Category Archives: Virginia War Memorial

City Council Matters

Posted on by
1

From Councilperson Agelasto’s FaceBook page:

City Council will meet on Monday, September 8, at 6:00 pm. The agenda can be found on the City Clerk’s website. Please be mindful that any ordinance or resolution could be continued during the docket review at City Council’s informal meeting at 4:00 pm.
The agenda currently includes 47 items, many of which are of interest to the public and have received significant media attention. These include:
Ordinance No. 2014-94 – Special Use Permit for The Camel at 1619/1621 W. Broad Street.
Ordinance No. 2014-121 – Special Use Permit for a historic property located at 1650 Overbrook Road. An application for historic tax credits is currently under review by the Department of Historic Resources as there is information that may prohibit the project from proceeding as submitted.
Ordinance No. 2014-125 – To appropriate new revenue to the city as a result of expiring rehabilitation tax abatement to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund up to $1,000,000 annually.
Ordinance No. 2014-152 – To establish the MetroCare Water Assistance and Conservation Program to provide financial assistance to certain qualified customers for plumbing repairs and the replacement of water-inefficient appliances.
Ordinance No. 2014-153 – Special Use Permit for the Leigh Street Armory (122 W. Leigh Street) to be used as a museum for the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.
Ordinance No. 2014-155 – To received funds in the amount of $417,418 from VDOT to pay for the construction of the Floyd Avenue Bike Boulevard. This is the primary vote that City Council will take to approve or deny this project.
Resolution No. 2014-R157 – To assess exist policies and budget resources to support anti-litter initiatives and to establish a campaign to be called “Keep RVA Beautiful” that could be supported regionally.
Resolution No. 2014-R158 – To develop a Rental Inspection Program and submit proposals to City Council for further consideration. [This resolution simply seeks more information on specifics for a program that could be implemented in Richmond. Details such as budget implications, possible footprint of districts, rollout of communication to property owners are all necessary. We are looking at making the development of the proposal an inclusive process. We are not seeking to rush this. We are waiting for Code Enforcement staff to inform City Council of a reasonable timeline for developing the program details and guidelines and will amend the resolution as necessary. This will likely result in a continuation of the resolution until the October meeting of City Council.]
Resolution No. 2014-R161 – To approve a budget for the Economic Development Authority. [Not sure what the funds will be used for as there has been no presentation to City Council on this request. I will ask that it be sent to Committee for further review.]
Ordinance No. 2014-71 and No. 2014-78 – Special Use Permit for 2801 E. Main Street (aka Pear Street). The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported this morning that Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille does not support the current proposal. This may or may not be voted on by City Council.
Ordinance No. 2014-148 – To reinstate the Career Development program for Fire and Police and to amend the budget to equal the number of pay periods each department will receive.

Also, notice was recently sent out about City Council’s planned retreat. From press release:

On Monday, September 29, 2014, Richmond City Council will hold its annual planning meeting/retreat, beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the Virginia War Memorial, 621 South Belvidere Street, Richmond, Virginia. The morning session will include a bus tour of Richmond Voter Districts.

While many citizens will remain focused on the hot button issues (the Camel’s SUP, Pear St., Shockoe stadium proposal), there are other ones worth following also…

In regard to Ordinance No. 2014-152, Better Government Richmond has some questions (Ed.’s disclosure: I serve on BGR’s board and have helped lead earlier utility reform efforts).

Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony On Monday

Posted on by
1

From the Virginia War Memorial website:

Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony* 5/26/2014 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Co-hosted with the American Legion 11th District – Virginia’s official commemoration of the national holiday to honor and remember valiant men and women who gave their lives in service to America will be held in the Heilman Amphitheater (rain or shine). This is an inspirational tribute dedicated to the proposition that Freedom is Never Free and includes a guest speaker, patriotic music, wreath laying and the playing of TAPS. Extended open hours.
Virginia War Memorial

mainphoto

Va. War Memorial Honors African-American Veterans Tonight

Posted on by
Reply

The Virginia War Memorial will be holding a program this evening to commemorate Black History Month and honor the contributions of African Americans in the U.S. Armed Services. It will include a reception and presentation of the motion picture, Veterans of Color. It will include a tribute to the late Admiral Gravely, a Richmond native and the first African American to command a U.S. Navy ship. For more information, please click here to see a press release by the Virginia War Memorial.

