group is starting off its fall season on with meeting program entitled: Richmond Sustainability and Reducing your Utilities Usage! The meeting is on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 7 pm at the Science Museum of Virginia. As with all of its general meetings, attendance is free and the public is invited to attend.

It will feature at least two speakers:

Alicia Zatcoff is the first Sustainability Manager for the City of Richmond. In this role, she provides strategic direction, development and daily oversight of a complex, city-wide Sustainability and Energy Management Program. Zatcoff has over twelve years of local government experience in areas including municipal law, governmental process, complex real estate transactions, community development, public safety and sustainability.

Tabitha Daniel is a Marketing and Public Relations Specialist for the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities, and is excited to promote the city’s partnership with Earth Aid, a union she describes as a “win-win for everyone, especially the environment.”

From the Urban Forestry Commission:

Richmond’s Young Trees Need Help Getting Through the Summer
RICHMOND, Virginia – July 29, 2010 Urban Forestry Commission
With this summer’s heat and drought taking hold, all Richmonders could use some relief, but none so much as our newly planted street trees. Richmond’s newly-formed Urban Forestry Commission is concerned about the condition of thousands of street and park trees planted in recent years to replace trees lost during and after Hurricane Isabel. Those trees are in jeopardy because Richmond has had long periods of no significant rainfall compounded by extreme heat.
Newly planted trees are particularly vulnerable to drought stress because their root systems have not had a chance to become fully established in the landscape. “They come from a comfortable nursery environment with good soil and irrigation. Most of their roots are chopped off in preparation for transplant and the trees must re-grow those roots in the new location.” says Karen Townsend, an Urban Forestry Commission member and City resident. Many of the City’s newly planted trees may die if left alone to contend with a continuing drought.
“Regular watering will make a tremendous difference to these young trees and we are asking City residents to take on this task where ever possible,” says Townsend. “Stretch a hose or carry a couple bucketfuls of water from your house to any nearby trees.” Trees should be watered once or twice a week if there is no rainfall. Water the entire rootball with about 5-10 gallons, pouring slowly enough so as to ensure that the water soaks into the soil rather than running off.
Treegator® slow-release watering bags are zipped around the trunks of some trees. These green bags release 20 gallons of water over a 5 to 9 hour period and should be refilled at least once a week. Use either a hose or watering can to pour water in the opening under the colored tag at the top of the bag. With the bag 1⁄4 full, lift up gently on the top handles to properly position the bottom of the bag over the rootball, and then fill to capacity.
Planting and caring for young trees is an investment that pays great dividends in the future. Richmond’s street trees make the City not only beautiful, but also more livable. As Townsend points out, “Given the option of two park benches on a 90-degree summer day…one in the open sun and one under the canopy of a mature tree…there no question where I’d be.”

Contacts:
Tarisa Moran, Secretary to the Urban Forestry Commission 804-646-6308 tarisa.moran at richmondgov.com
Karen Townsend, Urban Forestry Commission Member Telephone: 804-357-4292 ktownsend at enrichmond.org