“Pledge Key”by CreditDebitPro is licensed under CC BY 2.0

In response to an earlier post, City Council candidates Mamie Taylor, Stephanie Lynch, Thad Williamson, and Nick Da Silva submitted written pledges to defend the neighborhood. Candidates Jer’Mykeal McCoy, Robin Mines, and Chuck Richardson did not submit anything to my knowledge. The submitted pledges can be read below, in the order that they were received.

Note that neither candidate for State Senate, Ghazala Hashmi or incumbent Glen Sturtevant have submitted written pledges. Given the close race, it’s surprising that neither of them submitted a written pledge, though both of their campaigns were contacted about the post.

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From City Council candidate Mamie Taylor:

“Greetings Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association.

Official Pledge:

I, Mamie Taylor, do hereby pledge to defend the Oregon Hill neighborhood from more VCU disrespect and encroachment, to recognize the demands already made to Richmond 300 and the City of Richmond’s Planning Commission, and to do everything in my power to get VCU to make a written Memorandum of Understanding (MOU or commitment) to Oregon Hill; including, but not limited to requesting a meeting with VCU Board of Visitors.”

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From City Council candidate Stephanie Lynch:

“I absolutely pledge to defend the Oregon Hill Community from inappropriate encroachment from surrounding entities like VCU. One of my top priorities will be to work with Oregon Hill residents and the administration at VCU to enter into a longer term agreement regarding future development that is respectful of the needs and wishes of Oregon Hill residents. As a two time VCU grad, I understand all that VCU brings to the Richmond Community, but I also have close ties to Oregon Hill and I recognize that VCU could be a better neighbor to the Oregon Hill neighborhood and its residents. I think it’s imperative that before we approve future expansion plans from VCU, we work with them to enter into MOUs with surrounding communities like Oregon Hill. I additionally support the requests laid out in the OHNA’s written submissions to the Planning Commission and the RVA 300 planning committee. I’m looking forward to working with everyone in Oregon Hill to make sure that the neighborhood is protected and kept intact, housing needs are met, and the neighborhood character is preserved.”

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From City Council candidate Thad Williamson:

“Pledge
I am a candidate to represent the 5th District on Richmond City Council. I pledge to do everything in my power to get VCU to agree to a written MOU to Oregon Hill to assure no further encroachment of VCU into the neighborhood as well as to assure VCU treats this historic neighborhood with the respect it deserves. I also pledge to support assuring the final version of the Richmond 300 plan designates Oregon Hill as a single-family (medium density) housing zone apart from a commercial corridor designation on Cary Street, as well as other specific recommendations made by OHNA in correspondence with Richmond 300 and the Planning Commission. This includes steps up to requesting a meeting with the VCU Board of Visitors.

