Dear Members of the Richmond Urban Design Committee,
As you know there has been a great deal of public concern regarding Venture Richmond’s proposed amphitheater below Oregon Hill and the Va. War Memorial. It was therefore quite upsetting to discover yesterday that, without any public notice, the final review of the amphitheater on city property was scheduled for this Thursday’s UDC meeting.We ask that this item be continued for these reasons:
1). There was no public notice of this hearing. Even as of noon yesterday the agenda for Thursday’s UDC meeting was not posted on the UDC website.
2). The amphitheater is currently under review by the Corps of Engineers and the Va. Department of Historic Resources. It is premature for the UDC to undertake a final review when these agencies will undoubtedly require changes to the plan.If the UDC does not vote to continue the review of the amphitheater, then we ask that the location of the amphitheater be limited to the area below the canal. This will require no damage to the canal, and will make it possible to redirect the noise from the stage away from the Oregon Hill Historic District and the Va. War Memorial. This will also leave the city-owned land above the canal available for a canal boat dock when the canal is rewatered.
The extent of the Venture Richmond’s proposal should be closely re-examined in light of new research and the exciting news that City Councilman Parker Agelasto in October 2013 submitted a CIP budget request to fund the rewatering the James River and Kanawha Canal west from Tredegar. As supported by new research, it is of critical importance that the tow path not be lowered from its current elevation of around 85 feet or sliced from its 30 foot width that dates to 1801:
· New photographic evidence shows that the 48” water transmission pipe crisscrosses the canal bed just west of the proposed amphitheater. (Please see attachment: “Canal view showing 48 inch water pipe, Richmond Renaissance.”)
· Important new information from the Department of Public Utilities indicates that a water elevation in the canal of 83 feet elevation above mean sea level is necessary to clear this 48″ water transmission pipe, the top of which is at 80.5 feet elevation. (Please see attachment, “DPU report on canal water level, from Roger Cronin, principal of Greeley-Hansen to Utilities Director Bob Steidel.”)
· The water gauge is still visible in the canal at Park Hydro some 300 yards west of the proposed amphitheater, and it indicates that the water elevation in the canal was at the historic level of 83 feet that will be necessary for canal boats to clear the water transmission pipe. (Please see attachment, “Park Hydro gauge.”)
· The canal study of Whitman Requardt & Assoc. in 1990 indicated that it was entirely feasible to rewater the canal west of Tredegar at a cost of around $3 million in 1990 dollars. This study indicated that the tow path is at 87 feet elevation west of the Lee Bridge but abruptly drops to around 85 feet elevation at the proposed amphitheater site. Venture Richmond proposes to lower the tow path by two feet at the location where the tow path is already at its lowest. (Please see attachment, “Figure L, 1990 canal feasibility study.”)
· Important new deed research indicates that the 30 foot width of the canal tow path dates from 1801 at the proposed amphitheater site. In 1801 the canal company purchased land from John Harvie to build a dam to hold back the water for the planned “Harvie’s Pond.” Harvie by this deed reserved a 30 foot “public Road” for himself and his heirs at this location on top of the substantial water dam. (Please see attachment, “Henrico DB6, p. 260”)
Please consider a continuance of the Venture Richmond amphitheater project to allow the Corps of Engineers and Section 106 review by the Va. Department of Historic Resources to be completed.
If the amphitheater is reviewed, please limit of the location of the amphitheater to the land below the canal. Please also limit the extent of the project to exclude lowering or slicing the canal tow path embankment.
We stress that the Richmond Riverfront Plan of 2012 maintained that, “All public improvements to and investments in Tredegar Green should support the goal of westward (or appropriate) canal restoration, as the canal could once again become a functioning connective conduit, a historic blueway.” It would be a tragedy if Venture Richmond was allowed to damage the canal on city owned property at the very time when a budget request has been submitted to rewater the canal.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Charles Pool
OHHIC representative