An unknown neighbor working to finish a job: clearing debris off of the 152 steps running from the Libby Terrace fountain to Main Street
Following reports of sloppy work at Chimborazo Park and at Jefferson Park, lodge another complaint this year about the city’s maintenance of the neighborhood parks.
The grass on the hill at Libby Hill Park was more than five feet tall at the end of summer. When the grass was finally cut, the debris was left in piles on the hill and stairs.
Park neighbors would want to turn the spotlight on a city grounds crew which takes over a week to clear (“hack away, not mow”) some portions of the terraces, and who do blow off “the slick piles of debris” on the steps afterward. These stairs are a popular spot for exercising: people “come up and down these steps by the single, the pair, the 15, there is a Seal group that must be 50 or 75 pair of soles.”
The neighbor who sent in the photo says that the man was out there for “a heavy hour” doing “what their phalanx of blowers would have done in 10 minutes.”
24 comments
@chpn who is head of park maintenance crews? We should make his life miserable with calls and emails
Kimmy Certa liked this on Facebook.
Hello Rec&Parks staff–if you’re reading this, please remove the furniture (sofa and chairs) laying on the hillside in Jefferson Park along Cedar St. Also, tires were dumped at the Princess Anne overlook–please pick up those, too. Thanks.
Dat Nig liked this on Facebook.
The parks dept is forced to hire crews from teh Dept of Public Works to mow and otherwise maintain the parks. This interdepartmental arrangement means that the mowing crews are virtually held unaccountable for their errors. They have mowed over sections of the dog park fence 3 times and left it down for someone else to fix. And they routinely refuse to mow parts of the park while mowing other parts to the dirt.
And look at the 32nd street stairs into lower Chimborazo….they are overgrown and almost impassable at times.
Complaints should be addressed to the head of Public Works, James Jackson. Good luck
If we don’t have justifiable anger over the condition of our parks, and don’t regularly demand at least regular mowing and mulching, then what credibility do we have when we bark about the views? Get angry about the maintenance of the parks, get involved in the Friends groups, and get the City committed to finding non-mowed solutions to the hillsides.
Cutting grass, building a website….is there anything any form of govt cant totally f up???
You know, in general, I think it all boils down to the fact that officials could give a flip about the impression the city portrays to visitors. I think it rather have its former (and current) stigma of being a high crime slum area known Nationwide rather than embrace the rich culture and history and embellish on that. Look at how they ignore and neglect historic buildings and that in itself should give you a clue
I think it’s safe to say that this end of town is not a priority in terms of allocating funds and minimal municipal oversight. On more than one level. Schools, parks, roads, sewers, sidewalks, streetlights. You name it.
The point is … or should it be “what is the point?”… is that ANY of the Historic Districts should receive attention and funds or why do they exist in the first place? Richmond is one of the oldest cities in the nation and full of history that tourists would love to come and see – only if it is inviting and not give the impression of being trashiy, blighted or neglected.
At least as far as the parks are concerned, the funds are allocated and paid…it is just that no one oversees the service delivery.
We should persist in insuring that the City does the work that they are supposed to do. However, we as a community are not limited to only have such be the extent of the parks support. Each one of our parks has some sort of “Friends of”, or park beautification group. If folks are interested and concerned they need to join, grab a rake or bag of mulch and dig in – along with everyone else. Sometimes in tires of distress and less money folks got to roll up their sleves and do it yourself. This is not a get out of jail free card for the City but under times of limited resources etc., (those that care – got to show how much they care) by setting positive and good examples.
Those of us attending CAPS and MPACT meetings have been told city budget does not support park maintenance.
Mind blowing that Parks & Recreations Dept doesn’t have funds to clean parks but apparently have plenty to pay for people to stand around and do nothing. Can’t tell you how many times I have seen 10 people and several trucks pull up to fix a couple loose bricks in a sidewalk and take an hour or more to do so. Total waste of resources and money. Where are the honest supervisors? Why isn’t funds divvy up between departments when there are excess funds?
Ann,
they are already paying to have the parks mowed. So the money comes from somewhere. We just want them to mow correctly. Not haphazardly.
Call NBC12 or one of the other media outlets. Sometimes a little on-camera questioning from a reporter is what is needed to light a fire under City Hall’s rear-end. I’d like to see our esteemed City Cuncil-woman weigh in on this too.
I don’t know about anyone else but i wish Delores McQuinn was still our 7th District representative. Newbille’s entire term from “election?” to present has been checkered.
E-mails will get ignored. Phone calls work better when you put them on the spot. Over the 19 years of living on LHP, I developed a contact list and years of emails and calls to DPW and Parks.
Sadly, the grass never magically got cut on its own. At the beginning of each year and then later in the summer when they assumed I forgot about them, I would call and get on them about it. NOTHING works until they learn they will be called on the carpet by the media (TV or paper). It almost became sport for me duking it out with this group. Be polite. Be persistent and realize this is a marathon, not a sprint. And never, ever be an apologist for this group.
Most of all, don’t assume someone else is carrying the water for you when it comes to the park. Don’t assume someone else will pick up the slack.
Here’s my list of numbers. Have fun.
Libby Hill Park Rep
Calvin Jackson (804) 646-3216
Northeast manager is Tariq Waajid 646-0476 for Parks and Recs and is also Calvin Jackson’s boss
DPW Grass Group
Mike Barbour 646-1216
Mike Evins 646-5391
Arthur Brown, Libby Hill Park supervisor 646-1215
Larry Miller, Parks and Rec (804) 646-0037
Thank you #16. I have copied info into my ipad.
Strike Larry Miller from that list, because he retired recently.
Not sure if they have a replacement for Miller as Deputy Director II. But the current Deputy Director is Deborah Morton 646-5714
I live on Jessamine Street and the city owns the corner lot that intersects with Cedar St near all the churches. This land hasn’t been touched since June and parts of it are nearly 6 feet tall! Don’t even get me started about the amount of fleas and ticks that are generated on this neglected lot.
Also, the area behind Richmond Hill has been a jungle with fallen trees making the sidewalk (hard to find in places) impassable until late summer, when grass was cut, leaving a horrible mess. This is a walking route that many of us used to take to or through Shockoe Bottom and beyond. It was always maintained pretty well until the start of the 21st century. It seems that, after residents cleaned things up, the city stopped doing their part.
@RVADrew, quick review of parcel mapper shows those are privately owned lots. Keep reporting them and sending in pictures to See Click Fix or code enforcement. If city mows them, the mowing contractor cost is added to the owner’s taxes.