Category Archives: construction

Questions Concerning The Future of “Tredegar Green”

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With it almost being time for the wonderful Richmond Folk Festival, there is more attention on Venture Richmond’s “Tredegar Green”. Here are a few of the questions that Oregon Hill residents have about it:

What happened to the emergency? Venture Richmond repeatedly told the media that they had to have the amphitheater built this summer or the Folk Festival would not happen. They said that nearby property owner New Market would not allow them to use some of the site land that they had in the past due to development plans, so they had to have the amphitheater site and no other alternative sites would work. Why were alternatives like Brown’s Island and beneath the historic James River and Kanawha Canal ignored? What are those development plans for the site area that they supposedly had to vacate?

What about the issues of the lease of the City property and the fact that Venture Richmond attempted to get a tax exemption on this land during the moratorium on tax exemption by designation?

Its been almost two years since a historically significant wall was systematically torn down (despite what the contractor Liesfeld has said about it just falling down, there were witnesses who saw the deconstruction). When will the illegally demolished historic wall be replaced, as was repeatedly promised? Were all of the torn down wall’s bricks accounted for (There were pallets of brick on the berm on Venture Richmond’s property. They had to have been moved when Venture Richmond worked on the berm)? Will the public ever be allowed to see the work contract and other agreements concerning the land where this public resource was illegally demolished (The plans approved by the City government showed the wall to be removed only on Venture Richmond’s property)?

Will there be a state historic marker for the James River and Kanawha Canal west of Tredegar Iron Works?

City staff told the Urban Design Committee and the City Planning Commission that they didn’t need to consider any damage to the James River and Kanawha Canal because Venture Richmond promised a thorough Section 106 review by the Va. Dept of Historic Resources and the Corps of Engineers. But Venture Richmond withdrew from the Section 106 review the day after receiving final city approval. How can Venture Richmond be trusted after the destruction of the canal without the promised Section 106 oversight?

There are rumors that the area closer to 5th Street and the Tredegar Iron Works site will be developed soon. There are still remains of the historic James River & Kanawha Canal there as well (Venture Richmond used part of them for a bicycle ramp as part of this past Dominion Riverrock festival). What are those development plans? Will there be any efforts to preserve the historic canal site there? The parcel is privately owned, but the Canal is a publicly registered historic site.

With Venture Richmond having altered and destroyed part of the historic James River & Kanawha Canal at one of it’s previously best preserved portions, will the Canal be structurally sound in the future?

When will the historic James River & Kanawha Canal be rewatered and more properly preserved? -as per 1988 City of Richmond Canal Restoration plans, despite the recent destruction of one of the previously best preserved portions of the canal? What is the City government doing to follow its own planning?

Upon the future restoration of the James River & Kanawha Canal, where will the planned canal boats turn around, now that Venture Richmond has taken and altered much of the crucial turning basin land as well as altered and diminished a crucial part of the canal’s foundation?

Venture Richmond received the City government’s approval to build the amphitheater in conjunction with a City ordinance that authorizes “temporary events”. Jack Berry of Venture Richmond told the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association that “we would probably be open to the idea of renting it.” which is not the same story that was told to the Planning Commission. Now that the amphitheater is built, Jack Berry is planning to have the amphitheater rezoned to allow for much more use. Is this a technique that other developers will copy? How and will rezoning plans for this area be publicly shared and debated? How will the public have a voice on this matter?

How will the new amphitheater effect programming at other public venues? How about the Dogwood Dell amphitheater? Given the number of performing arts venues that already exist and are being built, how many performing arts venues can Richmond support, both in terms of audiences and finances? How can they be coordinated to prevent interference and harm?

There is speculation that the planned reopening of a concert area on Mayo Island was basically not allowed by City government, in part because it would compete with this new amphitheater. Is there any truth to that speculation?

Oregon Hill neighborhood leaders have recently been working with the Richmond police to ensure that there is adequate parking enforcement and traffic control for public safety. As this amphitheater is used more, will Venture Richmond compensate the City and neighborhood for the additional parking and traffic pressure and needed resources?

