Top Ten Issues For The Neighborhood

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Its been a little over two months since the “Mayor’s Walkthrough”. During that event, I handed each member of City staff and the Mayor a sheet of paper with a list of what I considered the top ten issues for Oregon Hill, in order of priority and importance. I should emphasize that this list represents my personal opinion, though I did present and discuss it at last month’s Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting.

1. Signed, binding agreement that VCU will not encroach into Oregon Hill any further. Note: OHNA has voted for this.

2. Extend urban business district zoning on W.Cary to Belvidere. Note: OHNA has voted for this. Community Development has worked on this.

3. Keep R7 zoning except where urban business (old storefronts) makes sense.

4. Where is the new canal bridge? Note: OHNA raised almost half a million in grant money for greenway.

5. Traffic circle/roundabout on Idlewood off of 195 exit that allows commuters coming off 195 to go west in addition to east on Idlewood, also adding an egress from Oregon Hill to the west on Idlewood (making the street two way again). Note: OHNA has voted for this. VCU said they would support, with financial help. Randolph and other groups attended planning meetings.

6. Noise ordinance needed.

7. Brick sidewalk repairs (Notice how this area, which is in Oregon Hill, is marked as VCU!)

8. Empty tree wells need filling

9. public trash/recycling cans needed on corners- the Fan has them, why not Oregon Hill?

10. Look at 4 way stop signs for some intersections to slow down commuters speeding on Laurel, trying to beat Belvidere lights.

Again, this list is not exhaustive. There are other issues that compete for the top slots. You will notice that I did not mention some of the more controversial ideas of parking permits/tags or going for City Historic District status (Oregon Hill already has federal/state recognition).

You will also note that none of my priorities target any particular residence or deal with property code violations. Although I understand the fear that my lobbying here brings in the CIty inspectors, I refute any insinuation that it is my intention, and I share the concern that officious action may be in retribution for publicizing issues). Please feel free to list some of your ideas in the comments below.

In the next few weeks I will be focusing on each of these issues more and hopefully have news of progress. THE top issue, a permanent land use written accord with VCU, may get an update as soon as this next week since VCU President Michael Rao has asked for neighborhood leaders to come to a “Monroe Park Campus Advisory Council” (not to be confused with MPAC, Monroe Park Advisory Council) meeting this Tuesday. I know OHNA leaders plan to attend.

Pescados China Street with SCAN on Monday

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From the event’s FaceBook page:

Stop by Pescados China Street after 5pm on June 20, 2011 and help us celebrate SCAN’s work to protect area children! 15% of all dinner and drink purchases will be donated to SCAN to help continue our vital child abuse prevention and treatment services in Richmond. Pescados China Street is located at 626 China Street, Richmond, VA.

Billboard Battle Continues

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RichmondBizSense.com has an article on the decade-long struggle with Lamar Advertising, the national billboard corporation. Excerpt:

Lamar, a Louisiana-based outdoor advertising company, filed suit against Richmond to stop the city from trying to force the removal of the billboard it operates downtown on Mayo Island.
The case argues that removal of the sign cannot be enforced regardless of whether or not it conforms to zoning regulations, thanks to a law passed in 2008.
That law prevents localities from forcing the removal of a structure or building if the property owner has paid taxes on it for more than 15 years.

The billboard is visible from Oregon Hill. I remember publicly speaking on this issue over ten years ago at City Council as an eyesore for the James River. Here is an excerpt from an earlier article on the controversy:

In addition to the Mayo’s Island billboard, which was built out of compliance with city zoning regulations in 1977 and has been ruled illegal a number of times, the company also plans to continue negotiations related to eight other billboards that for various legal reasons remain items of dispute with the city.

Any debate over the Mayo’s Island sign is moot to Leighton Powell, executive director of Scenic Virginia. He says Lamar’s use of it as a bargaining chip in its negotiations over the other signs is a sign of bad faith.

“Here’s an update: The billboard — it’s still up, and it’s still illegal,” says Powell, who has a not-so-subtle suggestion: “The city should consider going after all of the illegal profits of that [Mayo’s Island] billboard dating back to 1977.”

Question for readers: If you put up an illegal commercial billboard on your own property, how long do you think the City would take before forcing you to remove it?

Lost Camera at Squirrels Game

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Yeah, I am not sure what exactly this has to with neighborhood either, but I did get a request to post this:

LOST: NIKON D40 Camera with 35mm lens attached. Camera has an orange and black woven “hippie” style neck strap. Camera was taken from section 103 of the Squirrels game at the Diamond on the night of 6/15, at the very end of the game. Please contact info at Craigslist link: http://richmond.craigslist.org/laf/2443344165.html
THANKS!!!

