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Hearing the Plan

Though dozens of people crammed into a fifth floor conference room to hear details of an amended Downtown Master Plan on Monday, few spoke during the first public hearing the updated plan.

About 25 people commented on the revisions and newly received comments that were presented to the Richmond Planning Commission by Brooke Hardin , deputy director of community development for the city.

Many of the commenters praised both the city and commission for its efforts to include the public, but they also urged members to hurry up and approve the plan before the momentum is lost. They also asked members not to chip away at the urban-ness of the plan, a key aspect that makes the city shine.

"The staff has done an excellent job of pulling everyone together and I think the vision is something everyone would like to see," said Leighton Powell , executive director of Scenic Virginia and a Jackson Ward resident. "But you run the risk of losing momentum when you begin pulling out individual pieces. We need to look for ways to talk and just to be able to get together and work it out. Let's make this the most wonderful capital city we can. All the bones are here. All it takes is a willingness to pull it together."

Ford Webber, who lives at First and Grace streets, said the city needs to make sure that as it moves forward, it does not tinker with what has been successful. 

"This is a masterful master plan. I commend city for getting the best experts and bending over backward to get community involvement," he said. "I see one overriding theme-urban communities. As we go forward, let's rememer that urban downtown needs to be dense, pedestrian friendly and have a mix of uses. Having an energetic vibrant downtown is a pre-requisite, not an option."

Resident Jason James told the commission that he hoped the plan wouldn't be the end of getting the public involved in planning.

"It strengthens people's connection to the city, and makes people like me even more invested in the city," he said.

The commission also heard from several attorneys representing developers who spoke on behalf of their clients, such as Echo Harbour.

James Theobold , who represents the Echo Harbour project, questioned why such a large-scale plan like this could move so quickly through the process when their request for a rezoning was still pending after being filed in August 2006. He also criticized how the project was portrayed in the plan, which now includes an alternate development there.

"It doesn't block the view of the river from Libby Hill terrace. It does in fact promote access to the river that doesn't exist there. It also extends the Capital Trail on our nickel. The plan represents an investment of over $160 million, all without any subsidies from the city," he said.

"The revised plan does show alternate development there. but it almost seems like an afterthought given all the paragraphs before it and it ignores a pending zoning request. I don't know how the city's been able to come up with a master plan in less time than it takes to hear a regular rezoning request. I just want the request heard in a timely manner and on its merits and not how it's been portrayed here in the plan."

Commission chairman Robert Mills said Monday was the first time they'd heard of the proposed changes as well as the additional comments received in the past 24 hours. The commission's next meeting is July 21 and he hopes to approve the plan then, which would send it on to Richmond City Council for further approval.

"I'm hoping to vote on it that night. If not, we'll come pretty close to working it out," he said. "We've kept the vision intact. The document is strong. It's balanced and it's just."

Some of the revisions to the plan, according to Hardin, include:

*adding a definition of future development;

*providing alternate development scenarios for places such as Mayo Island and the former Tarmac property;

*including additional language for infrastructure improvements for the Shockoe area; and

*including Idlewood Avenue as a future conversation to two-way traffic and recommending development of a roundabout at the Downtown Expressway exit.

Comments the department received the past 24 hours, according to Hardin, include:

*defining the future development area for Gamble's Hill, also known as the Newmarket Corp. property;

such as languaging making 7th st as primary frontage

*addressing the surface parking area between 8th, 9th and Cary and Canal streets, also known as the Dominion Resources property;

*reconciling the plan with Virginia Commonwealth University's master plan, which includes such differences as VCU recommending certain street closures and the master plan does not as well as preserving West Hospital. VCU has also requested that the plan delete language that requires them to have a neighborhood representative on the architecture committee;

*revising language about Main Street Station in the Shockoe area; and

*adding more language regarding stormwater management to protect the Shockoe area from the floodplain as well as adding information regarding basic infrastructure improvments.

The amended plans are available online at the city's Web site as well as at all nine of the city's libraries.