In a similar vein, riverfront events have caused increasing pressure on public trash receptacles and outright littering. When will the riverfront and nearby neighborhoods receive better public trash and recycling infrastructure? Will there be recycling and composting at the new amphitheater?

Oregon Hill residents have had to complain to the police about multiple loud noise disturbances from concerts at Brown’s Island with varying levels of response. The Oregon Hill neighborhood has been very tolerant of the Folk Festival weekend over the years. The amphitheater is aimed at the Va. War Memorial, a place of quiet contemplation. Is Jack Berry’s desire to have more events at Tredegar Green consistent with the Commonwealth’s obligations to respect the Va. War Memorial? The City’s Zoning Administrator determined that the “temporary event” ordinance did not exempt the owner from complying with the noise ordinance. What recourse will Oregon Hill residents have with future loud noise disturbances from concerts at this new, much closer concert site? How will this noise effect wildlife on our riverfront? Will Venture Richmond be held accountable? Perhaps more importantly, how will the City address this and the noise ordinance in general?

There were repeated requests from the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association and the Overlook Condo Association for Venture Richmond to agree to curfews and some restrictions on the new amphitheater operations in the interest of giving Venture Richmond a chance to forge a better relationship with the neighborhood. OHNA received no response. The Overlook Condo Association received a cursory, noncommittal response. If Venture Richmond is a ‘public-private partnership’, why does it treat the public with such disrespect?

What are future plans for this riverfront area? There are plans to build a connection from the current pedestrian bridge over the canal to the Belle Island pedestrian bridge. Will citizens continue to have direct public pedestrian access to Tredegar Street and the river from Oregon Hill, as they have had for generations, in addition to this new connection? This goes directly back to the City’s Master Plan, which cost a lot of taxpayers’ time and money, and done with much input from citizens. Again, what is the City government doing to follow its own planning? Why is the City’s Riverfront Plan being used to ‘water down’ the tenets of the City’s Master Plan? What is being done to preserve and protect remaining public resources from increasing privatization of the riverfront?

Building Permit for 612 Holly Street

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From the City website:

Permit #B14092203 Details
Permit Type: Building
Permit Status: Pending
Applied For: 9/22/2014
Issued:
Applicant: Ted Grivetti
Parcel Owner: Powers Emory W
Permit Address: 612 Holly St
Richmond, VA 23220
Map Ref. Number: W0000139032 [Parcel Details]
Type Of Work: New Building
Cost Of Work: $142,195.00
Plans Reviewed?: Yes
Code Reviewed Under:
Year of Code:
Modifications Granted: N/A
Project Number:
Completed:
Expires:
Business Trade Name:
Contractor: Awp Asset Management Ltd Co.
Contractor Address: 8414 Bagette Rd
Richmond, VA 23235
Contractor License: BLD 2705097823
Contractor Phone: (804) 402-5773
Construction Type:
Proposed Building Use: R5C – Single Family Detached Un
Certificate of Occupancy: Not Determined Until Issued
Level of Renovation:
Sprinklered: N/A
Modifications:
Proposed Work: Construct 2 Story Single Family Dwelling. Soil Report Forthcoming.

Here is a screen shot of 612 Holly from the City’s online property mapping:

612 Holly

Click here to see previous post on this part of Holly Street.

Tredegar Plans To Add New Building

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From the Times Dispatch article:

The new American Civil War Museum will create a contemporary L-shaped building in the courtyard at Historic Tredegar to unite the site and the Civil War experience.
Renderings for the stone and brick building were released Monday by the museum, which unites the Museum of the Confederacy and the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar.
The new building will wrap around the Foundry building, home to the American Civil War Center, and replace a much smaller brick-and-glass entry. The current exhibit in that building, “In the Cause of Liberty,” will close after Thanksgiving. In the new setup, the Foundry building will become a multipurpose space for conferences or events.
The main entrance of the new building will face the plaza and be at a right angle to the entrance of the Pattern Building, where the Richmond National Battlefield Park visitor center is located. The visitor center will remain open throughout the construction.

