Thanks to our neighbor Kellen, we have an opportunity to clean up our neighborhood on Saturday, April 23rd starting at 10AM. He shares more details:

Spring is here – let’s join together and spruce up the Springhill neighborhood. We’ll convene near the 22nd street entrance to Belle Isle and break into groups to target certain areas in our community needing some trash pick-up and minor landscaping.

The James River Park System will donate their equipment (trash grabbers, gloves, and trash bags). Additionally, they will coordinate trucks to collect the bags of garbage.

All you need to do, is show up! By accepting the invite, you’ll be considered “in” to volunteer. Please share with others.

It would be great if we could have 20-40 volunteers lend a hand in this overall project. If you spot specific areas, please list the location in the comment thread. I will consolidate the areas needing cleaned up and post a map before the project of areas to target.

In addition to trash clean-up, an application to the Love Your Block program has been submitted and may cover funds to plant flowers at the Richmond Rehabilitation Housing Authority at Stonewall Place. (Stonewall & 20th street). Shortly, we should know whether this grant has been awarded. If so, we may need some more experienced hands to help plant the flowers and trim the hedges.

There is a Facebook event where more discussion and signup is occurring.

The Springhill Community Vision plan that we as a neighborhood have been working on with the Storefront for Community Design is complete! It will be presented Thursday, October 10 from 6pm to 8pm at Woodland Heights Baptist Church, downstairs assembly room, 611 W 31st St. Please enter through the handicap entrance off the parking lot adjacent to Stonewall Ave.

The third and final Storefront for Community Design neighborhood workshop will be moved from this coming Saturday to next Saturday, April 13. We’ll meet at Storefront’s office from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at 205 E. Broad St. It appears more developers are trying to get involved, so it’s very important you come out and make your voice heard!

Just a reminder that the Storefront for Community Design is holding the second of three workshops tomorrow to define and illustrate the neighborhood’s vision for the future. I just confirmed that the meeting will again be held at 205 E Broad St at 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 23. For more information see their site (but note that the location is wrong as of 2:00 PM Friday).

Interested in working with your neighbors to articulate a comprehensive vision for our neighborhood? The first in a series of workshops for just this purpose has been sponsored by our new 5th District City Council Representative Parker Agelasto. Here’s more information from the Storefront for Community Design page for our neighborhood:

Storefront for Community Design invites residents and property owners in the Springhill neighborhood to take part in a three-part workshop series. The purpose of the Springhill Workshop Series is to define and illustrate the neighborhood’s vision for the future, with special emphasis on land uses, traffic and pedestrian circulation, and infrastructure improvements. Please come share your ideas about your neighborhood!

Three workshops will be held at the Stonewall Place Community Meeting Space located at 1920 Stonewall Avenue. UPDATE: The first workshop will be held at the Storefront for Community Design offices at 205 E. Broad St. Check back for the location of subsequent workshops.

• Saturday, March 9 (10am – 12pm)
• Saturday, March 23 (10am – 12pm)
• Saturday, April 6 (10am – 12pm)

Stakeholders in the Springhill community will create a vision statement that will impact future development and infrastructure projects in the neighborhood.

All residents, renters, business and property owners are encouraged to attend. Light refreshments will be served. Please call Storefront at (804) 322-9556 or email info@storefrontrichmond.org to RSVP or for further information.

Residents and property owners who are unable to attend these workshops may leave comments on this website or stop by Storefront for Community Design during business hours (Monday to Friday, 9-5pm). Storefront is located at 205 E Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia.

Please go to their website for more information and to monitor the materials created, and make sure to RSVP for the meeting tomorrow.

The residents of Springhill have welcomed newcomers for as long as our historic neighborhood has existed. Whether they are purchasing a home, renting, or developing new long-term projects, our community thrives on the vibrancy that newcomers introduce. Like any neighborhood, we look to those newcomers to contribute positively to our little corner of southside. When we see anybody threatening it, whether that’s burglarizing homes, littering, or otherwise spoiling the nature of our neighborhood, we stand up and speak out.

Petty crime is something we’ve been struggling with for some time, but there are other kinds of attacks that can be at least as damaging without being illegal. Because of our central location in the city and our view of the river and skyline, developers have been encroaching on our neighborhood for decades. Sometimes a development contributes to our neighborhood, and we are able to work with the developer to ensure everybody’s interests are met. Other times we have had to fight developers who want to shoehorn their fast money projects into the neighborhood.

The pending development of the Richmond Overlook apartment complex on the 600 block of Cowardin Avenue unfortunately falls in the latter category. It is a classic case of tax credit farming to dump yet more dissonant construction on a small neighborhood that is already doing its part to support a diversity of Richmond citizens.

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The Springhill neighborhood will be meeting with Gary Hammond, who is involved in the proposed development at 600 Cowardin Avenue, at 7:00 PM at Woodland Heights Baptist Church (611 West 31st Street). Enter through the parking lot lower entry (where you go to vote). We need everybody who can possibly make it to show up!

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Come out to our Neighborhood Yard Sale on Saturday, May 14 from 8:00AM to 12 noon.

Lots of good stuff — dining room chairs, sideboard, indoor/outdoor decorative columns, lamps, collectible toys (and some not-so-collectible toys), reel mower, household items — even a STROBE LIGHT!

If it’s raining, it will be a porch sale — if it’s pouring, we’ll do it on Sunday instead. Come one, come all!

Start at Springhill Avenue and W 19th Street and from there you can find other neighbors doing sales.