Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan

Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan

Acknowledgments

City Council

Stephanie Reed, Mayor

Chris Faraldi, Vice Mayor

MaryJane Dolan

Jeff Helgeson

Martin Misjuns

Larry Taylor

Sterling Wilder

Planning Commission

Kensie Johnson, Chair

Robert Bowden, Vice Chair

Charles Gammon

Dave Henderson

Nancy Marion

David Perault

Tom Rogers

City Staff

Wynter Benda, City Manager

Project Team

Taylor Bowen, Information Technology

Tyson Dummeldinger, Fire

Micky Ferguson, Parks and Recreation

Rachel Frischeisen, Community Development

Kevin Henry, Community Development

Beverly Herndon, Public Works

Michelle Johnson-Lane, Human Services

Erin Jones, Information Technology

Charlotte Lester, Community Development

Alisha Meador, Economic Development

Josh Quintero, Communications

Adam Sexton, Police

Diane Stratton, City Schools

Keith Wright, Community Development

Greg Patrick, Deputy City Manager

Kent White, Assistant City Manager

Tom Martin, AICP, Director of Community Development

Rachel Frischeisen, City Planner

Gaynelle Hart, Director of Public Works

Clay Simmons, Deputy Director of Public Works

Lee Newland, P.E., City Engineer

Marjette Upshur, Director of Economic Development

Ted Delaney, Museum Director

Tim Mitchell, Director of Water Resources

Reid Wodicka, Deputy Superintendent, Schools

Wyatt Woody, Director of Parks and Recreation

Stakeholder Advisory Group

Shelley Blades, Lynchburg Grows

Sarah Blankenship, Pierce Street Garden

Rad Briley, Diamond Hill Historical Society

Owen Cardwell, Diamond Hill Baptist Church

Keith Cook, Virginia CareerWorks

Elizabeth Crawford, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Watch & Restoration

Grace Dean, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Watch & Restoration

T. Farmer, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Watch & Restoration

Cindy Ferguson, University of Lynchburg

Megan Harris, Virginia Department of Health

Jacqueline Howard, Virginia Department of Health

Jolynn Johnson-Smith, Whirlwind Johnson Foundation

Leslie King, Resilient Virginia

Ghislaine Lewis, Pierce Street Gateway

Beverly McKelvin, Resident

Josh Moore, Greater Lynchburg Transit Company

Desmond Mosby, Resilient Virginia

Dennis Newton, Diamond Hill Historical Society

Jibri Poe, 40 Ways Coalition

Natalie Robinson, Hunton-Randolph Community Center

Jeanell Smith, Virginia Cooperative Extension

Shaun Spencer-Hester, Anne Spencer House & Garden Museum

Jessica Thompson, Lynchburg Community Action Group

Telly Tucker, Diamond Hill Baptist Church

James Watkins, 40 Ways Coalition

Natalie Wilkins, Greater Lynchburg Transit Company

Randy Woods, Diamond Hill Historical Society

Summary

Diamond Hill Neighborhood has so many outstanding qualities — views, architecture, variety, people, history, and possibility. It was annexed into Lynchburg in 1852 and over time has grown to include residences, public spaces, and commerce.

The neighborhood is situated high on a hill, with broad views of the adjacent downtown skyline. It is bordered by the Central Business District, the Lynchburg Expressway, Twelfth Street, and Kemper Street. Stately landmarks and beloved institutions — Dunbar Middle School, Diamond Hill Baptist Church, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center, The Hunton-Randolph Community Center, Payne Elementary School — anchor the neighborhood and complement its traditional charm.

In recent years, the neighborhood has experienced a period of disinvestment. Recognizing a rising tide of housing cases and safety concerns, City staff initiated a neighborhood planning process for Diamond Hill in 2023. The resulting plan document and recommendations, developed with residents and stakeholders, have been thoughtfully designed as a catalyst for reinvestment in Diamond Hill.

AS THE ORIGINAL CITY EXPANDED WESTWARD FROM THE RIVER, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, WITH ITS HIGH HILLS AND RIDGES, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO BE DEVELOPED FOR RESIDENCES. MUCH OF THE ORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT REMAINS TODAY. THE AREA CONSISTS OF A ROLLING PLATEAU WHICH IS BOUNDED ON ALL SIDES BY SHARP CHANGES IN TOPOGRAPHY.

