A Design Pop-up, Zoning Reform, and the Smart Scale Program
Cheers RVA!
Today will be mostly cloudy with a high of 82 and a low of 58 in the evening, with a chance of a stray rainshower or thunderstorm.
the juice:
Venture Richmond is hosting a design pop-up today from 3:30 - 7:00 pm near the Potterfield Bridge to discuss proposals for the future of Brown’s Island.
Visitors are encouraged to stop by even if only for a few minutes.
Current plans include “river and canal terraces, play spaces for children, more trees and landscaping, more ADA accessibility and other pedestrian improvements, shade, seating, and running water/permanent restrooms among other amenities.”
The Brown’s Island improvement plan is expected to cost $30 million, with the City having already committed $10 million for FY2025 and FY2026.
The City has also promised an additional $5 million in funding if Venture Richmond can raise $10 million in private funding.
the pulp:
Councilmember Ellen Robertson and Thomas Okuda Fitzpatrick, the executive director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, explain how zoning reform (a years-long process currently underway) can address housing inequality in a letter to RVAmag:
Meanwhile, our City budget takes a big hit from our outdated zoning laws. Limits on new construction prevent people of all walks of life from moving here, lowering our potential income from real estate taxes—the largest source of City revenue. When you hear Council members or our Mayor talk about the difficulty of paying for everything the City needs, you should think about zoning. Today’s zoning codes limit our ability to fund everything from new initiatives to filling potholes.
The John Marshall High School Basketball coach is heading to Petersburg, via the RTD. Ty White coached the Justices for 15 years, winning seven state titles and was named Maxpreps national coach of the year for the 2022-2023 season. Petersburg High School has its own tradition of basketball dominance, with hall of famer Moses Malone leading the school to two state championships in the early 1970’s.
the dive:
State officials have endorsed putting $338 million toward 14 local transportation projects in the Richmond area via the Smart Scale program, according to Jack Jacobs at Bizsense.
One of the largest projects needing funding is a diverging diamond configuration at the I-95 interchange with Route 54 in Ashland.
Diverging diamond interchanges increase both efficiency of traffic flow and safety.
Another major project included in the funding recommendation is a segment of the Belt Boulevard project, which aims to extend the Pulse to a North-South route, as well as adding dedicated bus lanes and a 10 ft. shared-use path separated from the roadway.
Jacobs writes:
Smart Scale was created in 2016 and is now in its sixth round. Projects are scored on their impacts on things like congestion reduction, economic development and safety.
The Richmond region is recommended for a higher level of funding than Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads in the latest funding round, which Chet Parsons, executive director of the Central Virginia Transportation Authority, said was a first. He said contributing factors to the Richmond region’s showing in this round were its increasing population and economic growth, and its ability to coordinate competitive proposals.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have a clear-cut day RVA!
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