Category Archives: parks

Monroe Park VCU Sign Removed (Again)

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This is all that’s left, after all the earlier controversy (see here, here, here, here, and here.

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There is speculation that this is in anticipation of more controversy in regard to Monroe Park.

City Council’s Land Use Committee will hear the presentation for the proposed Monroe Park lease on Tuesday, in Council chambers in City Hall at 3PM.

Since the proposed Monroe Park lease is for more than 5 years, according to City code, it must be advertised for bids 2 weeks before going to City Council for vote. It is scheduled for Council on February 24 yet no ads have been out. A FOIA request by a neighbor revealed the ads would run on Feb 27, 3 days after it was scheduled for a vote. It’s unclear how this will be resolved.

The 5th district meeting that was cancelled on Feb. 12 due to inclement weather has been rescheduled for Feb 20th. The proposed Monroe Park lease plan will be presented then- 6:30 at the Byrd Park roundhouse.

Community Discussions On Monroe Park and Idlewood Traffic Tomorrow Evening

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If you didn’t catch Friday’s Open Source RVA on 97.3 FM and http://wrir.org/, check out the podcast! Oregon Hill neighbor Charles Woodson of the Monroe Park Advisory Council talks about a controversial lease agreement that would give Richmond’s oldest park over to a private conservancy.

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This should be required listening prior to attending the “Community Conversation” happening tomorrow evening at 6 pm at the Nile.

Join us as we collaborate with Richmond Magazine, TMI Consulting Inc., the Future of Richmond’s Past and local restaurants to offer our next series of “Community Conversations.” Each month we will discuss a locale in the city spanning from Shockoe Bottom to the Boulevard. Attendees will participate in a discussion with Harry Kollatz, Jr., senior writer with Richmond Magazine and author of two books on Richmond history: Richmond Ragtime and True Richmond Stories, who will facilitate a conversation on the significant events and changes that have occured in Monroe Park over time. By the end of the evening attendees will have a comprehensive view of the history of Monroe Park and how it has become the locality that we see today.

I know some neighbors will be missing this due to a conflicting meeting about the Idlewood roundabout project at the Randolph Community Center.

From Councilperson Parker Agelasto’s newsletter:

At 7:30 pm, the City’s Traffic Engineer, Tom Flynn, along with consultants from Kimley-Horn and Associates will meet with a task force of Randolph and Oregon Hill residents to discuss the problems and solutions in crafting a design for the a proposed roundabout along Idlewood Avenue.

The proposed roundabout has been a recommendation of the City Traffic Engineer with the City for about 10 years and was codified in the long-range Richmond Connects Multimodal Transportation Plan. In 2012, this had a series of public work sessions to make recommendations and included several modifications in March 2013 before being finalized in July 2013. The complete document is available at www.yesrichmondva.com/sites/default/files/documents/RichmondConnects.pdf.

The roundabout project was spearheaded by a coalition from Oregon Hill, William Byrd Community House, Byrd House Market, St. Andrew’s School, St. Andrew’s Church, and VCU. Due to the nature of the Downtown Expressway exit ramp and the traffic intersection at S. Cherry Street, this section of Idlewood Avenue is dangerous and poses a safety concern. VCU offered to contribute half of the cost of the project if the City contributed the remainder. These funds are currently in the budget and the City leveraged its share to receive matching funds from the State (meaning the City’s cost is only 1/4 of the entire project). That said, the concept is fully funded and a consultant has been hired to begin the design process with public input.

Idlewood-traffic-circle-proposal

“City Council may rule on fate of park foliage”

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On March 8, 1991, an article appeared in the Times-Dispatch.

VCU plan to remove 37 trees from Monroe Park 3-8-91

The article was about how VCU was trying to get control of the maintenance of Monroe Park and had a plan to cut down 37 of the mature trees. VCU said that the trees were “improperly placed, damaged, dangerous and add nothing to the function or aesthetics of the park,” and stated that removal of the trees would, “make the park safer.”

Fortunately this maintenance agreement was not approved in 1991 because of neighborhood objections, but if the newly proposed lease is approved, VCU would be in charge of the maintenance of the trees and would be given carte blanche to remove as many trees as it wanted without any recourse. Most of the trees that were slated to be removed in 1991 are still in the park, and there is no reason to think that VCU would not again want them removed, “to make the park safer.”

As a result of VCU’s attempt to remove 20% of the mature trees in Monroe Park in 1991, the Monroe Park Advisory Council was established with neighborhood representation from Oregon Hill, the Fan, and Carver. The proposed Monroe Park Conservancy has NO neighborhood representation, but includes four VCU administrators, and four city administrators.

Monroe Park Lease Proposal

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Click here to download a Monroe Park Ordinance and Lease.
This will most likely not get voted on by City Council anytime soon. But it could provide an interesting discussion point at the ‘Community Conversation on Monroe Park’ next Tuesday at the Nile Restaurant.

As one neighbor remarked,

This lease is a pretty outrageous document! I am just flabbergasted that the City Council would consider such an arrangement:

The Mayor is given the authority to appoint one-third of the board, and the administration is given the authority to approve any changes to the planned improvements.

