Neighborhood News -- January 2026
Forest Hill Presbyterian Church: 1924-2025
In 1924, Forest Hill Presbyterian Church was organized at Patrick Henry Elementary School with 48 charter members. Its first building, located at 41st and Boscobel Avenue, opened in October 1925. The current sanctuary opened for worship at 4401 Forest Hill Avenue in 1961.
This past November, members of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church were notified that a vote will be taken by the Presbytery of the James, the church's hierarchical body, to dissolve the congregation in mid-June 2026. FHPC services were subsequently discontinued at the end of December.
Upon dissolution of the congregation next summer, the ownership of the title to the real estate will be transferred to the Trustees of the Presbytery of the James. This will not affect the terms and provisions of existing leases, but renewal of those leases will depend on the direction chosen for going forward with the property. There are a number of concepts being explored which could have significant implications for this corner of Forest Hill.
"Code Refresh" — Important Information
[Provided by Forest Hill Neighborhood Association's Working Group]
Hello Neighbors,
Please be sure to review Draft Two of the Code Refresh and share the information with your friends and neighbors. Comments are due by February 15.
Information about Draft Two information is available at: https://rva.gov/planning-development-review/code-refresh. This website includes Draft Two Map and Zoning Regulations with interactive options where you can place your comments on the drafts. We recommend you access these via desktop for the best user experience. Comments that you leave on the map and documents are visible to the public.
If you have any issues with commenting or any questions, please reach out to richmond300@rva.gov. You may also email your comments to Marianne Pitts at marianne.pitts3@rva.gov. Comments may also be emailed to Mayor Avula’s office (RVAMayor@rva.gov), Sarah Abubaker (sarah.abubaker@rva.gov), and Sarah’s liaison, Timmy Siverd (timmy.siverd@rva.gov).
This website (https://rva.gov/planning-development-review/code-refresh) also includes the posters which were displayed at the Open House in November and information about upcoming meetings.
Please consider attending upcoming meetings during which Planning Department staff will be sharing information about changes in Draft Two and answering residents’ questions. Upcoming meetings include the following:
Sarah Abubaker’s 4th District Meeting on Code Refresh - Thurs., Jan. 8, 6-7:30 p.m. (please note this is the correct date) - with City Planning and DPU Director Scott Morris @ Huguenot High School
Wed., Jan. 14th – 4-6:30PM – Zoning Advisory Committee Meeting – City Hall, 5th Floor – also available to attend virtually (https://rva.gov/planning-development-review/code-refresh)
Wed., Jan. 14th – 7PM – WHNA Meeting at Westover Hills United Methodist Church – City Planning staff are scheduled to present and answer questions
Tues., Jan. 20th – 7PM – FHNA Meeting at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church – City Planning staff have been invited to present and answer questions
Thurs., Jan. 22nd – 5:30PM -- Rescheduled 9th District Meeting (Southside Community Center)
In addition, there will be several Working Group meetings focusing on the Code Refresh:
High Quality Places – Tuesday, January 13, 2026 from 5-7:30pm at the Main Library, 101 E Franklin Street (Register HERE)
Thriving Environment – Thursday, January 15, 2026 from 2-4pm at the Main Library, 101 E Franklin Street (Register HERE)
Diverse Economy – Tuesday, January 20, 2026 from 4-6pm at the Main Library, 101 E Franklin Street (Register HERE)
Inclusive Housing – Wednesday, January 28, 2026 from 5:30-7:30pm at the Main Library, 101 E Franklin Street (Register HERE)
Equitable Transportation – Wednesday, February 4, 2026 from 5-7pm - Location TBD - (Register HERE)
What else is the Forest Hill Neighborhood Association Working Group doing?
A number of months ago, many of you completed a survey soliciting your thoughts about Code Refresh. The FNHA Code Refresh Working Group coded that feedback and we have been tracking how well Draft 2 of the Code Refresh responds to some of the concerns and questions brought up in Draft 1.
