Gammino officially out of the race for the 5th

Okay Scott, here it is:
Water Rate Increase – Needs to go. Yes, clean drinking water is imperative to a healthy life and having it piped into our homes is a real asset. That being said, the counties provide the same quality water for less. Richmond needs to learn how to be competitive. This increase, coupled with all the other taxes, rates and fees in the city that are well above county rates may explain why Richmond sluggishly grew in population over the last decade while other old urban centers experienced rapid regrowth. I agree with the tiered billing system to offer incentives for water conservation. I am also concerned about how low income families would absorb this increase. Assistance programs are already unable to deal with the volume of applications received. This increase would certainly make the situation worse.
BZA Needs More Power – No, not really. Moving authority farther away from elected officials is not a good move. If we had a Planning Commission that actually planned and a city that actually stuck to the plan, we would significantly reduce the number of SUP’s, variances, etc. I was particularly interested in the number of times Mr. Benbow assured Council this was no big deal and no real change in power level. If that is true, wouldn’t stating it once be enough?
2nd Street Corridor – I found this quite troubling since my dealings with Mr. Tyler have always been pleasant and I have always found him to be quite forthcoming with regard to information. The questions need to be answered. The project will have great impact on the surrounding area and the public has a right to have full and accurate information no matter who is footing the bill. I support the preservation of the historic canal along with sufficient land and clearance for possible future use as a canal.
Oregon Hill Specific Concerns:
1. Signed, binding agreement that VCU will not encroach into Oregon Hill any further.
I am not sure how much more space I will have, so I will save a lengthy discussion for an OHNA or personal meeting. I will say here that I developed an affection for OH listening throughout my early years to tales from my grandfather who was a police officer there waaay back in the day. Up until his death, he recalled the families there and the boys he taught to box. That affection deepened as I became involved with preservation while leading the Register Nominations quest for Woodland Heights and later, as a Consultant for the Forest Hill neighborhood’s Nomination quest. Oregon Hill is a wonderful example of an early working class neighborhood and as such, contributes depth and breadth to the rich history of Richmond. Losing it cannot be an option.
2. Extend urban business district zoning on W.Cary to Belvidere. If residents desire this, I agree
3. Keep R7 zoning except where urban business (old storefronts) makes sense. If residents desire this, I agree.
4. Where is the new canal bridge? Where indeed. I was impressed with the amount of money raised for this project with more funding possible in the future. The city should have already helped bring this to a conclusion.
5. Traffic circle/roundabout on Idlewood off of 195 exit that allows commuters coming off 195 to go west in addition to east on Idlewood, also adding an egress from Oregon Hill to the west on Idlewood (making the street two way again). With money on the table to support this, ignoring it just doesn’t make sense. For a City that perpetually claims to be broke, leaving funding for desired and public approved projects on the table makes no sense.
6. Noise ordinance needed. Done. Enforcement is another thing.
7. Brick sidewalk repairs – Should have been done long ago. Some of the walks in OH are treacherous. Frankly, I was offended by the “vote” on the 311 system in order to make it a priority. When did public safety issues get dropped to American Idol status. Ridiculous.
8. Empty tree wells need filling – fill them! I am an advocate of the tree program. (Check out the section on my website regarding trees.)
9. public trash/recycling cans needed on corners- the Fan has them, why not Oregon Hill? Should have them, especially since they are hardly big ticket items. Richmond does pretty well with installing “big blocks” but fails miserably with the details. Details are the money makers – the things that separate so-so from great, the things that people pay a premium to have/experience.
10. Look at 4 way stop signs for some intersections to slow down commuters speeding on Laurel, trying to beat Belvidere lights. Agree, some sort of traffic control/calming is needed.
Thank you for the opportunity to address these concerns. I will be at future OHNA (and other neighborhood) meetings if anyone wants more discussion or a topic of interest to you was not covered. For more information on district issues and my campaign, see my website http://www.ElectLee.com. All my contact information is there as well. Make a Difference – Get Involved!