Category Archives: parks

Irrigation System Adds To Monroe Park Concerns

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Cherry Street neighbor and Monroe Park advocate sent this message yesterday:

Friends-

The following message was received from an employee of DPW today as I was inquiring about the irrigation system that VCU installed about 10 years ago in Monroe Park and that we urgently need to make the park look its best for the UCI race:
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I sent an update the first week of May and I thought I included you. Sorry but here goes.

We had a water line break near the house. Repaired. We have the need for a dozen new heads, different varieties. Then the real problem. When they were replacing the sidewalk along Franklin St they tore up over 300 ft of water lines and a large number of the 640 heads. They also tore up some sections along Belvidere but nothing like on Franklin. I have notified my superiors about the damage and in addition my lack of funds and active PO to make the necessary purchases. Even if I could make the purchase I only have one irrigation person to make the repairs. It would require weeks of his time and all other systems would suffer. I included Gregg Hall with VCU in my original e-mail and I apologize again for omitting you.

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Without the irrigation system, the park and fountain plantings will turn brown and die this Summer before the UCI race. These questions come to mind:

* Since they have to remove the sidewalks to repair this damage, will they do it correctly in brick as specified by the master plan or waste more money on concrete? Will those responsible be held accountable? Where will this money come from to repair the irrigation?

You couldn’t run a business the way this city is being run now. We are hemorrhaging taxpayer money due to blatant incompetence.

I urge you all in the most emphatic terms to contact your city council representative IMMEDIATELY and demand a stop- work order, correct, appropriate and competently installed 7 foot brick sidewalks with environmentally friendly planting strips as specified by the CITY COUNCIL APPROVED Monroe Park master plan (page 79- its on the richmondgov.com website under planning department master plans) and that those responsible for this incompetent foul up be held accountable. Acting CAO Chris Beschler says he takes responsibility for the mistaken concrete sidewalks. Why doesnt he make amends for this tragedy and the incredibly poor supervision on this project.

Thanks,

Todd Woodson

Community Movie Night TOMORROW

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The summer long movie series known as Oregon Hill Community Movie Night will begin TOMORROW, May 8, at Dusk in Pleasants Park. The first movie of the season will not be Scarface. Instead it will be Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
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The series operates every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month, May thru October (though rainy weather can mess with that). Free refreshments served: hot dogs, chip, and beverage.

Riggan’s Canal-Blueway Plan

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Phil Riggan, who now writes the “Why Richmond, Why?” column for the Richmond Times Dispatch, earlier this week presented his final project for his VCU studies, a plan for making the Kanawha Canal between Oregon Hill and Bosher’s Dam into a recreational ‘blueway” for the James River Park system.

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Click here for a copy of his presentation. A full written report/plan should be available in the near future after Riggan makes some final edits.

A couple of points about the plan- It was made with the help of the Friends of James River Park and the James River Outdoor Coalition. Nathan Burrell, the Director of James River Park, afterwards remarked that he thought it was actionable and doable now, as long as there was permission of stakeholders (CSX, Department of Public Utilities (DPU), and others) and available financial resources. It has already received letters of support from the James River Association and the Falls of the James Scenic River Advisory Committee.

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Riggan knows about the 1988 canal restoration plan (the one that Venture Richmond ignored) and says he has included it in his final report. It is noteworthy that his plan starts with “Mile 1” at the start of the North Bank Trail near the S. Cherry cul-de-sac, and not “Mile 0” near the Lee Bridge. Riggan’s plan recognizes that DPU needs to complete engineering in order to get the water level right for recreational traffic (elevation verified at 83 feet). Some Oregon Hill neighbors are suspicious that perhaps that was the real goal of the Tredegar Green amphitheater, to damage the historic Kanawha Canal to the point where now the terminus of the “rewatered” canal is at “Mile 1”. That said, Riggan’s plan comes from a recreational paddling sport perspective and if it is successful, it may increase pressure for FULLY renovating, re-watering, and re-connecting Richmond’s historic canals.

Monroe Park Woes

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The state of Monroe Park continues to create consternation.

From neighbor and Monroe Park defender Todd Woodson:

Last Monday evening, I spoke during citizen comment period at city council regarding the fact that the city currently has over 3/4 of a million dollars and hundreds of hours of planning in the Monroe Park Master Plan and that the plan has been approved by both the planning commission and city council and is prominently displayed on the richmondgov.com website and that they were currently replacing the entire north side of the park (600 and 700 blocks w Franklin) with new concrete sidewalks which do not comply with the specified brick with planting strip sidewalks in the master plan. I emailed the interim director at DPW before any concrete was poured and he responded that he would consult his engineers and get back to me. He never did. I subsequently requested the budget for the project under the freedom of information act but haven’t received it yet. They have now completed the northern perimeter and have started on the eastern side (Belvidere). It is now apparent that the city is going to complete the entire perimeter with inappropriate material in anticipation of the UCI races. This unfortunate waste of funds could reach up to 200 to 300 thousand dollars by my estimate. Should the master plan be implemented, all this concrete will need to be demolished, transported to a landfill, the site re-prepared and correct brick sidewalks installed.
I request that you do anything you can to bring this to the attention of the public. If they stopped and began the right plan, much money could still be saved.
This blatant and willful waste of taxpayer dollars and stress to the environment through all of the landfill waste is appalling and unconscionable. The administration of our city is out of control.

These Monroe Park sidewalks has been reported on before on this website.

Some Richmonders have also been wondering about this plaque, now without a corresponding tree:

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Perhaps we will learn more at this upcoming Monday (May 4, 5pm)’s City Council Organizational Development Standing Committee Meeting being held in the Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall. Alice Massie, the President of the Monroe Park Conservancy, is scheduled to give an update. She has missed previous meetings. Also, Lucy Meade of Venture Richmond is scheduled to speak on “City Beautification Projects”. This standing committee meeting often has little public participation, despite the important matters that are discussed there.

Birds Bring Economic Vitality to Cities, New Study Finds

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Many Oregon Hill residents love having birds in the neighborhood and recognize how lucky we are that we get a lot bird traffic due to nearby James River Park and Hollywood Cemetery, which serve as havens for wildlife and important stops for bird migrations.

A new study published last month in the journal Urban Ecosystems tries to determine what economic value residents in two comparable cities place on having birds in their backyards and parks.

From an article on the study:

“This paper shows that our interactions with birds actually have a pretty high economic return to the community where you live,” said John Marzluff, a University of Washington professor of environmental and forest sciences and the paper’s co-author. “We know that having a livable, green community that attracts birds also increases the value of homes in that area. This paper shows there’s an economic service birds are providing.”

It’s something to consider as development pressures and increased riverfront activity come to bear. There is a lot at stake.

4/15 for $15 in Monroe Park

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As part of a larger, national “Tax Day” action, there is a protest for higher wages in Monroe Park this Wednesday. From the FaceBook page:

Working people are fed up with being treated, and paid, like we don’t matter. On April 15, we will stand side-by-side with other workers demanding $15 an hour, the right to form a union and the respect we all deserve.

Join Fast Food Workers with the Raise Up campaign and a coalition of supporting organizations and individuals on Wednesday April 15th, the day before Tax Day, at 5pm in Monroe Park to rally for a $15 dollar an hour living wage for Fast Food Workers!