The 5th of 6 scheduled neighborhood-specific meetings on the Downtown Plan took place tonight at the Main Library on Franklin Street. The 2-hour meeting included an overview of the process so far, the plan as it pertains to James River (River, Islands & Riverfront Area), and a lively Q&A session.

Like the previous meetings, the evening began with an overview of the process as of yet. Beverly Lacey recounted the meetings over the summer, and the circulation of the draft plan and public comment sessions. Next up was Brooke Hardin, with a 25-minute or so overview of the foundations (PDF) of the current plan and its recommendations for the James River in the city (PDF)

The foundations (PDF) of the plan include:

• traditional city - pedestrians, 2-way traffic, shared parking, transit
• river - protect views, rescue Mayo Island, enhance centerpiece & connections to the river
• urban architecture - reform regulations, focus on design
• variety and choice - diversify land uses, building types, incomes, transportation options
• green - parks, street trees, architecture
• history - commit to preservation, new architecture worthy of context
• mixed income - economic diversity, attainable housing, goods/services for persons of all incomes

The river-specific recomendations of chapter 4 of the plan, Getting There, (PDF) include:

• Improve visual and physical access to the river,
• Acquire unique properties for open space alog the river,
• Create an interconnected system of trails along the River,
• Maintain Brown’s Island as an outdoor festival venue and improve connectivity,
• Open Chapel Island to pedestrians and kayakers,
• Make Great Shiplock Park accessible,
• Extend and enhance the Canal Walk,
• Bring back historic boat docks,
• Extend and connect walking trails,
• Preserve Belle Isle and improve safety perceptions,
• Construct a pedestrian bridge over abandoned rail foundations,
• Improve walkability on Manchester Bridge,
• Rehabilitate Mayo Bridge to its historic character,
• Establish Mayo Island as a premiere public park,
• Create a linear park along Miller’s Creek, and
• Improve wayfinding and accessibility at Ancarrow’s Landing

Hardin’s presentation was followed by a (for the most part) thoughful and informed Q&A session; summarized mostly faithfully if a bit lazily:

Comment: We need to “maximize economic benefit of the river, without damaging it”, the plan works against the best interest of Richmond.

Q: Public parking is needed; the plan does not seem to address?
A: The city won’t be able to provide parking everywhere. We’ll look for opportunities for shared parking at locations; also, check out the maps, more parking is planned than was presented. We may have to look at the parking issue in more detail.

Q: We need to talk about homelessness and the need for jobs, instead of spending money just to spend money. Where is the money coming from?
A: _____________________

Q: What is this reference to docking boats at Echo Harbor ([1] [2])? Why is a controversial proposed development in this draft plan? (in the printed version handed out, not in the online version - ed.)
A: We need to look at that.

Q: Kanawha canal is called “unused”? WTF? There were holiday cruises and lots of other things.
A. Yeah, you right.

Comment: It seems that private ownership trumps public interests. Visual and physical access is important.

Comment: It’s be great to be able to eat dinner and have a drink with a dinner view. You should focus on development of the river as much as you can.

Comment: A pedestrian bridge would be “fantastic”.

Q: Private property is a foundation of our country. You can’t just take peoples’ property. For instance, Mayo Island is private property but the plan calls it a park.
A: The plan does not call for taking people’s property. The plan is a vision for the future — it does not call for taking property or change zoning, it is a description of the community’s vision.

Q: How many miles and acres does the plan the address? What about changes outside of the plan — private development, etc?
A. Probably about 15 square miles. The plan and related maps are a snapshot in time.

Comment: Reconstruction of the VEPCO levee should be high priority. We need signs for the currently existing attractions and parking. Have food and drink available on the boats on the canal, make them more of an attraction.

Q: There are like 1,800 acress of usable park space available to the public. Is there a formula for determing how much parkland a city of our size should have?
A. Parks&Rec have determined that some areas of the city have enough parkland, some do not. Some areas have types of facilities that aren’t really used (too many tennis courts).

Comment: We need more open access to the river, and development that will attract more people to the river. Develop access and work with developers.

The remaining meeting is tomorrow night and will be on the City Center (VCU Med Center, Capital Area, Biotech Park, and Central Office District) - Wednesday, February 20th (6-8PM), at City Hall (5th Floor Conference Room)