December 2, 2007
Show your support for the updated Downtown Master Plan
The first public hearing on the recently released updated Downtown Master Plan will be Monday, Dec.3rd at 6:30PM at the City Planning Commission meeting in the 5th floor conference room in City Hall. Backers of this vision of Richmond’s future are urging citizens to turn out to show their support for the plan.
I’ve received a few forwarded emails on this, here are slightly edited versions of the messages:
This is our strongest opportunity to speak out in favor of the 7 principles of the master plan. Developers, VCU and other state entities are opposed to the plan and they will be there with their big guns; this is OUR shot at taking back OUR city, to point out to the powers that be that this is the peoples’ vision for our city, a vision built out of committment and dedication. I was amazed at how many people showed up and participated in this process.
Bring a friend and be prepared to speak. It is our opportunity to let the leadership know our vision for our city. It is time that they hear from us how important the river and its natural beauty are to this city and that it is our historic buildings and urban landscape that make us special.
[...]
The City of Richmond released the updated Downtown Master Plan on Monday 11/17 during an informal work session of the Planning Commission. The Master Plan represents Richmond’s future, and we hope we can count on your assistance in getting it approved. Here’s what you can do to help:
- Take a look at the updated Master Plan online.
- Take note if you approve of any of the plan’s recommendations.
For example, the plan recommends a riverfront park along the James below Libby Hill Park in order to preserve the historic panoramic viewshed. The plan also stresses the value of our historic buildings in order to preserve the community character of “Virginia’s Downtown” (and supports the idea of an Architect of the Commonwealth state-level position to help make recommendations for state-owned structures). Other good ideas include a street tree campaign to increase Richmond’s tree canopy, as well as showcasing the James River and its environs as our “great, wet Central Park.” All of these ideas would contribute to a stronger, richer Downtown.
- If you’re in favor of particular elements of the plan (or the plan as a whole), please send an email message of support to Brooke Hardin in the City’s Community Development department at Brooke.Hardin@RichmondGov.com.
- If you are able to show your support in person, please attend the first public hearing on the plan at the City Planning Commission meeting on Monday, December 3, 2007 at 6:30 pm in the 5th floor conference room in City Hall.
The more participation, the better. Above all, remember that the vision presented here reflects what the consultants heard from the general public at the weeklong planning process in July of this year. This is still very much a draft, and your input is very important. Planning Commission — and the Richmond City Council — will want to hear from you.
met with Rachel Flynn on Friday and this is our strongest opportunity to speak out in favor of the 7 principles of the master plan. I can guarantee you that developers, VCU and other state entities are opposed to the plan and they will be there with their big guns. I can not support Cathy more in her plea for people to be at the public hearing before the Planning Commission. This is OUR shot at taking back OUR city. To point out to the powers that be that this is the peoples’ vision for our city. A vision built out of committment and dedication. I was amazaed at how many people showed up and participated in this process. It is time that they hear from us how important the river and its natural beauty are to this city and that it is our historic buildings and urban landscape that make us special. I for one am very tired of the future of our city being being determined by State agencies and big business and I think it is time to let the leaders know.
Bring a friend and be prepared to speak. It is our opportunity to let the leadership know our vision for our city. I am not usually a rable rouser and tend to work behind the scences but like the stadium a few years ago this is too vital to the future of our city to let go by without takind a position.
I’ll see you Monday,
Kim Chen
The plan has the proposed location of the Echo Harbor development blocked out as a park. This has the developer upset:
Another thing the proposed master plan repeatedly notes is that overhead utilities should be burried to enhace the streetscape. And, although the plan doesn’t apply to Church Hill per se, it would be nice to set a precedent that suggests that burrying power lines is an integral part of inner-city neigborhood revitalization. (Of course, I say this knowing full-well it will never happen.)
If you disagree with Echo Harbor and the over-development of the riverside, it is vital that you let the city know how you feel! The developers feel it is their right and duty to build these giant projects. It sounds like Richmond has spoken and we do not want the type of development that plagues Shortpump, Chesterfield, and Northern Va here downtown. Think of Alexandria - it is a beautiful but far over-developed area. There is very little public access to the Potomac.
Doesn’t the plan for Echo Harbor call for public access to the river via park-like or even canal walk-like landscaping? To me that seems like a compromise. EDG…I disagree with your use of Alexandria above. As a former resident, there is plenty of “access” to the Potomac. Half of the GW Parkway is parks along the water, not to mention the district side of the river is mostly park or public space from Georgetown through the national mall area.
Dave — The district is several miles away from Alexandria, to the point of being practically irrelevant to whether the residents of the neighborhood have access to the river. However, I disagree that Alexandria has been over-developed. Old Town Alexandria is and has always been a dense mixed-use area. The development of the area has been appropriate for that type of neighborhood.
I grew up in Alexandria, and really the only access is on the Parkway. There is hardly any access from the city.
The parks on the DC side are mainly marinas, as I remember, and I did not have a boat.
Anyway, hopefully a compromise can be reached because Echo Harbor is a much bigger development than many of us would like to see in that particular area.
I’m sorry the Ecco Harbor developers are upset it would be nice to see their enthusiasm channeled to a site that would offer more safety to the future residents of the condo. However, when they purchased the property they knew they would need a waiver from the city for emergency access roads. They never did have the right to build a building that that large at that site.
Archie bunker, I thought the same thing when I was reading through the Master Plan at Buzzy’s this weekend. When i was home in Chicago for the holidays, I walked down my friend’s street and thought, “This is exactly like the streets back in RVa, except that there are no power lines and the trees are tall, beautiful, and without those visible rips in the middle of the canopy.” It’s a psychological difference, as well.
I also thought it was interesting that the plan referenced Savannah. When I was there this fall, I thought how wonderful it would be if Richmond was also as “green” and walkable. Yes, the hills provide a deterrent, but that’s not the reason why I don’t think our city is as walkable as Savannah. There, you have all these parks and squares and huge trees, all these public spaces that invite people to stop along their way. These spaces are not necessarily destinations, as Libby Park or Brown Island, but are literally integrated into the normal movement of the city.
John Sarvay has a write-up of last night’s meeting.