Additional Thoughts
I strongly believe that the City of Richmond should negotiate a comprehensive MOU across a range of issues with Virginia Commonwealth University. The growth of the City and of the university means we must move far beyond the days in which the City regularly deferred to VCU’s plans and wishes. Future growth and development must be carefully planned so as to protect historic neighborhoods, and numerous current issues need to be addressed. VCU property is non-taxable; in lieu of taxes, it should commit to a comprehensive agreement with the City of Richmond covering limits on future development, student behavior in residential neighborhoods, as well as providing pipelines to employment at VCU and VCU Health Systems for Richmond residents.
This approach focuses first on building a reciprocal partnership between the City of Richmond and VCU. But as in any bargaining situation, leverage must be brought to be bear to get the parties to the table and to commit to fair negotiations. This implies a threefold strategy: first, a majority of City Council and the Mayor must be unified in making a clear demand on VCU; second, the City should work with allies in state government to apply pressure to VCU to cooperate; and third, neighborhood organizations such as OHNA must reserve and periodically use the right to engage in direct pressure and direct action to protect threatened neighborhood interests.
A comprehensive agreement between the City and VCU covering a wide range of issues is a reasonable medium-term goal. But short-term steps should be taken as well. I believe as a general matter political strategy should proceed from the “olive branch” stage—simple steps such as inviting VCU’s president, cabinet, and board members to take walking tours of Oregon Hill—to the adversarial stage step-by-step, as needed. As a process this generally looks like a) approaching the other party in good faith b) give them an opportunity to meet a clear request c) should they refuse or fail to deliver the goods, document this carefully and register appropriate petition or complaint; d) inform the public of this inaction and build greater public support and pressure for action; e) escalate tactics and demands over time.
If elected as 5th District Council representative, I will want to learn more in chapter-and-verse detail about the complete history of past interactions between Oregon Hill and VCU so I can understand fully what has been tried, before committing to specific tactical ideas on how to move forward. Has VCU leadership been invited to a community meeting with OHNA residents to hear grievances or have open dialogue, and if so how recently? What efforts have already been made to educate VCU students living in the neighborhood on proper behavior living in an urban neighborhood?
I also will work to build a broader coalition within City Council in support of both neighborhood-specific issues and getting VCU to commit to non-encroachment MOU and a comprehensive agreement between the City and VCU as described above. One Council member in one district is not sufficient leverage to contain an institutions as powerful as VCU. That’s why a strategy of broadening the agenda for engaging with VCU could build a broader base of support than a strategy focused only on one neighborhood.
I recognize I have much to learn about the nuances and details of the dynamics between Oregon Hill and VCU. But I regard the demands laid out in the pledge as reasonable, and believe we need to protect, preserve and improve our historic neighborhoods. Oregon Hill should be regarded as a treasure and a model urban, walkable residential environment, not terrain for the expansion of VCU or of downtown.”

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From City Council candidate Nick Da Silva:

“Dear Residents of Oregon Hill,

As a recent Virginia Commonwealth University graduate, I am no stranger to standing up to the VCU administration and their expansionist agenda. I have protested, lobbied, and organized against VCU policies to protect students from tuition hikes, to stop the use of furniture produced by slave labor in state prisons, and to amplify the voices of those impacted by VCU’s actions.

Oregon Hill, like the adjacent communities to VCU’s Monroe Campus, is in the sights of the University. Capital gain has long been the primary motive of the school’s board, not students or faculty. On and off City Council I will continue to be a voice and a vote against VCU expansion and the seizing of communities through gentrifying developers.

Unlike other candidates in this race, I am not taking money from private developers– the same developers who have worked to gentrify and redevelop Carytown and The Fan. I stand in solidarity with the working class of Oregon Hill in pushing back against efforts to capture the neighborhood for shareholders and corporations.

We support and will fight alongside the residents of Oregon Hill in demanding a Memorandum of Understanding with the neighborhood limiting expansion. Additionally, I will support changes to the Richmond 300 plan to retain the character of the Oregon Hill neighborhood. I will work to preserve the skyline of the neighborhood while fighting to bring relief for working-class residents against private developers looking to gentrify the area.

On City Council, I will work to limit VCU’s land seizures. All property owned by the University hurts both the community, as residents are displaced, and the city, as land cannot be taxed since it’s now a state asset.

Fighting for us,

Nicholas Da Silva”

If you are a candidate for political office (state or City), please submit via official campaign email to info@oregonhill.net a pledge to defend the neighborhood from more VCU disrespect and encroachment, to recognize the demands already made to Richmond300 and the City of Richmond’s Planning Commission, and to do everything in your power to get VCU to make a written Memorandum of Understanding (aka MOU or commitment) to Oregon Hill, including but not limited to requesting a meeting with VCU Board of Visitors.

Extra credit: Submit your own ideas on how to defend Oregon Hill from VCU hegemony. Feel free to be creative.

These assignment will be accepted up to October 15. Late work will NOT be accepted. Grades will NOT be on a sliding scale.

By October 16, neighbors will know who NOT to vote for. We are looking for candidates who we CAN vote for.

Last night’s 5th District candidate forum was fairly bland, with some candidate style revealed, but very little substance. The moderator reminded everyone that it was a forum and not a debate at the beginning of the affair, and while that may have helped civility, it did not do much for discussion.

