Meeting - January 27, 2025

Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) overview of up-coming project in our neighborhood by three DPU employees:The presentation started with an overview of Richmond’scombined sewer overflow (CSO) network . CSOs 19A and 19B and the Hampton Street Pump Station arein our neighborhood. DPU’s final plan to separate the sewer system was approvedby Virginia DEQ in August 2024 with a goal of constructioncompletion by 2032 . The project in our neighborhood will allow better utilization of CSO storage. Construction locations are at the intersection of Hampton Street and Colorado Avenue and the intersection of Hampton Street and New York Avenue with road closures at both loca-tions . DPU has been coordinating with Maymont Park regardingroad impacts. There will be some noise impacts due to bypass pumping. Construction will take place between 8am and 5pm with noweekend work planned. Project is out for bids right now but construction start is to bedetermined. A clearer timeline will be available at the March Civic Leaguemeeting. A neighbor asked if sidewalks will remain open. DPU con-firmed that sidewalks will remain open. A neighbor asked if there was any update on the pipeline trailwalkway. DPU said that the future of the trail is still to be de-termined.neighborhood and adjacent neighbor-hoods: no violent crimes and few petty crimes in our neighbor-hood . Some copper pipe theft in the Fan recently. Theft from motor vehicles goes down in the winter and backup in the spring and summer. Catalytic converter theft has slowed down. Theft of Kias hasslowed down as well. A neighbor asked about any update on the recent Belle Isleshooting of a park ranger. Officer Rhodenizer said that Belle Isle is not in the 3rd Precinct, but there have been no arrestsfollowing the shooting . Richmond SWAT searched for the sus-pect for several hours but rain likely impeded finding the sus-pect . Update from Parke Richardson, president and CEO of Maymont Foundation:There were 1,045,000 visitors to Maymont in 2024 . Maymont’s Nature Center saw 19,000 visitors in 2024. In 2024, 15,000 students were served by Maymont’s educa-tion programing with free access to Title 1 schools . A World Wildlife Day celebration will take place on Saturday March 1st. There is no fee to attend, but registration is need-ed. Richmond Wildlife Center will be at Maymont giving pre-sentations. A keeper talk with Louis the otter will be at lunchtime. There will be other presentations at the farm and naturecenter in the afternoon. Spring programming is coming up, and it is similar to previousyears. Update from the 5th District City Councilmember Liaison Amy Robins:No update was provided. Both Councilmember Stephanie Lynch and Liaison Amy Robins were out sick and unable to at-tend. Neighborhood discussion:Joy mentioned that it is good to leave the leaves in your yardand wait until nights are consistently at or above 55 degrees totidy up yards to help native wildlife . Joy mentioned that making Hampton Street one-way hascome up in the past and with the upcoming construction, thiscould be a good opportunity to make that happen . The mainissue is cars trying to pass one another when there is parkingon both sides. Parke asked if the city could do a traffic study to see whatdirection may be better. A neighbor who lives on Hampton said she prefers Hamp-ton being one way toward Colorado. A neighbor said the Maymont parking lot entrance and exiton Hampton may require the one way to be towards Kan-sas . A neighbor said eliminating parking on the west side of Hampton between Pennsylvania and New York could be the best solution without making the street one way . Joy said that a survey will be sent out asking neighbors fortheir thoughts on improving traffic flow on Hampton . Joy mentioned that we can ask the city for traffic calming on T exas Avenue, and we can write a letter to the city regardingreinstalling a security camera at the T exas Beach parking lot . Aneighbor mentioned that more police presence would be greatonce T exas Beach reopens to addres