Council approves redevelopment of old Chimborazo Elementary
The council voted 7-1 to support developer Margaret Freund’s proposal for the vacant school at 310 N. 33rd St.
The council voted 7-1 to support developer Margaret Freund’s proposal for the vacant school at 310 N. 33rd St.
I’m all for rehabbing empty buildings, I’m just not happy that there will be so many units. I’m also concerned about trash and noise.
(This property is behind my house).
Thanks for letting me know…I wouldn’t have, otherwise.
I guess we just have to hope for the best.
“Despite objections from residents of Church Hill and city planners, the Richmond City Council approved Monday a plan to convert Chimborazo School into 50 apartments.
The council voted 7-1 to support developer Margaret Freund’s proposal for the vacant school at 310 N. 33rd St.
Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille, whose 7th District includes Church Hill, said she believes that the developer had addressed neighborhood concerns about parking and the number of apartments. She urged her colleagues to support the development, noting that the city’s planning staff had indicated it could support 44 units, six fewer than proposed.
However, neighborhood residents disagreed and urged council members to focus on the densities that they had endorsed for the property last year in a mass rezoning of Church Hill.”
Once again, Council approves something the neighbors and even the planning commission didn’t want to see done. I have to wonder what they are getting out of this.
Yeah, City Council cares more about developers and their deep pockets than regular citizens.
On the other side of the City, Marty Jewell is totally open about his vote being for sale.
He is always talking about how great civic associations are, but he will not listen if he thinks there is a campaign donation at stake.
For example, despite years of requests from the neighborhood association, and work by the City’s Community Development, Marty still does not support an urban business rezoning for Cary Street near Belvidere.
Good question post person #2. What do council members get? Well I know immediately before the city council voted to overturn CAR’s non-endorsement of Oakwood Heights, another Fulton Hill Properties item. Maggie Freund’s company, Fulton Hill Properties) cut a $1000 donation to Deloris McQ, who had just left City Council. Shortly after the company donated $500 to Charles Samuels and $500 to Rev. Jones.
Check it at: http://www.vpap.org/donors/profile/index/155964.
Deloris wrote or had drafted a letter that she sent personally to each councilperson commenting that the Oakwood Heights project should go forward. She also told her lackey Cynthia Newbill to go against the community wishes and against the neighbors’ wishes and to endorse the Oakwood Heights project. Which she dutifully did. J.J. Minor, the son of Deloris, even brought people in to the council meeting to stand in favor of the project. When I asked one of the pro Oakwood Heights people carrying a sign in the council chambers why he was in favor of the project his response was” JJ asked me to come to this meeting. Then he picked me up and brought me here.” This gentle lad had no idea what was going on. So on the surface it appears Council members get money and people that can rally support for their cause or candidate of choice. Long live financial and political influence. It allows the robber barons to retain control of our city.
I have always believe and will continue to that McQuinn (and her rotten little son), Jones, and Newbille are all worthless. They don’t listen to the citizens that elected them and do what they please (often to line their pockets). All of ‘em ROTTEN TO THE CORE!
First of all, I love Church Hill and want to see the area continue to improve and also appreciate those who “fight the good fight” with respect to boarded up homes, slumlords, etc. This is not one of those situations. I think renovating and converting this historic building into apartments is a great idea. It’s certainly better than having it sit empty like so many other lots and properties in the area.
* Change by definition is not a bad thing
* Blight is not something worthy of preserving
* Population density in an urban area is a good thing
matt
i am all for population density, but who in their right mind is going to pay 700 bucks for a tiny efficiency in this neighborhood (tiny as in under 400 square feet). That is a small space for a decent amount of money. Just don’t see it happening. waiting for a disaster. glad i don’t live near this project, sorry for the neighbors that do.
Matt,
* Change by definition is not a bad thing
I completely agree with you. In fact, I’m all for change.
* Blight is not something worthy of preserving
We can agree on this as well. Blight is horrible in Church Hill and I would like to see it eliminated.
* Population density in an urban area is a good thing
Agreed to a point. Density is a good thing but done well.
50 apartments in this building is way too many. 50 additional cars in this area? Only 5 parking spaces at the location and more a block and a half away? Not good for current residents and homeowners. 50 TINY apartments that will probably end up being section 8 as no reasonable person will spend $700+ a month on a shoe box?
No…NOT a good idea!
@ #6, thanks, Matt – I agree with you!
Just to balance out the conversation based on previous comments, I, for one, support our City Councilwoman. I think she’s done a great job during her first term. She’s smart, very well-spoken, easily approachable, and works very hard to understand the issues. Her decisions aren’t going to please everyone all the time, but I think she has the best of intentions for the 7th District’s future. We’re fortunate to have her represent us in my opinion.
