Solar Co-op Meeting On Oregon Hill This Saturday

Holly Street neighbor Phaedra Hise is hosting a meeting of the Richmond Solar Open House this Saturday.

RSVP for the event at: www.solarunitedneighbors.org/RichmondSolarOpenHouse

Have you ever considered going solar?
Come to a Solar Open House!

Saturday, February 24, 2018
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Solar Home of Phaedra Hise:
714 Holly St, Richmond, VA 23220

Tour the solar home of Phaedra Hise, ask questions about solar and the co-op process, and connect with other homeowners in the area who are interested in solar! Stop by for a few or stay for a while!

Learn more about our Richmond Solar Co-op at: www.solarunitedneighbors.org/richmond

Holly Street Playground and Ravine

In response to recent concerns, it look like Holly Street Playground area will be receiving more attention. Incoming Oregon Hill Neigborhood Association (OHNA) President Todd Woodson has requested a structural assessment from the City on the embankment that supports the playground. He is interested in the possibility of making this area, which is sort of an extension of S. Cherry St, more of a public walking trail than just a utility alley. Other neighbors have suggestions that include repaving the basketball court and establishing a tool lending program. These ideas will probably be discussed at the upcoming OHNA meeting next Tuesday.

This is the 1867 Michie Map showing the ravine that was filled in to make Holly Street playground. Thanks to neighbor Charles Pool for this…

Option 1 or Option 2 or…

So one thing that happened at the last Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting (2/28) was a presentation on possibilities for new stop signs at intersections for neighborhood traffic.

This sort of thing has been requested multiple times before in regard to speeding and dangerous collisions, but for different reasons has never been acted on.

At the meeting, a City traffic engineer presented two options for stops. The proposed options are for a flipping of the stop signs at the circled intersections to give the east-west streets right of way and have the north-south streets stop. This way, no one direction always has right of way, and would need to stop at roughly every other intersection. This traffic pattern is called basket weaving, and has been used successfully in Maymont. These options are in no way set in stone, and are up for discussion and suggested alternatives. ‘Option 1’ suggests new stop signs at the intersections of Albemarle and S. Laurel, Spring and S. Pine, China and S. Laurel, and Holly and S. Pine. ‘Option 2’ suggests new stop signs at Albemarle and S. Cherry, Albemarle and S. Pine, Spring and S. Laurel, China and S. Pine, and Holly and S. Laurel.

Neighbors are asked to let the neighborhood association know which option they think is best as well as any other input. The plan is to discuss this more at the next OHNA meeting and then get back to the City traffic engineer and Councilperson Agelasto’s office with some thoughts and decisions.

Va. War Memorial and Hollywood Cemetery To Collaborate On ‘Tunnel of Honor’

The Virginia War Memorial and Hollywood Cemetery directors are announcing planning has started for a giant new collaborative project, “The Virginia Tunnel of Honor”, that will connect the two institutions.

Design specifications are still in their infancy, but the concept is to expand upon the already planned underground parking garage expansion for the War Memorial and build a pedestrian tunnel from that point that would go underneath Belvidere Street roughly at Holly Street and have a corresponding entrance in Hollywood Cemetery. The tunnel, which would be roughly 60 feet underground at its deeper points, would be very finished and allow wheelchair access. It may include a branch tunnel to the North Bank trail area, if the City approves the concept.

The overall theme of this new collaboration would build upon the underground nature of the project and would be dedicated to “Virginia’s Fallen Secret Warriors” who have fought and died in clandestine conflicts around the world and throughout American history. This will include honoring ‘secret veterans’ previously and newly buried in Hollywood Cemetery.

Because of new, quiet tunneling technology, project organizers have told Oregon Hill residents that they will not be disturbed by this additional new construction, which will take at least three years to finish. Construction is not expected to start for at least another year.

thamestunnel4