Category Archives: government

Pool’s Presentation To Planning

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On July 18th, neighbor Charles Pool, on behalf of the Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council, made a presentation the City’s Planning Commission.












Since that presentation…

The Planning Department is tasked with drawing a revised master plan land use map to correspond with the Res. 2022-R033 that was unanimously approved by City Council in advance of the next August 15th meeting of the Planning Commission.

Please provide a copy of this revised master plan land use map as soon as possible so that we can check to be sure that your map accurately represents the unanimously approved Resolution of City Council 2002-R033.

Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Charles Pool

Examples of R-7 and R-48 with Residential future land use in Richmond 300

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At the Planning Commission meeting on Monday, the Planning Director stated that the Residential future land use designation in the Richmond 300 master plan was not appropriate for R-7 or higher zoning. But a quick look at the zoning map indicates that they have designated an R-7 zoned area on Southside with the Residential future land use designation. And a large area of Randolph is zoned R-48 with the Residential future land use designation. (Please see attached maps.)

Apparently, these arbitrary rules apply only to Oregon Hill!

(Oregon Hill residents continue to strongly urge the Richmond Planning Commission to adopt Councilperson Lynch’s amendment to the Richmond 300 master plan (Res. 2022-R033). This would wisely amend the master plan to indicate that the area of Oregon Hill already under the Residential R-7 zoning would be designated with the appropriate Residential future land use.

In no way does this amendment undermine the integrity of the Richmond 300 master plan, The Residential future land use amendment for Oregon Hill is the same future land use that was approved for our sister Randolph neighborhood.

Before approving the Richmond 300 master plan, the Richmond City Council was assured by the Stoney administration that their voice in amending the master plan would be respected. In the unanimous vote, the City Council has made it crystal clear that it is the desire of the city’s elected City Council that this amendment be approved by the Planning Commission.)

New Fire Station Art

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The art component of the new Cary Street Fire Station 12 may include art glass of a photo of Oregon Hill Fire Station 6.
This will be heard today at the City’s Planning Commission as well as a “discussion” of the proposed Richmond 300 amendment for Oregon Hill.
A “ladder chandelier “ is proposed for the open tower space, though some were hoping the plans would include an original, antique bell.

City Profiteering From Rising Gas Prices

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The Times Dispatch is reporting that the City is expecting residential gas bills to increase 40% due to rising fuel costs.

https://richmond.com/news/local/richmond-gas-bills-expected-to-increase-40-due-to-rising-fuel-costs/article_ec3cedd7-bfc5-514f-a7e1-34aba1f9f98d.html

What the newspaper and other mainstream local media are not reporting is the expected bonanza the City government is anticipating from this energy price spike.

The highly questionable, if not illegal, ‘PILOT’ (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) in the City’s residential utility bills continues to pad the City’s ‘General Fund’, while hitting the City’s poorest residents the hardest.

Of course, this may be even more egregious when it comes to the water utility…

We don’t hear much about this resolution!
https://richmondva.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=5329677&GUID=812DB37B-E05C-4C4A-BAFC-297DCE1B04DB

AYES: 9 NOES: 0 ABSTAIN:
ADOPTED: JULY 24 2017 REJECTED: STRICKEN:
INTRODUCED: June 26, 2017
A RESOLUTION No. 2017-R049
To request that the Chief Administrative Officer cause the Department of Public Utilities to prepare and submit to the Council a plan to phase out Payments in Lieu of Taxes from the Department of Public Utilities over a ten year period.
Patron – Mr. Agelasto
Approved as to form and legality by the City Attorney
PUBLIC HEARING: JULY 24 2017 AT 6 P.M.
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Richmond, by adoption of this resolution, establishes its intent to eliminate Payments in Lieu of Taxes (“PILOT payment”) from the
Department of Public Utilities; and
WHEREAS, eliminating or reducing the PILOT payment would require an amendment to
section 13.06 of the Charter of the City of Richmond (2010), as amended; and
WHEREAS, the Council believes that the elimination of the PILOT payment would best
be accomplished by an approach that gradually phases out the payment over several years to provide for budget adjustments due to the lost revenue; andWHEREAS, the Council believes that it is in the best interests of the citizens of the City
of Richmond that the Council request that the Chief Administrative Officer cause the Department of Public Utilities to prepare and submit to the Council a plan to phase out PILOT payments from the Department of Public Utilities over a ten year period;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND:
That the Council hereby requests that the Chief Administrative Officer cause the
Department of Public Utilities to prepare and submit to the Council, no later than November 1, 2017, a plan to phase out PILOT payments from the Department of Public Utilities over a ten year period and that contains, at a minimum, the following:
1. A requirement that during the ten year phase out period, the Department of Public
Utilities will continue to make PILOT payments to the General Fund and will assess alternative
fees to City departments designed to recapture the amount of the PILOT payments.
2. A requirement that the alternative fees collected by the Department of Public
Utilities will be used to decrease the utility rates charged to the residential and commercial customers of the Department of Public Utilities.
3. A requirement that the ten year phase out plan will only apply to PILOT payments
and all other payments required or assessed by the City shall continue to be paid into the General Fund.
4. A requirement that during the ten year phase out period, the Department of Public
Utilities shall submit annual reports showing the fees and taxes on each utility paid through PILOT payments.
5. A requirement that the ten year phase out plan begin in the fiscal year commencing
July 1, 2018, and ending June 30, 2019, with the exact amount of the revenue reduction to be determined by the phase out plan schedule and the alternative fees proposed by the Department of Public Utilities.

