5/3/23
– Moment of silence for Leah Patterson
– April minutes approved
Introductions
– Treasurers report approved
Giles’ JRPS notes forthcoming.
– Gear Swap was a success given the traffic accidents and VCU folks did a great job
Park/Ops Report
-Visitation-April 191,453 users
-Pipeline counter down, new counter installed today, missing data for last month
-Someone tampered with BI counter
(est. 47k add’l counts if both working properly)
Ytd 585,507, less than 2020, 2021
Urban rangers
-2nd round of interviews done, extending offer to folks that interviewed
-Hoping to get regular ranger on by July 4th (not the supervisor)
Tredegar Ramp
-ramp should be constructed by 5/17 before Riverrock
T Potterfield Bridge
-Emergency funding to fix from city, (160k in the fund) more permanent repairs to be done,
bridge will not be closed
ADA ramp at Pumphouse
-being re-bid due to high cost
-multiple trees will be removed and repurposed in a Del meadow play space behind dogwood
dell
Mayo Island
-City accepted funds from DCR and allocate $7.4m in stormwater utility bins toward purchase
Pipeline trail
-CSX complaint about a liability issue: debris falling from the tracks, CSX saying they would like
to close the eastern trailhead
-There is currently no recreation easement between JRPS and CSX
-Climbing interest in opening Brown’s Island pillars. Hardest climbing routes in the park? Safety concerns, access.
FOJRP (Friends of the James River Park)
-working with marvel designs for reimagining the hydro plant and switch building, improved
boardwalk and dock at quarry, also to try and decrease crime…
Pumphouse-preparing for grants to renovate pump house
Invasive Plant task force
-looking at removing invasive trees on Riverside Drive
Cap Foundation/ Cap Trees
-Looking at extension of JRPS to east of Great Shiplock Park
River Safety
-updating river level flip signs (working with JROC on this)
-updating kiosk maps to be safety oriented at Huguenot Flatwater
-portage signs at Williams Island, clearing vegetation, as well as on islands leading up to there,
improved signage
-River Safety Press Conference on 5/19 at Pony, anticipated date for new signs to be ready
-Application to put new portage of Bosher’s Dam in at Dominion easement+sign (west)
-River mile marker signs-Andrew Alli working on emergency communications, these signs will
be included in that, thinking of starting with bridges
Teen Program
-teens learning about managing the river resource, working with Waterfront and Park
Ross-Ops
Sawmill bridge-glad to have repaired it due to high use, mostly new wood decking, stringers,
etc.
Put in benches at Oak Grove
Beautification at 42nd street parking area (worked with Forest Hill Garden Club)
42nd street service road
-JRPS has added 100’s of tons of gravel and 3 major pieces of ditch infrastructure+corregated
culverts
Dell Meadow Playspace
-Will be beautified and made into a kids play space
Reedy Creek Turnaround
-taken the vegetation back on northern end of the road to create a shaded area to unload boats
Greg-Update on Bosher’s Signage
-3 landowners and Henrico County (Riv left) have asked if they can put signage up, and also
Signage up at Tuckahoe Creek (not sure if Henrico or Richmond owns this area)
Riverrock 19th, 20th, 21st
-We need more volunteers. Great opportunity to give out river safety maps and park maps.
5/2 Accident at Hollywood
-Lack of info out there. Lots of people have been affected in the river community and beyond; focus on supporting people before analysis. Share psychological 1st aid resources.
-The wood involved in the accident has been removed [as of June.]
Many ideas proposed as some attendees looked toward solutions and future accident prevention: fixed anchors to allow for assistance in such an event and to also pull logs off. Someone noted this is a consistently problematic area. Proposed moving the new camera to look at Hollywood. Someone also mentioned accident avoidance vs risk management- moving wood is accident avoidance,
education is risk management. Scouting for vs removing river wood; tricky and dangerous. Discussion of JROC as a point of organization for hazard removal working with the park- TBD.
-2 committees education and physical infrastructure, Penelope is involved with this.
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