Category Archives: politics

Important, Nearby, Water Pollution Public Meeting This Wednesday

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From Virginia Conservation Network announcement:

You may be aware that over 10,000 miles of Virginia’s rivers and streams are considered unhealthy. Virginia is required to ensure its streams and rivers are clean, and develop a clean-up plan for waters that don’t meet those standards. Recently Virginia has developed one of these plans and will host a meeting to get your input on Wednesday, May 23rd from 2 to 4 pm in Richmond

(ed. at VCU!)

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Boards and Billboards

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Supposedly, the following ordinance will be put up for vote at the City’s Planning Commission meeting on Monday:

Ord. No. 2012-74 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To amend and reordain City Code §§ 114-402.2, concerning permitted accessory uses and structures, 114-620.5, concerning division of lots to accommodate existing dwelling units, and 114-1040.3 concerning additional exceptions granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals, for the purpose of discouraging the use of the special use permit process by expanding the special exceptions available under the zoning ordinance.
(Planning Commission, Monday, May 21, 2012, 1:30 p.m.)

One interpretation of this is that Mayor Jones has introduced the ordinance to expand the authority of the Board of Zoning Appeals. It allows for additional sign height except for billboards. Will the next step be to add billboards?

This ordinance is one that caused blogger C Wayne Taylor concern in the past. Last year the BZA decided 32 cases and only denied 3.

Anyone following the latest proceedings in the illegal Mayo Island billboard saga?

Chicken Controversy Continues

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I received this bit of political activism from Laurel Street neighbor Tommy Birchett:

Honorable Charles R. Samuels Councilman,

My name is Tommy Birchett and I spoke last night at City Council
during the public comments. I have been enrolled in courses on
backyard chickens at the William Byrd Community House. I initially
became interested in raising chickens when I was visiting a former
neighbor who moved to Charlottesville. He told me moving there allowed
him to raise chickens legally. He lives downtown near the train
station where city lots are similar in size to Richmond city lots.

The reason I’m writing to you specifically is to request your
assistance regarding some recent bad news for backyard chicken
advocates. Richard Hammack, a VCU Math professor and his family were
recently cited for keeping chickens in their backyard. They had the
chickens for a long time before a neighbor complained. He has not yet
removed them, but plans to follow the law and do so within the
allotted time frame. The underground backyard chicken movement is
growing. As Mr. Hammack says in the following article on NBC 12 news,
“There are lots of chickens throughout the city. You just don’t know
they are there.”

http://www.nbc12.com/story/17586022/neighbors-divided-over-chickens-as-pets-in-urban-areas

In light of the recent recommendations from the Mayor’s recent Food
Security Task Force I think Mr. Hammack should be allowed to keep his
chickens for now. Furthermore, I have never met or spoken to Mr.
Hammack, but I support backyard chickens and feel that it’s time for a
change and this is a good place to start.

Thank you for your time. You reply is appreciated.

As stated elsewhere, it looks like chickens will be a major upcoming political topic for City Council.

When he did attend a recent Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting, Oregon Hill’s City Councilperson, Marty Jewell, did speak favorably towards changing the code regarding chickens.

‘Watchdog’ C. Wayne Taylor Holds His Bite On 2nd Street Connector

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I have written before about how C. Wayne Taylor has taken on City Hall on the 2nd Street Connector and Special Use Permit Issues. Here’s the latest:

April 12, 2012

The Honorable City Council
City of Richmond
900 E. Broad St., Suite 200
Richmond, VA 23219 USA

Re: 2nd Street Connector Information

Dear Honorable Members of Council,

On March 15th 2012 I requested certain information from Councilor Tyler regarding the proposed 2nd Street connector. He said he would give me a response by the end of the week. On April 2nd I send an email to Councilor Tyler advising him that I had not received anything. As of this evening, I still have not received any of the information I requested.

The citizens of Richmond are being denied a meaningful voice in the political process if you do not give them the relevant information. Will you please take the appropriate action to obtain and make public the information I requested.

