Neighbors were horrified today to see this giant excavator actually sitting in the wetlands of the canal scrapping away at the bank of the historic James River and Kanawha Canal, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also listed as a federally protected wetlands. Sadly, this is certainly not the first time something like this has happened.
In 2011, the Richmond Times Dispatch reported that NewMarket Corporation destroyed a large section of the pre-Civil War Tredegar wall while preparing for a 2nd Street Connector, only obtaining the required permit after the fact. The neighborhood has tried to stay vigilant over the years. Yet in 2014, Venture Richmond destroyed a critical part of the canal.
It appears that this work may or may not be related to repairs on the Robert E. Lee Bridge. Residents are left questioning if more damage can be prevented in the future and what steps will be taken to repair the canal bank. But between the threatening demolition on W.Cary street, the disastrous ‘renovations’ in Monroe Park, and this new Canal situation, it is understandable that Oregon Hill residents and Richmond preservationists feel under siege.
I am one of the Inspectors for the Lee Bridge Repairs. This was not in any way an attempt to destroy the canal or to bring any sort of damage to it. The contractor had to move between pier 13 and pier 14 and this was the only reasonable location to not do damage to the canal where dry enough to possibly cross. This article is very misleading. We had to put more pipe in for the Stormwater collection so we can connect into the drain pipe being installed . Corman was very careful not to try to do damage to the toe wall of the canal. And what you probably saw was the operator trying to tidy up the stone along the canal wall to represent the rest of how it was supposed to be. I also love old history stuff, and would not allow but so much to go on there. Next time get your facts straight before running to the mayors office. You stirred up a lot of trouble, when you should have asked a few questions.
Editor’s note: I was not the neighbor who contacted the Mayor’s office. Given past work done in the area, there are reasons that neighbors have concerns and that is what the article expressed. The point is not to ‘stir up trouble’ as much as it is inform and ask if proper procedures are being followed.
To quote City Engineer, M. Khara, Again, “DPW [Dept of Public Works] acknowledges the mistake by our contractor and will be glad to repair as mentioned above.”
The operator of the excavator was unaware that he was working in a federally registered wetlands within the historic canal that is listed on the National Register. He told me that he didn’t see any signs that this was a wetlands, and he justified what he was doing by saying he had seen bicycles crossing there.
The contractor decided to bulldoze through the wetlands and damage the canal wall rather than go to the small effort of loading the excavator onto a truck and approaching the site from the road on the north bank of the canal. Even after I informed the operator that he was within the canal which is a federally protected wetlands, he continued to use the huge bucket of his excavator to remove canal wall into the wetlands to make it easier to move his machinery through the historic canal and wetlands. The contractor was also unconcerned when I informed him that he was damaging the canal wall that is made of special puddled clay to form an impermeable barrier that will not leak water.
If Mr. Wallace is the Inspectors for Corman who approved his crew damaging and crossing canal and wetlands, then Mr. Wallace should be held accountable.