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| RIVER CITY SAUNTER:
Smart Growth Success |
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Over 170 participants celebrated the growing coalition of advocates for a smarter, more sustainable, more vibrant Richmond at PSG's River City Saunter on September 21st.
Thanks to your support, we raised over $7,500 (strengthened by $6,500 in in-kind donations) not to mention awareness of the smart growth movement in Richmond. Three buses - led by our expert tour guides Rachel Flynn, Brooke Hardin, and Daniel Moore - explored the potential of the River City. One Goochland resident exclaimed that she had no idea the city had transformed so beautifully since her last visit years ago.
The Smart Growth Celebration at Legend Brewing Company delighted participants with locally grown heavy hors d'oeuvres, 3 tastings of locally brewed Legend beer, and the eclectic roots rock of Richmond's own MOOSSA. Congratulations to the winners of the silent auction featuring transportation alternatives such as adventure excursions, transit-passes, biking gear, and paddles.
PSG unveiled our Scoot Richmond Scooter Raffle with great success! On March 28th 2009 you might just scoot away on an environmentally-friendly and fun Fiddle II 50 ! Help us raise $10,000 with this base-building effort: buy your $5.00 ticket today.
Sincere thanks to our committed sponsors and energetic participants!
Check out our publicity and coverage:
Featured story on Richmond.com
in-depth perspective from John Sarvay of Buttermilk and Mollasses
Soundbites on Christopher Maxwell's Homespun C-SPAN on WRIR 97.3 aired on October 13th.
New definition of "Saunter": v., to park and ride...and walk...and learn...and eat locally...and think regionally...and rediscover Richmond.. and support PSG!
Couldn't make it but still want to invest in the future of our community and quality of life?
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| SAVE OUR CITIES:
On November 18 Learn from Mayor Riley of Charleston |
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Joe Riley's 30 year tenure as Mayor of Charleston, SC is living proof that excellent urban design and the creation of superior civic spaces can lead to world class urban renewal. Now, thanks to the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, Richmond Association of REALTORS, and other sponsors, this passionate urbanite will share with Richmond his vision for collective beauty. Don't miss this opportunity on Tuesday, Nov 17. More info. RSVP required.
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| SAVE OUR FARMS |
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| EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES |
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The Grassroots is Always Greener: Smart Growth Advocacy Training Program
Hot button issue in your locality? Not sure how to leverage your constituency power? Want to learn more about smart growth applications on the local level? Learn from the experts, with Glen Besa of the Sierra Club, Martha Wingfield of Coalition for Hanover's Future, and Trip Pollard of Southern Environmental Law Center. Meet other concerned and active citizens from across the region, and take what you learn directly to your community.
Sponsored by PSG and Back Porch Initaitives. Saturday, November 15th, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at Centenary United Methodist Church in Richmond. More info. Register .
Virginia Bicycling Federation (VFB) Fall Retreat
Join VFB for an opportunity for cycling advocates from throughout Virginia to gather in rural Louisa County to meet and plan advocacy strategies to improve conditions for bicyclists in local communities and across the state. November 14-16, 2008. More info. |
| OUR STEERING COMMITTEE |
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Locality representatives:
Charles City:
Fred Fisher
Goochland:
Ennion Williams
Hanover:
Martha & Lynn Wingfield
Henrico:
Jane Koontz, Lynn Wilson
Petersburg:
Richard Taylor
Powhatan:
Pam McCune
Richmond:
Barbara Williamson
State & Regional Representatives:
The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter:
Glen Besa and Charles Price
Virginia League of Conservation Voters -Education Fund:
Lisa Guthrie
Coalition for Smarter Growth:
Stewart Schwartz
Southern Environmental Law Center:
Trip Pollard
Back Porch Initiatives:
Virginia Walters
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Thank you for subscribing to Partnership for Smarter Growth's Enewsletter, the Regional Scoop. We have much to celebrate: the unprecedented success of our River City Saunter, the unanimous passage of the Downtown Master Plan, and galvanizing steps toward better public process in Henrico. With your help, we can continue.