Iconically Wrong

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On the City Council agenda for July 14th is a proposed 16 story tower on Pear Street proposed by felon Louis Salomonsky and his business partners. The city’s Master Plan, developed with thousands of volunteer hours, insists that the city’s views be protected, and certainly a 16 story tower would block the view of the river from Church Hill.

The Historic Richmond Foundation sent a disturbing letter suggesting that an “iconic” building is needed at that location.

Well, here is the type of “iconic” building at 709 W. Cary that Salomonsky and his business partners threw up in the Oregon Hill Historic District.

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Is Venture Richmond Above The Law?

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Do the City’s rules and regulations do not apply equally to everyone? If the Mayor happens to be the president of your organization, as is the case with Venture Richmond, do the City’s regulations apply equally?

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As of Monday, July 7th, why is there no permit on the city’s web site shown for Venture Richmond’s ongoing amphitheater work on the City-owned property leased by Venture Richmond (the area above the canal)? While it appears that no permit was requested or issued for the City parcel, a City employee indicated that the City parcel work was included in the permit that was issued. But is this correct procedure?

city property W0000051010 at Tredegar Green

In October 2012, the century-old Tredegar wall was illegally demolished on this same City property leased by Venture Richmond. Last week, silt fencing to stop erosion was not installed on the Venture Richmond property until after the public complained. As a result, dirt and debris was pushed into the wetlands.

Venture Richmond repeatedly promised a thorough Section 106 historic review of the impact that the amphitheater would have on the historic James River and Kanawha Canal, but the day after receiving final City Planning Commission approval, Venture Richmond broke this promise and withdrew from the Section 106 review.

Let’s hope that the public remembers Venture Richmond’s broken promises when the Shockoe stadium again rears its ugly head!

Venture Richmond Destroys George Washington’s Historic James River and Kanawha Canal

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Despite community and preservationists concerns, and with Friday Cheers over for the season, it looks like Venture Richmond has started on the unneeded amphitheater project, doing irreparable damage to this incredibly important historic resource. Alternatives, such as putting Venture Richmond’s largest stage on Brown’s Island, already leased to Venture Richmond, were ignored. There is a large “thumb” bucket backhoe on the canal berm knocking down trees and scouring the dirt. Trucks are dumping fill dirt below the canal berm. And, still no word on replacing the illegally demolished wall.

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OHNA Letter On Proposed Cherry Street Zoning Variance

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From email to the City’s Board of Zoning Appeals:

Dear Board Members,

At the June 24, 2014 meeting of the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA), the neighborhood voted unanimously to oppose the application for zoning variance for the proposed new house at 423 S. Cherry Street (BZA Case No. 15-14).

The minimum side yard setback of three feet as required by Section 114-413.6 of the city zoning ordinance for the neighborhood’s R-7 zoning is not met. We note that, although it may be a lot of record, the 423 S. Cherry Street lot size of 1,161 sq. feet is less than a third of the minimum lot size of 3,600 sq. feet that is required by Section 114-413.5 of the zoning ordinance.

The proposed developer of 423 S. Cherry Street cannot show a hardship because he does not own the property. Also, the proposed developer stated, at a meeting with the neighborhood association to present his plans, that it would be possible to build an eleven-foot wide house meeting the setback requirements of the city zoning code. The owner of the property cannot show a hardship because he purchased the lot in 2003 without any improvements and with full knowledge of the lot’s limitations. The owner purchased this lot along with many other lots for $414,500 from the owner of Victory Rug. The current owner is an experienced developer and has advertised this lot for sale on Zillow as a lot that “does not meet city size requirements for a home.”