VICTORY: City Council Passes Amendment Resolution Unanimously!

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Oregon Hill residents were surprised and delighted last night when 5th District Councilperson Stephanie Lynch’s resolution to amend the City’s Richmond300 plan passed by 9-0 vote.

After months of waiting, the neighborhood can breathe a sigh of relief, as the resolution strongly suggests and helps move the neighborhood into the new Residential land use category instead of Mixed Use (though not officially yet). Residential would allow buildings of one to three stories in height, conforming to the current R7 zoning yet eliminates the ability to build to an unspecified additional height on portions of South Laurel and Idlewood streets.

Neighbors feared if the amendment did not pass, Richmond300 would have made Oregon Hill permanently Mixed Use. That would have changed the current R7 height limit of 35 feet (effectively two- to two-and-a-half stories) to a new height limit of four stories.
It would have allowed even taller, unspecified heights on portions of South Laurel and Idlewood Streets. This new height limit would have incentivized developer-driven tear-downs to build new, taller buildings (An application for just such a teardown in Oregon Hill has already been filed with the City Planning office) and ruined Oregon Hill’s streetscapes and stature and character as a historic neighborhood.

Thankfully, Councilperson Lynch worked with neighborhood leaders to craft the amendment resolution, and last night, it came to fruition.

Award presentations, a boisterous discussion over collective bargaining (Council further delayed voting on matters), and a lengthy vote on items in the ‘Consent Agenda’ made for a long night. But around 9:30 pm, City Council finally took up the resolution, RES. 2022-R033. Councilperson Lynch gave a quick introduction which referenced the neighborhood’s decades-long battle for survival in the shadow of Virginia Commonwealth University. Neighbors lined up and spoke, some in person and some over online Zoom connection.

Some themes quickly emerged- neighbors love and cherish the current character of the neighborhood, which has become more diverse and family-friendly in recent years. They are not anti-business or against affordable housing. In fact, the neighborhood has a record of supporting small businesses and affordable housing. And, lastly, and perhaps most importantly, neighbors, despite participating in the Richmond 300 planning from the start, have felt ignored and disrespected. OHNA President Bryan Green, speaking virtually, summarized the re-zoning issues well.

Vice president of City Council, Ellen Robertson, called for the administration to give their stance on the amendment, and Maritza Pechin, City planner, spoke in support of Mixed Use designation for the neighborhood. She clumsily compared Oregon Hill to other neighborhoods like Westover Hills and Windsor Farms, and under questioning about height differences from 1st District Councilperson Addison and others, was visibly shaking.

Councilperson Lynch, while complimenting Pechin and other planners on their overall work for the City, made it clear that the neighborhood’s objections were not ‘NIMBY’ in nature and deserved to be incorporated in the plan.

At that point, Council took a vote and passed the resolution. (It was clear that this was not the only amendment to the Richmond300 that City Council is considering).

The Oregon Hill residents who did attend in person walked out of Chambers in stunned silence but were happily elated during their walks/drives homes. Neighbors who attended online quickly spread the news on neighborhood social media.

What comes next will be a subject of tonight’s (Zoom-only) Oregon Hill neighborhood association meeting. Celebration and appreciation for Councilperson Lynch has got to be part of it.

The Richmond300 planning and neighborhood proposals will certainly wind up back at the Planning Commission, but this unanimous decision sends a strong message.

‘Richmond300’ Amendment For Oregon Hill At City Council

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If you don’t know the background, you may want to read previous posts here and here.

