Parking

On May 6, a Style Weekly article addressed an issue that plagues many cities.  The problem is parking.  The dense nature of cities and our reliance on the automobile is the cause of this problem.  In the article John Sanchez a Puerto Rican native who wishes to open a restaurant in Church Hill is struggling with the issue of parking.  Richmond city code requires that you must provide a parking space for every 100 sq. ft.  of building space to open a new restaurant.  Sanchez has scoured the proximate area for this space and has had difficulty acquiring it.  The city offered has offered to lease him parking in a nearby parking lot, but zoning officials claimed this was against the zoning policy of this lot and declined it.  For a city and downtown area that is wishing to revitalize this seems counterproductive.  Shouldn’t the city be bending over backwards to bring people downtown without relying on an entrepreneurial restaurant owner who will bring interest and taxes to the city.  Not that the city should be devoting all their time to increasing automobile access to the city, on the contrary I think a system of light rail to bring people from outer areas into the city where they are able to rent or be driven by cab drivers in eco-friendly vehicles would be great.  Richmond has some scattered ground level parking on previously empty lots and multi-level parking structures  mostly offered by large private institutions.  While it provides necessary parking there is a problem within, why are there empty lots downtown?  Some of these lots have come in place of demolished older structures.  In an economically thriving downtown the market should demand more than this.  Parking could be made available at the street level with offices or other structure above or some parking and some street front retail on the first floor so as not to make a dead street front.  My preference would be to look past the immediate economic cost and to take parking underground.  Parking will continue to plague Richmond until the transportation issue is addressed, but it should be the responsibility of the city not small business owners.

 

8th and 9th St. Office Buildings

On the evening of April 11^th, I attended a forum on the state’s plans for an office complex at the 8^th and 9^th St. office buildings.  In planning the construction and renovation of this site the state has utilized a lot of input from citizens and select members of Richmond organizations. People from the states Department of General Services, the APVA, Historic Richmond Foundation, ACORN, Venture Richmond, Capitol Sq. Preservation Council, Department of Historic Resources, and the City of Richmond aided the local architects, Commonwealth Architects, and the national architects, Perkins + Will, in the design process.

Through using the input of citizens with experience in the field and the future of
Richmond in their minds, the architects were able to work around many of the controversial issues.  The 8^th and 9^th St. buildings are approximately 100 years old and are historic landmarks.  Unfortunately, the 8^th St. building, originally The Murphy Hotel, has become a victim of demolition by neglect.  8^th St. will be torn down and 9^th St. will be totally renovated.  In respect to the old building, it will be recycled and materials salvaged for the new one.  This also helps in efforts to gain LEED silver certification for the future building.

While this will be a modern building it will respect surrounding buildings in terms of elevation.  The design of these buildings will correspond with plans for the whole Capitol Square area, which aim to increase access, walkability, and connection with the rest of the city.  Bank
St. will be made two-way and more pedestrian friendly and 14^th St. will be reopened to all traffic.

Other points of interest from the forum:

1.                            Historic St. Peter’s Church will be at risk during the construction, but many precautions are being taken to avoid all risk to the building.  Where necessary repairs and reinforcements will be made on St. Peter’s.

2.                            The APVA recommended to the state that reports be conducted of all buildings so that unnecessary demolition will not occur in the future.

3.                            The VA State Capitol has been nominated as a potential World Heritage site.

4.                            Concern was expressed about the demolition of 8^th St. before the state allocates funds for the new construction.

 

Battery Park Greenfield Space

In an article featured last Thursday on Richmond.com, Mayor Wilder spoke from the neighborhood of Battery Park about the city’s plans for expanding the green space in the neighborhood. The city began clearing (what will end up being eight) properties last Wednesday to begin the process. Wilder said that these properties had been left uninhabitable and would be cleared to make room for a new community center and a public park in the area.

“The phase of the Battery Park revitalization that we’re involved with now reminds many of us of areas around the country that have not been as fortunate as we have been in terms of addressing the needs of the people,” the mayor said, refering to Katrina efforts on the Gulf Coast.

