Letters of Support for 1836 Park’s Special Use Permit

Reviving 1836 Park is a community effort – and it needs your voice to be heard!

Richmond City Council needs to approve our application for a Special Use Permit in order for 1836 Park to come to life as a community space, book and coffee shop, and daycare. This means it would be a huge help to us if City Council hears from you – voices from the community offering support and excitement for this project make all the difference!

If you believe in the project and have 2 minutes, there will never be a more important way to help than writing to City Council now! Sending your email is as simple as:

  1. Copy/Paste the Contact Info below for the right people at the City and the Fan District Association

  2. Use a supportive Subject Line like the ones below

  3. Write your message based on the Key Points below or by using the sample letter or mix-and-match paragraphs at bottom

If you have questions about the project or the community effort, please email us at 1836ParkRVA@gmail.com

THANK YOU!

Contact Info

Please send your emails to District 2 Council Member Katherine Jordan, her Liaison Sven Philipsen, and City of Richmond Land Use Administrator Madison Wilson; and cc FDA President Daniella White, FDA Zoning Committe Chair Melissa Savenko, and the 1836 Park team. Email addresses to copy/paste:

  • katherine.jordan@rva.gov, sven.philipsen@rva.gov, madison.wilson@rva.gov

  • dwhite.fdapresident@gmail.com, melissa@mikemelissa.com, 1836ParkRVA@gmail.com

Subject Line

Please use a simple subject line that indicates positive support and includes our address. Examples to copy/paste:

  • Support for the 1836 Park Avenue SUP

  • Voicing my strong support for 1836 Park Avenue

  • I support the SUP for 1836 Park Avenue

  • Please support 1836 Park Avenue’s SUP

Key points to include

  • I am a Fan resident and/or near neighbor of the building

  • I support the proposed use at 1836 Park Avenue, which is a great opportunity to revive a dormant community asset.

  • I’m excited because the 1836 Park Avenue project serves the Fan’s needs for more community spaces for in-person gathering, more available daycare, and more access to books.

  • I view the 1836 Park Avenue project as compatible with and a great fit for the Fan.

  • [Optional] I believe the 1836 Park project will not unduly burden the neighborhood and that city parking and nearby lots can support it.

    • Parking can always be tight in the Fan – but we value the Fan’s walkability, which comes from its density and leads to visitors year-round!

    • Proposed uses of 1836 Park would not result in more people or more parking than the decades when it was home to an active church.

    • I feel confident that neighbors, the FDA, and the 1836 group can work together to find a solution.

Sample letter

The sample text below can be a guideline for your own email message – please edit and add your own perspectives on the project and the community conversation around it.

Dear Councilmember Jordan and Administrator Wilson,

As a resident of the Fan and neighbor of 1836 Park Avenue, I am writing to voice my support for the 1836 Park project and for the applicant’s Special Use Permit.

As a neighbor, I welcome and encourage adaptive projects like this one at 1836 Park Ave that are compatible with and reflect the true character and nature of the Fan. The applicants are proposing thoughtful uses that reflect community input, would serve the neighborhood, and would preserve a treasured historic building.

I think each use – the community space, daycare, and bookshop – serves the community’s needs, is well-suited to the Fan’s character and would be a great addition to the neighborhood. I believe the proposed use would cause no more parking or congestion issues than in the decades when 1836 Park was home to a large, active church community. I also believe that the applicants have heard and understood community concerns and have made thoughtful, ample adjustments and accommodations to ensure a smooth fit with the surrounding neighborhood.

I hope Councilmember Jordan and the rest of City Council will support this exciting use of a dormant community asset. I look forward to visiting the revived 1836 Park Avenue when it opens its doors!

Thank you—

[YOUR NAME]

Additional text

You can use the text below as a guideline to voice your views on specific aspects of the proposed uses of 1836 Park.

Support for historic preservation

This project’s preservation of the former church property and the ability to restore historic buildings in the Fan is crucial to the character and nature of the neighborhood.  A vacant building only hinders the neighborhood and I strongly welcome a project like this that brings new vibrancy and life into a historic building and the neighborhood overall. I am pleased with the efforts the applicants have made to bring integrated and community-oriented development to the Fan. I especially appreciate the applicants’ willingness to work with the neighborhood and their response to the feedback they received at the community meetings. 

Support for community space

I support the redevelopment of the former church into a  space that serves the needs of the community. The proposed redevelopment reflects the style and character of the community and will benefit the surrounding neighborhood by creating a place for neighbors to gather, socialize, and form connections. I’ve enjoyed seeing so many creative ideas from my neighbors and the 1836 Park team for activities they would like to see in a new community space in the Fan, and am particularly excited about [YOUR IDEA].

Support for daycare

I am pleased that the applicants are working to bring a new daycare to the Fan, as it has become increasingly difficult to find daycare centers here – especially those with the ability to enroll infants and young children in their programs. I am also excited at the idea of having a community space, right in the neighborhood, where I and my kids could attend classes, extracurricular activities, and enrichment events and form deeper connections with my neighbors and other Fan parents. 

Support for bookshop

I am pleased that the applicants are working to bring a new bookshop to the Fan to serve adults and children alike. Independent bookshops are an important part of any thriving community, and the Fan in particular has more readers than booksellers! I am also excited at the idea of having a community space, right in the neighborhood, where I could attend classes, author talks, and enrichment events and form deeper connections with my neighbors and other Fan parents. 

Community meeting attendance and parking concerns

I am pleased with the efforts the applicants have made to bring revitalizing development to the Fan, while still maintaining the historic church building. I also appreciate the consultative approach they have taken to community and civic engagement about the project – which contrasts strongly with the approach of commercial developers. While I certainly understand some concerns regarding parking pressure, I moved to the Fan for its walkability, and believe this project will add to the neighborhood without causing significant strain. As neighbors the applicants clearly understand concerns around parking and traffic, and I applaud their requirement to use off-site parking for larger events. After attending one of the community meetings, I am confident that their adjustments – off-site parking,  contracts with nearby parking lots, and the lease of parking spaces in the back alley – will address and resolve parking concerns.