The FHNA Working Group plans to meet again on Sun. 1/11 at 6:30PM. Please feel free to reach out to lataylor01@verizon.net if you would like to share your thoughts about Draft Two of the Code Refresh.
At the upcoming FNHA meeting on Jan. 20th, this working group will present to FNHA residents a summary of the letter that FNHA intends to submit to the city regarding Draft Two.
Share your thoughts on Code Refresh Draft 2 by February 15th!
4th District Meeting with Sarah Abubaker and "Code Refresh" Officials (January 8, 6-7:30 PM)
Because "Code Refresh" is top of mind for many 4th District residents, Councilperson Sarah Abubaker will focus January's District meeting on this topic. Guest speakers will be Dr. Kevin Vonck and Marianne Pitts, Director and Deputy Director (respectively) of the Department of Planning and Development Resources; DPU Director Scott Morris will also participate to address the infrastructure-related aspects of Code Refresh. They will give a presentation about the second draft of Code Refresh, with a focus on the primary changes from the first round of community feedback. They will also have visuals and handouts to ensure you can learn as much as possible about where things currently stand. Most importantly, they will be accepting feedback directly from 4th District residents! While there will be many other ways to give feedback throughout the process, this is an important opportunity to share your perspective directly with, and get your questions answered by, the leaders of this process.
The meeting will be held at Huguenot High School with the following schedule of events:
6-6:30 p.m. - Social Time (light refreshments will be provided)
6:30-7:15 p.m. - "Business" meeting
7:15-7:30 p.m. - Final thoughts and adjournment
7:30 p.m. - "Hard stop" to vacate building
Please attend this meeting so you can participate in this important feedback and engagement opportunity!
January 2026 Special Elections - Tuesday, Jan. 6
The following 4th District precincts, which fall within SD-15 and/or HD-77, are eligible to vote on January 6.
Precinct 402 (Forest Hill Presbyterian Church)
Voting ONLY for HD-77
Precinct 404 (Jahnke Road Baptist Church)
Voting for BOTH SD-15 AND HD-77
Precinct 412 (Lucille Brown Middle School)
Voting for BOTH SD-15 AND HD-77
If you normally vote on Election Day at either of these three locations, please be sure to vote on January 6.
City Surveys on Safe Intersections (Due Jan. 16)
The Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is inviting the community to share their input on making Richmond’s intersections safer through low-cost/high-impact engineering treatments. Feedback from both surveys will help inform projects throughout the city.
Survey #1: This survey focuses on improving safety at intersections using Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper (LQC) approaches. LQC is a planning and design strategy that allows the city to test and refine safety ideas quickly, using low-cost, flexible materials such as paint, flexible posts, signs, and temporary curb elements. These improvements can be adjusted over time based on how they perform and on community feedback.
Survey Link #1: https://arcg.is/1W0en5
Survey #2: This survey highlights more than 400 quick-build intersection improvements across Richmond. Safety improvements include:
Left-turn hardening (85 intersections)
Low-cost improvements (275 intersections)
High-visibility crosswalks (58 intersections)
Left-turn hardening is a low-cost, quick-build traffic calming measure that uses modular curbs and striping to reduce left-turning speeds and prevent “corner cutting” by people who drive. The installations minimize the conflict area between turning vehicles and people walking, rolling, or biking.
Survey Link #2: https://arcg.is/0fSTnn1
Community feedback from these surveys will help DPW:
Improve safety for all road users
Prioritize locations with the greatest safety needs
Deliver safety benefits quickly and equitably
Both surveys are open now, and responses must be submitted by January 16, 2026.
Upcoming Calendar
January 6: Special Elections
January 8: 4th District Meeting with Sarah Abubaker
January 20: FHNA Meeting (7 PM, Forest Hill Presbyterian Church)
February 17: FHNA Meeting (7 PM, Forest Hill Presbyterian Church
March 14: Run For The Hills 5K