The Tenant (Monroe Park Conservancy) pays only $1 annual rent, and pays no real estate taxes.
The Tenant shall establish polices of the use of the park, subject to approval of Richmond’s Chief Administrative Officer.

The Landlord (the City) pays for any damages to the park.
The Landlord, with VCU, pays for all police and security.
The Landlord at no charge supplies all gas, water, electricity, sewer, and storm water expenses.
The Landlord is responsible for repairing and replacing all structural elements.

City Schedules Three Land Use Meetings on Same Day (TOMORROW!)

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With a nod to the City Hall Review:

City of Richmond
January 21, 2014
1:30pm – Planning Commission Meeting
3:00pm – Land Use Standing Committee Meeting
7:00pm – Richmond Riverfront Plan Projects Public Forum

Also, from Fans of Monroe Park Facebook Page:

On Tuesday, January 21, 2014, Alice Massie, president of the Monroe Park Conservancy, will make a presentation to Richmond’s Land Use Committee at 3PM. This is the first step in turning the park over to this private entity. There is a public comment period. This will take place at city Hall, 2nd floor council chambers.

Click here for previous post on Monroe Park privatization.

Also note how the Riverfront Plan Public Forum will happen AFTER Venture Richmond’s Tredegar Green amphitheater plan goes to the Planning Commission.

Monroe Park Privatization FAQ

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1.) Who makes up the Monroe Park Conservancy?

A: The Executive Board includes private individuals, city officials and VCU officials.

The Monroe Park Conservancy is registered with the SCC. It is (SCC Id #07366511) and they list Mayor Jones as being one of the board members.

Alice Massie
John Bates III
Mark Dray
Christopher Beschler
Suzette Denslow
David Hicks
Thomas Huff
Dwight Jones
Brian Ohlinger
Robert Scott Ukrop

2.) Will the public still be able to freely hold public events in the Park?

A. The Conservancy will establish a list of “acceptable activities” in the park. If you qualify under their policy, you may apply for a permit which costs $35 per event/activity.

3.) Did the MPC come up with the renovation master plan?

A.) No, although both Alice Massie and Brian Ohlinger (VCU) were on the Monroe Park Advisory Council (which did).

4.) Will the Conservancy be responsible for property taxes during the 30 year $1 per annum lease?

A. No. Originally the Mayor wanted them to but acquiesced to no property tax payments.

5.) Then who will get the rent (possibly $100,000.00 or more per year) for the restaurant/cafe in the Checkers House?

A. The Monroe Park Conservancy.

6.) Who will do the daily management/maintenance of the Park?

A. Ms Massie stated this was unknown although she mentioned Venture Richmond as a possibility as manager. Currently, VCU does a very poor job of maintaining the Park. Ms Massie also mentioned the City might maintain the Park and provide the budget.

7.) Who will pay for the management and maintenance of the Park?

A. This $100,000 + budget would be the responsibility of MPC although Ms Massie mentioned possibility of using city funding and labor.

8.) Why can’t the city manage the Park?

A. The City has the resources and manpower to do just that. The question is “Why wont it?”.

9.) Then what benefit is there to turning over the Park to MPC other than excluding unwanted activities/park users?

A. The Foundation is a non-profit 501c3 which would allow tax benefits for corporate/public donors. They have offered to raise $3 million dollars to add to the $3 million the city has already budgeted.

10.) Isn’t there already a Foundation that could provide those tax benefits?

A. Yes. Enrichmond is a non profit that could do just that.

11.) Will the trees and other Park resources be protected if the Park is leased?

A. Not without a conservation easement.

12.) Who is the patron of the city legislation allowing this lease?

A. Both 2nd District representative and Council president Charles Samuels and Mayor Jones are co-patrons.

SQUIRRELS!

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Next time you see a squirrel in Monroe Park, you might want to consider their origin. A new paper in the Journal of American History covers The Urbanization of the Eastern Gray Squirrel in the United States:

The urbanization of the gray squirrel in the United States between the mid-nineteenth century and the early twentieth century was an ecological and cultural process that changed the squirrels’ ways of life, altered the urban landscape, and adjusted human understandings of nature, the city, and the boundaries of community.
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Given the present ubiquity of gray squirrels, it may be difficult to believe that they have not always been common in American cities. In fact, they seem to have been entirely absent during the first half of the nineteenth century. The lack of systematic surveys before the twentieth century hinders estimates of the size of historical squirrel populations, which can fluctuate dramatically from year to year depending on food supplies, weather conditions, and other factors.

Belle Island Moonshine

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Richmond Bizsense.com has an interesting article on a new ‘craft distillery’ that is named after our beautiful island park, Belle Island.

An excerpt:

Production in Chicago, however, is only temporary. The team hopes to open a Richmond distillery in early 2014 and is close to signing a lease. They would not divulge an exact location but said they would like to set up their stills in Manchester.

“We want to have that river view, the city skyline – that’s where we want to be,” Wotring said.

The company’s founders would not disclose how much of an initial investment would be required to open the moonshine factory but said they recently brought private investors into the business. Marks, Wotring and Riggi plan to maintain their current businesses after launching their planned distillery.

About 30 area bars have picked up Belle Isle Moonshine, and 50 cases are set to ship this week to the ABC warehouse on Hermitage Road.