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Libby Hill Overlook tops Preservation Virginia’a list of 2012 Most Endangered Historic Sites
Libby Hill Overlook tops Preservation Virginia’a list of 2012 Most Endangered Historic Sites in Virginia:
On this spot in 1737, William Byrd II declared that the beautiful view reminded him of Richmond on the Thames in England and named our city Richmond. The sister site in England is a celebrated and protected viewshed.
Threat:
The viewshed could be lost if proposed high-rise condo units are built along the river which would block this prospect.Recommendation:
Historic Richmond Foundation and Scenic Virginia are working towards positive resolutions. We encourage the use of this designation to support a broad coalition of stakeholders to work with the developer and the City of Richmond to find a resolution that preserves this iconic view while achieving economic goals. Leighton Powell, executive director for Scenic Virginia www.scenicvirginia.org and Mary Jane Hogue, executive director for Historic Richmond Foundation www.historicrichmond.com are working with local organizers to help forward solutions.
I hope that Echo Harbour is dead.
Just build a low rise community along the river. You could make it really nice, and much more interesting than a crappy high rise that blocks one of the last good neighborhood views in Richmond. Oregon hill lost much of its view to an ugly parking deck and office buildings, don’t let that happen to Libby hill.
Not buying it. What I appreciate most from Libbey Hill is the view of the city, not the ability to see a tiny sliver of the river. I just want my bike trail. Approve something so another part of the Capital trail is finished and I can stop getting flat tires and almost being hit by cars while biking to Shiplock park. Let the urbanite comments commence…
Agree with #1. One of the best things about the recession is it put the parasitic developers into hibernation for a while. I was hopeful that when we came out of it, perhaps we’d get a better species.
Worst part of the river view at this location is Lehigh Cement. Is that too owned by Echo Harbor? Wonder if there are plans for that parcel or if it’s still a viable cement plant (didn’t think so)….
Mars, I agree with you. I want the Cap2Cap trail completed ASAP!
While preserving the view is important, redevelopment along the river (between Tobacco Row and Rocketts) is also important. A resolution that is both pro-development and preservation-minded is needed.
I agree the view is important, but am not sure if I agree to the property rights restriction that saving it would cause.
If the viewshed were protected BEFORE the property was sold to a developer, it is different. But afterwards…that seems very invasive.
A lot of people don’t understand, including Lord George Ross, is that the veiw is MORE THAN the bend. No other place in Richmond can you look across the city from east to west and across practically the entire southside to the horizon than here! You can see from Fulton to the Carillon in one sweep! We are LUCKY to have the hills and this landscape. Other cities would kill for what we have and here we are more than willing to destroy it.
Did anyone read the actual document?
Preservation Virginia did a wonderful job in their announcement of the “The New Market Road Corridor,” and “Libby Hill Overlook” to 2012’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in Virginia.
Their press release details how the Route 5 Corridor Study’s proposed ‘improvements’ could harm the corridor which is comprised of Route 5, Osborne Turnpike, New Osborne Turnpike, Williamsburg Road and Main Street, here’s their description:
“Threat:
In September of 2011 a consulting firm unveiled its proposal for how best to develop the historic New Market Road Corridor. Though it offered two options, they are identical in their suggestion that two-lane New Market Road should be converted to a four-lane divided highway. One variation connects this road to Richmond’s Main Street via a seven-story overpass that would block Church Hill’s view of the James; the view for which the city was named. The other alternative runs a four-lane highway through Marion Hill (a middle class neighborhood that has stood watch over the river since the 1800’s) and part of Fulton Hill (now a predominantly African American middle class neighborhood on the site where Christopher Newport and John Smith are said to have met Powhatan’s son). This is eerily similar to the eminent domain-driven road-widening projects that devastated Jackson Ward in the 1950’s and Oregon Hill in the 1960’s.”
The proposed widening of these roads to a four-lane divided highway endangers historic areas as well as current contemporary and historic neighborhoods in Richmond and Henrico. Likening this to the devastation caused by prior road-widenings is not an over-statement- it shows just how destructive the impact of this project could be, creating potential damage to Fulton Hill, Fulton, Marion Hill, and Varina (as well as to the Libby Hill Overlook, which was also recognized as one of the 11 most endangered historic places state-wide.) There has been very little investigative reporting on this and what coverage there is tends to be inaccurate, bland and lacks detail.
But as divisive as this could be, while canvassing to raise awareness of the Route 5 Corridor Study last year, area volunteers found that very few, if any residents of these neighborhoods were even aware of the study, or the 70′ overpasses proposed between Libby Hill and the James River on Main Street, and between Marion Hill and Fulton Hill on New Osborne Turnpike.
Homeowners who had recently purchased in Church Hill, Fulton Hill and Marion Hill were in the dark. New buyers in Fulton, North James Estates, Oakland Chase, Boundary at Edge Hill, Settler’s Ridge and other new developments also had NO idea that the road-widenings were even in the works. Shameful.
Preservation Virginia’s press release:
http://preservationvirginia.org/press-room/release/preservation-virginia-announces-2012-most-endangered-historic-sites-in-virg
Actually yes, I did look at the corridor study some time ago and saw the proposal to reroute Main Street. There was a proposal to do this when Rockett’s was first proposed and I don’t know what happened with it. Something needs to be done. The area near Main/Dock/Williamsburg is a mess and makes no sense. I know one thing, I hate having to hit every stop sign on Broad just to get to an Interstate and we need another option here! As the initiative involves working with the community, I am sure that a proposal will be put forth that goes right through all the undeveloped tracts near Gillies Creek or hopefully Rockett’s Landing. That place needs more development and traffic. I bought near it hoping to see more than what has occurred so far. As for Varina, not my place to be concerned. I don’t own property there or travel through there regularly. I’ll let them deal with that part. Sorry, that’s just my opinion.
@Mars
If you allow Rt. 5 commuters from Varina to dictate what road gets built through your neighborhood, then no, it’s not your place to be concerned. But you should be.