The last Richmond City Council meeting of the summer may be most notable for what won’t be on the agenda – after more than a month of speculation following Mayor Dwight Jones’ sudden withdrawal of his Shockoe Bottom redevelopment plan before a City Council meeting May 27, it appears there won’t be a vote on the controversial baseball stadium proposal until at least September.
The last Richmond City Council meeting of the summer may be most notable for what won’t be on the agenda – after more than a month of speculation following Mayor Dwight Jones’ sudden withdrawal of his Shockoe Bottom redevelopment plan before a City Council meeting May 27, it appears there won’t be a vote on the controversial baseball stadium proposal until at least September. The Richmond Free Press quoted Press Secretary Tammy Hawley as saying there are “no plans to drop legislation” tonight.
Tonight’s meeting will be no snoozer, however – activists affiliated with Shockoe Resistance, a group famous for buying billboard space on Interstate 95 earlier this year opposing the mayor’s plan, plan to be out in force to keep the pressure on. At a press conference earlier today, the group accused stadium supporters of using misleading fliers to target Richmond’s black community for support. “It’s as if they think we’re stupid,” former City Councilman Marty Jewell was quoted as saying by Style Weekly.
To shake things up further, Midlothian development firm Rebkee Co. unveiled a detailed proposal to build a new baseball stadium at the Diamond’s current location with private financing in Sunday’s Richmond Times-Dispatch. And two council members will attempt a end-runs around the mayor tonight – Jon Baliles plans to introduce a resolution ordering the Economic Development Authority to buy up Shockoe Bottom land parcels and turn them over for competitive redevelopment separate from any stadium plan, while Reva Trammel will put forward a resolution calling for a referendum on the debate (a previous attempt by Charles Samuels to schedule a referendum about the stadium failed).
In non-stadium-related controversy, the final vote to approve the construction of a 15-story condo near Libby Hill Park has been delayed again. Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille is planning to ask for another continuance on the vote at tonight’s meeting, possibly to seek a compromise on the building’s proposed height. The James at River Bend proposal by developers David White and Louis Salomonsky has been strongly opposed by 180° RVA, a group seeking to preserve the view from Libby Hill, which inspired Richmond’s name. “For more than 150 years Richmond’s leaders have been guarding the city’s birthright. Surely we can’t let it be destroyed on our watch,” wrote Eugenia Anderson-Ellis of Scenic Virginia in an opinion published by Style Weekly today. (http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/building-a-compromise/Content?oid=2094062) A previous vote on the building was delayed as Newbille negotiated with White and Salomonsky to reduce the building’s height by 1.5 stories.
The conclusion to The Camel’s quest to stay open until 2 a.m. all week is still yet to come apparently. The Richmond Planning Commission approved a one-year amended permit last Monday on the condition that the popular venue reign in its noise violations. Because of that amendment, Camel owner Rand Burgess announced on the page of a change.org petition formed to support the venue’s permit request, final approval by City Council will delayed to its next meeting in September.
Follow @btpanko on Twitter for updates throughout the meeting tonight, and check back on this page Tuesday morning for a summary.
