“Oregon Hill Proposed Conditions for Tredegar Green Amphitheater”

The following letter was sent from an attorney hired by the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association on June 17 to members of City Council, the Mayor’s office, Richmond Police Department, and others.

Dear elected and appointed officials of the City of Richmond:

We represent the neighborhood associations of Oregon Hill and the Overlook.

The citizens of Oregon Hill and the Overlook have engaged with Venture Richmond in a series of discussions, and today have provided a set of draft conditions for the consideration of Venture Richmond in their proposed zoning request to the City for the Tredegar Green Amphitheater.

The homeowners and residents of Oregon Hill support (and enjoy) robust public use of the riverfront and specifically do not oppose reasonable use of the Tredegar Green property. However, like any neighborhood of homeowners in the City, they have reasonable concerns about adverse impacts on noise, parking, trash, public safety and the like. And, like any neighborhood of homeowners in the City, they have a legitimate expectations that these adverse impacts will be reasonably addressed by a zoning applicant and by their City officials.

To assist Venture Richmond and the City, we have prepared a proposed set of conditions that we feel reasonably address the adverse impacts of use of the Tredegar Green property. Attached are that set of conditions and an explanatory cover letter to Venture Richmond counsel Bill Axselle.

We look forward to working with Venture Richmond and the City as the zoning application goes forward. In that process, we submit these conditions to allow the uses that Venture Richmond envisions while reasonably protecting the neighbors on Oregon Hill.

We welcome your input and assistance in this regard.

Thank you very much,

Andrew R. McRoberts
Attorney
Sands Anderson PC

From: McRoberts, Andrew R.
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 1:31 PM
To:
Cc:
Subject: Oregon Hill Proposed Conditions for Tredegar Green Amphitheater

Bill, here are our proposed conditions and an explanatory cover letter. We look forward to working with you in addressing the Oregon Hill neighborhood’s reasonable concerns.

We learned this morning – too late to affect these conditions I promised you today – that the Richmond Police Department (“RPD”) may wish for the applications for event management plan approval to go through another department or agency rather than the RPD. Although I have not discussed this with my clients, I anticipate that shifting the receiving/approving agency to another department or office which works better for all would be acceptable to us. As I mentioned in the cover letter, a number of City departments may be involved in review of a proposed event management plan.

Thanks for your assistance,

Andrew

Andrew R. McRoberts
Attorney
Sands Anderson PC

Attachment: Letter to Hon Ralph L. Axselle Jr 6-17-15 (Editor’s note: click here for PDF)

Parking at the James River Park

“Why Richmond Why?!?” column in Times Dispatch mentions parking concerns along riverfront:

“Burrell said that while we all love the James River Park, there are times of the year where the park may be reaching its “carrying capacity.”

I’ve spent a lot of time in the park on those busiest days. I’ve seen motorists wait in line for 20 to 30 minutes to get into the parking lot at Pony Pasture. I’ve seen motorists overflow parking into the Oregon Hill and Spring Hill neighborhoods to get to Belle Isle. Friends who live near Reedy Creek and 42nd Street have lamented the overflow parking in their neighborhood streets, including people trashing yards with empties and untimely potty breaks.

Updates From Tredegar (American Civil War Museum)

From email:

Beginning Wednesday, July 1, the Museum will conduct cannon demonstrations daily between 2:15 and 2:30 pm. Daily demonstrations will continue through Labor Day weekend, and are part of our ongoing efforts to create interesting and engaging activities for Museum visitors. It is our sincere hope that the expanded schedule will not cause undue stress among our neighbors on Oregon Hill.

I also would like to give you an update on the work that is being done to the canal wall at the Tredegar site. All the willow oaks on the south side of the wall, and the small scrub trees growing close to the north side of the wall, have been removed. Craddock Masonry, Inc. is conducting repair and reconstruction, which is under way. Where the extent of damage requires it, the top three courses will be rebuilt and the entire length of the wall sealed. Holes and erosion of the wall will be repaired. Old bricks that are in good condition will be reused, with matching vintage brick being used as needed. This work is scheduled to be finished by late July.

Valentine Museum Photo of Riverside Houses

While he has certainly generously contributed before, neighbor Charles Pool has agreed to help focus on Oregon Hill history with the help of old photographs, maps, and other material every Thursday on a regular basis (aka “Throwback Thursday”). Here is a first post under this arrangement:

In 1924, the city expanded Oregon Hill’s Riverside Park between the gazebo and Hollywood Cemetery. Prominent businessman Moses Nunnally saved four houses from demolition by moving them from the land newly condemned by the city for the park to 810-816 Riverside Park. Ethyl Corporation later demolished 812 Riverside Park and the City of Richmond demolished 816 Riverside Park, while 810 Riverside Park and 814 Riverside Park have survived. This 1956 photograph in the collection of the Richmond History Center (formerly known as the Valentine Museum) shows the four houses 32 years after they were moved.

Riverside Park, 1956, Richmond History Center
Photo credit: 1956, Richmond History Center

Hollywood Cannon and Belle Island Tour

There will be cannon fire as part of the annual Jefferson Davis birthday ceremony in Hollywood Cemetery on Saturday, June 6th, from 9:00 am to about 11:00 am. The ceremony will include a keynote speaker, Rev. Herman White, Chaplain of the North Carolina Division, SCV, as well as a bag pipe band, rifle squad, artillery salute and wreath laying. The event is free and open to the public. The cannon fire will happen towards the end of the event.

And if you want to know more about that Belle Isle prison camp, there’s a Sensory History Tour of Belle Isle Prison Camp on Saturday, June 6, noon to 2 p.m. This conversational walking tour is sponsored by the Tredegar Society of the American Civil War Museum in partnership with RVA Archaeology. Tickets cost $10. www.tredegar.org/ts.aspx or Sean Kane: skane@acwm.org or 804 649 1861, x123.

Belle Island ‘Drunkfest’

The Times Dispatch has been publishing Letters to the Editor that raise concerns about drinking and littering on Belle Island, part of the City’s James River Park system.

From a Letter to Editor in today’s paper:

“We took pictures and talked to several park employees who said they simply did not have the manpower to keep up with the litter problem. Occasionally volunteer groups come out to help clean up. Only one police officer is usually on patrol to help with security. Apparently, many Richmond citizens feel entitled to enjoy all the benefits of our river but don’t care at all about keeping it clean for others to enjoy. It shows a total lack of respect for all, Richmond citizens, tourists, wildlife and the James River.”

My only dispute with that statement is that a lot of the offenders are not City residents, but are from the surrounding counties. This also speaks to questions about the “Tredegar Green” amphitheater and the need for more (and better!) public trash/recycling receptacles.

Monroe Park Fountain Work

Several volunteers, including Oregon Hill neighbors Todd Woodson, Charles Pool, and VCU’s Tito Luna, Turk Sties, Elinor Kuhn, and City’s Paul Manning worked yesterday afternoon to give the fountain in Monroe Park a fresh new look. The water should be turned on in the next few days, which will make it pop even more.

Special thanks to Todd Woodson for spearheading the effort and securing a Love Your Block grant. Paul Manning, the City’s Chief Service Officer, provided the funding as well as volunteering. A few people in the park who identified themselves as homeless saw what they were doing and pitched in as well.

Photos provided by Tito Luna.
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