City Council OKs Waldorf School purchase of triangle of land off Brookland Parkway

The Richmond Waldorf School can move forward with its purchase of a small triangle of land and a closed turning lane owned by the city in the Sherwood Park neighborhood after the City Council gave its approval to the proposal Monday despite some objections from neighbors. 

“Right now the space is an eyesore,” said Councilor Kenya Gibson, whose 3rd District on the Northside includes the property. The school, she averred, “will put the land to good use and beautify it.” 

Andrew Ross, executive director of the Richmond Waldorf School, told the City Council that “doing nothing with this parcel that stretches nearly 300 feet of our school’s front door should not remain an option.”  

“Existing conditions confuses drivers [and] leads to erratic and dangerous decisions, which compromises the safety of pedestrians and cyclists,” he said. 

Waldorf’s plan for the site, Ross confirmed to The Richmonder Thursday, would help accommodate a growing student population by redeveloping the land into a small parking lot with drop-off access for Waldorf’s early childhood program and native plant-heavy landscaping. 

“The majority of it is still going to stay very green with some native plants and landscaping that reflects the aesthetics of Sherwood Park,” he said. 

The plan for the turning lane and the roughly 8,000 square foot grassy area at the intersection of Brookland Parkway and Robin Hood Road came before the Planning Commission this July. 

While the commission ultimately endorsed it, the sale received pushback from some neighbors over concerns about traffic safety, the proposed use of the site for parking and the impact the project could have on a streetscape designed by famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. 

Several of those residents turned out Monday to offer their objections. 

Chris Banks argued the city should be protecting more of its green spaces and said a survey of the neighborhood found more than half of respondents did not support the sale of both the closed turning lane and the triangle of land. 

Tara FitzPatrick said the school’s plans go against Richmond’s Vision Zero goals of eliminating traffic deaths because they “would create more conflict points along an existing established bikeway.” 

“This is land that the city should not give up right now because we don't know how we'll need it given the development in the area,” she continued, adding, “It's also not a safe move to add in a parking lot where we'll create additional conflict for people on foot and by bike, which I have personally experienced on a number of occasions.” 

The Department of Public Works said Monday that it currently has no plans for the closed turning lane. 

“We’re willing to work with either side,” said Director Bobby Vincent. 

Waldorf and its supporters meanwhile argued that the school intends to make significant investments in the property. As part of the project, Ross pledged to make sidewalk improvements and add hardened bike lane barriers, a new crosswalk for Robin Hood Road and rectangular rapid flashing beacon for an existing crosswalk across Brookland Parkway.

“Our school is asking for the honor of stewardship of this piece of land,” said Sarah Hayward, a Waldorf teacher and parent. “We want to create a space that’s beautiful, welcoming and connected to the natural character of Richmond and then care for it over time.” 

Waldorf has agreed to pay about $100,000 for the property, equal to the city’s assessment of its value when accounting for a utility easement.

While the City Council signed off on the sale of the property to the school Monday, Waldorf will need to meet a list of criteria in order to complete the purchase within the next 18 months, including city approval of a site plan. 

Because the land will become part of the Richmond Waldorf School’s campus, which is zoned institutional, the Planning Commission will also have to give its blessing to the plans through a formal amendment of the site’s institutional master plan. That review will include a public hearing on the specific design of the site. 

Contact Reporter Sarah Vogelsong at svogelsong@richmonder.org