Neighborhood Association Opposes Demolition
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Category Archives: government
OHNA Meeting Tonight
From email announcement:
Monthly Meeting Agenda
Tuesday 28 March 2023
7:00PM
This meeting will be held by Zoom, at the link below.Topic: OHNA Monthly Meeting – March
Time: Mar 28, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)(Editor’s note Remote log-in/Zoom link information redacted. Email ohnarva@gmail.com and request it.)
Welcome
• Treasurer’s ReportCommunity Updates:
1. Lt. Brian Robinson, City of Richmond Police Section Lt, 4th Precinct
2. Officer Luke Schrader, Police Liaison, VCU
3. Ms. Verenda Cobbs, VCU
4. Ms. Stephanie Lynch, 5th District Councilperson
5. Ms. Colette McEachin, Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney (Nathan Hiddle)Updates:
1. Amphitheater planned for Tredegar Green.
· It is slated to seat 5,000 people and accommodate and additional 5,000 standing, as per our meeting with the developer’s representative. No additional parking is planned.
· When the previous amphitheater plan was proposed, the neighborhood raised questions about hours of operation, noise levels, and parking, none of which were ever answered.
o The applicant has informed us that they will start meeting with interested neighbors, including OHNA.2. An SUP application has been filed with the City of Richmond for the demolition of 708 China Street, and its replacement with a building.
· The Zoning Committee met with the applicant and asked them to reconsider demolition and incorporate the historic building into their new construction.
· The applicant has declined to make revisions, and wishes to proceed with demolition and replacement. This is the application before us this evening.3. A vote is requested on the following resolution: “Resolved: that OHNA, as a matter of policy, opposes the demolitions of neighborhood buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, both those individually listed and those listed as contributing resources to the Oregon Hill Historic District.”
Continued Business
4. Traffic issues along Idlewood at Cherry and Pine Streets
· There have been several recent accidents at these two locations.
· These two intersections suffer from poor visibility and the high speed of cars exiting 195 east onto Idlewood.New Business
5. Any items?
Bryan Clark Green, President
Harrison Moenich, Co-Vice-President
Jennifer Hancock, Co-Vice-President
Mike Matthews, Secretary
John Bolecek, Treasurer
“Top Down” Planning Changes Threaten Neighborhood
From Laurel Street neighbor Charles Pool (editor’s note: posted with permission):
Hi All,
I attended the meeting at Binford last evening regarding the three proposed zoning changes, which would eliminate ANY minimum parking requirement for anything, and lower restrictions on short term rentals (like AirBNB’s) and auxillary dwellings.
Many have objected to these changes, which are “top down” from the Planning Commission and staff (rather than requested by the communities). As I pointed out in my comment, no civic association has considered what we need to improve our quality of like and decided that we need less parking and more short term rentals!
One change proposed by the Planning Director last evening was to require owner residency for short term rentals (like AirBNB’s) EXCEPT for MIXED USE zoned areas. And for those of us who have followed this closely, the Planning Commission refused to change Oregon Hill’s future land use designation from MIXED USE. The number one goal of the Richmond 300 was to change zoning to match the future land use designation, and the city has already started the wheels in motion to rezone the entire city to match the master plan.
I hope that we as a neighborhood can oppose this!
Thanks,
Charles
OHNA Meeting Tomorrow
From email announcement:
Good evening OHNA members,
I look forward to seeing everyone Tuesday at 7pm for our monthly OHNA meeting. This meeting will be hybrid: we will meet in person in the chapel of St. Andrew’s Church, and there will also be a zoom link available to access the meeting remotely, below.
Attached to this email are:
1. the agenda for our Tuesday 28 February 2023 meeting (also pasted below),
2. the 2023 schedule of OHNA meetingsWe look forward to seeing everyone Tuesday evening.
Thanks,
Bryan
Monthly Meeting Agenda
Tuesday 28 February 2023
7:00PM
This meeting will be hybrid:
we will meet in person in the chapel of St. Andrew’s Church;
the meeting will also be available by Zoom, at the link below.
Topic: OHNA Monthly Meeting – February
Time: Feb 28, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
(For Zoom and phone meeting info, contact OHNA at ohnarva@gmail.com)
Welcome
• Treasurer’s Report
Community Updates:
1. Lt. Brian Robinson, City of Richmond Police Section Lt, 4th Precinct
2. Officer Luke Schrader, Police Liaison, VCU
3. Ms. Verenda Cobbs, VCU
4. Ms. Stephanie Lynch, 5th District Councilperson
5. Ms. Colette McEachin, Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney
Updates:
1. Amphitheater planned for Tredegar Green.
· It is slated to seat 5,000 people and accommodate and additional 5,000 standing, as per our meeting with the developer’s representative. No additional parking is planned.
· When the previous amphitheater plan was proposed, the neighborhood raised questions about hours of operation, noise levels, and parking, none of which were ever answered.
o The applicant has not yet scheduled a meeting with OHNA.
2. An SUP application has been filed with the City of Richmond for the demolition of 708 China Street, and its replacement with a building.