Due to Battery Park’s amount of flood-prone property, the city has also begun construction of a $30 million sewer tunnel that will bypass a landfill that the old sewer tunnel crossed through. Wilder said “the project has been given the green-light by both FEMA and the state.”

The city apparently paid pre-flood market price for the properties, equalling at least $4 million additional dollars. It is important to the city that the residents are happy, and “beginning in May, the city’s department of parks and recreation will conduct public forums to solicit input from neighborhood resident on what to do specifically with the land (as the community center and public park are only two of the possibilities).”

 

Smart growth for Richmond?

This week I spoke with Adele MacLean, Regional Coordinator of Partnership for Smarter Growth. This local nonprofit “is a grassroots effort to disseminate information, promote advocacy, and provide an educational forum to address issues of growth and development, land use patterns, and transportation issues in
Central Virginia.” Founded in 2004, this organization is still very young and working to build capacity and partnerships with local communities. Using the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Coalition for Smarter Growth of Washington D.C. as models, Adele discussed in our interview how PSG is striving to focus its mission and programming in the
Richmond region to 9 localities most affected by growth issues. PSG aims to give citizens a voice and is actively recruiting volunteers and groups interested in smart growth to get involved. Civic participation and awareness of local issues are major aspects of PSG’s approach to spreading the message about smarter growth practices. As a regional organization, PSG consistently must consistently confront and emphasize the need for interdependence as a region in issues of housing and commercial development and transportation. When asked about the challenges faced by the movement to promote smart growth, Adele emphasized how the complexity of the issue makes presenting arguments and problems with clear solutions difficult. This also prevents substantial media attention because of the lack of quick sound-bytes to readily attract attention to an organization addressing problems facing the region, individuals and even the nation.

 

Currently, Adele and the Board of Representatives for PSG have a number of goals to direct the organization to raise awareness of the impacts of retail and residential development on the environment, on state and local governments and on individual lifestyles. As stated before, increasing local organizing and strengthening partnerships with existing groups to help spread the message of PSG by holding information sessions and forum discussions. PSG is also focusing on improving its media attention and online communications through its e-newsletter which provides a calendar of events, pending city and county development issues, legislative updates and information about getting involved with PSG. Their website http://www.valcvef.org/partnership/index.html provides information to contact Adele about receiving the newsletter or getting involved in a variety of ways. PSG is now preparing for a major fundraising event: PSG “Greater Richmond Then and Now” Art/Photo Auction at Art Works from 6 to 9 p.m. on June 7 so mark your calendars and visit the website to find out more!

 

Oregon Hill fights VCU plan

Today’s Times-Dispatch Metro section cover showed how citizen groups can join together to fight larger institutions and the government to preserve community. VCU has been expanding in nearly all directions from its original campus for the past twenty years. In the early 1990’s VCU chose to expand north to Broad Street, rather than expanding into the established working class community of Oregon Hill. With their new expansion across Belvidere under construction, VCU again has its sights set on Oregon Hill. Oregon Hill, a community divided by the expressway, is a community which prides itself on its historic spaces and small community. The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association is now opposing VCU’s proposed plan to demolish two 19th-century stables to build a new, three story, $50 million recreation center on Cary Street. The residents want to preserve what cohesiveness and historical sites their community has left and they are joining together to oppose VCU’s plans.

There is doubt over the potential effects of the size of the structure and how much traffic it will bring, but the Neighborhood Association does recognize the need for VCU to expand their gym by student demand. But the prime concern of community members continues to be preserving the historic stables area. VCU is still in negotiations with Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association and has also offered to provide very discounted gym memberships for community members as well as a tennis-mentoring program for Oregon Hill youths sponsored by Genworth Financial. These efforts show the give and take of how this land will be used and that VCU is attempting to maintain the peace of their relationship from the early 1990s.

