March Meeting Minutes

3/1/23

• February minutes approved
• Treasurer’s Report pending
• Election results:
  • President: Matt 
  • Co-Vice Presidents: Patrick, Greg
  • Secretary: Natalie
  • Treasurer: Sally
  • Board: Sam Albert, Chris Hull, Max Posner, Will Isenburg, Shawna Shade
• James River Park System Report
  • Visitation
    • January 2023: 111,434. Comparison: January 2022 (73k), Jan. 2021 (116k), Jan. 2020 (117k). Jan. 2019 and prior years: 80k range.
    • Need 11 counters ($6,140) and a second dock (data collector) brings it to $7k. JROC funds – Approved
  • Park Projects:
    • Successful project spreading gravel at Manchester Wall on 2/18. 10 tons spread in about 30 minutes.
    • Ancarrow’s – 3 life rings mounted on posts at the fishing shore. 
    • Pony Pasture lot – working w/trail crew to renovate the whole thing- remove underlying asphalt and reverting to gravel so it can drain better.
      • 50% completion at time of writing. 519 tons removed. 
      • Majority of the lot closed – 2-way entrance/exit lane. Contracted large truck drivers to haul 25 T at a time @ $75/load. 
      • 240 T of new material down. Some gravel getting reused as base layer. 
      • Not quite pervious – underlying clay. Once sloped/overhauled, it should improve. Estimated completion by the end of March.
    • Fence on Belle Isle- repaired (prior JROC project)
    • Trail signage- trail crew helped put out 10 new mile marker signs. 
  • Rangers to train police on the parks
  • Live staking @ Pony Pasture. Hyper-local native species- harvested from next to Huguenot bridge and brought to Half Moon Beach for planting. Paid for by DPU in response to a spill. Ash trees along the trails in Pony Pasture- TrueTimber going to remove fallen logs. 
  • Reedy Creek bypass trail for pedestrians and cyclists: purpose is their safety / provide alt to service road. Friends of the James River Park supporting this – early May (in Master Plan).
    • Discussion of adding turnaround for outfitters in the field- to eliminate using park HQ turnaround (still debated). Some don’t want the field to shrink any more- is needed for large trips, unloading/loading, staging, private boaters/park users. 
  • Pumphouse conceptual design to renovate 2nd floor; can now work toward stabilizing building. Est $18-20 million to finish the entire Pumphouse renovation. Stabilize = $3mil.
    • Eventually to be a visitor center for park users but not huge event space. No sewer connection on that road? Potential for composting toilets- City and other stakeholders discussing
  • Tredegar ramp – replacement next month. Needs Army Corps of Engineer permit but not in depth as HFW since only demolishing and rebuilding what’s there. 
  • Missing Link trail is a IIJA funding candidate – meant for larger infrastructure projects
  • Texas Beach tower timeline unknown. Engineering firm working on it; could be 2+ years. Renovating existing bridge and tower. 
• James River Women
  • Application for Richmond Public School MOU signed- waiting on RPS to approve. 
  • New trip leaders taking ACA cert this spring. 
  • Approved launch schedule w/new permit system. 40 offerings this season. Roll clinics @ VCU OAP. 
  • DWR grant closed, winners to be announced this month.
• Go Grant
  • $20k grant previously awarded to JROC went to flip signs, safety signs, and safety maps. Composite material for flip signs not working out, replacing w/metal. 
  • Expired today but got a 6-mo. extension
  • JRPS wants iconography updated to align w/the standard iconography American Whitewater recently released internationally: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Document/view/id/4542 (Dec. 2022). Use funds to update signs.
• Riverrock Fest – 5/19-21
  • Free for JROC to table. Good ops esp for handing out river safety maps. Need volunteers and new activities for engagement / interaction. 
• Gear Swap – 4/22
  • Matt talked to Joey’s VCU class- ready to get started. Their plans TBA.
• Projects
  • March project 3/18: Sawmill Island – canal clean up and arch bridge repair
  • Future project ideas:
    • 14th St changing rooms and replacing timbers of take-out steps
    • Vauxhall Island cleanup
    • HFW painted parking bumpers- just have a couple left to dig out and repaint white, also dirt collecting on steps. Cutting back brush on R side, handrail, river rock added, and sandbag removal still needed.
    • Clean up trash islands up from Pumphouse. April to coincide with Earth Day?
    • Strainer near park HQ – big jam and trash caught in it
• Friends / Falls / Scenic Report
  • Met today w/Louis Evans of DPW. Floodwall / Hull St. new gate and taken away. They still have parking at old Diversity Park area. Says it’ll be locked after 6pm. Could become an electronic gate that’s timed.
    • Requested for fishers- open at 5a closed at 10p. Lot was previously filled w/non-river/park users. Nearby fishing spots will be impacted as silos are demolished and work begins on Mayo Bridge.