Photo from above the site looking south-west, Franklin Street wetlands to the left, City neighborhood to the right.
Photo from above the site looking north-west, working peoples’ homes.
Photo from above the site looking north-north-east
Photo from above the site looking down. Franklin street wetland to the left, a portion of the proposed site in the middle, Carter’s Breads to the right.
Photo from above Carter’s Breads looking south
I write regarding SP202400026, a request to grade and fill 1.5 acres of the Rivanna floodplain adjacent to the seven acre Franklin Street wetland conserved by the RWSA.
Biodiverse land adjacent to river systems, land which provides inestimable environmental services being zoned as “industrial” is an obsolete and ill-informed and destructive practice.
For decades the County’s policy has been to protect wetlands and floodplains wherever possible. Retaining and restoring land cover near streams is fundamental for biodiversity, water quality and the common good. Such conservation is a first rate example of the purpose and benefits of planning. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter22/section15.2-2223/
Typical site-specific studies and models almost always show flooding changes are projected to be minimal. However, the cumulative effects of reducing floodplains exact a price professional planning can avoid.
Just say no.
To what extent is this developer’s proposal enhance the quality of the neighborhood? Can we not move forward from build and build for unknown purposes, which supplies no housing, affordable or not, to the area?
Filling in wetlands and placing buildings on that land removes protection from flooding, this land would no longer be able to absorb water as it flows out of Moores Creek. it instead can place the low level homes on Franklin at risk of flooding, God knows we have seen enough deaths to people who thought they were living far from a potential flood. Moores Creek floods its banks frequently.