If you stopped 10 people on East Broad Street and asked them what their favorite thing is about Church Hill, nine of them would definitely say “the free neighborhood newsletter full of news and views from Richmond’s East End that hits my inbox sometime between the hours of noon and midnight every Friday.” Right? Right??? Yes. But the 10th person, a hater of independent media to their very core, might instead say “the walkability.”

Walkability! The ability to walk places! It’s a foundational joy of living in a city. Not being forced to get in your car and drive to a soul-sucking strip mall just to get a coffee, a meal, a book? That’s the good shit, folks. Church Hill is not nearly as safe and walkable as it should be; decades of political neglect have left its non-car-centric infrastructure lacking, like many other parts of Richmond. But by virtue of its sheer age, Church Hill is dense, which makes it inherently more navigable by foot. And thanks to fierce and ongoing neighborhood advocacy, the city is (slowly) making Church Hill’s street’s safer.

Good! Now put a Hill Cafe on every corner and a Chimbo Sandwich Shoppe on every block, because I want to walk to them all.

Now. NOW. I don’t actually think 90% of the people you stop on E. Broad St. would actually say The Lookout is the best thing about this neighborhood, just like I don’t actually think that the entire Church Hill grid should be covered with those two restaurants, or even restaurant generally. I would settle for a capacious coffee shop like Riverbend Roastery on some corners, and a cute-ass used bookstore like Brian’s Books on some blocks. I’m open to negotiation. Maybe let’s plunk a convenient mart like Clay Street Market here or there, while we’re at it. I’m open to negotiation. But as a general principle, I think the more small, consumer-facing businesses operating within walking distance of more East Enders, the better.

If this recent story from The Richmonder’s housing reporter Sarah Vogelsong on how the city’s code refresh would treat commercial spaces in residential neighborhoods is any indication, not everybody in Richmond feels likewise. “Under the current plan,” wrote Vogelsong (emphasis mine throughout):

I don’t want to dunk on these people. Frankly, I think some of the concerns they express are legitimate. (The notion that buying a home in Richmond a quarter-century ago created a socially contracted status quo: less legitimate.)

Small businesses are not guaranteed to be good neighbors just by virtue of being small businesses; litter, traffic, and petty crime are real quality-of-life issues; one person’s cute-ass used bookstore is another’s harbinger of rising property tax assessments. But most of these issues can and should be addressed with proper regulation, consistent administration, and better infrastructure, rather than a blanket rejection of commercial infill. Richmond’s streets aren’t safe for kids? Yes, correct, I agree. But that’s an argument for making them safer, not against allowing more neighborhood businesses.

What about vape shops? you might be wondering. Good news for you: per Vogelsong, “the city earlier this year imposed strict rules on new vape shops that prohibit them from residential areas.” As for that “doggy daycare” hypothetical (which is all it is, for now), most of Church Hill’s residential lots are designated “residential attached” or “residential multi-unit” in the current proposal; the former would offer no by-right commercial use, and the latter would only allow by-right operation depending on square footage. In other words, you wouldn’t be able to slam, like, a Pet Paradise-style facility into a single-family rowhome.

Church Hill already serves as a model for the city of the knock-on benefits of having walkable commerce within a neighborhood. You can have a couple drinks at Grisette without getting behind the wheel; you can grab a last-minute birthday gift at Kind Hearted Goods without schlepping to Carytown or [shudder] Short Pump. It rules, and I love it. I want more of that walkability, for more of the neighborhood and the city. This is the way.

Possum Poetry is original verse written exclusively for The Lookout by Penelope Poubelle, the Lookout’s litter critter-at-large. If you spot roadside trash you’d like her to immortalize in doggerel, email a photo to [email protected]. All submissions anonymous!

Last week, The Richmonder reported that City Hall had tried to charge the publication ~$5,700 to produce public records it is required by law to proactively publish. Here’s reporter Graham Moomaw (emphasis mine):

It was the latest development in Mayor Danny Avula’s months of deflections over the payment register, which is meant to offer the public some of that transparency he campaigned on and touts often. By law, reporters and citizens shouldn’t even have to ask for comprehensive payment data, much less be charged an exorbitant fee to access that information. Avula—a long-time East Ender whose first year in office coincided with Richmond’s first-ever “City of Darkness” faux-ward from pro-sunlight orgs Muckrock and the Electronic Frontier Foundation in recognition of “the worst in government transparency” nationwide—has repeatedly insisted³ that the city simply can’t comply with the law as written due to staffing issues, a claim belied by the fact that RPS, not known for being especially well-funded or -staffed, has been doing it this whole time.

As Moomaw reported, the city’s payment register, when it was still being maintained, “was a resource journalists and community activists could use to keep tabs on how much money was being spent with specific companies.”¹ Without a functioning register, councilmembers can’t get a full picture of what City Hall is up to, either, which is why in early March, Cm. Kenya Gibson (3rd District) threatened to invoke the body’s rarely used subpoena power to force Avula to disclose these data.

Cynthia Newbille, City Council president and longtime 7th District representative, has been a member of the council since before it passed the original ordinance in 2015. The Lookout contacted her to ask whether she supported Gibson’s plan to subpoena Avula over the payment register, and what actions she had taken, if any, to demand that Stoney and Avula comply with the rule. She did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Don’t forget to drop your top tips for neighborhood newcomers to help build The Lookout’s Ultimate Church Hill Welcome Guide:

The comments are already popping off with dining recommendations, City Hall hacks, and more. Drop yours here. I was particularly intrigued by Emily G’s note that there are free wine tastings on Thursdays at Second Bottle, Union Market, Friend Bar, and Giorno Market. I didn’t realize those all fell on the same day. Now that the weather is nice, you could turn this into a little crawl with a little planning (and maybe a bicycle.) Is that a future Lookout outing? Hmm.

Happenings on The Hill is a digital bulletin board for events, causes, and other items of interest to East Enders that don’t necessarily merit full editorial treatment. Got something for a future edition? Email the relevant details, links, etc. to [email protected] for consideration!

Want to share your Very CHill Photo from the neighborhood? Email it to [email protected] with your name as you’d like it to appear for publication, and the camera you shot it on.