The Downtown Plan: One More Hearing

What might be the final hearing before the Planning Commission for Richmond's proposed Downtown Plan is slated to take place during the woefully inconvenient afternoon hours of Monday, May 19. If all goes well, the revised document will get a cheerful stamp of approval from the Planning Commission and head to Richmond's City Council for a more aggressive game of political football.

The draft plan -- created during the latter part of 2007 with a great deal of community involvement -- has been moving through a series of discussions and hearings since it landed on the desks of the appointed members of the city's Planning Commission in January. To its credit, the commission held another series of public discussions on the plan in January and February, which allowed another swath of stakeholders from the community to weigh in on the proposed plan.

A public hearing on the plan will be held in front of the City Planning Commission on Monday, May 19, 2008 at 1:30pm in the conference room on the 5th floor of City Hall. The City Planning Commission will consider adoption of the plan and recommendation for approval to City Council.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting to share thoughts on the plan with the City Planning Commission.

For more information contact Brooke Hardin City of Richmond at (804) 646-6310 or Brooke.Hardin@RichmondGov.com.

The Planning Commission requested a number of changes to the plan. The changes are available for review by the public in text-only PDF documents with changes highlighted in red.

Comments

[Scott Burger]

Citizens. You know, people who actually live here and pay the taxes. In years past, the only live public candidate forums have been held by the local Green Party, the Sierra Club, the Richmond Crusade for Voters, and a few neighborhood associations. There needs be better citizen participation. When the business community does candidate forums, they have been private, country club affairs held during the work day to keep regular citizens from attending. The newspaper carefully gives the impressions that are pre-scripted. I would like to hear Pantele tell citizens why he thinks the downtown opera house is more important than ADA access for public schools, to the point that it continues to receive millions of taxpayer dollars while City Council cuts the ADA budget. Hell, I would like to hear the Times Disgrace editorial board tell us their reasoning on the same subject.

[John]

On a related note, since everyone is posting here, I'm curious. What other "community" has demonstrated the strength and consistency of Richmond's business community (for better or for worse) when it comes to moving the ball forward? This really is a value-neutral question -- I'm just curious where you guys see the best opportunity for different engagement to take place in this town. If not the business community, then who?

[John]

I don't think Pantele can take credit for Kathy Emerson's kick ass ideas and hard work. He'll probably try though.

[Paul Hammond]

imho Bill Pantele would make the most dedicated candidate for mayor. He has been standing in the breach for two years now and who else has has been willing to stand up to the mayor both publicly and privately. the 2nd district has led the way in the renaissance of Richmond and also has the best school district in the city. this pattern of success is being repeated all over the city. tomorrow is broad appetit. 50,000 people will make this an incredible edible festival. get on board, the train is leaving the station.

[Don Harrison]

Ah, let's not go too far there. There are three potential candidates currently vying to see which can suck hardest from the teat of the business community - Pantele, Jones and now Grey. The only real "anti-establishment" candidate, weird as it is to say, is Goldman.

[John]

Holy crap, Don! That would make Bill Pantele the anti-establishment candidate! I think I'm going to tear up my voter registration card....

[Don Harrison]

You are starting to get it, Bear. Just like when they make the decision that Robert Grey will be our next mayor... it's all been chewed for you.

[Bear]

So when the business community determines that two-way streets will save downtown... Richmond gets two-way streets.

[John]

We live in a region where politicians, community leaders, small business people, residents are quick to surrender to the business community. It's an interesting, but ultimately self-defeating, dynamic. And it's not that the business community is stupid or inherently evil, but the dynamic that currently exists means that decisions get run through one filter, and usually benefit a relatively small number of people.

[Paul]

these things can and will change. The first step will be electing a new Mayor.

[Scott Burger]

I wish I could be more positive about this. Unfortunately, VCU's Trani is still in control. Citizens can lobby for a greener Richmond centered on a beautifully preserved river, but the Times Dispatch has already announced the "private-public partnership" that will leave corporate leaders in charge of development. The Mayor and City Council are playing off the failed attempt at a stormwater utility as more anti-tax, pro-joe-sixpack-taxpayer politics, but the truth is "the business community", especially "the Commonwealth" (City code word for VCU which is largest state entity), balked at paying their fair share of fees. I hope citizens keep trying to be heard though. Richmond deserves better.