News
-
Zoning Code Refresh — A Nightmare For Our Communities?
Perhaps once in a lifetime are the citizens of any city faced with an existential threat similar to Richmond’s imminent Code Refresh. The Fabric of CommunityCode Refresh threatens to tear apart the fabric of our communities by damaging both their appearance, cohesiveness, desirability, and market value. Affordable Housing?Code Refresh is promoted by generally well-intended folks including our Mayor under the guise of affordable housing. It is our studied opinion—and that of many experts—that the Code Refresh plan as proposed will drive up prices…
-
“Concerned About Code Refresh” RALLY!
Join us for a “Concerned About Code Refresh” RALLY! 📅 July 21, 6-8 p.m.📌 ACCA Temple Shrine1712 Bellevue Ave.FREE PARKING ✍🏽 REGISTER to attend: https://tinyurl.com/StandUpToCodeRefresh 77,000 Parcels Forcibly Rezoned, Yet No One Asked US.Did they zone YOU RD-C, RA, RM? Just concerned? Hear from past and present Councilmembers and details on a REFERENDUM INITIATIVE! JOIN US to LEARN MORE, STAND UP, and SPEAK OUT! 👉🏼 Richmond’s “Code Refresh” Forced Rezoning Causes The Following Harm, And You Have No Vote! 👉 The City Committee with 14 developers who wrote “Code Refresh” may stand to profit personally. Normally, this would be illegal.…
-
Poll: 67% of Richmonders Surveyed Oppose Code Refresh. 87% Say Taxes Too High.
Poll: 67% of Richmonders Surveyed Oppose Code Refresh. 87% Say Taxes Too High. STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT! “Concerned About Code Refresh” RALLYJuly 21, 6-8 p.m.! Details here! Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, As chairman of Richmond Civic League, I’m happy to provide full copies of our much anticipated live call polling survey of 630 Richmond citizens, regarding zoning Code Refresh. Only 34% of Citizens Aware of Code RefreshSurprisingly, the poll establishes that Richmond’s Mayor Avula is attempting to force rezoning of 77,000 Richmond lots, yet only 34% of Citizens are aware that their property is about to be…
-
Open Letter to Mayor Avula
3/14/26 Mayor Avula, Our objections, summarized in brief: So Mr. Mayor, there’s a lot of work to do, and for these reasons and more we support the ordinance, soon to be considered by Council to create a Citizen Review Commission to consider all of Code Refresh. I am happy to meet with you and our co-chair, privately without staff or the press, if you feel that such a meeting would be beneficial to the interests of our great city. Yours truly, Marty Jewell, Chairman Richmond Civic League
-
Code Refresh: LEARN and MEET to voice your thoughts March 5!
With neighborhoods, neighbors, and City representatives (past and present), we invite YOU to learn more and share your thoughts on Code Refresh by gathering March 5 at 6 p.m. at Holton Elementary, 1600 W Laburnum Avenue. LEARN MORE about Code Refresh here.JOIN US March 5 at 6-8 p.m. at Linwood Holton Elementary, 1600 W Laburnum Avenue.PREREGISTER for quick entry, here! Skip the line and just check in.SIGN UP TO SPEAK! Representatives will be listening and engaging! Sign up to speak, here! Speakers are limited due to time.INVITE your friends and neighbors to learn more about Code Refresh by forwarding this email! There will be a special announcement of a new initiative for community to work directly with City Council,…
-
Let’s Fix the Rezoning.
The citywide rezoning of Richmond now in process, called Code Refresh, will shape the features, function, and character of our city permanently. Unfortunately, it is a deeply flawed rezoning process and unworthy of what Richmond has become. The core of these flaws was revealed in excellent investigative journalism in the TimesDispatch by Samuel Parker on September 2. A local developer has been Chair of the Planning Commission for twenty years, as well as the Chair of Richmond 300, the land use plan required by state code to precede zoning. This same developer also approved the 17 members of the Zoning…
-
Imminent Peril Facing Black Westwood Neighborhood
An old Westwood neighborhood home. The example in the Richmond Times Dispatch article below, represents an existential threat to the Westwood neighborhood in Richmond, with the high numbers of very small lots occupied mostly by Blacks or low income residents. Tucked in behind the former Bank of Richmond building at Patterson Ave. and Willow Lawn Drive, most building lots there are just 20 ft. wide. In Westwood, three houses can be razed on three 20ft lots, and turned into a 60′ lot with one far larger new home. This would displace three low income families, replacing them with a single high…
-
Zoning Code Refresh — A Nightmare For Our Communities?
Perhaps once in a lifetime are the citizens of any city faced with an existential threat similar to Richmond’s imminent Code Refresh. The Fabric of CommunityCode Refresh threatens to tear apart the fabric of our communities by damaging both their appearance, cohesiveness, desirability, and market value. Affordable Housing?Code Refresh is promoted by generally well-intended folks including our Mayor under the guise of affordable housing. It is our studied opinion—and that of many experts—that the Code Refresh plan as proposed will drive up prices and offer housing at almost exclusively market rates. Why Market Rates?Because builders and developers must currently pay…