The lack of the required three foot minimum side setback would cause a hardship for the owners of the homes on the 800 block of Spring Street. These property owners purchased their homes with the understanding that the city’s zoning ordinance would be enforced and that a house would not be built within inches of their rear property line. It is worth noting that a total of four properties on the 800 block of Spring Street are under a preservation easement in perpetuity through the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Two of these properties protected by a preservation easement would be affected by the building of a new house at 423 S. Cherry Street.

A new house built within inches of the rear property line of the four houses on Spring Street would potentially cause serious drainage and fire access issues. There is no rear alley access to the property at 423 S. Cherry Street, and without a side setback there would be no access to the rear of the houses on the 800 block of Spring Street. The 1905 Sanborn Insurance map shows a house that previously existed at 423 S. Cherry Street with a side setback of several feet between the former house and the rear lot line of the houses on the 800 block of Spring Street.

The initial design for the proposed house at 423 S. Cherry Street that the neighborhood association received is not sensitive to the design features found in the Oregon Hill Historic District, which is listed on the state and national registers. The one centrally located window upstairs does not correspond with the two-bay design of the door and window apertures of the downstairs of the house. The materials shown in the plans of the house, such as the asphalt shingles on the front porch roof, are not what we would expect to find in an historically sensitive architectural plan. We would encourage the potential developer of this property to reconsider his proposed design.

The developer, at the time of his presentation to the neighborhood association, had not considered where the supercans would be stored if the house is built. It appears that the house at 423 S. Cherry Street and the four houses on Spring Street that back up to this property would have to permanently keep the unsightly supercans in front of each dwelling.

In summary, please deny approval of BZA Case No. 15-14. We do not believe that the owners who have restored their homes should be forced to experience a hardship in order that the developer can build a house without the required setbacks.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Hancock, President
Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA)
June 25, 2014

The Board of Zoning Appeals is meeting July 2nd at 1 pm.

Riverfront Railroad History

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Andrew McRoberts has written an interesting article in Richmond.com on the “Reasons Richmond Should Love the CSX Railroad Viaduct”.

Excerpts:

The C&O (now CSX) Viaduct is enormously long (about three miles in length). It starts beneath the Robert E. Lee Bridge near Oregon Hill Overlook, and stretches all the way to Nicholson Street and the former Fulton Yard (across Route 5 from Rockett’s Landing in far eastern city of Richmond). It allows a nearly at-grade (level) train crossing of downtown Richmond along the James River and the Great Shiplock for much of its length.

…

In 2014, the viaduct is celebrating 113 years in its existence. And, as you know if you ever visit the riverfront downtown, the viaduct is still in active use by CSX Corporation

Like much of Phil Riggan’s articles in Richmond.com on the James River, this deserves reading.

I can’t help but wonder if this is a bit of public relations on CSX’s part, given recent concerns stemming from the Lynchburg explosion.

But, getting back to the history…The C&O Railroad Viaduct is a treasure, and Richmond residents should be aware of other important railroad history that is now threatened within sight of the Viaduct. A remnant of the Tredegar Branch railroad connecting the iron works on Belle Isle with Tredegar is slated to be destroyed by Venture Richmond for yet another amphitheater. These tracks sit on the towpath of the historic James River and Kanawha Canal. Venture Richmond’s plan is to lower the towpath below the historical level of water in the canal and in the process of irreparably damaging the canal, the old railroad line will also be scrapped. Alternatives, such as putting Venture Richmond’s largest stage on Brown’s Island, already leased to Venture Richmond, were ignored. It is unbelieveable that Venture Richmond is destroying the Tredegar Branch railroad remnant that is within the Tredegar Historic Site.

HI Richmond Hostel Starts Demo/Construction Monday

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Many Oregon Hill neighbors have been interested in the new hostel project happening nearby in downtown next to the Main library. From HI Richmond Hostel’s FaceBook page:

We are beyond excited to announce the START OF CONSTRUCTION on our beautiful building on 2nd Street here in RVA. Demolition of the interior starts early next week! Stay tuned for updates and photos!

Hostel Construction