Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League
COMMUNITY NEWS
Guest Speaker: Brian Townsend, City of Norfolk Planning Department, on the Llewellyn Avenue Redevelopment Plan
NEXT BOARD MEETING will be June 17, 2002, at 7:00 pm.
DEADLINE for the July issue is Tuesday, June 25, 2002.
THIS MONTH'S MEETING AGENDA: Election of Officers - Ice Cream Social Budget - Llewellyn Avenue Redevelopment Plan.
It has been a wonderful seven years of community involvement - the last two years serving as president. I'm so proud of the many accomplishments made possible by you - the volunteers of Colonial Place and Riverview!! Our community is held up as a citywide model for how to get things done. Space does not allow me to list our many successes!! Take time to thank your civic league board members and other volunteers for a job well done. We must not rest on our laurels... for if we do... it takes no time to lose that which we have worked so hard to attain!! We must be vigilant!! I encourage you to share a few minutes of your time to support our wonderful neighborhoods.
Contact any of the board members to let them know what small piece of the pie with which you are willing to help. For example, you may be willing to make sure the street lights on your block are in good working order - it is just that easy!! Share your talent and interest ... you'll have fun... help your community... set an example of service for your children, grandchildren, friends and/or neighbors. I promise, you will meet outstanding people and feel great about working toward common goals for the good of your community and "Your Fair City of Norfolk"!! I'll see ya around the neighborhood!!
Thanks,
David Block
Brian Townsend with the Norfolk Planning Department will be the featured speaker at the June meeting of the Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League. He will discuss the Llewellyn Avenue Redevelopment Project. The first phase of the project includes preparing an amendment to the Norfolk Development Plan (a guiding document for the city), having that amendment approved by the Planning Commission and ultimately approved by the City Council.
When Mr. Townsend attended our meeting in April, he discussed an amendment to the Norfolk Plan which included ...
The city’s claiming the Lafayette Motor Inn through eminent domainHigh density residential zoning for the property behind and around the Lafayette Motor Inn
Medium density residential zoning for the property on the east side of Llewellyn Avenue (J.J.’s Car Wash)
Closing Llewellyn Avenue between Delaware and Granby Street
Some land use changes to the property on the east side of Granby Street near the Granby Street Bridge
The amendment to the plan, which he discussed at that meeting, went before the Planning Commission and is slated to go before the city council Tuesday, June 25. The Planning Commission approved the amendment to the plan and recommended it to City Council, after modifying the amendment by changing the recommended zoning for the property on the east side of Llewellyn Avenue from medium to high density residential zoning.
After the May civic league meeting, some interested members of the community invited Mr. Townsend to an informal meeting about the Llewellyn Redevelopment Project. Several members of the Colonial Place and Riverview communities attended and Mr. Townsend was very helpful in sharing information about the project and the administrative process associated with the project. Several members of the civic league board were at the meeting and invited Mr. Townsend to attend the June civic league meeting to give all members of the community a final opportunity to hear the information and ask questions before Council votes on the amendment.
All members of the Colonial Place and Riverview Communities are encouraged to attend the June meeting of the Civic League to hear Mr. Townsend speak and to voice your questions or concerns.
Establishing a Formal Position For The Civic League
At the June meeting we would like to poll the membership and establish a formal league position regarding this phase of the Llewellyn Redevelopment Project. The league leadership will communicate that official position at the City Council meeting in June and read our position into the record. Please plan to attend the June meeting and let your voice be heard.
While we want to have an official position for the league, we also want to encourage every resident of our community to voice their opinions and concerns to the City. Because of the size and scope of the Llewellyn Avenue Redevelopment Plan, it is important that our individual voices and community concerns be heard by our city leaders. The League leadership encourages all members of our community to become informed and stay involved with this significant project, which will affect our communities for decades to come.
As of the last newsletter I am your Community News editor. Bear with me as I get used to my new duties.
I have lived in Colonial Place since 1992 with my husband, Howard, his two boys and our two german shepherds. This is my first official civic duty and I would like to thank the other board members for making me feel welcome .
Next month, space permitting, we would like to start a “Getting to know our neighbors” column. Please call or e-mail me with the name and information about somebody you think we might like to know a little better.
As reported in last month’s newsletter, it is time to vote on the election of league officers. The following slate of officers was presented at the May membership meeting. Listed below are the offices for which they were nominated and tidbits about each nominee.
President: Craig Reilly. Craig is our current league Vice President. He has resided in Colonial Place for the past six years, is married to Laurie, and has two adult children. In the past, he served as an executive board member of the Maury High School PTA. While living in West Ghent, he joined their civic league and quickly learned the importance of being involved in the community. His desire is to encourage other residents to participate in community activities, provide a forum for them, and improve our two neighborhoods as well as the City.