Part of the problem seemed to be rather nebulous questions about ‘engagement’, Councilperson Agelasto’s controversial move and subsequent resignation, environmental protections for the James River Park, and helping small businesses. For the most part, specifics were lacking. And while the candidates gamely did try to give some different answers and stand out from each other, they were not exactly inspirational either. Their answers tended to be very conventional, at best, vague, at worst. ‘Supporting better transportation’ seemed to be the fall back position for many of them. Surprisingly, when it came to small businesses, no one tackled excessive taxes or fees. Lots of talk on ‘finding money’ in budgets, but very little on how to raise it other than going to the General Assembly.

As the evening went on, some candidates seemed to recognize that their comments on parking and the City’s permit office were not making up anyone’s mind and tried to interject other topics- Williamson brought up VCU encroachment in relation to Oregon Hill, Taylor briefly mentioned Monroe Park’s loss of trees, Richardson focused on the heart wrenching effects of drug addiction, and towards the end, many of the candidates tried to drum up some real passion for fixing Richmond public schools. But it was interesting that no one mentioned the Put Schools First movement by name, or would touch on the corporate welfare boondoggles that have historically taken so much money and attention from the schools. The coliseum scheme, the biggest story in Richmond politics right now, came up, but seemed to be just mostly hovering in the background.

In contrast, the Richmond Crusade for Voters forum on Tuesday sounds like it was a much livelier and informative event. George Copeland Jr. covered it in this week’s Richmond Free Press:

Whether because of the nature of the topics selected for the forum or the solutions raised by the candidates, the impact of the special election was frequently brought into focus.

Most notably, when asked how they’d vote on the $1.5 billion proposal to replace the Richmond Coliseum and develop parts of Downtown, five of the seven candidates said they would vote against approving it.

Mr. Richardson and Mr. Williamson were the exceptions, opting to not giving definitive answers because of what they said is a lack of information about the proposal.

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While the forum drew a modest turnout of around 80 people, it also featured a number of former and potential elected officials, including former 5th District Councilman E. Martin Jewell; former Delegate Joseph “Joe” Morrissey, who is running for state Senate in November; Viola Baskerville, who formerly served on City Council, in the House of Delegates and as state secretary of administration; and Sheila Bynum-Coleman of Chesterfield, a candidate for the House of Delegates.

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When candidates were asked if they would run again in 2020 when the term of office ends, Mr. Richardson was the only one to say he wouldn’t…

Hopefully, there will be more chances in the near future to question candidates and get more detailed, insightful answers before the election.

Remember what’s been written previously about “Richmond leadership that has been hostile to public demands”.

Yesterday, at his press conference on his proposed 1.5 (was previously 1.4) billion dollar coliseum scheme, Mayor Stoney was asked by a reporter about the ‘Put Children Before Costly Coliseum’ referendum, which over 15,000 City of Richmond voters have signed. His response was curt and dismissive:
“The project’s moving forward either way. I don’t have time to worry about political stunts.”

Its very clear that the Mayor and other leaders who ran and were elected on ‘Education’ platforms now champion the Tom Farrell/VCU coliseum plan IN SPITE OF the Put Schools First movement. They don’t care what citizens think. They don’t care about public ownership. They certainly don’t care about public schools. They just want their coliseum, period. And they are willing to skirt the law and use ‘fait accompli’ tricks to do it. This is straight from former VCU President Trani’s playbook.

Richmond’s citizens should be asking themselves and others how much public money and attention have already been wasted on just ‘the planning’ around the coliseum scheme? How many times have Richmond leaders broken promises surrounding these giant projects? Richmond citizens have heard the same sales pitch for years and years on project after project- they have all resulted over and over again in deferred maintenance for PUBLIC schools and parks while PRIVATE corporate welfare projects abscond with the taxpayers’ money. We now have the Put Schools First movement, which says enough is enough, invest in schools first, yet Richmond leaders dismiss it and continue to jam the same sales pitch down our throats.

This is the ugly, top-down, oppressive, corporatist culture of Richmond politics. It is anathema to true progress. Many Richmond residents keep hoping that new arrivals from other locales will recognize it and work to change it, instead of being indifferent and then eventually leaving. Citizens should unite in condemning this Mayor’s statement and actions.