LYNCHBURG COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, NEIGHBORHOOD ANALYSIS, 1970

The Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan builds upon a year of community engagement and research. It consists of two parts.

• The first part includes background information about the neighborhood and the planning process.

• The second part consists of plan recommendations — moving from broad goals to specific actions.

The plan offers strategies to guide policymakers, staff, residents, investors, and developers, in realizing the potential of Diamond Hill as a strong and healthy neighborhood.

Purpose

Introduction

The City of Lynchburg Comprehensive Plan 2013-2030 recognizes the value of strong neighborhoods in the daily life of residents. This neighborhood plan for Diamond Hill serves as a guide for land use and development, impacting life in Diamond Hill for the next 10 to 20 years. The plan builds upon recent public investments in the neighborhood and seeks to celebrate the unique neighborhood character, while also identifying areas of improvement for the health, safety, and welfare of its residents.

The purpose of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan is to position Diamond Hill as a strong neighborhood — one that is identifiable, serviced, diverse, and connected.

Themes

The Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan recommendations were developed based on both community engagement and neighborhood analysis. The plan promotes characteristics of a strong and healthy neighborhood and will shape the future use of limited City resources by:

• Designing/re-imagining public spaces and underutilized assets;

• Enhancing programming desired by the neighborhood at anchor institutions;

• Prioritizing infrastructure needs to address safety, capacity, and livability;

• Supporting affordable housing options, through both infill and rehabilitation strategies;

• Establishing a neighborhood group to help carry out the plan;

• Addressing resident-identified concerns, such as condemned structures, aging infrastructure, lack of usable green space, and safety.

Project Team

The project team for the Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan consisted of City staff members from various departments, who contributed their respective fields of knowledge. The project team met monthly to refine the planning process. Members supported a range of public engagements — canvassing the neighborhood, staffing stakeholder meetings and public workshops, and attending neighborhood events.

Departments represented on the project team were: Communications and Public Engagement, Community Development, Economic Development and Tourism, Fire, Human Services, Information Technology, Parks and Recreation, Police, Public Works, and Lynchburg City Schools.

Study Area

The project name, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan, refers to the study area within the larger Diamond Hill Neighborhood. The study area is located between Twelfth Street to the north and the Lynchburg Expressway to the south. Its boundary to the west is Kemper Street and the Southern Railway, and to the east, the Central Business District. The neighborhood's distinctive terrain, characterized by hill crests and slopes, offers vantage points with views of nearby landmarks.

The Diamond Hill study area is around a half square mile in size and home to approximately 2,051 residents. As one of Lynchburg's oldest neighborhoods, Diamond Hill has earned distinction through the preservation of its noteworthy historic resources — the Diamond Hill Historic District, the Pierce Street Renaissance District, the Kemper Street Industrial Historic District, and the Twelfth Street Industrial Historic District.

There are three business zones along the boundaries of the neighborhood — Central Business District, Twelfth Street, and Kemper Street. Three public facilities anchor the neighborhood — Payne Elementary School, Dunbar Middle School, and Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center. Each of these locations has a longstanding significance in the neighborhood.

Planning Framework and Goals

Vision and Goals

VISION | Diamond Hill Neighborhood is an identifiable, serviced, diverse, and connected geographic neighborhood.

The vision statement describes the Diamond Hill Neighborhood of the future — 10 years from now. It calls out the qualities of a strong neighborhood and carries them throughout the planning framework.

The physical features, which serve as the framework for the neighborhood plan, are listed here — each with a goal statement, describing the future state of Diamond Hill Neighborhood.

In the second half of this plan, each of the five physical features of the neighborhood is explored in its own chapter.

• Anchor Institutions

• Community Streets

• Housing

• Neighborhood Marketplace

• Parks and Historic Resources

Anchor Institutions

Diamond Hill schools, churches, and community centers are the places where the cultural, educational, and social activities of the community are focused.