Vice President: Andy Wallach. Andy lived in Ocean View and Larrymore Lawns before moving to Colonial Place fourteen years ago. He is employed as a Financial Consultant with AXA Advisors. Before retiring, he worked with Naval Intelligence and was a Captain in the Naval Reserves. He has an MBA degree from Old Dominion University and a BA degree in Economics from Johns Hopkins University. Andy has been married for “fourteen wonderful years” to Cynthia Faschini. He has two adult children, has been a member of the civic league for the past five years, and chairs the Oyster Float committee for the league. He’s involved because he hopes to enhance our excellent neighborhoods and city.
Secretary: Stephanie Gray. Stephanie is a Colonial Place resident and serves on the Beautify Our Borders Committee. She’s been a resident for almost three years. Stephanie’s a transplanted Californian, married to Chris, who’s a LCDR in the Navy, and mother to Gordon, who’s two years old. She has a BSW in Special Education and worked for twelve years in the field of social work. Stephanie has held the position of Secretary on other volunteer committees in the past. She’s involved for the opportunity to meet folks and to make a difference in the community. It also helps her to keep up on what’s happening.
Treasurer: Deborah Williams. Deborah has lived in Riverview for the past two and a half years and owns the Garden Gate Garden Center on Granby Street. She’s served as the league treasurer for the past year. Deborah is involved because she wants to pay back the community for what it has given to her.
Nominations for each office will be closed and an election for that office will occur before proceeding to the next office. Each nominee will be afforded the opportunity to speak to the membership for two minutes prior to the vote being taken.
I am still collecting plastic newspaper bags for the dog park. If anyone wants to contribute, please drop them off on my front porch at 4213 Gosnold. Thanks. Also, our dog park funds are getting very low. We would like to buy a few more landscape plants, buy more durable poop bag dispensers, a kiosk and other discretionary items. Anyone who can donate to this, please send your contributions to CPRV Civic League Dogpark Fund, PO Box 6347, Norfolk, VA, 23508. We are also thinking about having a one-year celebration of the dog park. Our thoughts are to make it a pot-luck picnic on a Saturday or Sunday in mid-October. We will have more on this later, but keep it in mind.
It's time to learn how to spell Llewellyn and Omohundro as these two streets share the spotlight in the proposed Llewellyn Avenue Redevelopment Project. I have started an informational web page on this topic that can be accessed directly at http://www.cprv.org/llew.htm, from a link on the home page, or under "Llewellyn Avenue Redevelopment" in the Site Index. The page includes the text of CPRV newsletter articles, League correspondence with the City, handouts from meetings on this topic, and City Council contact information. Watch this page for information that must be disseminated between newsletter issues.
Look for updated real estate statistics for Colonial Place and Riverview at http://www.cprv.org/info.htm#realestate. Thanks to Vicky Woody at Long & Foster for this information.
It’s been a month of Grand Openings on Granby Street. The Virginia Zoological Park opened the remainder of its new “African continent” exhibits. The elephant old-timers actively explore their new digs while the recently arrived lions become accustomed to a breath-taking rocky home. The rhinos look huge from the Xaxaba Village and the young giraffes, having arrived late in May, are acclimating to their new home. New animals continue to arrive each week, and by summer’s end the Okavanga Delta should be fully inhabited.
Riverview Village also continues to become further inhabited. Three shops opened their doors in May. Country Bob’s Antiques, owned and operated by Alvin Jones, moved from Granby street near Doumar’s to the 3800 block, sharing the street with Futures and the Riverview Thrift Shop. Alvin describes his business as comprised of “shabby chic garden and architectural items.” The hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 11:00 am - 5:30 pm, and most Sundays, from noon until five.
Two unique stores have made the old Strickland’s car-wash location a faded memory. You have to see it to believe the transformation that the Riverview Coffee Parlor and Everafter have brought to those old car bays. Alice McCoy is serving delicious coffee, espressos, lattes and fruit smoothies in a beautifully decorated Victorian parlour, complete with comfortable sofas, newspapers and books. Be sure to sample various cakes, cookies , desserts and bagels. Hours of operation are still evolving but are tentatively set for Monday - Friday, 7:00 am - 5:00 pm and 9:00 am - 5:00 pm on Saturday. Alice would welcome groups in the evening by appointment.
Located next door is Everafter, a flower shop complete with fresh blooms, bouquet and botanicals. Formerly of the New leaf, owner Patrice Dupuis will also design custom work for weddings and parties. She preserves bridal bouquets and other special flowers through freeze dried technology. Everafter is open Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Sunday by chance. Patrice can be reached at 623-9399 or her cell phone at 675-9394.
These two shops , along with the adjoining Garden Gate, help make Riverview Village a destination shopping location, and make it just a little easier for you to remember to shop the neighborhood first.
The Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League
P.O. Box 6347
Norfolk, VA 23508
E-MAIL: president@cprv.org (checked weekly)
WEB PAGE: www.cprv.org
Community News Editor: Kelly Sorensen, Phone 622-0437
Community News Distribution: Margaret Bright, Phone 627-2815
Advertising: Kelly Sorensen, Phone 622-0437
Please deliver typewritten newsletter items to:
Kelly Sorensen
Phone: 622-0437
e-mail: cprvnews@earthlink.net