Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association Meets Tuesday

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From email announcement:

September OHNA Meeting:
Will be held on Sept 22 at 7pm, on Zoom.
Agenda and August minutes attached; see below.

September OHNA Calendar:
Check the OHNA calendar on OHNArva.org for more events and information!
EVERY SATURDAY, 9AM: Community garden hang – Linear Park 614 Holly Street
SEPT 25, FRI 7:30PM MOVIE NIGHTS W/ PINE STREET BAPTIST CHURCH
OCT 3, SAT 10am FOOHP Pleasants park cleanup
OCT 6, TUE 7:30 PM OHNA BYLAWS COMMITTEE MEETING (VIRTUAL)
OCT 9, FRI 7:30PM MOVIE NIGHTS W/ PINE STREET BAPTIST CHURCH

October: ____________________________
Fall festival and Hallowe’en events:
Fall festival: October 17, Pleasants Park.

NOVEMBER : ________________

OHNA Elections:
Run for (OHNA) Office!
OHNA holds its officer elections each November. Any OHNA resident or member can serve as an OHNA officer or committee chair. Get involved! Express interest in serving here: https://tinyurl.com/cnj2p7r4
An ad hoc Elections Committee will review expressions of interest, matching candidates to interests, skills, and available positions.
Learn more: OHNArva@gmail.com.

Oregon Hill Street Tree Planting Blitz
Thursday 11/5 9:00am – Dominion workday
Friday – 11/6 9:00am – Alliance for Chesapeake Bay lead
Saturday – 11/7 9:00am – Community day
Come for as many of the three days as you can, or just one! We’ll be planting trees each day. Meeting place is 9am at Pleasants Park, and all help is welcome. If you are able to help earlier than 9am, please sign up here for a few special tasks https://volunteersignup.org/Y9XFA

Other News & Events: _________
RVA Utility Billing Problems:
DPU has hired additional local staff to respond to ongoing problems with utilities billing since the system was updated. Learn more: https://rva.gov/public-utilities/accountupdate
Call or email DPU staff here: (804) 646-4646, dpucustserv@rva.gov

Tuesday, September 22 at 6:00 p.m.
Code Refresh 4th/5th District Joint Meeting
Lucille Brown Middle School
An opportunity to dig into how Draft 3 of the Code Refresh proposal will impact the 4th and 5th districts with Councilmember Stephanie Lynch and Councilmember Sarah Abubaker
Additional links and RSVP information:
RSVP and Submit Questions in Advance
Code Refresh Website
PDF Draft Three of Code Refresh
Interactive Draft Three Zoning District Map

Saturday, September 26, 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM.
¡Virginia Fiesta! 5th annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Free, family-friendly event with live music, cultural dance, interactive workshops, and authentic cuisine at the Southside Community Center, 6255 Old Warwick Road. https://www.facebook.com/share/1BycXfXqNZ/
Thursday, October 15, 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
RVA Schools Modernization Plan Meeting
District 5 Meeting (at Richmond High School for the Arts)
5th District City Budget Priority Form
Councilmember Lynch has posted a form to collect top priorities for the 5th District and for the City in the City’s FY28 Budget (July 1, 2027-June 30, 2028). The FY28 Budget will be delivered in March 2027 but budget planning starts early. You can review previous budgets HERE.

VCU Mary & Frances Youth Center on Linden St
–Pickleball Open Play Sessions–all skill levels are welcome.
Equipment is available on-site. Saturdays & Sundays: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
–After School Program for kids: applications are being accepted.
For more info, email Verenda Cobbs at s2vkcobb@vcu.edu.

OHNA Monthly Meeting Agenda: Sept 22 2026
Join Zoom Meeting (Editor’s note: contact OHNA directly for Zoom link)
Welcome
Approval of Minutes: Scott Racette
Community and local Officials Updates: Councilmember Stephanie Lynch; Verenda Cobbs, VCU; Ashley Graves (VCU PD); Kelyn Gibson, Commonwealth Attorney’s Office; Johnny McRoy, RVAPD
Committee reports: Zoning, Parks, Events, Traffic and Safety, Bylaws, Amphitheater, Treasurer
Announcements: Upcoming committee meetings and events; October Parks events; November officer elections; November tree planting
Zoning Committee Presentation: How does Code Refresh Draft 3 impact Oregon Hill?
Continued Business:
New Business: SUP Application, 313 S Pine St; Overlook Gazebo

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Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association
Valerie L’Herrou, President
John Bolecek, Treasurer
Amanda Bradley, Co-Vice-President
Bryan Clark Green, Co-Vice President
Jennifer Hancock, Co-Vice President
Susan Hill, Co-Vice President
Scott Racette, Secretary

JOIN OHNA: https://forms.gle/joCpHqcPrShu8qf86
For events and more: https://ohnarva.org/

A Plea To Local Non-Profits: Ditch CodeRefresh Before It Is Too Late!