City Schedules Three Land Use Meetings on Same Day (TOMORROW!)

Posted on by
1

With a nod to the City Hall Review:

City of Richmond
January 21, 2014
1:30pm – Planning Commission Meeting
3:00pm – Land Use Standing Committee Meeting
7:00pm – Richmond Riverfront Plan Projects Public Forum

Also, from Fans of Monroe Park Facebook Page:

On Tuesday, January 21, 2014, Alice Massie, president of the Monroe Park Conservancy, will make a presentation to Richmond’s Land Use Committee at 3PM. This is the first step in turning the park over to this private entity. There is a public comment period. This will take place at city Hall, 2nd floor council chambers.

Click here for previous post on Monroe Park privatization.

Also note how the Riverfront Plan Public Forum will happen AFTER Venture Richmond’s Tredegar Green amphitheater plan goes to the Planning Commission.

Virginia War Memorial Expanding Again

Posted on by
Reply

The Times Dispatch has an article this morning on plans to expand the Virginia War Memorial.

Excerpts:

The Virginia War Memorial is planning an estimated $17 million expansion to honor Virginia’s service members who have died in the global war on terrorism.
Plans for the new wing also call for building a 350-seat auditorium, a roughly 200-space parking deck, a new exhibit gallery and a classroom for long-distance learning.

—

Though the state-funded expansion’s details are not fully determined, officials hope to break ground on the project by the end of summer and complete it in 2015, said Jon Hatfield, the memorial’s executive director.

“Day of Infamy”, Also Don’t Forget the Christmas Parade On Broad Street

Posted on by
Reply

Tomorrow the Virginia War Memorial will hold a Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony.

From the Times Dispatch:

The event from 11 a.m. until noon Saturday will honor Virginians and all U.S. military who were killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941.
The ceremony is sponsored by the Richmond Council of the Navy League of the United States. The Richmond chapter’s president, Milton Owen, will speak.
The program will include laying of memorial wreaths and special tributes to Pearl Harbor survivors who’ve been invited to attend.

From Wikipedia:

The attack on Pearl Harbor[nb 4] was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The attack led to the United States’ entry into World War II.

The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. There were simultaneous Japanese attacks on the U.S.-held Philippines and on the British Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
…
There were numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action by Japan. However, the lack of any formal warning, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy”.

Also, don’t forget the Christmas Parade On Broad Street tomorrow.

Missing Person Sought

Posted on by
Reply

From RPD press release:

Nov. 26, 2013

Missing Person Sought

The Richmond Police Department needs the public’s help to locate a man with a medical condition who has gone missing.

Samuel P. Hoyt, 46, was last seen Friday morning, Nov. 22, at the Virginia War Memorial, 621 S. Belvidere St. He left all of his personal property at the memorial and has not been seen or heard from by family members since that time.

Anyone who has any information about Hoyt’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Rashaan Wigfall at 646-6769 or Crime Stoppers at 780-1000. Citizens may also text Crime Stoppers at 274637, using the key word “ITip” followed by your tip. Both Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.

image002

Another Riverfront Plan? This Wednesday At The Va. War Memorial…

Posted on by
Reply

From Church Hill People’s News:

The Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (VA ASLA) will hold a public input meeting for the James River Corridor Viewshed study within the City of Richmond.

The viewshed study is being conducted by the VA ASLA in association with the national organization of the American Society of Landscape Architects as a community service project which each state chapter is conducting or has conducted within the year 2013.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday November 20, 2013 at the Virginia War Memorial Building at 621 S. Belvidere Street, Richmond 23220. The meeting will be between 6-8PM in the Freedom Hall room.

Anyone with an interest in James River Corridor is welcome to participate.

Contact VA ASLA at (804) 523-2901 or marykidd@vaasla.org with any any questions.