Anywhere But Byrd Park

Gathering the story of why City Hall is considering the installation of a “ropes course” in Byrd Park has been something like trying to lasso a smoke ring. The only person who seemed to be able/willing to answer questions about the proposed project, J.R. Pope, no longer works for the City of Richmond.

But we have other sources. On Fri., Nov. 12, between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Richmond’s then-Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, J.R. Pope, was at a meeting in the Marshall Plaza Building at 900 E. Marshall St. The initiator of the meeting, Marty Jewell (5th District Councilman), was also there.

About 20 citizens went to the meeting to ask questions about the ropes course they had heard about. Pope’s boss, Dr. Carolyn Graham (Richmond’s Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services), moderated the meeting in a third-floor conference room.

In a nutshell, those citizens expressed their unhappiness about having been left out of the process of deciding whether to convert the last naturally wooded part of Byrd Park into a treetop adventure course of zip lines, Tarzan swings and rope bridges. They had read in the Richmond Times-Dispatch in early-October that the construction process could begin as soon as December.     

The information seen here concerning this meeting was provided by concerned citizens who attended it.

The confab ended with a promise of a larger, open-to-the-public meeting at the Carillon, set for 6:30 p.m. on Thu., Nov. 18. The citizens were told Graham and Pope would be at the Carillon meeting, plus a representative from Go Ape, the private company that wants to build and operate the aforementioned ropes course.

On Nov. 16, the meeting that was supposed to take place at the Carillon was postponed indefinitely. On Nov. 17 the RT-D reported that Mayor Dwight Jones’ press secretary, Tammy Hawley, said Pope's “resignation” was accepted on the same day as the meeting Graham presided over. So, it appears Pope was removed from his post shortly after that Nov. 12 meeting.

Now it’s difficult to find anyone who works fulltime at City Hall who will say what they know about Go Ape. And, forget about any answers to questions about Pope’s departure, supposedly over some unauthorized overtime and an expensive reception desk for Pine Camp.

Here are a few questions it took a couple of weeks for The City to deal with. The answers came without attribution via an email from Michael Wallace (Public Information Manager III, Office of the Press Secretary to the Mayor):

Question: What will Go Ape do to define the perimeter of its ropes course? How would Go Ape keep people out of that area after hours? Will Go Ape put up any fencing to keep people who haven‘t paid its admission price from gaining access the land it would use?

Answer: The proposal as well as its effects on the surrounding area is currently under review.

Question: Since the little creek that runs through the aforementioned area empties into the James River, what has The City done to determine what impact installing the ropes course might have on that stream? What's the chance this project would violate environmental protections for the Chesapeake Bay?

Answer: The proposal as well as its effects on the surrounding area is currently under review.

Of the difficulty in getting anyone who works for The City to talk about this project aimed at Byrd Park, Jewell said, “Nobody was in favor of this thing, but J.R. Pope.”

Pope was hired to run Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities five years ago by then-Mayor Doug Wilder. During his stint as the department’s director Pope built up a following. Much of it stemmed from appreciation for improvements that were made to Richmond’s parks on his watch.

Perhaps that sense of appreciation was most strongly felt by neighbors and frequent users of Forest Hill Park, Byrd Park, etc. Which makes the ropes course issue all the more puzzling, because in this scenario Pope chose to ignore those same constituencies; he seemed to see no value in getting input from the folks who care the most about Byrd Park.

Jewell, who surely understands the political peril of ignoring public sentiment on a matter concerning public property, pointed out that the park already offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities. “Byrd Park is loaded with venues.”   

The land Go Ape wants to lease from The City, in exchange for a wee piece of the action, is located behind Dogwood Dell and the Carillon. Densely wooded, it is the only remaining section of the park that still answers only to nature’s whim. As it is, it provides a home for deer and eagles.

Some of the homes in the Kanawha Trace neighborhood would likely be within earshot of whatever noise might be associated with Go Ape‘s customers enthusiastically enjoying its theme park operation.

Why Pope was so singularly enamored with the ropes course in Byrd Park concept remains a mystery. It was not projected to make all that much money for The City. Go Ape’s blue sky projection was that after three or four years of operation The City might begin to see as much as $40,000 a year from its percentage of Go Ape’s profits. 

Debbie Flippen, who has been circulating an anti-Go Ape petition, called the quiet land Go Ape would use, “a forest treasure.” Jewell can’t understand why Richmond should squander that treasure in exchange for such paltry payments from Go Ape.

Of the Go Ape ropes course plan for Byrd Park, Jewell added, “It was a ludicrous idea, from start to finish ... anywhere but Byrd Park!”

When will that postponed meeting to shine some light on this issue take place at the Carillon?

That’s also currently under review.