Community Streets

Diamond Hill community streets unite the neighborhood, provide access for motorists and non-motorists, and promote neighborhood identity, health, comfort, and safety.

Housing

Diamond Hill homes are the spaces where residents raise their families, sustain their daily existences, display their identity, and contribute to the neighborhood’s image.

Neighborhood Marketplace

Diamond Hill marketplace is a pro-business, pro-social space, where neighbors find basic goods and services that enrich their daily lives.

Parks & Historic Resources

Diamond Hill parks and historic resources connect residents to the natural environment, to each other, and to their shared history.

Strong Neighborhoods

The City of Lynchburg Comprehensive Plan 20132030 recognizes the value of strong neighborhoods: “The City’s reputation as a good place to live and work will grow from the quality of its many neighborhoods. With their distinctive characters, histories, and natural settings, Lynchburg’s neighborhoods will provide residents safe, healthy environments and strong senses of identity and ownership.”

Strong Neighborhoods Alliance

The City of Lynchburg’s Strong Neighborhoods Alliance (SNA) is a community engagement model developed in response to challenges in our community. Recognizing that large social challenges like crime and poverty affect community growth, SNA initiates neighborhood planning practices to create lasting change. This interdepartmental approach to engage residents and support strong neighborhoods launched in 2021 in the Diamond Hill Neighborhood with a series of door-to-door and community listening events. Engagement efforts continued here through 2022 and formed the foundation of the current Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan.

Planning To Stay

The practical neighborhood planning text, Planning to Stay, asks "What draws people to a neighborhood? And what will make them stay?"

With these questions in mind, staff, residents, and stakeholders explored the physical features of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood — anchor institutions, community streets, housing, neighborhood marketplace, and parks and historic resources.

This planning framework invited all participants to see positive aspects of the neighborhood, understand neighborhood challenges, identify opportunities for change, and ultimately, to shape the vision for the future of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood.

Neighborhood Snapshot 03

Long-range planning for Diamond Hill is built upon an understanding of the neighborhood as it has been in the past and as it is today. With details about both land use and residents, this chapter develops a snapshot of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood.

Land Use and Residents

This chapter provides an overview of existing conditions in the Diamond Hill Neighborhood:

• Boundaries and Connections

• Public Parks and Open Space

• Environment and Terrain

• Historic Connections

• Historic Preservation

• Institutions

• Existing Land Use Categories

• Future Land Use

• Demographic Summary

• Public Safety

Boundaries and Connections

Central Business District

To the north, the Diamond Hill Neighborhood is bordered by Downtown Lynchburg, the economic, social, and cultural hub of Central Virginia. Downtown Lynchburg is celebrated for its retail, restaurants, recreational activities, historic architecture, residential and employment opportunities, unique topography, and vibrant public spaces.

Expressway

To the east, Diamond Hill Neighborhood is bordered by the Lynchburg Expressway, which was built in stages between the 1950s and the 1970s. In this area, the Expressway generally follows the ravine between the Diamond Hill and White Rock Hill neighborhoods. It creates a hard boundary between the two, where they had once been connected. Today, the greenspace along the Expressway serves as a buffer to protect the neighborhood from noise and pollution.

Twelfth Street

To the west, Diamond Hill is bordered by Twelfth Street, a major arterial street connecting to Downtown Lynchburg. Twelfth Street is also a business district, with capacity to serve residents of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood and the adjacent College Hill Neighborhood.

Kemper Street

To the south, Diamond Hill is bordered by Kemper Street, which connects with multiple transit options. Kemper has a traffic interchange with the Lynchburg Expressway and provides access to the Langhorne Road medical corridor. The Kemper Street Station transit hub, located at the junction of Kemper Street and Park Avenue, is just three blocks from the Diamond Hill Neighborhood border. It has an Amtrak station, Greyhound stop, Virginia Breeze regional bus service, Greater Lynchburg Transit Company Transfer Station, and Kemper Station Trail and Bikeway.

Parks and Open Space

Neighborhood Center Park

The Diamond Hill Neighborhood Park is located adjacent to the neighborhood center at 1005 Seventeenth Street. It is approximately half an acre in size. Amenities include an outdoor basketball court, a playground, picnic tables, a grill, and teaching gardens. The photo to the left shows an entrance to the neighborhood park from Grace Street.

