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City Council gives new life to Oakwood Heights

02/23/2009 8:42 PM by

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High interest votes from tonight include YES on a conservation easement along the James River and an vote to OVERTURN CAR‘s rejection of the most recent Oakwood Heights design.

The audience seats at the council chambers were about 80% full, with 15 or so people standing along the back wall. The anti-condo folks wore green house stickers, the pro-conservation easement folks had yellow&green circles. The crowd was obviously heavily in favor of the conservation easement, with easily 90% wearing the bright circles. Maybe 40% of the crowd had the anti-Oakwood Heights house. Interestingly, there were 3 or 4 youth with homemade signs saying “The whole community makes decisions for the 7th District” and “We (heart) Oakwood Heights”.

Procedurally, the council voted unanimously to changing the rules in advance of the the CAR debates. Each side was given 15 minutes to make their point, no matter how many people wanted to speak. For opponents of the project, there were maybe 40 people left standing when time was called.

The recently appointed City Council 7th District representative Betty Squire cited a letter from Delegate McQuinn and said that she “chooses to defer to [McQuinn]”. Voting almost unanimously in favor of the development were Squire, Jewell, Tyler, Samuels, Hilbert, Graziano, Robertson, and Conner. Trammell abstained.

  • AUDIO of part of the pro/anti statements – begins with the fast-talking lawyer speaking for Fulton Hill Properties, includes Margaret Freund and others speaking for; may include some of the opposition before being cutting off.

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