This example illustrates how urban communities can organize to show their priorities and hold larger institutions to their commitments and challenge land use. Though this is a dense, urban community with a history of fighting for their land, it is important to recognize that larger, less cohesive communities are just as capable of voicing their opinions and standing up for how land in their areas is developed. In fact, it may only be through citizen activism and participation that sprawling development into rural areas will begin to slow. The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association is representative of the civic participation necessary for communities to engage in.

Check out the article in April 9th’s RTD Metro section or online:

http://timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173350638266&path=%21news&s=1045855934842

 

Virginia Housing Policy

The Brookings Institution’s Robert Puentes recently spoke at the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference in Norfolk, arguing that housing policy should be connected to economic competitiveness, racial and class disparities, and land-use. Hsi remarks are relevant for Richmond Metro residents, Virginia citizens, as well as all U.S. citizens.

Take a look at what he had to say here (pdf).

 

Hanover County’s Proposed Land-Use Plan

          The vote onHanover
County’s proposed land-use plan, which includes smart growth and conservation measures, was delayed till next week.  The plan drafted by private consultants has proved to be quite controversial, as was evident by the 900 people that showed up for the public hearing.  Most of the dissenters came from the Town of
Ashland who believe the plan will disrupt their existing land-use plan, especially in regard to increased traffic flow.  Other qualms had to do with a proposed business park, Interstate 95 interchange, and of course “sprawl”. 

Although my opinion comes without personally reading the plan, I believe these residents’ arguments are flawed.  I believe the new plan is a breakthrough in land-use planning that should be used in counties around
Virginia.  In many similar places (I-95 corridor), a plan like this would be destroyed by home builders and commercial land developers.  The plan utilizes a smart growth approach and certainly is not sprawl.      

Rather than sprawl the plan prescribes increased density in already suburban areas and the preservation of 70% of the county as rural for the NEXT 50 YEARS.  While
Ashland does increase its suburban service area in the plan by 15,000 acres, the county plans to place 40,000 acres under rural conservation protection.  Ashland residents complain that the increased density will increase traffic flow at one juncture and then worry over the loss of traffic flow if the I-95 interchange were to go in between
Ashland and Doswell.  I will attempt to do some more research on this plan and get back to ya’ll with next weeks vote results

 

The City of Richmond…on track when it comes to development

            Last Wednesday, March 14th, I attended the Annual Downtown Development Forum.  This event is put on by Venture Richmond, an organization that works with business and community leaders as well as the City to promote
Richmond through economic development, marketing, promotion, advocacy and events.

            The event was truly inspiring and showed a lot of promise for
Richmond.  Many of our classes focus on the detrimental effects of certain types of development and how the vibrancy of downtown areas and cities is being lost to strip malls and cul-de-sacs.  In
Richmond it seems that developers, businesses, restaurateurs, and educators have full faith in the potential of downtown as a densely inhabited location where people eat, sleep, work, and play.  This is seen through the sheer amount of construction and investment going on in the city.  Fortunately, much of this development falls under the definition of smart growth and some of the latest trends in this type of development can be witnessed right here in Richmond.  I will summarize some of the most interesting projects for you here:

 

VCU –Virginia
Commonwealth
University currently has $1 billion of construction in progress.  They are renovating what used to be the First Baptist Church into a student commons, their new Nursing school opens this week, they are opening a 2^nd medical science research lab (they are currently receiving $210 million in research funding), the Critical Care Unit of MCV expansion is almost complete, work on the Monroe Park Campus (their new Engineering and Business school) will be complete this December, they are renovating their AdCenter.

            Some interesting land use points within the VCU construction are the construction of residential and parking units within their new schools, the inclusion of national chain restaurants within the newMonroe
Park campus, and a direct output of cars from a parking garage onto the expressway.

Virginia
Bio-Tech
Park – Two new sites under construction BiotTech 8 and 9 could potentially bring 2,500 new jobs to
Richmond.  BioTech 8 will be a wet lab capable research building and will be built to LEED certification.

Virginia Performing Arts Foundation – is undertaking a $65 million expansion and renovation of theCarpenter
Center in a project called CenterStage.