4th District MPACT meeting reminder

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From announcement:

4th Precinct Residents and Neighborhood Leaders-
Thank you so much for your support of MPACT over the last 6 months at 4th Precinct Headquarters. As of June, we will be combining our meeting dates and location with the 4th Precinct CAPS team to strengthen our attendance and the participation in both MPACT and CAPS.

Our June meeting will be Thursday, June 16th at Linwood Holton Elementary, 1600 W. Laburnum Avenue, in the school’s media center.
The CAPS meeting starts at 6PM and MPACT will begin once CAPS ends, or approximately 7PM.

The agenda for the MPACT meeting will include an overview of the Highland Park Quality of Life Plan by VCU Metropolitan Urban and Regional Planning students and a discussion of how such plans can be supported by the neighboring communities and possibly replicated in other communities. We will also review MPACT high priority concerns.

I hope that you can be a part of this discussion and consider attending both the CAPS and MPACT meeting. I look forward to seeing you on Thursday, June 16th.

Many thanks,
Emily

Emily E. Griffey
MPACT Coordinator
City of Richmond
phone- (804) 646-7527
cell- (804) 229-0393
emily.griffey@richmondgov.com

City’s DPU Completes Sewer Work Ahead of Schedule

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From City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities press release:

The sewer main repair taking place where Belvidere Street, Cumberland and Canal intersect has been completed as of today, June 13, 2011, four days ahead of schedule. See attached updated release for details.

From June 3:
DPU TRAFFIC ALERT – Belvidere and Canal Streets

RICHMOND, VA—Beginning Monday, June 6 through Tuesday, June 17, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. the sewer maintenance division of the city of Richmond Department of Public Utilities will be repairing a sewer manhole and adjacent piping where Belvidere Street, Canal Street and Cumberland Street intersect to repair a sewer manhole and adjacent piping.

During the repair work, no more than one lane, at any given time, will be closed. At least one travel lane will stay open at all times in any direction. The work zone will be well marked and traffic will be directed around the work zone. Minimal traffic disruption is expected. Motorists are asked to proceed with care around the work zone.

Byrd House Market News This Week

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Remember Byrd House Market on Tuesday behind the William Byrd Community House.
From announcement:

GREAT NEWS for SNAP customers
As of this Tuesday, customers using SNAP EBT cards will be able to shop at our farmers market. BHM is one of more than 30 markets statewide that will begin accepting EBT cards this month thanks to a federal grant providing funding for the programs’s first year. This is part of the effort to ensure that fresh, wholesome food choices are available to EVERYONE in our community. Thanks to the ongoing economic crisis, more and more Richmond area families are utilitizing this resource to help them supplement their food budgets. Please share this information with your social and professional networks.

This week our vendors are featuring an abundance of produce that boggles the palate, including something for (just about) every Food Dogma you can fathom: Check out 2011 Vendors list for details.

CSL #11: Arabic Cuisine
Saturday, June 18 – Raidah Hudson will share three dishes from her family cupboard for this month’s Cooking as a 2nd Language class. Palestinian in origin but familiar to anyone who has enjoyed Lebanese or Jordanian food, ALL the dishes also happen to be vegan: Mujadarah (lentils and rice cooked in aromatic spices with caramelized onions) and I ask you, is there anything more delicious than carmelized onions???; Fatoush (arab salad with pita bread croutons, mint and sumac spice) oh, YUMM; Baba Ganoush (eggplant dip two ways, with tomatoes and parsley and one with tahini) ok Ok OK already, I’ll sign up!. Register today at EatGoodGrowGreat.blogspot.com (scroll down to registration form).

Field trip to the White House
24 WBCH kids will visit the White House on Tuesday and share their growing knowledge of growing. Along with 6 adults from the agency, our Early Childhood and After School programs kids will spend the day touring the White House and its Kitchen Garden and then enjoy a bus tour of significant sites throughout the city. Maybe they’ll meet the First Lady? Maybe they’ll see the First Daughters? Perhaps the President? One thing we do know, like the group pictured above, they’ll have their own gardening lessons to share and do themselves proud, so join me in wishing them a great trip!

And remember, there’s no shade like Mulberry Tree shade… see you at the market!

Byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com

Cockatiel Found On Holly Street

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From Craigslist ad:

Hi! I found a cockatiel this morning over at Holly Street park in Oregon Hill. I brought him/her to Richmond Animal Control at 1600 Chamberlayne, the number is 804-646-5573. I hope that this lil birdy is reunited with his owners soon!!

From Wikipedia:

The Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), also known as the Quarrion and the Weiro, is the smallest cockatoo endemic to Australia. They are prized as a household pet and companion parrot throughout the world and are relatively easy to breed. As a caged bird, cockatiels are second in popularity only to the Budgerigar.[2]
…
Cockatiels are native to the outback regions of inland Australia, and favour the Australian wetlands, scrublands, and bush lands.