John J Zeugner, AICP
March 2009
Last summer, our Group identified 6 environmental projects to focus on this year. In this column, I’ll update you on three of them, and the other three in the next issue.
James River Park System Conservation Easement:
The Planning Commission has approved it, and Council will hold public hearings in late Feb - early March. This permanently protects 8 city-owned park parcels, and culminates years of work (thanks, Charles Price!) Later, in a second wave, CEs can be places on other valuable City parks and natural areas.
Kudos to Councilwoman Kathy Graziano and others, the Parks and Recreation Department, and riverlovers through the region. Watch the papers for the crucial vote and voice your emphatic support!
Regional Greenways:
In the early ‘90s, planners and environmentalists labored heroically to develop a Metro Richmond Greenway Plan, recommending key routes, alternative transportation linkages, and ways to knit communities together. Sadly, in ‘94, Henrico County scuttled the ‘Regional’ plan and most walked away disgusted.
Charles Price and the FOJG has been pushing to get the Cannon Creek Run greenway jump-started (it’s now a ravine adjacent to the Richmond-Henrico Turnpike in northside Richmond). He’s held numerous clean-ups there, he’s have been working with City Council, and with the City recently applied for a big VDOT transportation enhancement grant. The January 09 work party drew 180 folks, and pulled out literally tons of trash. More and more are buying into helping,
Under the sponsorship of Councilman Doug Conner, the Greenway initiative is being revived. Meeting since last summer, the group has attracted reps from the other big localities, and there is enthusiasm for getting some new demonstration projects underway - another in the City’s southside, one or more in Chesterfield. With the region examining green infrastructure opportunities (with its use of creeks and utility corridors), this may be the region’s next great idea. Know of a good candidate near you?
Want to learn more? Come to the April 8th meeting and talk with some experts. Also, note that President Obama is promoting National Service Days, so we hope to get more volunteers to these projects, and perhaps you’ll want to help too.
Transit and Bike-Pedestrian issues:
We’ve devoting our May meeting to bike and ped issues, so more on that soon enough. Transit is more challenging, though. It receives only about 12% of the regional transportation dollar, after you subtract all the maintenance costs needed to “sustain:” our overbuilt road network. Recent discussions in the General Assembly about establishing a Richmond regional transportation authority here have bogged down, so its not likely this year. It’s not likely that the federal ‘stimulus’ spending spree will help here, but the new President has identified the need to support mass transit and slow down wasteful sprawl. Perhaps a few years out, our elected officials can talk more realistically about regionalism -- especially if some environmental issues worsen and the feds tighten up road money and loosen transit funding.
Several FoJG members are on transportation boards and committees, and Sheila Shepperd with the Partnership for Smarter Growth (co-funded with state Sierra Club support) is pushing mobility choices and stronger coordination of land use and transportation. Visit the PSG website www.valcvef.org/partnership/partners.htm, to see what’s getting organized in YOUR locality.
Next Month: Cool Cities, Recycling, and Trees Trees Trees!