Sincerely yours,

C. Wayne Taylor
www.CityHallReview.com

Attachments: Copies of the emails are included below.

Links: http://cityhallreview.com/tag/2nd-street-connector/

Copy: Liaisons, Planning Commission via Secretary, Press, Interested Citizens

—– Forwarded Message —–
From: C WAYNE TAYLOR
To: Bruce Tyler
Cc: C WAYNE TAYLOR
Sent: Monday, April 2, 2012 4:41 AM
Subject: Tyler – 2nd Street Connector Information

Dear Mr. Tyler,

I have not received the information.

C. Wayne Taylor

—– Forwarded Message —–
From: “Tyler, Bruce W. – Council Member”
To: C WAYNE TAYLOR
Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2012 1:26 PM
Subject: RE: Tyler – 2nd Street Connector Information

Mr. Taylor:

I will give you a response this week.

Bruce W. Tyler

1st District Councilman
City of Richmond

City Council
900 E. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219

cell: 804.357.6007
fax: 804.343.0909

From: C WAYNE TAYLOR [mailto:cwaynetaylor@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thu 3/15/2012 4:16 PM
To: Tyler, Bruce W. – Council Member
Cc: C WAYNE TAYLOR
Subject: Tyler – 2nd Street Connector Information

March 15, 2012

VIA EMAIL TO: Bruce.Tyler@Richmondgov.com
The Honorable Bruce Tyler
City Council
City of Richmond
900 E. Broad St., Suite 200
Richmond, VA 23219 USA

Re: 2nd Street Connector Information

Dear Honorable Council Member,

The proposed 2nd Street connector would cause a major change in the character of the area. I think it is very important to fully understand the proposal and the various factors involved.

As you know, the administration has not been transparent in this matter. Economic Development even tried to charge me for copies of the documents discuss with city council.

Therefore, I request that you help insure that citizens have all the facts. Will you please provide or obtain answers to the following for the public and me:

1. Has an elevation rendering of the proposed crossing of the historic canal been presented to council?

2. Has a perspective rendering of the proposed connector been presented to council?

3. What is the acreage of the land that is proposed to be conveyed to the city west of the connector?

4. Why does the Planning Commission letter state that the area on both sides of the connector will be privately owned?

5. Why is there a proposed parcel boundary down the middle of the historic canal?

6. What is the acreage of the land that the city is providing for stormwater detention.

7. Does the stormwater detention facility essentially block access of city land to Tredegar Street?

8. Does the parking area connect to Tredegar Street or the connector?

9. How many parking spaces are gained or lost?

10. Does the city have the right to require that the connector be put on the Tredegar Ironworks parcel under alternative B-3 of the 1995 agreement?

11. Does alternative B-3 provide better topography to cross the historic canal and provide more clearance for boats.

12. Why was the connector project assigned to Development rather than Planning?

13. Has Planning been prohibited from commenting to citizens about the connector?

14. Has the planning director issued an analysis of the pros and cons of a connector?

15. Has the city traffic engineer issued a report on the connector?

16. Who prepared the traffic analysis report?

17. Has part of the traffic analysis report been redacted?

18. Is it correct that the connector is not shown on the Downtown Master Plan?

19. What elements of the connector are not consistent with the Downtown Plan and UDC Guidelines.

20. Why were the trees cut down after the Planning Commission reviewed the connector concept plan?

21. What happens if the city requires clearance over the historic canal and refuses to pay the cost?

I believe the following is correct:

22. Road construction grading will cut into the profile of the historic canal.

23. The stormwater detention facility will cut into the profile of the historic canal.

24. Water flowed in the historic canal until about 1970.

25. Slave labor was used to construct the historic canal.

26. An 1880 bridge was built over the unused canal in a traditional arched style.

27. The historic canal is on the National Register of Historic Places.

28. The top executive at Dominion Resources received total compensation of $16.9 million in 2010.

I have attached copies of the documents that the Jones Administration attempted to charge me to have.

