Understanding Code Refresh

Dear Marianne and Timmy:

Thank you both for coming out to share information about the Code Refresh process and what the implications would be for R2 neighborhoods including the greater Stratford Hills area (which was established before Chippenham Parkway existed and extended from the river to Forest Hill Ave). You were very generous with your time and we're grateful for the opportunity to share some early feedback with you as an input to the Round 3 work. Additionally, we're soliciting some feedback via our newly formed civic association (Stratford Hills Civic Association) and will continue to share feedback from the broader community as we have more of it. Topline: We are supportive of densification ideas around main corridors and nodes and would love more dense, walkable areas along Forest Hill Ave. However, based on early feedback from the community we are AGAINST code changes that promote adding significant infill square footage within this neighborhood.

However, based on early feedback from the community we are AGAINST code changes that promote adding significant infill square footage within this neighborhood.

Protect neighborhoods

We had mistakenly thought the recent ADU change was the end of the story for changes to R2 zoning. We have heard from many in our community who are against any further changes to zoning protections of R2 across any Richmond neighborhoods. Their concerns are not just for our neighborhood, but for negative impacts of the plans overall. The key themes that keep coming up include:

• Changing code to allow new infill opportunities in mature neighborhoods is not aligned with Richmond 300s focus on walkable corridors and growth nodes
• Impact to the character of the neighborhood community/ies
• Risk of losing neighborhood of home-ownership to a largely investor owned rental model
• Concerns that infrastructure is already insufficient to support the City's residents (schools, water, waste water, electrical, streets, services)
• Concerns that this plan doesn't bring in the tax dollars and funding sources to support fixing the base-level problems, much less the proposed population growth
• Concerns that these changes will not produce more affordable housing, and that taxes will rise further to pay for the infrastructure demands
• Concerns that property values and tax bases would suffer as people seeking single family neighborhoods will leave for the counties

Suggestions

Focus on the walkable corridors and nodes and do not break established single family neighborhoods. For any ADUs including existing policies, strong support for the idea that the plan should include a provision that owners of lots holding more than one dwelling unit reside in one unit to help maintain a neighborhood's character.

Consider Environmental Impacts

While there are a few cynics in any neighborhood, the vast majority of our neighbors we've spoken to are truly shocked and heartbroken that the changes were proposed for Stratford Hills and surrounding neighborhoods. Our neighborhood was built on relatively large plots of heavily wooded land along the James River and surrounding watershed -- nestled among perennial creeks and hundreds-of-years-old trees, and offering tremendous value to the City in terms of ecosystem services, environmental benefits and prized natural recreation areas such as Pony Pasture and Huguenot Flatwater. The people in our community are as far from cookie cutter as are the varied size and topography of our lots - but the one thing we have in common is that we purposefully moved into and steward this livable forest among the extensive wildlife, birdlife and incredible canopy of trees.

Themes of concerns:

• This proposal does not match with the Richmond 300 initiative's emphasis on sustainability
• This proposal has not been designed with an environmental expert at the table or with environmental impact studies taken into consideration.
• This will dramatically undermine the City's initiatives to protect and grow total tree canopy since our neighborhood has the densest canopy in the City today
• Removing trees to add additional square footage of housing will have negative impacts on heat, air quality and related lung health, increasing the felt impact from pollution generated by nearby major thoroughfares like Chippenham Parkway and Powhite Parkway.
• Additionally, this increases CO2 and climate change impacts including adding to intensification of weather events
• Especially in our hilly terrain, removing trees and grading land to make it suitable for building will have tremendously negative impacts on water run-off and will create new erosion challenges
• Runoff into the James River watershed and destruction of the beautiful forests will negatively impact landmark Richmond Parks attractions like Pony Pasture and Huguenot Flatwater as well as others downriver, all of which are often featured by the City and local publications when promoting Richmond's vibe
• Expected run-off is most likely in direct conflict with the Chesapeake Bay Act and its goals of rebuilding and protecting the bay ecosystem
• Trees in our forested area are interdependent; if one neighbor takes down their trees and adds impervious surfaces it often damages the trees on adjacent properties. So even moderate infill is a risk to tree canopy and neighbors property.
• The wooded neighborhood is home to many wild animals including mating pairs of foxes and deer who have their fawns in our backyards each year. The impacts of habitat loss will be significant - which in itself would change the character of this unique community.
• Our tree canopy along the James River makes our neighborhood one of the top birdwatching sites in the region. The diversity and abundance of bird species is phenomenal including regular sightings of red shouldered hawks, barred owls, pileated woodpeckers and literally hundreds of other species we routinely see and hear chirping in the woods. Without the forest, Richmond will be less of a draw for birds and birdwatchers.
• We would be tearing down the very ecosystems, green spaces and natural beauty that is used frequently to advertise the attractiveness of Richmond as a destination or home.

Suggestions

Given all of the above, the drafters of the plan could benefit from a more serious environmental voice at the table. An environment specialist with city zoning expertise who can bring key issues for discussion would be an important core member of the team. We would expect environmental impact studies to evaluate the types of negative impacts including those outlined above before something as significant as R2 rezoning is codified. In the meantime, we would welcome a better understanding of the tree canopy provisions and especially how currently heavy wooded areas would have protection from being leveled to accommodate building.

We are getting the Stratford Hills community involved and looking forward to seeing your update to the broader community on the pending third revision - hopefully incorporating the above suggestions. Thanks again for your time and listening. We appreciate and look forward to further engagement on the subject.