Category Archives: parks

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.

It’s Back: VCU Marks Territory

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The sign is back.

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From neighbor Todd Woodson:

Sad to report, as of Monday, nov 4, 2013, VCU has reinstalled this huge way faring sign at w main and Belvidere, obstructing sight lines through Richmonds oldest and most historic city park. This arrogant move serves as a prelude to the proposed turnover of this beautiful sylvan asset, which belongs to the citizenry of Richmond. Please contact your city council representative if you disapprove.

Halloween Bike Parade Friday

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From the FaceBook event page:

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Come one come all on Friday October 25th to a Halloween Bike Parade!
Critical Mass/ bike parades are typically on the last Friday of every month.
5pm meet up in Monroe Park near the fountain. The ride will leave at 6pm!
Costumes encouraged as long as they aren’t the racist/sexist variety or other oppressive costumes.

Bring music, signs, kids, etc. To celebrate bikes and Halloween!
The ride will be a group ride and we will try to stick together- its no race!

Correspondent of the Day: Renovate Monroe Park carefully

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Oregon Hill neighbor had the Letter of the Day in the Times Dispatch this morning:

Renovate Monroe Park carefully

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Monroe Park is Richmond’s first and most historic municipal park. Once the site of an agricultural fairground, the city’s first baseball games and concerts by Bruce Springsteen and Jerry Lee Lewis, the city’s upcoming $6.2 million historically sensitive renovation is cause for jubilation as the park has fallen into deep disrepair.

As we improve the physical aspects of Monroe Park, let’s not forget its essence which should also be preserved and celebrated. As a forum for free speech over the years, the grounds have echoed with voices supporting civil rights, reasonable gun control, anti-war sentiment and other just causes.

Its beautiful old-growth trees have shaded generations of Richmonders and deserve protection, care and augmentation to re-establish the lush greenery of its historic era circa 1900. A conservation easement such as the one placed on James River Park is strongly advised to define that protection.

The park also needs a zero impact policy with enforcement regarding bringing large amounts of trash in for feedings, etc. Too often groups come in and leave huge amounts of garbage on the ground, which eventually gets blown by the wind into surrounding neighborhoods. It should be a group’s responsibility to remove what it brings into the park. The city must step up, enforce these rules and provide requisite supervision. Richmond Parks Division simply can’t cover this job.

What the park doesn’t need is to be transferred via lease to a third party, establishing VCU as the operating agency. This could destroy its essence as a free gathering space and homogenize it into something very different. Monroe Park is not Maymont; it is a 7.5-acre green space well within the city’s capacity to manage.

The renovated Monroe Park should welcome all residents, students and visitors with open arms. It can truly be Richmond’s gem.

C. Todd Woodson. Richmond.

(ed. note: This letter comes after VCU recently placed a metal billboard sign up in Monroe Park but then removed it after the City declared it illegal. There is another controversial VCU sign at the corner of Belvidere and Cumberland that has not been acted on yet.)

Plans for Zip Lines Across James River

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Last night at the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting, most of the discussion was about Venture Richmond forcing a 10,000 person theater upon the neighborhood, with no restrictions.

There was also a short presentation by Kern Smith on a business plan to put zip lines across the James River in several places, including a site near the Lee Bridge on Oregon Hill’s side. It remains to be seen if this will be considered an acceptable use under the James River Park Conservation Easement.

Here is a video of a zip line, similar to what is being proposed, in action in San Francisco: