The agenda for the June 2 meeting of the City Planning Commission has a few items of local interest:
UDC No. 2014-18 Final Location, Character and Extent review of a green alley connecting T and S Streets between N. 26th and N. 27th Streets.
Ord. No. 2014-119 To declare that a public necessity exists and to authorize the acquisition of certain fee simple interests and permanent easements on the parcels of real property located on 26th Street and 27th Street between S Street and T Street for the purpose of constructing an alley running between S Street and T Street in the block bounded by 26th Street, T Street, 27th Street, and S Street
Ord. No. 2014-120 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $501,190 from the Virginia Department of Transportation and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Capital Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Public Works’ TEA-21 Safety Improvements project in the Infrastructure Construction and Maintenance category by $501,190 for the purpose of funding the 25th Street and Nine Mile Road Roundabout project at 25th Street and Nine Mile Road.
10 comments
Tanner Smith Pilcher liked this on Facebook.
Awesome, I cannot wait for the roundabout at 25th and Nine Mile Road! It will go a long way toward improving that intersection.
The city just loves to put road obstructions at the oddest places. The most obvious place to put one, they won’t. It had one before and would work great today and that’s at Hermitage, Boulevard, and Westwood.
I’m curious if anyone has any facts/numbers on this – it seems like either there is a connection between the placement of roundabouts and subsequent development/redevelopment, or the city THINKS there is a connection between the two. Or am I crazy? For example, I think the roundabout at 25th/M/Jefferson makes that corner much more attractive, and possibly encourages drivers to actually slow down and notice the businesses there. Was any of the redevelopment/building rehabs there, for example. done both after and because of the roundabouts? Just curious
No more round abouts! Please! Please allocate the $501.190 to something else! Pay 15 teachers a good salary. Fix the roads. Buy us trash cans for EVERY bus stop. Hell, put up a shelter at all the shelter-less bus stops. Pay a couple of qualified people to be adminstrators at low performing schools. Fix the sidewalks. There are million better uses for that money.
Heather Lewis liked this on Facebook.
I agree edg.
@ edg and @ Cadeho – if infrastructure improvements bring new real estate investment, higher property values, and consequently higher tax rates (or if they lower maintenance and/or safety expenses), this may actually be a very good use of the money. But I’ve never seen any sort of explanation of the purpose of these changes or analysis of the long term outcomes. I’ve searched online but haven’t found anything specific to Richmond. Hence the questions in my previous post.
Sadly, stuff that is more dramatically visible sometimes has a better long term impact than routine maintenance…
…even though failing to maintain or improve everything else, cumulatively, may lead to poorer net outcomes
Does anyone have an update on this?