Remember that City Council passed the ‘Richmond300’ plan over a year ago, during the holidays when most people were pre-occupied with family matters, in a pandemic emergency, during which the Virginia Attorney General called on municipalities to suspend all non-life-threatening business, and specifically land-use issues.

Also remember that City Council voted for this despite opposition from many different parts of the City, but especially from this neighborhood, which has taken part in the process from the beginning, put up with bad online ‘presentations’, and has consistently asked for changes in the plan.

Most importantly, remember City Council passed it with the promise to amend it.

Some neighbor’s statements:

http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2020/nov/05/oregon-hill-neighborhood-open-speculation-destruct/

https://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/opinion-let-us-succeed/Content?oid=16786088

Now, here we are in 2022, and Councilperson Lynch has put language in anan amendment resolution before City Council, on the agenda for this coming Monday meeting.

It may decide on whether this historic neighborhood survives in the long term.

The City administration promised that it would be easy to amend the Richmond 300 master plan, and it is important for the city to keep this promise! The Richmond 300 committee ignored the request of the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association and our City Councilor Stephanie Lynch that Oregon Hill be designated with a RESIDENTIAL future land use designation.

RESIDENTIAL future land use conforms to Oregon Hill’s current R-7 zoning that we fought hard to achieve. The Mixed-Use designation would undermine our R-7 zoning because an aim of the master plan aims to change zoning to match the future land use designation.
RESIDENTIAL future land use designation matches the function of 99% of the homes within our R-7 zoning and is consistent with the function of the dense historic neighborhood.
RESIDENTIAL future land use designation has a 1-3 story height limit that conforms to the R-7 zoning with a 35′ height limit, while the Mixed-Use designation has a much higher height limit of 2-4 stories and even higher on major streets like Idlewood and Laurel.
RESIDENTIAL future land use designation would encourage Special Use Permit applications to conform the existing R-7 zoning.
RESIDENTIAL future land use designation was approved for our sister neighborhood in Randolph, with which Oregon Hill has much in common.
RESIDENTIAL future land use designation promotes a cohesive neighborhood of families living in Oregon Hill, while the taller Mixed-Use designation would encourage developers to demolish Oregon Hill homes for dormitories for students at the adjacent Virginia Commonwealth University.
RESIDENTIAL future land use designation does not discourage the adaptive re-use of corner storefronts which have always been encouraged in Oregon Hill.

It’s also worth noting that there is no question that renovating and retrofitting a building has significantly lower upfront carbon emissions than demolishing and replacing a building. Oregon Hill residents who have worked hard for historic preservation over decades are fully supported by environmental reasoning.

City Council meets at 6 pm, on the second floor, at City Hall, 900 E. Broad St.

5th District Town Hall Meeting On Thursday

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Councilmember Stephanie Lynch is hosting an IN PERSON meeting at the Byrd Park Round House.
The meeting agenda includes many representatives of city departments who can answer citizens’ questions.
– Department of Public Works – Deputy Director Gail Johnson
– Department of Public Utilities – Deputy Director – Acting Stephen Morgan and Capital Project Manager – Bill Boston
– Parks & Rec – Capital Projects Deputy – Nissa Dean

It is scheduled to begin at 6 pm and it also includes an online Zoom webinar component for those who cannot attend in person.

For more information, here is the link to the FaceBook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/792912882068751

The meeting email notice included Lynch’s logo:

5th District Town Hall On Zoom Wednesday Evening

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Councilmember Stephanie Lynch will be hosting an online, 5th District ‘Town Hall’ meeting on Wednesday, April 27 at 6 pm.

Draft Agenda:
o Budget Discussion
o Q&A

To get the Zoom link and/or phone call info, go to this FaceBook page,
https://www.facebook.com/events/297863402520623
or contact Councilmember Lynch’s liaison, Amy Robins at amy.robins@richmondgov.com or by calling 8046465724.

Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association Meeting Tomorrow Night

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The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) is meeting tomorrow night at 7 pm. The agenda includes VCU liaison, proposed amendments to the Richmond 300 land use plan, and traffic issues.

From meeting announcement:

Good evening OHNA members,

I look forward to seeing everyone Tuesday at 7pm for our monthly OHNA meeting.

St. Andrew’s Church has kindly allowed us to use their chapel again. They have asked that we remain masked and socially distanced during the meeting. We will also make the meeting available by Zoom, for those who choose to join us that way.

