Neighborhood News -- February 2026
Snowmageddon!
Though by most accounts we were spared the worst of Winter Storm Fern, it's been a shivery, slippery week! Forest Hill Avenue was plowed quickly, but neighborhood roads have looked more like skating rinks.
John Obenchain (41st Street) asked that we give a shout out to his neighbors -- John Williamson, Sean, and Brian -- for all the hard work they did helping him shovel his sidewalk and others. Rumor has it that John Williamson is the oldest resident on his street....
Councilperson Sarah Abubaker explained in her recent weekly email the unique challenges Richmond's Department of Public Works encounters when treating roads in the 4th District:
Our district has steep terrain. The Fourth is full of hills. DPW has told me they must assign their most experienced drivers and best equipment to our area. Even with that, trucks are getting stuck and equipment is being damaged due to the conditions.
We have more residential road miles than many other parts of the city. Because the Fourth was annexed from Chesterfield, we have larger neighborhoods and more miles of neighborhood streets to treat. In many parts of Richmond, residents can reach a main road within a couple of blocks. In the Fourth, it can be up to half a mile — meaning significantly more roadway must be treated before people can safely get out.
The Fourth has more shade and tree cover than anywhere else in the city. This is one of the things we love most about our district, but it also means less sunlight reaches the roads. That makes it harder for ice to melt and reduces how well treatments can work.
Next week's high temperatures should finally rise above freezing. Until the ice melts and the roads are clear, let's tread carefully across the frozen tundra and keep looking out for each other.
Run For The Hills! 5K (Saturday, Mar. 14, 9 AM)
Mark your calendars for this annual neighborhood classic! Over 230 people participated in last year's event, and 2026 promises to be just as popular. The registration site is now active -- click here to register. If you would enjoy meeting neighbors while serving as a volunteer, click here to email Laura Taylor. And if you would like to support this event as a sponsor, click here. Make our Forest Hill 5K part of your St. Patrick's Day weekend! (Note: Rain date is Saturday, March 21.)
Code Refresh, Draft Two — Slide Deck and Draft Letter
January's Forest Hill Neighborhood Association meeting featured two presentations on Draft Two of Code Refresh, the City's comprehensive zoning law overhaul.
Marianne Pitts (Senior Deputy Director of Planning & Policy, Department of Planning and Development Review) explained changes incorporated into Draft Two and shared a slide deck.
Our Neighborhood Association's Code Refresh Working Group then solicited feedback on a draft letter that would be sent to the City on behalf of Forest Hill residents. See this draft letter here. If you have feedback for the Working Group about this letter, please email Laura Taylor no later than February 5.
The City has requested that all comments on Draft Two be submitted by February 15 (click here.) If you're having trouble commenting on the online map, you can submit feedback via this Google Form.
Next FHNA Meeting — February 17 (Forest Hill Presbyterian Church, 7 PM)
On the third Tuesday of each month we gather at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church for updates from our City Council rep, the Richmond Police Department, and others. At this month's meeting we will be voting to approve the 2026 Budget, discussing a pilot project for cleaning Reedy Creek, and considering opportunities to invest in community partners like Friends of Forest Hill Park. Come meet some new neighbors and share your insights on life in Forest Hill!
INSPIRE: Department of Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
Sarah Abubaker shared this request for community feedback in her recent email:
The Department of Parks and Recreation is in the midst of a years-long effort to create Richmond's first citywide park and recreation vision plan since the 1970s. Their team has put in an incredible amount of work - from research to benchmarking with peer localities to gathering a phenomenal amount of community input.
All of this work has led to an important step in the process - the 90% draft plan. The 90% draft plan was released in December and Parks is accepting feedback on it through March 6.
You can access the plan, including a briefer 13-page executive summary, here. Additionally, there are several ways you can provide your feedback on the plan, including:
Leaving comments directly on the draft plan
Using the Contact Us form on the Richmond INSPIRE web page
Emailing contact@richmondinspire.com
Parks is working hard to gather as much feedback as possible and particularly values the opinions of the 4th District, given our love for our many parks. Please take the time to provide your perspective!
One More Survey...
Richmond's Department of Neighborhood and Community Services is gathering direct input from residents to better understand their priorities, needs, and interests. This feedback will be used to guide the department's initiatives, events, and advocacy efforts moving forward. To share your input, click here.
Upcoming Calendar
February 17: FHNA Meeting (7 PM, Forest Hill Presbyterian Church
March 14: Run For The Hills 5K (9 AM , Stone House)