The Virginia Capital Trail – An interesting project to connect the cities of Richmond, Jamestown, and
Williamsburg with a mixed-use trail has been started with the Governor’s approval.

 

Jackson Ward – The neighborhood of Jackson Ward is seeing growth with the construction of many new condos.  One building sought and received Historic Tax Credits for its construction because of its significance in the civil rights movement.  Jackson Ward is marketing itself as “
Richmond’s Oldest and Newest Cosmopolitan Neighborhood”.

 

Old Manchester District – Developers Robin Miller and Dan Gecker plan to develop the 30 acres they hold in the Old Manchester District with New Urbanist zoning principles in mind.

 

Plant Zero – Just across the

14^th St.

bridge development in strong in this old industrial warehouse area.  This area, just outside of downtown, has attracted a law firm and real estate agency to complement the existing creative art spaces and condominiums.  New Market Tax Credits were used in its construction, the first time these credits have been used in
Central Va.

Infill Development – Many of the apartment, condominium, and restaurant projects under construction downtown are examples of infill development and are utilizing existing structures.  Notable building sites include:  Mother Hubbard’s Bakery, the Lucky Strike Building, Tobacco Row, and the Dill Factory. 

Green Building– One developer has 8 Eco-Flats underway on Brook Rd.  They are apartments geared towards students and are LEED certified.

MeadWestVaco – headquarters to be complete in ’09 at Foundry Park.

Federal Courts Building – complete in ‘08

Miller and Rhoads Hilton Hotel – parking issues are being resolved and construction should commence soon.

 

Capitol Renovations – should be complete in May

 

            All of this construction and development is great for the city.  However I do have one concern, of the units constructed an inordinate amount are high end/upper income level apartments.  Some developers are working on specifically student and work force affordable housing, but not enough.  Hopefully,
Richmond’s popularity will continue to grow and attract more employers so that all of these residential units will be bought and the downtown community will continue to be strengthened.  

 

Who is really driving?

Richmond Magazine’s March featured article, “Who’s Really Driving?” by Jack Cooksey and Bill Farrar discusses where the burden of unchecked development in the Richmond region falls. The piece reflects on how families already living in suburbs are feeling the effects of increased suburban development and road-building, while not reaping the benefits. Are developers, businesses and road-builders the ones in control of the region’s future? The article argues in favor of this, expressing how Richmond region citizens feel a lack of control and lack a vessel to express their concerns about the developments occurring in their communities. The “tug-of-war” between state and county governments over transportation funding escalates the frustration of residents of older suburbs who use the deteriorating roads. Shelly Schuetz questioned the way the county had handled school and road-building and dealt with the increasing Chesterfield County population. At a recent discussion with local leaders regarding road-building funding, Schuetz expressed her concern over individuals already living in Chesterfield having to bear the tax burden of the new developments and roads. The growth occurring in Chesterfield County is not a new issue, but the growth has begun to spread into its rural, undeveloped areas in the Matoaca district, which is what has created the need for new services, infrastructure and roadbuilding. In many ways, it is up to the citizens to show their concern and disapproval of increased development in their county and present more viable solutions to solicit a response.

 

 

Rethink Suburbia: check out Style Weekly’s cover story

As the first of Style Weekly’s four part series on Richmond’s changing regional landscape Chris Dovi and Scott Bass wrote a comprehensive article covering the discrepancies between schools, housing and income in different parts of Richmond’s surrounding counties.

http://www.styleweekly.com/cover-stories.asp covers how the older suburbs of Richmond are becoming plagued by issues formerly thought to be “inner-city” problems such as an increase in violent crime, filthy & deteriorated housing, a higher immigrant population with more need for translation services and higher poverty rates. I think the facts and trends discussed in this article show that many may still believe that prosperity comes with moving to the suburbs, but it is not necessarily true. There may be less taxes but suburbs are as diverse as cities are, with gated communities and poverty-stricken neighborhoods within the same few miles of land. I think this is an important article for people new, or unfamiliar with the Richmond metropolitan region to read to learn about the changes the suburbs and city have seen and I look forward to the rest of the four-part series.