Category Archives: parks

Instead of Another Monroe Park Question, Another Controversy

Posted on by
5

From Oregon Hill resident Todd Woodson:

In 2008 a Monroe Park Master Plan was adopted by the City to make much needed improvements to the City’s oldest Park. Among the many improvements are to restore the dilapidated concrete sidewalks on its perimeter from cracked and perished concrete slab to brick pavers with substantial green growing strips to plant new street trees. The benefits are many- brick pavers are porous so runoff wont be sent into the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the planting strips promote healthier street trees, repairs can be made in small areas should anything happen and they are historic and look great.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see a big part of the sidewalk on Laurel street across from the Landmark Theatre pulled up yesterday for renovation. Upon speaking with the contractor and a city worker, my worst fears were realized: VCU had requested the sidewalks be replaced as they were dangerous to their students and the City, in its haste to obey, contracted the entire sidewalk- from Franklin to Main, to be demolished and replaced with- no not brick pavers and trees as the Master Plan dictates, but concrete slabs- which would be ripped up for the correct fix in the next few years. Surely the sidewalks need replacing but they haven’t changed in the last 25+ years, so what’s with the haste?
One should ask “Was VCU NOT aware of the Monroe Park master plan before their request?”. The answer is not only is VCU aware of it, but they participated in its creation.
I measured the area today and it is 860 feet long by 15 feet wide comprising a square footage of 12,900. At an estimated $5 a square foot to pour the concrete, the bill for this two year fix is $64,500.00 and with the second demolition, this boondoggle could swell to well over 100 grand. That’s YOUR taxpayer dollars wasted, Richmond friends.
Hoping to stem off this waste, I contacted the interim Director of Public Works, the auditor Umesh Dalal and many other denizens of the city payroll a day before the pouring and advised them of the conflict. Still, the trucks showed up today and a section of the sidewalk was poured and screed- INCONSISTENT to the Master Plan. I think most of City Hall has gone home for the holiday, leaving their mistakes to burn us in their absence.
I respectfully request that the City of Richmond and its contractors, cease all non conforming repair work on Monroe Park sidewalks and deliberate once you return to work and proceed with fixing the sidewalks RIGHT the FIRST TIME and stop WASTING our money. You are aware of the Master Plan.

Another Monroe Park Question

Posted on by
36

Well, I hoping to get a short and decisive answer to a ‘quick’ question about Monroe Park controversy, but then this is Richmond…The answer, judging from the overall comments (which I have since closed), is that Food Not Bombs will be allowed to serve in Monroe Park after renovations are done. Keep in mind that Michael Paul Williams raised the specter of a negative possibility in his newspaper column before the question was posed here. If anyone has new facts to share on the answer to that question, please do send them in.

Now, for a second question. Again, there are a lot of important questions in regard to this controversy, but the idea is to be objective and get to the facts.

Does Monroe Park have to be fully closed during all renovations?

Just a little background- Monroe Park Advisory Council (MPAC) has said that they invited Food Not Bombs to meetings on the renovations, but they did not take part. The City of Richmond says that Monroe Park must be fully closed while it is undergoing renovations due to logistics and expenses.

Food Not Bombs has demanded that at least two acres of the Park remain open during renovations in order to continue serving food there.

Quick Monroe Park Question

Posted on by

Unfortunately, the controversy over the Monroe Park renovations and the feeding programs continues to grow, with the media circling.

Here’s a simple question:

Will Food Not Bombs be allowed to serve food in Monroe Park after renovations are done?

Yes or No?

Is there a definitive, official answer?

Of course there are other important questions in regard to this, but it seems to me that this needs to be answered first by civic leadership to dispel or confirm some of the fear and distrust that surround the issue. I might add, without injecting further personal opinion, that there is a history to this that you may or may not agree with.

(Alright, a little more personal opinion: there are a few citizens on different sides of the issue, and they know who they are, who are doing what they can to keep lines of communication open and they deserve appreciation).

Holly Street Playground Meeting Next Wednesday

Posted on by
1

Culled from email announcements:

On Wednesday (not Tuesday), November 10th, the Oregon HIll Neighborhood Association‘s Holly Street Playground Committee is holding a meeting.
The time is 7 PM. The place is William Byrd Community House.

Holly Street Playground has received interest from green space advocates, skateboarders, bike polo players, and concerned parents of young children. I hope that, working together, Oregon Hill can design a multi-use, flexible space that will appeal to many different groups of users. At this meeting, I hope we can start the process. If you have ideas about the park that you would like to share, please join us.

Food Not Bombs Releases Statement on Monroe Park

Posted on by
21

The local Food Not Bombs chapter just sent this via email:

The following statement is just the first step in a campaign of resistance being coordinated by Richmond Food Not Bombs and others to resist the criminalization of homelessness and the further gentrification of an area of Richmond that is already advancing rapidly down that path. For more information about the campaign, or to get involved, email rvafoodnotbombs@gmail.com
Richmond Food Not Bombs has been sharing food in Monroe Park for over sixteen years now. We have developed many connections and friendships over the course of our existence, helped provide healthy food to many individuals who may not have had access to it otherwise, and become a staple of social activity for many people’s Sunday afternoons.

The proposed renovations to Monroe Park are an attack , a judgement on who the park should and shouldn’t be for. It is an attack on the homeless, the “homeless-appearing” (whatever that means – it’s in the Monroe Park Advisory Council’s renovation plans), and groups and individuals who don’t judge people by their social status or whether they have conventional means of acquiring shelter.

We will not stand for it.

The only change that the park really needs is for the city to do its job when it comes do doing maintenance on the bathrooms, as they are functional but one of the water pipes to the sinks has corroded away. Other improvements, such as installing permanent chess tables, or a playground area for kids would be nice, but NOT at the cost of driving out the folks who currently congregate in the park, shutting the entire park down for 18 months, or privatizing the security of the park.

Food Not Bombs will resist all attempts to shut the entire park down for any amount of time. This is a congregating place for students, families, homeless individuals, activists, folks who like to play frisbee, and various other people who currently enjoy the dynamic of the park. The ONLY people currently not represented in the day-to-day activity of the park are affluent white folks, and the proposed renovations are CLEARLY designed with ONLY them in mind.

To the end of maintaining the park as a place for people from ALL walks of life to gather, enjoy themselves, share meals, resources, and conversation we have a few very specific demands:

1) We require that a minimum of two acres be kept open and un-fenced at all times during construction. We understand the nature of construction and are ok with it not being the SAME two acres at all times, but they must be contiguous and accessible to ALL people.

2) During the construction, at any time that the bathroom facilities are not accessible/functional we require at least 4 portable toilets and two hand washing stations, as well as a source of drinking water, to be accessible to the public.

3) We require open, clear, and direct communication from the City Council, the Monroe Park Advisory Council, and any other companies, groups or organizations involved in the renovation efforts. This is to include publicly posted signs IN the park regarding renovation proposals, active dissemination of any new developments in construction, and active participation in dialogue with the current users of the park.

4) There will be no regulations at any time restricting the distribution of free food, clothing, or other resources.

5) IF a private security company is hired to do security for the park, their protocols and handbooks will be available for free on request from any member of the public, and there will be a predetermined and transparent accountability process for any instances of security officers abusing their powers or violating individuals’ rights.

We feel that these are reasonable requests, and we will NOT compromise on any of them. Public parks are for the people who use them, not “Advisory Councils” or universities who would like to see them change to better suit their vision of gentrification.
We will not tolerate further attacks on those already most oppressed by the oppressive institutions of capitalism that are behind the push to “renovate” Monroe Park, and we WILL fight back against them.

-Because food is a right, not a privilege.
Food Not Bombs