New Bus Shelter On W. Cary Street
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“Gates Of Gratitude” on Tuesday
From FaceBook announcement:
Join us on Tuesday, November 25, anytime between 3:00-6:30 pm in front of Pine Street Baptist Church. Tie a colored ribbon to our gate for something you are grateful for. Enjoy hot cider and cookies. Receive individual communion if you desire. We will also receive donations of men’s socks and underwear for our clothing ministry for the unhoused.
Trail Volunteer Work Day Tomorrow
2nd Draft Of ‘Code Refresh’ Ignores Neighborhood Input
Yesterday the City government released the latest drafts for its zoning ordinance rewrite project.
The Draft 2 zoning map now has 7 properties south of Green Alley changed from RA-A to RM-A zoning (6 dwelling units per building 40′ height, 70% lot coverage).
These properties now targeted with RM-A zoning are:
123 S. Pine
125 S. Pine
516 S. Pine
200 S. Linden (Grace Arents Housing)
202 S. Linden (Grace Arents Housing)
314 S. Cherry
316 S. Cherry
(314 and 316 were built in 1860, according to Zillow, and are now owned as a duplex)
407 S. Cherry has been changed from RA-A to RM-C
The athletic field of St Andrews is now proposed with MX-5 zoning with 75′ height limit.
The Draft 2 zoning map now proposes zoning for the properties north of Green Alley on the 100 blocks of Pine, Laurel and Cherry zoned RM-A.
Draft 2 zoning map now changed the St. Andrews Church and Pine Street Baptist Church zoning from RA-A to MX-3 zoning.
The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) voted that all of these properties should be zoned RA-A
In addition, some properties on the 600, 700 and 800 blocks of W. Cary Street are now proposed with MX-5 zoning and some with MX-3.
OHNA voted that all of the properties on these blocks of W. Cary should be zoned MX-3.
General office and retail are still shown as permitted uses by right under the RA-A and higher zoning.
It’s discouraging, but not surprising that the City’s ‘Code Refresh’ push continues to toss aside neighborhood input. After all, it already has a reputation as a scam for developers’ profits and very little to do with ‘affordable housing’.
City government and local corporate media go on and on about the need for Richmond to update its zoning, which they say has not been updated since the 1970’s, refusing to acknowledge that Oregon Hill was properly and appropriately rezoned for R-7 in 2002, not the seventies. It’s dishonest.
Bill Draper’s Aurora Borealis
Overlook neighbor and photographer extraordinaire Bill Draper took this great shot of Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) Over Oregon Hill, Richmond, Virginia, 10:10 PM Tuesday, November 11
Trash/Recycling Pickup This Week
Tomorrow is a “Red Wednesday”, which means trash and recycling pickup.
However, the City trash pickup may be delayed a day (maybe Thursday?) due to the Veterans Day holiday.
Please go over what can be recycled.
NOTE: CVWMA (Central Virginia Waste Management Authority) has announced that all curbside recycling must now be INSIDE the CVWMA containers with lid closed. Items beside the container or on top of it will not be collected. In fact, incorrect setouts may not be collected at all. This is new as of July 1 for all our curbside recyclers, with the exception of townhomes/condos still using small bins. (And yes, this also applies to flattened cardboard boxes.)
Ideally, rolling recycling containers are stored and deployed in the back alleys along with trash cans. Please make sure you pick up containers after pickup tomorrow night. More CVWMA information can be found at this link:
https://cvwma.com/cvwma-locations/richmond/
In order to take your recycling to the next level, read this: 10 ways to improve your recycling.
In recycling news…America Recycles Day 2025 is November 15th- from CVWMA:
America Recycles Day November 15 is a day to celebrate recycling’s impact on the environment, our communities and the economy. We have a lot to celebrate here in Central Virginia! Since 1990, the region’s residents have recycled more than 3 million tons with CVWMA!
♻️ Request a free poster to help your household recycle right: https://cvwma.com/cvwma-education/america-recycles-day/
Also, scientists at Beijing University of Chemical Technology announced that they have developed a framework that uses machine learning to identify enzymes capable of breaking down thermoset polyurethanes (PU). This may offer a pathway toward developing new techniques for recycling packaging materials.
5th District “Town Hall” Meeting This Thursday
Richmond City Councilmember Stephanie Lynch will be hosting a ‘Town Hall’ meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13 from 6 pm to 7:35 pm at Richmond High School for the Arts PTSA, 4314 Crutchfield St.
From announcement:
We are excited to be hosting a 5th District Town Hall at Richmond High School for the Arts on Thursday, November 13 at 6pm. Please enter the auditorium on the Crutchfield side.
Draft Agenda:
• Disposable Plastic Bag Tax – Tara Worden (tentative)
• DPW Update, Kenny Horak
Hull Street Project
Midlothian Turnpike improvements
James River Branch rails to trails
• Q&A
We look forward to seeing you there!
Next ‘Community Craft Night’ Planned For November 20th
November 20, 6pm – Pine Street Baptist Church
Bring your craft and your conversation! Enter from Albemarle St.
Update On Holly Street Playground Renovation
The last Oregon Hill neighborhood Association meeting included an informal report from the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities
– Holly Street Playground Updates (Provided by Ryan Rinn)
• Work has started on the restroom upgrades which will include:
◦ Resizing the doors to be ADA Accessible
◦ A new roof
◦ New fixtures
◦ New automatic locking doors that will be set to open at sunrise and lock at sunset (if anyone wants to see the mechanism they can check out the new modular restroom facility in Bryan Park by the playground there)
◦ New paint
◦ ADA access ramp into facility
• We are awaiting guidance from DPU regarding some stormwater upgrades they have planned for the site before we plan other major improvements to the park. We should know by the end of October what their work schedule will be and what impacts it will have on the park, and planned park upgrades
• We have received permission to move a playground we had slated for another site, and issued a purchase order for, to Holly Street. I will be working with the representative from Kompan to provide some options for the community to review based on the approved conceptual plans.
◦ I do not yet have full details on what this means, except that the $400K budget will go further to implement additional community priorities beyond the playground features. I will be able to provide a full update in November.
69th Annual Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony
This Tuesday is Veteran’s Day, which was originally established as Armistice Day, in 1918, the day that marked the end of “The War To End All Wars”.
Armistice Day was considered a global day of peace, that lead to the creation of The League of Nations in 1920, the predecessor to the United Nations.
The holiday was renamed Veterans Day in the United States in 1954.
The Virginia War Memorial will be holding its annual Veterans Day ceremony this Tuesday at 3pm:
From the website announcement:
Join us for the 69th Annual Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial, honoring Virginia’s men and women who have served and who are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces.
There will be guest speakers, patriotic music and recognition of the winners of the Virginia War Memorial’s Veterans Day Student Essay Contest.
The ceremony will be held in the Virginia War Memorial’s E. Bruce Heilman Amphitheater, rain or shine.