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On the eve of ‘Richmond Habitat’s Framing the Future Gala’ at the Altria Theater this Saturday evening (sponsored by Co-star of course), I would like to make this direct plea to its board and the boards of other local non-profits: Ditch the City Code ReFresh plan before it is too late!

Code Refresh is a scam for developers that is being forced on Richmond citizens. It will not help affordable housing, it will raise taxes and displace more poorer, long term residents. We have already seen CodeReFresh backtrack on some of its promises for affordable housing- trust me, in the end, the planners will backtrack more to gain favor with their developer buddies.

Furthermore, if it is rammed through City Council, despite almost 70 percent of Richmond’s citizens being against it, it could spell the end for Oregon Hill and other City neighborhoods.

Oregon Hill, which historically became one of Richmond’s most dense neighborhoods, has fought hard for decades for historical preservation and its environment, despite continued pressure and encroachment. Notably, it has also embraced truly affordable housing decades ago and still provides ‘starter homes’ for young families. Don’t ruin it by giving developers (and, behind the scenes, VCU), free rein.

Also to the local Sierra Club: Code ReFresh will incentivize more demolition and take away green space, creating real environmental disasters. If you think storm water runoff is a problem now, wait until Oregon Hill plots are zoned with only a 5% vegetative space requirement. Expect more highly questionable excuses to bring down more mature trees. It’s truly a ‘taxes up, trees down’ situation that deserves rebuke, not coddling.

There are alternatives to this that need to come forward, free of corporate developers’ ambitions. Send a strong message that supports affordable housing that does NOT give into CodeRefresh’s bad planning and allow it to use your good name, with your hard work, in support of such disaster.

Community Craft Night Thursday

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Pine Street Baptist Church is hosting ‘Community Craft and Pizza Night’ tomorrow, Thursday, night from 6 pm to 8:30 pm.

From FaceBook event page:
“Join us for another Oregon Community Craft Night at Pine Street. Enjoy your craft and your neighbors’ crafts, good conversation, and a slice of pizza. All ages welcome.”

(Editor’s note: I would have loaded the flyer for this post, but I am having technical difficulties)

Trash/Recycling Pickup Tomorrow Morning

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Tomorrow is a “Red Wednesday”, which means trash and recycling pickup.

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, scientists at Virginia Tech say they have created a way to convert waste PVC, a notoriously stubborn plastic to process, into a high-performance lubricant oil. Common PVC items such as pipes, old credit cards, and worn-out toys might one day have a use beyond the landfill.

Throwback Thursday: Belvidere And Subsequent Lots

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Again, from former Pine Street neighbor Tom Elliott…a close look at the old Belvidere plantation and how it was subdivided…

(Editor’s note: for more on the history of the Byrd family and Belvidere, please follow this link and read a piece by Harry Kollatz, Jr. in Richmond Magazine- https://richmondmagazine.com/news/richmond-history/the-wastrel/)

1856 Ellyson map of Richmond.

The way things were are the way things are. Plan of Belvedere/Belvidere/Belvidera sales before the house burned on February 5, 1854. A bit sad to think this once beautiful 17 acre estate surrounded by a serpentine brick “fence” was divided into small building lots while still standing. But….guess we see it every day now so not much different. Per details included with the plat shown. Lots (Red Dots)1-6, 21-24, and 56 & 57 sold on Oct ? 1852. Lots (Light Blue Dots) 38-41 sold on March 28, 1853. Lots (Green Dots) 68-75 sold on Aug 25 ?. 31 lots (Purple Dots) on Laurel Street sold on Nov. 9, 1853. Belvidere was located within the red rectangle. The four arrows mark the corners of the brick wall that surrounded the property. Credit: Virginia Historical Society, Library of Virginia.

1817 plat showing very early subdivision of larger 4 acres parcels near Belvedere. “The black dotted lines represent the brick fence”. The house is shown, the James river would be at the top of the plat.

1851-52 plat updated in 1870’s

Belvidere mansion/house was located within the red rectangle. The 4 arrows mark corners of the brick wall that surrounded the 17 acres. the house burned on February 5, 1854

Daily Dispatch 10-16-1852. See the red dots on the first plat map.

Daily Dispatch 11-9-1853. See the purple dots on the first plat map