Our next general membership meeting is Wednesday, August 13, 6:00-7:30 PM, at Cherry Avenue Christian Church. Normally this newsletter would include an agenda; however, this month there are several events of great interest to our neighborhood, and I'd like to take a moment to tell you a little about them, in chronological order.
In response to a motion approved by the general membership in 2013, Neighborhood Development Services (NDS) has initiated a study of the potential rezoning of properties currently zoned R2 in the areas of Stribling, Crestmont, and Shamrock, to R1S. A joint public hearing, before both City Council and the Planning Commission, will be held Tuesday, August 12, at 5:30 PM, in Council chambers.
From its inception, and in accordance with its constitutional mandate, your Neighborhood Association's goal is "the conservation and enhancement of the Fry’s Spring neighborhood as an attractive, safe, enjoyable place to live." We have always welcomed professionals, retirees, students, homeowners and renters alike, to this wonderful neighborhood, and that is not going to change. In requesting this rezoning, I am joining three past presidents and other committed members to ask the City to recognize and help us deal with the pressures of growth and its potential impact on the stability of our neighborhood, without adversely affecting the existing R2 properties' value as rentals.
We understand that this is a complex issue and we respect the concerns of R2 property owners. Mike Farruggio and Hardy Whitten are reaching out to concerned neighbors in the affected areas. If you do not have their contact information, please feel free to contact me at fsna.president@gmail.com and I will put you in touch with them.
Next, the 3rd Bike-Walk-Play JPA event will be held Saturday, August 16, from 9:00 AM to noon. It is shaping up to be a great time! As their Facebook page says, "The event will stretch for 1 mile from the JPA Bridge to the Harris/Camellia/JPA Extended intersection. Through active recreation and transportation, Bike Walk Play JPA celebrates and builds connections - ...between people to each other, to their neighborhood, to local organizations, and to local businesses. It encourages people to discover not only that they can bike or walk to places they want to go, but also the fun of ‘getting’ there! Come Bike with us, Walk with us, and Play with us!"
To see what's happening, check out their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BikeWalkPlay, and RSVP to the event, https://www.facebook.com/events/1431020227163460/?ref=22.
The event sponsors need your help to make this event a success! Are you interested in helping with set-up or take-down? Manning the barricades at one of the key intersections on JPA? Helping kids decorate their bikes? Or volunteering at the one mile fun run?
If the answer is YES, please sign up on the sign-up sheet located at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b094baba929aa8-bike.
Volunteers can enjoy free coffee and bagels before the event begins on Saturday.
If you have any questions about the event or volunteering, please contact Hillary Bracken (hillary_bracken@hotmail.com).
Finally, there is another public hearing coming up, this one with regards to establishing an honorary national historic preservation district in our neighborhood. On Monday, August 18, at 6 PM, in the Fellowship Hall of Cherry Avenue Christian Church. Officials from Richmond, as well as Mary Joy Scala, a City Preservation and Design Planner (and Fry's Spring resident!) will be available to field your questions.
A map of the proposed district is on our web site, http://frysspring.blogspot.com/2014/07/proposed-frys-spring-neighborhood.html.
I'd say "that's all we have going on in August!" but then I would be leaving out the improvements that are being made to Azalea Park and Old Lynchburg Road. Not only that, but your Board and members daily advocate for safe walks to school, good public transportation, and so much more.
Hoping you can attend as many events in August as you can, and thanking all of you for making Fry's Spring such a dynamic and beautiful place to live,
Jeff Greer
FSNA President
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