Category Archives: parks

Sierra Club Asks For Monroe Park Pledge

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The Sierra Club Falls of the James Executive Committee sent this public request today (Disclosure: I am a member of the SCFOJ Executive Committee and actually wrote the following):

The Sierra Club Falls of the James Executive Committee, recognizing VCU’s representation on the Monroe Park Conservancy board, respectfully asks for a public pledge to keep, at the very least, the same amount of mature trees and natural shade canopy as what is currently in Monroe Park. Given some past Monroe Park proposals, we believe this public pledge is necessary. We also request a careful inventory of the current mature trees, and ask to be notified before any are removed. While it is understandable that dead and dying trees may need removal and replacement, it is vital that Richmond retain valuable urban green resources. City trees, and groups of trees, are extremely important to offsetting downtown’s heat island effect, creating a habitat for birds, supplying a calming presence on human beings, and offsetting climate change caused by global warming.

We also note that Monroe Park has been a historic place of public gathering and political protest, and we request that the Monroe Park Conservancy continue to allow these important civic activities. The ACLU of Virginia recently sent a letter that raises questions on these points in regard to the City’s Monroe Park lease.

Lastly, it is also worth noting City Councilperson Parker Agelasto’s resolution, adopted by City Council, to work with the Conservancy to expand the board, and consider requesting an increase in the membership of the board to include a.) the Director of the city Parks Dept.; b.) a representative from the city’s Urban Forestry Division; c.) a representative of the Falls of the James Sierra Club; d.) representatives of the neighborhoods near the park that rely on the park as a fundamental community resource.

Another Community Movie On Sunday…

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From a neighbor:

Richmond Cohousing is sponsoring a documentary film in Pleasants Park at the corner of Laurel and Albemarle behind the Pine Street Baptist Church. If it rains the Pine Street Baptists have kindly offered us the use of their facilities.

“Within Reach ” is about sustainable communities. A couple take a tour across United States by bike to visit a wide variety of different types of green communities looking for their forever home.

More info and a trailer can be found here:

http://www.withinreachmovie.com/

It starts at dark (8 ish) but feel free to come anytime after 7pm to set up your blankets, lawn chairs, and grab some free popcorn and lemonade.

VCU Sign Saga Continues

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The Times Dispatch this morning has an article on the continuing controversy regarding VCU’s billboard signs. Here is an excerpt:

In another skirmish dealing with Monroe Park, a Richmond official has proposed revoking Virginia Commonwealth University’s permission to put up directional signs near the city-owned park that abuts the VCU campus.

Two signs, one at North Belvidere and West Main streets and another near the intersection of North Laurel Street and South Cathedral Place on the western side of the park, would have to be removed under legislation introduced by City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto, 5th District.

The sign on Laurel is affixed to a traffic pole, while the one on Main is freestanding on the sidewalk. Agelasto took more issue with the latter, saying the sign measures 4½ by 9 feet and creates visibility issues.

“I’m concerned about the traffic accident counts increasing as a result of a large, overly sized wayfinding sign at an intersection that was already having significant accidents,” Agelasto said.

A City Council committee voted Monday to ask Agelasto to withdraw the proposal until the city has had more time to analyze traffic data to determine if Agelasto is correct that the signs pose a hazard. Both the city traffic engineer and a VCU official disagreed with the notion that the signs are creating problems.

However, last night neighbor Todd Woodson reported that “due to interference from Graziano and Baliles, the bill on revoking the permission to put the signs up has been stricken.”

Monroe Park Controversy At Special Land Use Committee Meeting Today

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There is a special meeting of the City’s Land Use Committee today.

Wed, April 9, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
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The Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee will conduct a special meeting to consider bids received regarding Ord. No. 2014-10.

NOTE: No public hearing will be held at this meeting as it was held at the 3/24/14 Richmond City Council meeting that was held at 6:00 p.m.

Bob Powell’s Richmond Examiner outlines some of the issues in the controversy. Here is an excerpt from his article:

It also goes to a fundamental question of society. To what extent should a private company be allowed to run a public trust ?

Advocates for the Homeless say the Charter Park concept is just a way to remove the Homeless from the park. Monroe Park is home to several feeding programs run by churches and the secular activist Food Not Bombs.

Activists and civil libertarians feel that a Charter Park will usurp the legal rights of dissident groups who often use the park for rallies,demonstrations and marches.

The right of center Richmond Times Dispatch editorial page has opined that the Charter Park machinations by the Mayor lacked transparency.

There is one bit of agreement among all parties . Monroe Park needs repairs and upgrades to its infrastructure. Maintence people complain that pipes and other lines underneath the ground are a nightmare in need of modernization. Trees need to be trimmed, grass grown, old greenery put out. New tech toys like WiFi need to be introduced.

In 2010, plans were introduced to shut down the park for repairs. A fence was to be built around the park to keep people out. Homeless advocates , in March of 2011, moved into the park as a protest against shutting down homeless feeding programs. The occupation ended with 9 arrests.

In October of 2011, Occupy Richmond was thwarted by the police from taking over Monroe Park.

From 2011 until December of 2013, a period of two years, there was no money in the City coffers to afford a $6 million do over for the newly created Charter Park. The fence nor the improvements happened.Suddenly, the Mayor comes up with $3million while Alice Massie promises $3million in nine months from corporate donors.

The Monroe Park fight is not the first in a series of fights over public spaces in Richmond. The Washington Redskins, second richest pro football team, was handed a sweetheart deal for public land space last summer. There is a controversy over development in Shockoe Bottom over a minor league baseball system.

The Charter Park controversy is not new to Richmond. Municipalities all over the country have wrestled with the private corporate influnce over open space.

Skipping April Fools Day This Year

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While we have had some fun for past years’ April Fools Days, I am skipping this year. Its not the first time I have skipped, but this year in particular my heart is just not in it. For one thing, I am not sure if I could come up with anything as outrageous as what is really happening right now-

Venture Richmond is getting ready to alter and diminish one of Richmond’s most historic features, the James River and Kanawah Canal, designed and presided over by George Washington, for an unneeded amphitheater. Besides putting future restoration at risk, ‘Vulture Richmond’ is doing this by breaking promises to go through the Section 106 review process. This is after a historic wall was illegally demolished on property leased to Venture Richmond.

Board members of Venture Richmond are also behind the Monroe Park Conservancy, a mysterious and dastardly plan to privatize Monroe Park (for VCU). The City government is backing this plot, saying it does not have enough money to renovate and maintain the City’s oldest public park as a public park, despite dedicating millions of dollars to establishing a training field for a professional football team, that is owned by a millionaire. The local anarchists are doing a better job of defending the public interest than City government.

‘Vulture Richmond” is also behind an even bigger plot to force the construction of a minor league baseball stadium in historic Shockoe Bottom neighborhood, despite passionate, now international, public protest. This is the third or fourth time that this scheme has been tried, and one of the principles behind it is a developer who was convicted and went to jail for his part in a City Council bribery scheme. Again, it looks like promised historic preservation oversight is being finessed despite public promises.

The mainstream media has sometimes joined the fun of reporting April Fools Day stories. Maybe this year they can try reporting on the reality of these truly outrageous happenings.