Thank you for your attention,

C. Wayne Taylor
www.CityHallReview.com

Copy: Council, Liaisons, Press

VCU SDS: “Defend Your Right to Peaceful Assembly and Protest”

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From a statement for the VCU Students for a Democratic Society:

VCU recently proposed amendments to its student code of conduct. The proposed rules prohibit demonstrations that disrupt the normal functions of the university, but the language is so vague that, if interpreted by a trigger-happy administrator, you could be punished for non-disruptively, peacefully, and legally exercising your First Amendment right to peaceable assembly and protest.

“Demonstrations/riot – Participating in an on-campus or off-campus demonstration, riot or activity that disrupts the normal operations of the University and/or infringes on the rights of others; leading or inciting others to disrupt scheduled and/or normal activities within any campus building or area.”

VCU is not alone in this crackdown on active citizens; measures are being taken to criminalize free speech throughout the city and country.

On the 3rd of March, 30 peaceful protesters were arrested by Virginia State Police in riot gear for sitting on the steps of the Virginia Capitol building. They were demonstrating for an end to anti-choice reproductive legislation. In a further attempt to scare citizens away from expressing their First Amendment right to peaceful assembly, the female arrestees were held for nearly nine hours in a paddy wagon and prevented access to restrooms and drinking water.

In Georgia, members of the state legislature unsuccessfully attempted to restrict the right of protesters and union members with SB 469. The bill would have made it a felony to protest near a private business. Imagine being charged with a felony for simply holding a sign!

VCU’s Monroe Park is also significant. Last Spring, several activists were arrested for camping out on the corner of Main and Laurel in protest of City Council’s attempt to gentrify the park and criminalize homelessness. Later in 2011, members of Occupy Richmond were brutalized by Richmond police and denied access to Monroe Park after being forcefully removed from Kanawha Plaza, a camp that passed the City’s sanitation standards.

And so, we, the VCU chapter of Students for a Democratic Society are protesting today to publicly exercise and protect our freedom to peacefully assemble, to stand against the unjust and unprovoked attacks on civil disobedience, and to demand transparency in American society.

**This is an orderly, peaceful demonstration. We are practicing what we are trying to defend. Behavior that is harmful or disruptive to our fellow students or homeless won’t be tolerated.**

There is a Facebook page for a protest this Friday in Monroe Park at 1 pm:

https://www.facebook.com/events/429199907105958/

Citizen Watch Dog Takes On The City’s Special Use Permit (SUP) Process

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C. Wayne Taylor, who has been doing a lot of digging’ on behalf of the neighborhood, recently sent this missive:

PLANNING COMMISSION

To the Honorable Council of the City of Richmond, Virginia
April 3, 2012

At its meeting of April 2, 2012, the Planning Commission voted (7-0) to APPROVE of:

Resolution of Intent:

To Amend the Zoning Ordinance Special Exception Provisions for the Purpose of
Reducing Reliance on the Special Use Process. All Council Districts

Summary dates:
Proposed Council paper introduction: April 23, 2012
Proposed Planning Commission public hearing: May 21,2012
Proposed City Council public hearing: May 29,2012

I recommend that all of you who are interested in sound land use policies for the city make sure you understand this proposal. While the title of the resolution sounds as if the proposal would move the city toward a more rules-based system, it would actual give the Board of Zoning Appeals broader authority to waive existing zoning and subdivision rules.

You should note that the BZA members are appoint the circuit court and can only be removed by the circuit court. Decisions of the BZA are not reviewable by City Council. The only course of action to challenge a BZA waiver would be a circuit court suit.

In my view, this is a very bad proposal. Richmond City Council is the only municipality in the Commonwealth of Virginia that has been given the authority to grant a special use permit that waives zoning and subdivision rules for a property owner. Over the years, City Council has granted thousands of waivers. As a result, the city has thousands of sets of rules for properties in the city and has failed to follow sound land use planning practices. The proposed ordinance perpetuates this situation and moves the process further from the citizens.

I submit that the fair and wise course of action is to have a set of rules that apply to everyone the way it is in all other municipalities. The city should stop granting special use permits. Unfortunately, this would require a charter amendment by the General Assembly. In the meantime, we appear poised to move further away from a rule-based system.