The Zoom link is provided below. This should allow for full remote participation.

I have attached to this email
1. the agenda for the 26 April meeting (also pasted in below),
2. the minutes for the 22 March 2022 meeting, and
3. the 2022 meeting schedule.

We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow evening.

Thanks,
Bryan

To receive the rest of the email, including the actual Zoom link and minutes and things, please send an email to ohnarva@gmail.com

RCV And Climate Action At City Council Tonight

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In addition to ranked choice voting, City Council will be discussing budget tonight…

RVA Clean Energy and Climate Justice Budget Recommendations

Richmond’s proposed FY2023 budget is at odds with the Climate and Ecological Emergency resolution that the city unanimously passed just 6 months ago and with the city’s commitment to equity and justice. Climate change is not listed as a priority in the introduction, and the budget takes no meaningful steps to mitigate heat island effects or tree inequity impacts, nor does it offer solutions to reduce emissions, or phase out the city’s reliance on fossil gas.

For more details on these budget recommendations see the FY2023 Proposed Budget – Fossil Gas and Electrification Highlights document.

FACILITIES
Facilities account for 45% of the City Government’s emissions. The City should immediately deploy energy efficiency upgrades, heat pumps, and renewables, while creating a clean energy and resiliency plan to power all government facilities with 100% renewables and batteries and replace all fossil fuel heating with efficient heat pumps.
Deploy energy efficiency upgrades citywide to minimize the energy needed for heating and cooling
Replace all fossil fuel heating, cooling, and water heaters with efficient heat pumps
Put solar + batteries on all eligible facilities getting a new roof
Put solar + batteries in all locations in need of a new generator
Replace all end of life HVAC equipment (boilers, furnaces, chillers, A/C) with modern air source heat pumps

RICHMOND GAS WORKS
The City Council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Resolution calls for “an equitable plan to phase out reliance on gas and shift to accelerated investment in City-owned renewable energy” and “recognizes that the continued operation of the City’s gas utility is an obstacle to the City’s goal of Net-Zero emissions in accordance with Resolution No. 2020-R024.” Although there is state legislation pending (HB1257) that could limit the City’s actions regarding Richmond Gas Works (RGW), the following recommendations would still be permissible and would result in greater transparency into the operations of RGW. A robust board or commission charged with oversight of the RGW would benefit City Council (and the public) in making informed decisions regarding the transition of the RGW to a sustainable energy utility. For example, fossil gas leaks from aging infrastructure are a serious health and safety risk, as well as a lost gas expense that has not been adequately addressed.
Additionally, if the City, state and our country are serious about meeting the 45% in GHG emissions by 2030 and net-zero by 2050, the city should be concerned about the cost to ratepayers and the City of stranded assets if RGW continues to make major capital investments beyond basic maintenance. An oversight board or commission could stay abreast of best practices being implemented by fossil gas utilities around the country and provide the City Administration and Council with better information and options in the necessary transition away from reliance on fossil gas.
Establish more effective oversight of RGW
Explore how RGW can help residents, particularly low-income and underserved populations, electrify and weatherize their homes through various investments (such as neighborhood electrification) and financing mechanisms (such as on bill financing)
Analyze how the total lifecycle costs of electrification for households compares with rising fossil gas costs, and how rising fossil gas costs affect energy insecurity
Enable a just transition for workers at RGW
Repair all leaks while minimizing maintenance
Stop extending pipelines and other gas infrastructure
Holistically account for the cost of emissions and health effects of fossil gas combustion on air pollution inside and outside the home
Explore converting the utility into a sustainable energy utility to align the utility with the City’s emissions, health, and equity goals
Health Note: One of the clearest signals emerging in the scientific literature is the connection between cooking with gas and childhood asthma—a disease suffered by people of color and lower-income groups at much higher rates than the rest of the population. Children exposed to higher levels of indoor NO2 had an elevated risk of respiratory illness.

OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY
Establish effective Key Performance Indicators and mandate all agencies integrate these KPIs into their planning and budgeting processes.
50% renewable energy by 2023 and 100% by 2025 (as the Mayor promised in his 2021 State of the City address)
% of City government energy use powered by on-site renewables
% of fossil fuel HVAC infrastructure replaced
% of fossil fuel generators replaced
% of City fleet replaced with electric or renewable powered vehicles and bicycles

FLEET
As a part of the City’s plan to address the climate emergency, the City should transition to all electric vehicles (EV).
Create a plan to transition to all electric vehicles
Build charging infrastructure for the city’s EV fleet
Make purchases based on total lifecycle costs to account for fuel cost
Purchase EVs or ebikes for the budgeted 97 new Police Department cruisers (a number of cities are using Tesla 3s, VW id4s, and Kia Niros as police vehicles)
Purchase electric vehicles or fire trucks for the budgeted 5 new Fire Department vehicles
Purchase or subscribe to electric school buses to avoid the health risks of diesel fumes on children’s health

URBAN FOREST
Reinstate the Urban Forestry Commission to provide guidance and support for the city to maintain and enhance tree populations with the goal of improving the urban environment. Responsibilities include updating the city’s tree ordinance, reviewing remediation policies, and educating the public on urban forests.
Fund two new positions in the Urban Forestry Division, including an Urban Forester position. The urban forester will lead the creation of an Urban Forest Master Plan, including a roadmap for how the City of Richmond will achieve the 60% canopy goal set in the Richmond 300 Master Plan.
Develop an Urban Forestry Master Plan to increase citywide tree canopy cover to at least 60%. The strategic plan will protect and expand tree resources with desired outcomes of the community and incorporate the RVAgreen2050 plan, RVAH20 objectives and priorities outlined in the city’s Equity Agenda.
Increase funding for tree maintenance and watering to ensure trees can grow to maturity, provide maximum ecological services and improve public safety.
Triple the budget for contract work so Richmond can scale up tree operations for tree planting, care and maintenance.
Increase the city’s planting budget to achieve canopy goals set in Richmond 300 Master plan and account for outdated fee structure within the Adopt-A-Tree program.
Expand the Adopt-A-Tree program for community organizations to buy trees in bulk and commit to steward the trees.
In addition, we recommend that the Department of Parks and Recreation fund it’s community gardening program, Richmond Grows Gardens (250k) yearly for food justice, nutrition education and climate resiliency programming.
The Department of Public Works and/or DPU fund community engaged, Stormwater BMPs in formerly redlined neighborhoods within public green space in South Richmond. (500k) yearly.
The Office of Community Wealth Building with the Department of Social Services (SNAPET & TANF) fund community urban agriculture and solar power installation training and ad workforce development in formerly redlined neighborhoods in South Richmond. (250k)

FUNDING SOURCES
The federal government has numerous grant and loan programs to subsidize electrification and decarbonization. Richmond should make full use of these resources to meet our emissions, health, and equity goals as well as provide responsible fiscal stewardship of City resources.
US DOE: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program was refunded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) with $550 million, 68% of which can be directly distributed to cities and counties to improve energy efficiency and invest in renewable energy.
US DOT: BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant: Includes integrated electric fleet, electrified transit, and charging solutions
USDA: Community Facilities: Program to include microgrids, on-site renewable energy, electrification retrofits, and urban greening
US EPA: Brownfields grant and loan programs to include brightfields deployment and interconnection
US DOE: WAP and HHS: LIHEAP to prioritize upgrades that promote beneficial electrification.
Energy Cost Savings Assistance: Low-income residents can obtain $5,000-$25,000 worth of energy improvements on their homes. Funds come from Federal Weatherization, RGGI, and Dominion programs.
NFWF Small Watershed Grants: Funds available to assist the development of a health tree canopy, with grants up to $500K.
Virginia Environmental Endowment: Offers grants for water quality, land stewardship, and outreach.
Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund: Offers grants for projects with positive, tangible benefits to the Bay and the Bay program.
The Department of Forestry Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program: Encourages projects that promote the protection and enhancement of urban and community forest ecosystems, tree planting, the care of trees, and education on tree issues.
The Department of Forestry Trees for Clean Water Grant Program: Encourage the creation of long-term, sustained canopy cover to improve water-quality across the commonwealth.

THE FOLLOWING RICHMOND ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSE THE CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE JUSTICE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS:
Center for Common Ground
Chesapeake Climate Action Network – Central Va
Citizens Climate Lobby – Richmond Chapter
Climate Changemakers
Divest RVA
Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market
Extinction Rebellion – Richmond
Friends of Rattlesnake Creek
Green New Deal Virginia
Groundwork RVA
Happily Natural Day
Partnership for Smarter Growth
Richmond Teachers For Climate Justice
Richmond Tree Stewards
RVA Interfaith Climate Justice League
Sierra Club, Falls of the James Group
Southside Releaf
Sunrise Richmond
Sunrise Virginia
The Climate Mobilization
Th!rd Act
Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action
Virginia Interfaith Power and Light