City Council to consider new ward maps, sale of former shelter, noise laws and allocation of CDBG funds
PETERSBURG – City council is set to cast its vote for a couple of legislative items that have been under public discussion for the past few months. One vote will ratify a new noise ordinance that governs residential areas. Another is setting the sale of a building on Commerce Street that was last used as a men’s homeless shelter.
Petersburg is currently holding meetings virtually in caution of the Omicron variant outbreak. The meeting can be accessed virtually via the city’s website. The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Tuesday Jan. 18.
Public comments can be made by joining the meeting via Zoom.
Council to discuss new ward maps for the next decade
City Ward maps are redrawn after each decennial census during the state’s legislative redistricting process. The Crater Planning District Commission previously brought eight draft maps for Petersburg City Council to consider. The agenda now shows two possible options for Ward boundaries.
City Council is set to discuss the two final options before a later public hearing.
More: Two of Petersburg's wards will have to shrink during this redistricting cycle
Petersburg’s population grew by 1038 people between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. In short, it means that Wards 1 and 2 have grown too large and have to give up some of their constituents to other wards.
Some of the councilors expressed discontent over some of the possible outcomes.
Ward 1 Councilor Treska Wilson-Smith said she would be in favor of a Ward Map that unified the Blandford neighborhood back into Ward 1, having been split in the previous 2010 redistricting cycle. The other half of Blandford ended up in Ward 4, represented by Councilor Charlie Cuthbert. He shot back and defended his representation of the Blandford neighborhood while during his time in office.
Ward 2 Councilor Darrin Hill showed worry over the prospect of Berkley Manor moving into another district, which was the outcome in nearly every draft.
City Council Representatives
Ward 1 – Treska Wilson-Smith
Ward 2 – Darrin Hill
Ward 3 - (Mayor) Samuel Parham
Ward 4 - Charlie Cuthbert
Ward 5 - W. Howard Myers
Ward 6 - (Vice Mayor) Annette Smith-Lee
Ward 7 – Arnold Westbrook, Jr.
Option 1: Moves a portion of the northern end of Blandford and the area around Crater Square apartments into Ward 4 from Ward 1. Ward 1 again picks up Berkeley Manor from Ward 2.
Option 2: Consolidates the entire Blandford neighborhood into Ward 4. Ward 1 balances those numbers by taking Berkeley Manor from Ward 2.
Notable changes under both options: Grove Avenue is shifted from Ward 4 into Ward 5. The area around Tanglewood apartments moves from Ward 5 into Ward 6. The boundaries of Ward 5 shift east by between one and three blocks, taking from Ward 4. Ward 6 takes 17 blocks from Ward 5’s western boundary along Dunlop Street.
Vote to sell the former Salvation Army men’s homeless shelter building
City Council is currently considering purchase applications from five companies and nonprofits for 835 Commerce Street. The building was previously a Men’s Homeless Shelter building run by the Salvation Army.
More: For nearly two years, the city thwarted efforts to open a shelter
This agenda item will include a public hearing where bidders will be invited to present their plans, and the public will have a chance to give their input on the building’s future.
Councilor W. Howard Myers – who presides over the ward where the building is located – said in an earlier meeting that he preferred a purchase option put forward by Habitat for Humanity. Habitat currently runs out of a conjoined building and would use 835 Commerce Street to expand its ReStore.
Other options are:
Quality Trailers - A trailer manufacturer seeking to establish five stores across the East Coast within the next five years.
Northside Gourmet Market - Richmond-based market looking to expand to Petersburg with a modular co-working space for indoor farming, fermentation and local food storage and distribution.
Southside Community Development and Housing Corporation - SCDHC wants to establish a communal living space for 12 market-rate studio apartments targeting people on the pathway to homeownership.
Paradise Trust LLC - A minority-owned manufacturer of death care products like caskets and embalming tables.
None of the proposed bidders are offering a price that comply with guidelines set by the city. Petersburg rules that minimum purchase prices have to be 50% of a building’s assessed value. Under that rule, a purchase price must be about $215,000. SCDC’s offer comes closest, at $214,500. Habitat is the next closest at $155,000.
Decision about yearly allocation of community development funds
The city’s Community Development Block Grant advisory Board is recommending that city council approve funding for five projects from 10 total applicants.
CDBG grants are given to localities annually by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to “build stronger and more resilient communities.” Activities that eligible for assistance are projects like housing rehabilitation, code enforcement, acquisition of real property, demolition, infrastructure, economic development and social services.
In the past, Petersburg has prioritized CDBG funds for projects that enhance residential and commercial properties to incentivize investment, create plans for future recreation or capital projects, and public services related to the elderly, youth and homeless.
The CDBG advisory board has recommended the following projects:
$245,630 – Submitted by the City of Petersburg – Fund code enforcement activities plus one additional department employee. This group emphasizes deteriorating buildings and areas where at least 20% of buildings have one or more deficiencies.
$35,000 – Submitted by the Greater Richmond YMCA - The continued financial support of four programs in Petersburg: Out-of-school time, teen, Learn to Swin and Bright Beginnings.
$15,000 – Submitted by River Street Market - Help with continued market improvements and outreach. The market has outlined 10 goals to combat food deserts in the city. It operates a year-round weekly site as well as an online marketplace and a mobile market serving low-income areas.
$150,000 – Submitted by the City of Petersburg – Petersburg will identify 15 or more homes that are so deteriorated, demolition is the only feasible option. Upon the award of funds, the project would go forward in 2022.
$195,000 – Submitted by Project:HOMES – It’s Critical Home Repair Program will provide repair services to eligible owner-occupied homes in Petersburg. It anticipates that a minimum of 15 households will be served.
Project applications that are not recommended for funding:
$500,000 – Submitted by the African American Women’s Museum of Art and History - Rehabilitation of residential and non-residential structures
$15,000 – Submitted by Boyd BHG – Reason for usage is not listed with the agenda documents
$193,100 – Submitted by Ray of Sunshine – Rehabilitation of residential and nonresidential structures
$347,685 – Submitted by Restoration of Petersburg Community Development Corporation – For Construction of public facilities and improvements.
$25,000 – Submitted by Main Street Petersburg Inc. - Construction of public facilities and improvements.
Final vote on a new noise ordinance for residential dwellings
Outcry over redrawing the city’s noise ordinances brought almost 100 people to a Planning Commission meeting at Union Train Station. They were protesting a draft ordinance which suggested restaurants would have to close early. The Planning Commission voted not to impose any limits on operation, but instead to amend the noise ordinance.
The amended ordinance removes specifics about types of noise and reduces it to the following:
Sec. 50-33. - Specific prohibitions: It shall be unlawful for any person to: create noise between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in areas in which residential dwellings are permitted (including but not limited to any house or multi-family dwelling) in such manner or with such volume or duration that it is heard inside the confines of a residential dwelling or multi-family dwelling of another person.
In all other areas of the City, noise shall be regulated in accordance with Section 50-36, which shall also apply to areas covered under this section.
You can reach Sean Jones at sjones@progress-index.com. Follow him at @SeanJones_PI. Follow The Progress-Index on Twitter at @ProgressIndex.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg: Council to consider Ward maps, noise laws, former shelter
