Larus Park water tank proposal draws opposition from residents, environmental organizations

The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has proposed building a water tank in the 4th District. Chesterfield needs more water and therefore has approached the City with a proposal. Chesterfield County would pay for the construction and maintenance of a new ground-level water tank and pumping station on about 1.5 acres of land at the southeast corner of Lewis G. Larus Park (8850 Huguenot Road) immediately adjacent to Richmond Fire Station 25 at the corner of Huguenot Road and Hayden Hill Lane.

City and county officials believe the water tank is necessary to keep up with increasing demand and would allow the current system to operate more efficiently. As part of the proposal, public water service would be extended to nearby city residents and according to ABC8, DPU states that the city would “gross of about $1.3 million dollars a year in revenue.”

In addressing the environmental impact, the Department of Public Utilities state in their propsal:

• Tree canopy will be replaced via contribution to Enrichmond Foundation’s Adopt-A-Tree account
• Improved trail head access and ten new parking spaces would be added
• No wetlands will be impacted
• No threatened or endangered species will be impacted
• No existing park trails will be affected

The image above is a rendering of what the proposed tank would look like. Below is the current site.

In her latest newsletter, Richmond City Councilwoman Kristen Larson gives a timeline of the project to date and where it’s heading:

Representatives from Richmond and Chesterfield DPUs presented the proposal to 4th District Neighborhood Presidents at a meeting on June 1.  I then hosted a public meeting on June 8 at Fisher Elementary School where both DPUs presented the proposal to neighbors from the area closest to the park. You can see the presentation materials here.  The June 20 LUHT Committee meeting was cancelled and the paper was continued to July. Also on June 20, Bob Steidel, director of Richmond DPU, presented to the Southampton Citizen’s Association, while I attended the Mayor’s 4th District Office Hours, where the proposal was briefly discussed. This project was also a topic of discussion at my 4th District Meeting on June 29th where I committed to hosting another public meeting with representatives from both Richmond and Chesterfield DPU.

Throughout these last two months I have met on site numerous times with 4th district residents and with city and county officials, I have received many calls and emails from citizens about the project and I have met personally with the city administration to discuss this project. I have also been in regular contact with the city attorney to obtain a legal opinion regarding this use of the property.

Yesterday, July 6, I sat down with the CAO and the director of DPU to share 4th district concerns and to discuss possible alternatives to the proposal. They are currently investigating alternatives and exploring options and we plan to reconvene in one week.

We will host another public engagement session before I vote on this ordinance and I will share the details of that meeting through this email newsletter and in the media when they are set.

The Sierra Club Falls of the James Executive Committee voiced their displeasure with the proposal in a letter that was sent to all City Council members. The three areas they take issue with are leasing of the park, damage to the trees and wildlife, and the financial details of the plan.

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Richmond City Council members,

The Sierra Club Falls of the James Executive Committee would like to express our opposition to Ordinance 2017-087, regarding the proposed Chesterfield water facility in Larus Park.

After careful consideration, there are three points to the proposal that we find particularly objectionable:

1. We are concerned that the lease proposal is in violation of the status of Larus Park. One of our former chairpersons, Dr. Charles Price, has publicly brought up the strict ban on development in Larus Park contained in Section 8-2 (c) of the City Code. That section bars the city from leasing any section of Larus and other parks for “any purpose that would result in or involve any development.” Also covered are Bandy Field Park, Crooked Branch Ravine Park and the James River Park system. The City has finite parkland that should be protected. To play word games with definitions of ‘development’ is unseemly and worrisome for all of our parks.
2. The Sierra Club has a stated duty to cherish trees and wildlife as part of our local environment. Though the land area may not seem significant at first glance, over 350 trees would be clear-cut from this natural, forested area, potentially impacting sixteen species of migratory birds, including the bald eagle, and at least one species of endangered mammal. We note that we have already seen drastic and regrettable tree removal from the leasing situation in Monroe Park, something that we previously asked Council to take action on, to no avail. Our members expect us to speak up for the local environment and we will continue to do so.
3. While we appreciate thoughts of regional cooperation, the financial details of this proposal are deplorable in that they represent a very lopsided deal that does not help the cause of conservation. We recall previous Sierra Club Falls of the James campaign to promote water rate reform for the City of Richmond and the fact that there is still dire need for more reform in order to instate incentives for conservation. There is also a social/economic justice aspect that is only exacerbated by the glaring disparity in rates paid by Chesterfield vs. City of Richmond residents in this proposal. The overall public return to the City of Richmond on this proposal is paltry once net revenue is determined. Water is a finite resource that requires public stewardship, not just commodification for easy sale.

In short, when you combine these points with the need for more communication and notice even within the City’s departments, the Sierra Club Falls of the James asks that City Council vote down this proposed ordinance at this time. We ask that DPU and Chesterfield rethink their relationship to the environment and their obligations to Richmond’s public.

That said, with opposition established, we are encouraged by Councilperson Larson’s recent communication on July 6 that the City is “currently investigating alternatives” and hope good news is forthcoming.

Sincerely,
Sierra Club Falls of the James Executive Committee, representing over 800 members of the Sierra Club Falls of the James group