 To engage with PSG in your community on a deeper level, join us on November 15th for our Smart Growth Advocacy Training Program: The Grassroots is Always Greener. Reserve your space today! Now is the time to support our mission for citizen engagement in shaping the future of our communities across the region. Only have 2 minutes? Buy a $5.00 raffle ticket for an environmentally friendly Scoot Richmond scooter!
One-hundred sixty sauntering Richmonders take in the historic view from Libby Hill Park at PSG's River City Saunter on September 21st. For an extended picture gallery click here. |
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| PSG Highlights: Help us Strengthen the Grassroots Movement for Smarter Growth on Election Day |
Growing Green Citizens: How Does Your Community Grow? Volunteer on Election Day!
 On Election Day help us gather voices for smarter growth on the local, regional, and state-wide level - just by volunteering a few hours this November 4th at a precinct near you! Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) in conjunction with Partnership for Smarter Growth and local citizen groups across the region will be coordinating an effort to strengthen the grassroots movement for citizen involvement in planning our communities. Volunteers will be staffing targeted precincts during peak voting hours and identifying citizens who care about environmental and growth-related issues. Together we can build an effective, organized, and passionate network of individuals ready to speak up and take action about how and where we grow. Come out and participate in the democratic process! Contact our Election Day Coordinator Jay Ford at jaycford@gmail.com or 804-225-1902 to volunteer. We need 60 volunteers and have over40 signed up so far! |
| Locality Highlights: Richmond, Henrico, Powhatan, Hanover, Goochland |
RICHMOND:
Grassroots Victory: 1000 Voices Celebrate Unanimous Passage of Downtown Master Plan
Richmond Decision '08: PSG Supports Mayoral Candidate Forums
 PSG has been proud to support Richmond Decision '08, a mayoral candidate forum series. The first forum, at the Renaissance Conference Center on September 23rd, focused on the future of Downtown Richmond and Development, Revitalization, City Services, and the Master Plan. See Mayoral hopefuls consider future. The second forum, at the Virginia Historical Society on October 14th, explored the Arts and Culture, Tourism, and the Richmond Public Schools. See Mayoral event focuses on culture, education.
Forum III: Living and Working in Richmond Join us on October 28 at The Library of Virginia, 800 E. Broad St, for the final forum in the series, with a focus on Growth, Safety, Housing, Environmentalism, Health Care, and Work Force issues.
The forums are sponsored by Style Weekly and League of Women Voters-RMA, together with the Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Coalition for a Greater Richmond and the Virginia Conference United Methodist Board of Church and Society, and are supported by a number of organizations including PSG. More info. This election season, ensure that candidates know where smart growthers stand on growth-related issues. Email your questions for the candidates to psg@psgrichmond.org.
HENRICO:
"Preserve the Rural Character": Varina Citizens Show Up and Speak Up at Working Group Discussion on the Comprehensive Plan
Over 240 citizens joined Supervisor Jim Donati, Henrico County staff and McBride, Dale and Clarion consultants, for a hands-on working group discussion on the future of Eastern Henrico on Monday, September 15 at Henrico Theatre. The presentation, followed by sharing working group discussions, was Supervisor Donati's response for citizens' request through petition for a better public process in the 2026 Comprehensive Plan. See Growth concerns Henrico residents.
 Over 80 citizens stayed past 10 p.m. to share their working groups' thoughts on the Plan - and to applaud the county for hosting the event. Was there support for targeting Eastern Henrico for more growth, as the plan currently indicates? On the contrary, over and over citizens stated their desire for "more land conservation tools...preservation of rural character and historic and natural resources...alternatives to automobile-centric design...more parks...a fix-it first policy...more focus groups." Read the Historic Varina blog's summary of the event, and join your neighbors at Envision Henrico's next meeting to encourage county follow-up. See Shame, shame: Henrico ignores request for further public comp plan meetings.
POWHATAN:
Getting Around Powhatan: Transportation Challenges and the Land Use Connection Forum
 The Powhatan County Transportation Study Group and Powhatan Tomorrow presented a well-attended forum focusing on transportation issues on October 22 at Powhatan High School. Transportation experts on the panel included Pierce Homer, Sec. of Transportation; Ted McCormack, Virginia Association of Counties; Trip Pollard, Southern Environmental Law Center, Jakob Helmboldt, VDOT Statewide Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Coordinator; and James A. Bacon Jr., Publisher of Bacon's Rebellion. More info.
