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drayrichmond

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I can't even get the City to pick up bulk brush when they're supposed to. The DPU website says it happens the day of recycling (every two weeks). When I call 311, the agent says its in fact happens 'the week of your recycling,' not the day of, despite this being totally contradictory to the city website.  Well, the week came and went and nothing but rotting brush at the foot of my yard - but I already pay the money for the service to happen on the day its supposed to....

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I honestly don't think it looks that bad from the photos in contrast to the written description in the earlier post. I wonder if the issue may be tied to the types of plantings used in the park, i.e., are they higher maintenance ? So many great public parks now such as the High Line in New York and Railroad Park in Birmingham feature landscaping that appears wilder, more natural, and I suspect requires less maintenance, though I am not a landscape architect.  I love that the medians on the interstate now have a more natural look. I think the park provides a welcome connectivity given the awful tear in the urban fabric created by the downtown expressway (oh I wish we had gone with the less destructive boulevard proposed in the '70's...hindsight). I think the bigger challenge with this park is that it tries hard to connect a part of downtown that frankly isn't really urban. Yes, it abuts some of our signature high-rises, but the Fed, Dominion, and that whole swath of Cary St. until you reach Shockoe Slip is more like a suburban, auto-oriented office park. Kanawha Plaza mitigates this dead streetscape somewhat, but it can only do so much. So make the landscaping low-maintenance and work on better adjacent street-level urban fabric  in this part of downtown to activate and enliven these blocks while using the park as a connective string between downtown and the "in progress in the right direction" riverfront and canal area.

Edited by flaneur
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It’s far worse in person and no, it isn’t the type of plants...it’s the weeds.   Native plants would have been a better choice (look ok with minimum upkeep).  The median strip on Canal is just as bad.  The beds around Town Bank, the Federal Reserve and the James Center are immaculate.   I’ve never seen the types of weeds in those beds that have overtaken the Kanawaha Plaza beds (and median strips).   It really leads me to believe that inaction may be due to litigation. 

It really appears to have been  planted  incorrectly.  Lots beds/parks go unmaintained around town.  None go wild as quickly and as throughly as this park.   I really don’t think the beds can be properly maintained at this point without digging everything up and starting over.    Either they didn’t use landscaping cloth or the fill dirt that was used was inundated with weeds. 

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22 hours ago, Brent114 said:

Kanawha Plaza grass is freshly cut and the beds are being mulched today.  It’s looking fantastic.  It has come along way since Memorial Day weekend! 

So Memorial Day weekend 2020 will be the next time they mow and de-weed Kanawha Plaza?  

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Henrico news, but figured this would be the best thread for it.  Henrico has agreed to purchase Wilton Farms and it's nearly 1200 acres along the James River for $10 million.   Originally planned for a Master Planned development by HHHunt, that would've included over 3200 homes!  Henrico plans to set aside a portion for:

"• location of a long-discussed Henrico history museum that would tell the story of the county, which arguably is the true birthplace of the United States, as Vithoulkas noted;

• the creation of public access to the farm’s 2.8 miles of frontage on the James River and its two lakes (one 94 acres and the other 26 acres in size);

• location of one or more schools, if needed;

• the creation of a business corridor adjacent to the Pocahtonas Parkway, from which plans for new interchanges to access the property were approved more than a decade ago;

• a variety of park and trail uses;

• other tourist attractions."

https://www.henricocitizen.com/articles/henricos-10m-purchase-of-wilton-farm-a-game-changer/

https://www.nbc12.com/2019/09/19/henrico-co-buys-wilton-farm-property-million/

Henrico Co. buys Wilton Farm for $10 million

 

Also,  Henrico is moving foward with 2 new trails in the area.  Their portion of the Ashland - Petersburg Trail and a new 2 mile long trail in Lakeside.  The Lakeside trail would run between Spring Park to Belmont Golf Course along the right-of-way for the recently completed sewer project (you've probably seen the work when traveling south on I-95).

https://www.henricocitizen.com/articles/happy-trails/

Edited by rjp212
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40 minutes ago, Wahoo 07 said:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2020/07/15/city-buys-canal-walk-extension-from-developer-of-the-locks/

City takes control of another section of the Canal Walk.  There is so much potential with the Canal Walk.  I hope that the RVA 300 plans for it happen.  A functioning waterway would add an uncommon element to the cityscape.

Yeah, I’d definitely like to see the canal waterway extended all the way up to Maymont and navigable from there all the way down to shiplock Park near Rockets. 

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From Style Weekly:

“PRESS CONFERENCE: Mayor Stoney has committed to funding a capital improvement budget amendment of between $25 and 50 million for "the commemoration and memorialization of Richmond’s complete history.” ... Priority investments include the Shockoe Area, various African American burial grounds and the Slave Trail. The effort will begin with a $3.5 million investment in the Shockoe Area Memorial Park.”

 

Edited by rjp212
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I agree that this would be good for Richmond, but I’m very underwhelmed by the design. It’s just not doing it for me. Something of this significance needs more...I don’t know...flair; some more inside museum things. I see this as something that will just rot away after the newness wears off and becomes an outdoor wasteland.  I think they need to go back to the drawing board and put more money into this. $3M is nothing.  If they’re going to do it, do it right.

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4 hours ago, eandslee said:

I agree that this would be good for Richmond, but I’m very underwhelmed by the design. It’s just not doing it for me. Something of this significance needs more...I don’t know...flair; some more inside museum things. I see this as something that will just rot away after the newness wears off and becomes an outdoor wasteland.  I think they need to go back to the drawing board and put more money into this. $3M is nothing.  If they’re going to do it, do it right.

I fully agree with this.  It is a nice start but needs a lot of reworking.  I especially do not like the placement of the community garden between Main Street Station and the museum.  This location should be a significant entry plaza for the park and community gardens tend to not create that effect.  I hope they work with this as a draft and use the current social momentum to really make this a world class memorial and educational experience.

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