· The Zoning Committee met with the applicant and asked them to reconsider demolition and incorporate the historic building into their new construction.
· The applicant has not yet come back to the neighborhood with a revision.
Continued Business
3. Traffic issues along Idlewood at Cherry and Pine Streets
· There have been several recent accidents at these two locations.
· These two intersections suffer from poor visibility and the high speed of cars exiting 195 east onto Idlewood.
New Business
4. Any items?
Bryan Clark Green, President
Harrison Moenich, Co-Vice-President
Jennifer Hancock, Co-Vice-President
Mike Matthews, Secretary
John Bolecek, Treasurer
Lynch’s 5th District ‘Townhall Meeting’ On Feb. 16
5th District Councilperson Stephanie Lynch has an upcoming ‘town hall meeting’ on February 16th.
From announcement:
We would love to see you for the IN PERSON 5th District Town Hall next Thursday, February 16 at the Woodland Heights Baptist Church (611 W. 31st Street).
We will focused on the upcoming budget season, your priorities, and there will be a short update on the Charter Change Commission.
We will be recording the meeting for upload after the meeting.
Co-Hosted Ranked Choice Voting Roundtable in Richmond
From announcement:
Forward Party of Virginia, UpVote Virginia, and FairVote Virginia will co-host a Ranked Choice Voting Roundtable in Richmond.
When: February 16, 2023 at 6:00pm
Where: Richmond Main Library, Annex room
101 East Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23219, United States
Contact: Erin Phelan erin.forwardparty@gmail.com
BTW, I don’t think any Richmond university student governments have claimed my money yet…
BZA Boogaloo: Its WAY Past Time For Poole And Pinnock To Take A Hike
UPDATE/CORRECTION: Since posting this, the editor has learned that Pinnock resigned from the Richmond Board of Zoning Appeals.
Contrary to state code, there currently are two members of the Richmond Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) who are simultaneously serving on the Richmond City Planning Commission. Virginia code Section 15.2-2308 specifically limits the number of Board of Zoning Appeals members serving on the local planning commission to one member: “…Members of the board shall hold no other public office in the locality, except that one may be a member of the local planning commission…” [emphasis added].
Mr. Rodney Poole and Mr. Burchell “Burt” Pinnock are both members of the Richmond Board of Zoning Appeals and both are currently serving as members of the Planning Commission. Rodney Poole is the current Chair of the Richmond Planning Commission, and he is also a member of the Richmond Board of Zoning Appeals. Mr. Burchell “Burt” Pinnock is the current Chair of the Richmond Board of Zoning Appeals, and he is also a member of the Richmond Planning Commission.
Since Va. Code Section 15.2-2308 limits the number of BZA members who also may serve on the Planning Commission to one member, and since both Mr. Poole and Mr. Burchell are simultaneously serving on the BZA and Planning Commission, one or both must resign or be removed from the Planning Commission.
It is worth noting that, contrary to state code, Mr. Rodney Poole and Mr. Burchell “Burt” Pinnock also recently served in other public office in the locality as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Richmond 300 Master Plan Advisory Council. The Virginia Code Section 15.2-2308 specifically prohibits members of the Board of Zoning Appeals from serving in other public offices in the locality.
If Mr. Poole and/or Mr. Pinnock are unwilling to resign their seats on the Planning Commission, it is within the authority of City Council to remove them in order to comply with Section 15.2-2308.
It’s worth noting that according to the minutes of the Feb. 6th Planning Commission meeting, Rodney Poole and Burt Pinnock both participated in the Planning Commission meeting as members of the Planning Commission. And both Poole and Pinnock are also still listed as members of the Board of Zoning Appeals.
UPDATE/CORRECTION: Since posting this, the editor has learned that Pinnock resigned from the Richmond Board of Zoning Appeals.
OHNA: Please oppose General Assembly SB 1391 and HB 2271
From email:
Dear OHNA (Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association) Members,
As was mentioned in Tuesday evening’s OPHNA meeting, there is legislation pending in the General Assembly that would eliminate a locality’s ability to regulate STRs if those STRs are managed by a Virginia REALTOR. A copy of the bill is below. This bill would override any local regulations related to primary residence, days the property may be occupied, requirements related to parking, annual inspection, etc.
https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=231&typ=bil&val=SB1391
I am writing to ask you to OPPOSE SB 1391, patroned by Lynwood Lewis, and HB 2271, patroned by Danny Marshall. Both increase affordable housing issues and eliminate common sense local regulation of short-term rental (“STR”) properties across the Commonwealth
This legislation claims to protect STR properties managed by Virginia REALTORS from restrictive local ordinances that have been enacted across the Commonwealth. In reality, the legislation removes the right of localities to impose reasonable restrictions on any STR property, so long as that property is managed by a Virginia REALTOR.