More on last night’s council meeting at RVA News: City Council recap: zoning in Church Hill & Library funding
Post #9 I agree Cynthia is smart and well spoken. She has been more approachable than our past 7D council members. None of those things detract from the fact she does follow the instruction of Deloris McQ and Henry Marsh. It will be great when someone not under the M&M’s control or subject to their biases is in the Seventh seat.
Would it have been that hard to revise the plans to include only 44 apartments, meeting the city planning department’s recommendation? I’m sure the developer knows more about things than the city planning department, but it would be nice to appease the simpletons that have built this city. Surely then the neighborhood would have less objections? Although I get the feeling that many neighbors would say 44 is still way too many.
Is it too late to ask the developer to at least follow that planning department recommendation? Or once City Council gives the nod there’s no going back?
#9:
Easily approachable? I’ve sent her e-mails before. Unanswered. Called her. No return call. I guess we’ll have a agree to disagree on her “approachableness.”
#11,
I couldn’t agree more. She is their puppet.
@Magneto, I’m with you. Councilwoman Newbille convinced me that she does what she honestly believes is best for the district when she supported an Old and Historic District for Union Hill in her first few weeks in office. It wasn’t an easy choice, and Delores McQuinn would never have stuck her neck out that way. The same goes for Henry Marsh. It was far easier to support the historic districts that came before Union Hill.
Reasonable minds might be able to disagree on this development, but no one should question Newbille’s motivations.
I have heard rumors that she still does not really live in the district. I know she had to rent a property from Delores McQuinn right before the filing deadline in order to claim to be a city resident. I wonder if she sleeps in her Herico home more than in city.
And, facts are facts, twice the city council has voted to allow this developer make a mockery of existing zoning laws. And, if I read the minutse of the council meeting correctly, they overturned zoning on a fulton hill project too.
Drive around Church Hill. look at the cinderblock buildings dumped between old houses. That is what this type of approval leads too. Slipshod development.
This developer actually has a demonstrated history of very high quality construction and renovation. It’s really a stretch to blame 1960s and 70s slipshod concrete bunkers on her. Those bunkers, by the way, are still probably by-right under most of the area’s zoning; it is only the CAR rules that would have an effect on their design.
As to making a mockery of zoning laws, how can anyone have an expectation that the zoning designation will stay the same for any given parcel when the City itself rezones whole neighborhoods every ten years with whatever zoning trend is then current?
The cinder-block buildings were from the 60′s and 70′s, and not recent construction-hardly a good analogy.
One bedrooms in the bottom are going for about $1.65-$1.75/SF so the $700 is about on target.
You all are a bunch of racist and you will continue to be what your sorry ancestors instilled in you.Thats the way you do it.Lets make a racist burger for dinner with a racist drink.Oh by the way for desert,i would like a racist cheesecake from your racist ancestors.
Ummm Sharon,
Clearly YOU’RE the racist one here. I don’t see where anyone made any statement about race above. That’s right…pull that race card out and play it for all it’s worth! It’s a damn apartment development for Christ sake! I can only assume you’re black and hence if anyone white complains about something it’s racist in your eyes. Enjoy your racist meal!
@ #13 – I think I have an idea who you are based on comments you’ve made in the past. We’ve not been formally introduced, but that’s beside the point. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but the reason I’m saying this is that I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at any of Cynthia’s 7th District constituent meetings, which she usually holds on a monthly basis – making her easily approachable (in my opinion). Emails and phone calls are great, but if you really want to increase your chances of getting a response, at least try airing your concerns at one of the meetings, the next of which is Tuesday 3/22 at 6:30 PM at the Robinson Theater. It would be impossible for Cynthia to respond to every email and phone call she received since there are so many of us in the District. I can’t make any promises, but I think the chances of your concerns being addressed would be that much greater. It’s kind of like “the squeaky wheel gets the oil.”
Magneto,
No offense taken at all. I just find it strange, though, that I’ve had the need to e-mail and/or call other members of counsel and always seem to get a response from them yet Newbille (or one of her staffers) can’t seem to respond. I have no need to address her right now but perhaps in the future I’ll give your suggestion a try. Thanks nonetheless for the info!
Just an FYI…the square footages being mentioned typically are not including the loft spaces of the majority of these apartments (i.e. the 388sf apt also has a 170sf loft for a total of 558sf of livable space). Plus this developer has done a great job with past projects (i.e. Canal Crossing, Lady Bird Hat Factory, etc.)
#15 She lives in the Fulton Hill School building that she renovated. It may or may not be in the City proper.
The Fulton Hill School building is in the City of Richmond.
I think the earlier question about residency refers to Cynthia Newbille, though, and not to Maggie Freund.
In response to post #22, the loft space is not included in the overall sq footage because the lofts do not meet city code. Regardless, 558 sq feet is a very very tiny apartment.