Dec. 9 Newsletter: Neighbors unhappy with VMFA expansion plan
Weather: Late-morning rain, high of 58.
On this date in 1955, Chesterfield police raided a 780-gallon moonshine still in the woods outside the Five Forks neighborhood. The raid was rare because distillers usually vacated the forest ahead of hunting season, due to the possibility of being shot.
VMFA’s plan for art storage facility draws pushback from neighbors
As part of the VMFA's expansion plan, the art museum is turning a nearby parking lot it owns into an art storage facility.
That isn't sitting well with neighbors, who are concerned about noise from HVAC equipment and a potential change in the character of the neighborhood.
- However, the VMFA does not need to get permission, as zoning exceptions allow government-owned museums in residential districts.
Museum representatives said they searched for possible storage facilities, but after being unable to find one nearby decided to build their own.
Read more on the neighborhood conflict here.
School board gives unions two days unpaid leave per month for union management
Richmond schools will give union leaders two unpaid days of leave per month for union management.
The Richmond Education Association requested that its union president be granted a year of unpaid leave. REA presidents were granted the leave from 1989 to 2016, then didn't request it again until 2023, when they were denied.
- Superintendent Jason Kamras said he's worried about exacerbating existing teacher shortages.
“I worry this reflects the culture of martyrdom and self-sacrifice in RPS that leads to burnout and so much of the retention problems with staff in our district,” the current REA president wrote.
Read more on the vote, and the history of the practice, here.
Richmond City Hall chief Lincoln Saunders will leave top administrative job at year’s end
Richmond's Chief Administrative Officer won't be staying on to help bridge the transition to Mayor-elect Danny Avula's administration.
Lincoln Saunders announced his upcoming departure to staff and other officials over the weekend.
- In a statement, Avula said he “would have welcomed” Saunders staying on temporarily but respects his decision to leave as of Dec. 31.
Read more from Saunders and Avula on the decision here.
In other news...
- Drivers have paid $4 million in fines for driving past Richmond school buses (CBS 6)
- Jafari vs. Sherman still a thing more than a month after the election (South Richmond News)
- Henrico residents, officials ‘not supportive’ of Rosie’s expansion to Staples Mill (VPM)
The editor's desk
After a cold spell, it was great to get outdoors again yesterday. Not content to just be bad at regular golf, I can report that I am also no good at the mini-golf course next to Topgolf. Guess I'll stick with the day job.
Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org