The two most significant issues with this legislation are (1) the impact on affordable housing and (2) the “one size fits all” approach to diverse communities across the Commonwealth.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING: First, this legislation would worsen an already very difficult situation in Virginia communities facing a lack of affordable housing. Investors would be able to buy up as many STRs as they want, anywhere, in any community, so long as those STRs are managed by a Virginia REALTOR. Every STR is one unit removed from the pool of properties available for home buyers or year-round renters.
REMOVES LOCAL CONTROL OF LAND USE DECISIONS: Second, this legislation strips localities of the right to make reasonable decisions for their own community. For example, localities would not even be able to require registration and annual safety inspections. This legislation is an inappropriate “one size fits all” solution across the Commonwealth, ignoring the significant differences between different kinds of communities – dense cities, resort towns, and rural areas.
This legislation clearly favors the commercial interests of STR owners, operators, and hosting platforms like Airbnb and VRBO over the interests of individuals, neighborhoods, and communities. I urge you to OPPOSE SB 1391 and HB 2271
HOUSE:
Dawn Adams – deldadams@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1068
Betsy Carr – delbcarr@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1069
Delores McQuinn – Deldmcquinn@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1070
Jeff Bourne – Deljbourne@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1071
Schyler Van Valkenburg – Delsvanvalkenburg@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1072
Rodney Willett – Delrwillett@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1073
Lamont Bagley – Dellbagley@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1074
Rozanne Robinson – drrobinson@house.virginia.gov 804-698-1027
SENATE:
Jennifer McClellan – district09@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7509
Hashmi Ghazala – district10@senate.virginia.gov 804-698-7510
Joe Morrissey – district16@senate.virginia.gov 804-698-7516
Siobhan Dunnavant -district12@senate.virginia.gov 804-698-7512
OHNA Meeting Tomorrow Night
The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association will be meeting online on Zoom tomorrow, Tuesday, January 24th, at 7pm.
Monthly Meeting Agenda
Tuesday 24 January 2023
7:00PM
This meeting will be by Zoom only.
(Editor’s note: Zoom connection information redacted, request it by sending email to ohnarva@gmail.com)
Welcome
• Treasurer’s Report
Community Updates:
1. Lt. Brian Robinson, City of Richmond Police Section Lt, 4th Precinct
2. Officer Luke Schrader, Police Liaison, VCU
3. Ms. Verenda Cobbs, VCU
4. Ms. Stephanie Lynch, 5th District Councilperson
5. Ms. Colette McEachin, Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney
Updates:
1. Amphitheater planned for Tredegar Green.
· It is slated to seat 5,000 people and accommodate and additional 5,000 standing, as per our meeting with the developer’s representative. No additional parking is planned.
· When the previous amphitheater plan was proposed, the neighborhood raised questions about hours of operation, noise levels, and parking, none of which were ever answered.
o Applicant has not yet scheduled a meeting with OHNA
2. An SUP application has been filed with the City of Richmond for the demolition of 708 China Street, and its replacement with a building.
· The Zoning Committee met with the applicant, and asked them to reconsider demolition and incorporate the historic building into their new construction
· The applicant has not yet come back to the neighborhood with a revision
Continued Business
3. Traffic issues along Idlewood at Cherry and Pine Streets
· There have been a number of recent accidents at these two locations.
· These two intersections suffer from poor visibility and the high speed of cars exiting 195 east onto Idlewood.
New Business
4. Any items?
Bryan Clark Green, President
Harrison Moenich, Co-Vice-President
Jennifer Hancock, Co-Vice-President
Mike Matthews, Secretary
John Bolecek, Treasurer
OHNA: Meeting Schedule, 2023
Fourth Tuesday of each month
Zoom information to be sent before meeting, while meeting remotely
Tuesday, 24 January 2023, 7:00pm
Tuesday, 28 February 2023, 7:00pm
Tuesday, 28 March 2023,7:00pm
Tuesday, 25 April 2023,7:00pm
Tuesday, 23 May 2023, 7:00pm
Tuesday, 27 June 2023,7:00pm
Tuesday, 25 July 2023, 7:00pm
Tuesday, 22 August 2023, 7:00pm
Tuesday, 26 September 2023, 7:00pm
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 7:00pm
Tuesday, 28 November 2023, 7:00pm
Tuesday, 19 December 2023, 7:00pm [moved up one week to avoid Christmas]
Meeting On City-Initiated Zoning Changes Tomorrow Evening
The Department of Planning and Development Review is undertaking initiatives to rezone areas of the City to fit adopted plans and make changes to the Zoning Ordinance.
Tomorrow night the PDR Department will host a meeting at the Main Library (101 East Franklin Street)) and provide draft recommendations for the three proposed, City-wide zoning changes:
Revise Short-Term Rental Regulations (CPC Resolution of Intent – CPCR.2021.168)
Eliminate Parking Space Minimums (City Council Resolution – RES. 2021-R027)
Permit Accessory Dwelling Units (CPC Resolution of Intent – CPCR.2021.095)
This in-person meeting starts at 6 pm.
(Editor’s note: Given the way the neighbors’ concerns were ignored during the previous Richmond300 planning sessions, many of them are skeptical that their participation in these meetings will have any real impact.)