Powhatan Tomorrow's Agribusiness Forum and Farm Tour in September also enjoyed great success. The Richmond Times Dispatch reports: "For all the commercial and residential growth that has sprung up in Powhatan County in recent years, local residents still hope to hold on to the county's agricultural base." See Powhatan touts area's rural side: This week's agribusiness forum and farm tour to educate on businesses. Congratulations to Pam McCune and Maureen Moslow-Benway, Co-chairs of Powhatan Tomorrow, for hosting these vibrant citizen and elected official education programs.
HANOVER:
Members of Coalition for Hanover's Future spoke up on October 8 urging the Board of Supervisors to deny an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan to alter the Atlee-Elmont and Elmont Small Area Plans (SAPs). The amendment was indeed denied. It would have increased housing densities and added more commercial along Cedar Lane (Rte. 623) between Holly Hill Road and Washington Hwy. (Rte. 1), compromising the village concept and amplifying environmental impacts to the Chickahominy wetlands. The Planning Commission unanimously denied this amendment on August 21st.
GOOCHLAND:
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| Regional Highlights |
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Regional Transportation Authority discussed, "ZIP code war" questioned
The proposed regional transportation authority for the city of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico continues to be considered. See Richmond questions proposed transit authority.
Michael Paul Williams discusses Chesterfield's potential to duplicate Henrico's "blow to regionalism" with its plan to change the mailing addresses of county homes and businesses that contain "Richmond," "Colonial Heights" or "Petersburg." |
Volunteers/Commute/Quote of the Month
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Volunteers of the Month
 Without volunteers, the success of PSG's River City Saunter would not have been possible. A very special thank you to the managers and staff of Legend Brewing Company, who donated their time and expertise to the cause that lively day: Adam Hawkins, Ben Pruett, Whitney Grigg, Dave Gott, Joanna Cox, Amanda Willis, Devin Arzoomanian, D.J. O'Leary, Bridgitte Withers, Pam Moessner. Their generosity is remarkable and commendable. We are grateful to Blaine Lay, the tour logistics coordinator, who ensured a smooth and fruitful ride. Many thanks to Back Porch Initiatives for countless hours donated: Andrew Burton created the eye-catching flyers and programs; Jon Davidow coordinated the visuals for the Silent Auction on Transportation Alternatives and Local Food Products; and Liz Burroughs provided promotional services. Lisa Dearden and Molly Harris graciously provided invaluable expertise coordinating the local food. Kudos and sincere thanks is also due to Mary Herrington, Jay Ford, Anne Darby, Adele MacLean, Irvine Wilson, and our committed PSG Steering Committee members. Creative Commute of the Month: Smart Land Use That Allows for Transportation Alternatives
 Powhatan Tomorrow's Forum on the Land Use and Transportation Connection yesterday, as described in "Locality Highlights" above, emphasized the need for alternatives to the car. Pierce Homer stated that "the era of the single occupancy vehicle is ending." Trip Pollard emphasized that our rate of land consumption in the Richmond region has outpaced our population growth because of our scattered settlement patterns. Ted McCormack explained the challenges of proffers and impact fees and the question of how we fund infrastructure. Jake Helmboldt underscored the need for multi-modal transportation networks and connected streets. Jim Bacon encouraged pushing the village concept in the currently underway Comprehensive Plan update to encourage more compact development - which by limiting the need to accommodate cars makes walking easier. Roger Waldon, the consultant with Clarion and Associates guiding the Comprehensive Plan update, welcomed residents to visit www.powhatanplan.org to participate in the process and work together for transportation solutions.
Quote of the Month
"Rebuilding our struggling downtowns and abandoned industrial landscapes and constructing new transit systems for a post-carbon age can stoke an economy as surely as expanding the suburbs and building malls in the countryside." - Tom Horton, author of "Growing! Growing! Gone! The Chesapeake Bay and the Myth of Endless Growth." See Region's Growing Population is Killing the Chesapeake Bay. | |
The grassroots movement for smarter growth starts with you. Thank you for staying connected and taking action. I hope to see you on November 15th at the Training Program!
Sincerely,
Sheila J. Sheppard
Coordinator, Partnership for Smarter Growth
p: 804-225-1902
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