Fire On 300 Block of S. Laurel

Neighbors have reported a fire breaking out on the 300 block of S. Laurel.

It has spread to multiple houses.

Neighbor UPDATE at 10:03 am:

The fire looks to be contained. All people are safe.

From City’s emergency traffic site:

336 S LAUREL ST RICH / CrossStreet: ALBEMARLE ST ASSIST FIRE DEPARTMENT, TRAFFIC AND/OR CROWD CONTROL. On Scene 9:56 AM

From Times Dispatch:
Richmond fire crews fighting 2-alarm house fire in Oregon Hill
Updated TD article:
Fire damages two homes in Richmond’s Oregon Hill; ‘It looked like the gates of hell’


photo courtesy of Teresa Birchett

Some more photos of RFD in action, from Pine Street neighbor Cristina Ramirez:

Stormy Night Problems

Neighbors reported various problems last night in the midst of stormy weather-

At 11pm Monday nite, at two Intersections, Traffic Lights completely dark. Corner of Belvedere & Idlewood Ave. and corner of S. Laurel St. & Idlewood Ave. Reported to SeeClickFix.

2:15am Power outage here 500 block S. Pine St.
Report all outages (888) 667-3000

Chimney fire on 600 block of S. Pine. Thank you RFD for a quick response.

Power out on part of 400 block Laurel.

Also, sometime between 8-10pm, there was an apparent hit and run on 1000 block of Idlewood. Looks like someone coming off expressway too fast hit two parked cars, knocking them into each other and up onto the sidewalk.

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.

Article On Shop Switchover

Writer Nick Michon has an article on the website Richmond2Day.com about the changes on the corner of Laurel Street and Albemarle Street- here are the opening paragraphs:

Death has paid Oregon Hill a visit. Gone are the frilly flowers that once graced the now defunct Bunnyhop Bike Shop on the corner of Albemarle in exchange for the towering scythe wielded by the Reaper himself. The entire building has transformed to black, and Justin Torone and Alaina Gearhart are to blame.

While the new mural in progress by Sure Hand Signs may paint a grim scene, Torone and Gearhart’s business Rest In Pieces is taking on a newfound life of its own. The couple entered the world of oddities through Gearhart’s preexisting love for strange artifacts like skulls and preserved creatures.

Click here to read the rest of the article.