Please make sure you understand the immediate and long-term repercussions of this proposed ordinance. If you are concerned, please forward this information to your friends.

C. Wayne Taylor

1. Planning Commission “Letters” with notice of adopted resolution.
2. Planning Commission Agenda with full text of draft ordinance.
3. Code of Virginia § 15.2-2309. Powers and duties of boards of zoning appeals.

Read more on his blog at CityHallReview.com

Happy World Water Day….and local water issues

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I hope everyone has had a nice World Water Day.

While there are a lot of international water issues, its as good as time as any to bring up water as a local issue.

So, a couple of things:

Despite all the earlier attempts to bring attention to the City of Richmond’s water rates, as far as I can tell this city still has the highest minimum residential water rate in the country.

Richmond continues its regressive water rates, offering a discount to those using vast amounts of water while maintaining the highest minimum water/sewer service charge in the country. Meanwhile, Henrico County’s minimum service charge is a third of Richmond’s while promoting conservation by offering a one-third discount in water/sewer volume charge for those using 6 ccf (hundred cubic feet) or less.

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MARCH to End Dominion’s Power MADNESS This Coming Saturday

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Given some earlier editorials, it makes sense to follow up with an announcement from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network:

On Saturday, March 24th, hundreds of Virginians will take a stand against fossil fuel corruption. Will you join us at the MARCH to End Dominion’s Power MADNESS?

For years, Dominion Virginia Power executives have been raking in millions while using their dirty energy money to buy political power. They’ve been making backroom deals to rig the rules for fossil fuels and for themselves. They generate ZERO electricity for us from wind or solar power but they’ve bamboozled our state-mandated electricity rates to include a whopping $76 million renewable energy reward.

We are outraged and Dominion needs to know it. If this is what business as usual looks like, then business as usual isn’t acceptable and has to stop before the planet cooks. It’s time for Virginians to stand up to Dominion’s exploitation and fight for a massive shift to wind and solar power.

Momentum is building for this action. Last week, leading climate activist Bill McKibben released a video urging Virginians to sign up for the MARCH. Will you join us?

When: Saturday, March 24th, noon
Where: Richmond, VA- Kanahwa Plaza across from Dominion’s corporate headquarters, which takes up an entire city block
What: A rally and march to take a stand against Dominion’s dirty energy money and for a massive shift to wind and solar power

Just last week, Dominion displayed its fossil fuel madness in a number of ways: Dominion lobbyists blocked a bill to expand solar power access for schools and churches, Dominion CEO Tom Farrell unveiled a proposal for another humongous carbon-polluting power plant and we learned that company executives sent a letter to the federal government opposing a transmission backbone for offshore wind power.

Please sign up to join us on the 24th. Together, we can fight back against Dominion’s corporate greed and take a stand to stop climate change!

Congressman Scott’s Health Care Forum On March 15

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Congressperson Bobby Scott sent notice to constituents about his upcoming health care forum:

This March marks the two year anniversary of Congress passing and the President signing into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. On Thursday, March 15, 2012 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., I will be holding a community forum in Richmond to provide an update on the implementation of the new health care reform law. The forum will be held at the General Assembly Building, Senate Room A, located at the intersection of Ninth Street and Broad Street in downtown Richmond.

Joinining me at the forum will be Ms. Joanne Grossi, the Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Ms. Jill Hanken, a health attorney at the Virginia Poverty Law Center. Director Grossi will provide information on what provisions of the Affordable Care Act have already been implemented and what the public can expect to be implemented in the next few years. Ms. Hanken will provide insight on what has been happening at the state level in regards to implementing the new health care law. We will also be joined by constituents who have already benefited from the Affordable Care Act.

Seating is limited, so those who plan to attend may want to contact his office.

In additional health care policy news, the Green Party had this press release (click on title for full statement):

The Green Party urges the Supreme Court to strike down the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance mandates, sees a chance for Medicare For All