RECENT COMMENTS
7th District Stategic Plan
Sharon Burton, the Mayor’s 7th District Roundtable liaison, is circulating a document towards putting together a 7th District Strategic Plan.
7th District Strategic Plan
After reading the posts on chpn.net, I decided to try to organize the many ideas into categories. As the Mayor’s 7th District Roundtable liaison, I am providing an opportunity for residents of North and South of Broad, Fulton, Union Hill, Creighton Court, Fairfield Court, South Mosby Court, Central Church Hill, Chimborazo, and other defined neighborhoods to “come together to learn to look at the district from one another’s point of view and come with a list of top priorities for the 7th district” (Just144ice, www.chpn.net, Nov. 14, 2006).
Listed below are broad headings that several of you suggested. Under each heading is a list of goals. This is just a beginning and there will be opportunities for you to add to or take away from this list.
I need your help to write strategies for each broad goal. The list below will be presented Monday, Nov. 20, 2006 at the 7th District Roundtable meeting. I hope you will attend and volunteer to work on committees that will see these ideas further developed and implemented.
Sharon Burton
The Mayor’s 7th District Roundtable LiaisonBroad Headings:
- Housing
- Economic Development
- Education
- Public Safety & Health
- Human Services
Housing
- Zoning (Including Licensing of Landlords as suggested by Laura Dabbs)
- Blight
- Code Enforcement
- Affordability – mixed income and Single Residential Occupancy (SRO)
- RRHA (Taskforce for Housing)
- Historic District Overlay
- Senior Housing (including assisted living)
- Community Development Corporations
- Unlocking the LOCK
Economic Development
- One definition is the value of goods and services produced in the area.
- Zoning and Parking Permits (Check with the Fan District, Cary Town, Hull Street business district, and Broad Street businesses to see how parking for businesses is addressed)
- Types of Businesses
- 25th Street Corridor
- Nine Mile Road Business Corridor
- Fulton Enterprise Zone and CARE
Education
- K – 8 Model for New Schools ( George Mason, Woodville, MLK)
- Montessori School in Fulton
- Transitioning after High School
- Use of Vacant Schools as Community Centers
- Old Armstrong Building as Vocational Training
- Truancy/Dropout
- Adult Education
- Security and Discipline
- 12 Month Schools
- Charter and Vouchers
Public Safety & Health
- Crime – increase ways to work with Law Enforcement
- Traffic Control
- Noise Control
- Alcohol and Cigarette Advertisements
Human Services
- Parks and Recreation
download: 7th District Strategic Plan.doc
I plan to attend on Monday. My current passion is speeding traffic so I have volunteered to be on the Public Safety and Health committee. So far my suggestions are: re. crime, increased foot patrols and increased car patrols (i.e., visibility!) Re. traffic – radar detection signs (The speed limit is 25 mph and you are traveling at ___ mph) combined with increased enforcement by those increased car patrols and potentially speed bumps at strategic places. Re. noise control – increased foot and car patrols by police should help. Re. alcohol & cig. ads – I’m not sure what the current laws are, but am aware that someone here posted about a market across from Chimb. Elem. School. I’m open for suggestions on that one – and others. Anyone have anything to add?
1. Turn the 2100 Block of East Leigh Street into a one-way street. Traffic flies down Princess Anne (360) and ends up on narrow Leigh Street. The 2200 Block of East Leigh is also wide and traffic bottlenecks when it gets to the 2100 Block of East Leigh Street. The corner of N 21st, Princess Anne, and Leigh Street is a disaster waiting to happen. Making E Leigh Street one-way headed east will help the situation.
2. Re-build the steps in Jefferson Park that were destroyed in Gaston. Right now it is an erosion problem and needs to corrected.
3. Bring back the the Fountains of Jefferson Park. Our fountains play a large part in our history. Our historic neighborhood wants our fountains to be re-installed to capture their former glory.
Thanks for allowing me to post these initiatives.
I will not be able to attend this meeting as the Shockoe Bottom Neighborhood Association is the same night. Part of Shockoe Bottom is in the 7th District and part in the 6th. (which makes for lots of meetings :D)
I work closely with the Sector 112 Lt about our crime issues and I am on the SBNA Beautification Committe. I am more than happy to share my strategies and ideas.
I have found it very effective to present the law or numbers or whatever “evidence” necessary directly to the people who have the power to fix the problem. *example: There are several blighted, vacant bldgs w/ numerous violations. I emailed inspectors and copied Mayor Wilder requesting their presence and participation. Over 2 dozen violations were found that day! Please feel free to email me.
I think we need to try to make working partners out of some of the existing businesses in the neighborhood, such as the Family Market on 24th and Jefferson. That location has so much potential and could be useful to the community, if they would change some of their existing business practices. I wish we could incentivize them (economically) to avoid selling goods in black bags, selling those hooded black sweatshirts that are so popular with the wrong element, and to actually stock some groceries. Their block along 24th is now a gathering place for vagrants, but could be an excellent location for a real store.
Merely listing a series of obvious community issues does not a strategic plan make. Before this administration bites off any more issues, it might want to merely administer its current program a bit better. Marginal improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the current set of public services would be a good start. There is way too much low hanging policy and programming fruit on the East side to expand too much beyond some basics. So, here is a set of basics: maintain the infrastructure; enforce the laws; deconcentrate poverty; do not needlessly stand in the way of community-minded private enterprise; respect history, culture and civil rights; and don’t waste our money.
What would the role of our elected representative be in this process? Seems a bit ironic that we have a broader governmental reform based on direct accountability, and then we get to have a district-level strategic planning process managed by a Viceroy of sorts. What happened to the political accountability rhetoric?
There is already a strategic plan in place. Why is this committee trying to reinvent the wheel?
Shawn, what is the existing strategic plan that you mention as being in place? I’m curious, please fill me in, thanks.
Gadfly Jr., the way I understood Sharon’s explanation, the city administration is responsible for keeping services running, and enforcing existing rules etc. Countil is responsible for issues such as land use, zoning, special uses, and passing rules, regulation and laws regarding various issues.
I think Shawn might be talking about the City’s Master Plan–here’s a link to the Amendment for the East District and to the entire Master Plan.
Although the Master Plan addresses public services, safety and that sort of thing, the East Amendment focuses solely on land use. I believe, although I could be mistaken, that the City Dept. of Community Development (DCD) is getting ready to update the Master Plan. To find out more about it, and how citizens can get involved in the planning process, here’s the contact info from the DCD’s Comprehensive Planning office:
(804)646-6335 or by email at DCDCompPlan@ci.richmond.va.us.
Sharon Burton has forwarded her collected info to Rachel O’Dwyer Flynn, Director of Community Development. She replied:
The energy level of the comments that have been submitted about the strategic plan are very encouraging. Looking forward to a successful process that brings actually results and positive change. The fact that the numbers continue to grow of people who work for the improvement of our beloved 7th District is refreshing!!!!
Hello,
This is Inga Kraeemr a VCU student.I’m taking an urban city planing class and try to prepare a presentation about shockoe bottom (Public servises) I just read your article and was wondering if I can get an Interview with you.
I would love to hear a respond regarding the interview.
Thank you
Inga Kraemer
Fine site and pretty colors!
Fine site and pretty colors!