John J Zeugner, AICP
May 2009
Cool Cities, Recycling, and Urban Forestry /Trees
Two months ago, I updated you on our Group’s progress with our six environmental priorities (the first three being Conservation Easement, Greenways, and Transit/-Bike-Ped). This month, I'll summarize where we stand on the other three, and our main conservation issue, the Shockoe Bottom Stadium.
Cool Cities: Tyla continues to push the City-based committee to assess where energy use can be reduced (fleet, lighting, computers, etc). Last month, Joe Lerch with the VA Municipal League, presented their innovative “Go Green Virginia” campaign to the committee. It includes a 30 item go-green and energy-savings checklist, so local governments and individual departments can evaluate where they are making reductions and moving towards sustainability. VML is also rolling out a “Green Government Challenge”, a “friendly competition” between localities designed to encourage implementation of specific environmental policies and practical actions that not only reduce carbon emissions, but can save local governments money.
Cool Cities committee members were excited about having the City of Richmond participate in these programs, which will help internally (establishing a benchmark and identifying where major savings can be achieved) and competing with other cities in the Commonwealth. The committee also decided to move from bi-monthly meetings to a monthly schedule. For more info, call Tyla at 275-6476 or email tyla.matteson@sierraclub.org
Recycling: We have discussed recycling with several groups but haven’t been able to get much action. To be candid, we need for someone in the group to step forward and organize our outreach and initiate a few demonstration projects. Anyone out there with an interest in this issue and a little time to help organize with us? It could be up to you!
Urban Forestry /Trees: There are several other groups working to address these issues, but there are many inter-related and complex dimensions to the problem: the lack of a vision and a plan, an over-worked and under-funded UF division, a default policy which removes 5 trees for each one planted, and city resistance to establishing an Urban Forestry /Tree Commission and overhauling the old tree ordinance. Each group seems to be coming at these problems from a different angle.
Yet there are good efforts emerging - the Tree Stewards group, city volunteers organized to plant and maintain trees, held a stand-alone Arbor Day celebration at the Carillon in early April which was well attended. It included a Tree City Ceremony, tree give-aways, and educational activities.
Also, the ad-hoc regional green infrastructure group is looking to perform a rough city-wide tree canopy study, which should provide a crude inventory and benchmark. But consensus needs to be forged at City Hall with the environmental groups to develop a vision for Richmond's urban forest, a master plan developed, have it woven into the city's comprehensive plan, and implemented throughout the City, since trees are proven to clean air, sequester carbon, reduce stormwater loads, shade and cool urban areas, and add value to their surroundings. Perhaps we can partner with a few groups and host a symposium in the fall. Anybody willing to help?
Richmond Stadium Issue: The Falls of the James Group has taken a stand in opposing the Shockoe Bottom location and favors redevelopment of the Boulevard - Diamond location, primarily for environmental reasons. Renovating and reusing an existing facility has a smaller carbon footprint, and the area around the existing stadium has easier access, better redevelopment opportunities, and can allow adjacent localities to buy into.
We’ve developed two pages or pro- and con- comments, if you want to write your local officials or voice your opinion. They are e-mailable, and we'll have copies at our next few general meetings. For more info, contact Adele at 282-8637 or John at 282-5005.
Thanks for staying informed and involved!