Grace Street Greens

There are three small greenspaces along Grace Street.

• LOWER GRACE STREET GREEN approximately 0.5 acre

• MIDDLE GRACE STREET GREEN approximately 0.01 acre

• UPPER GRACE STREET GREEN approximately 0.25 acre

Public Schoolyards

Two public school campuses comprise the largest area of park-like space in the Diamond Hill Neighborhood.

• PAYNE SCHOOLYARD approximately 4.5 acres

• DUNBAR SCHOOLYARD over 16 acres

Hunton-Randolph Community Center

Located on Twelfth Street between Taylor and Monroe Streets, the HuntonRandolph Community Center (HRCC) campus is 2.37 acres and includes a recreation facility, parking lot, and open space. During the planning process, staff received comments about creative uses for the open space, including the addition of an affordable housing development. Read more about the HRCC on pages 23 and 95.

Marce T. Jones School/ Floyd School

Originally built as the Floyd School in 1894, the school was renamed in honor of former teacher and principal Marce T. Jones in 1959. The location was at Monroe and Seventeenth Streets, and is now the site of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center and Park.

Environment and Terrain

The high hills and ridges in Diamond Hill offer vantage points within and beyond the neighborhood. The sharp changes in topography constrain development in a few locations. The map above shows steeply sloped areas of 50 percent or greater in red; moderately sloped areas of 0 percent to 15 percent are shown in green shades.

Historic Connections

Sidewalks

Sidewalks are like the hallways of a neighborhood. The sidewalks in Diamond Hill are made of various materials — brick, stone, and concrete. While the more historic sidewalk materials require additional maintenance, they also contribute to the neighborhood's identity.

Trolley Routes

The Diamond Hill Neighborhood once had streetcar routes running through its northern and southern areas. The 1927 street map above shows Lynchburg's rail lines, stations, and the streetcar system. The routes once taken by the Diamond Hill streetcars could be utilized as urban trails to help to tell the neighborhood story and connect existing historic districts.

Historic Preservation

The Diamond Hill Neighborhood has an abundance of historical resources, which contribute to its identity, character, and historic legacy. There are several historic sites and districts, recognized locally and/or on the Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places. These sites and districts contribute to the neighborhood’s sense of place and help to tell Lynchburg’s story.

Historic Preservation promotes quality of life, one of the critical ingredients in economic development, identity, and satisfaction of Lynchburg residents.

The following descriptions of each district or property are taken from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the Lynchburg Historic Preservation Commission.

01 Diamond Hill Historic District

Immediately south of the downtown, Diamond Hill was once one of Lynchburg’s most prestigious residential neighborhoods. It began its development in the 1820s and enjoyed its greatest prosperity at the turn of the 20th century. The latter period was marked by the construction of numerous large residences, ranging from speculative rental units to stately architect-designed houses usually in either the Queen Anne or Georgian Revival styles. The family homes of businessmen and civic and political leaders were clustered along Washington, Clay, Pearl, and Madison streets, with Washington Street being the leading prestigious address. After a period of significant decline, Diamond Hill in recent years has experienced considerable rehabilitation and restoration activity. Diamond Hill Historic District is a local, state, and national historic district.

02 Pierce Street Historic District

The Pierce Street Historic District, a historically Black residential neighborhood south of Lynchburg’s central business district, covers about five acres. Following use as a military camp and hospital during the Civil War and Reconstruction, by 1870 the district began developing as a neighborhood when African Americans purchased property to establish homes, businesses, and churches in a small, two-block cluster surrounded mostly by White neighbors. The district gave rise during many generations to notable men and women who earned distinction locally, statewide or nationally in education, literature, aviation, sports, and medicine. The Pierce Street Historic District consists of 26 character-defining contributing resources, mostly houses, and two properties within it — the Anne Spencer House and Garden and the Dr. Walter Johnson House and Tennis Court — are individually listed in the state and national registers. Pierce Street Historic District is a local, state, and national historic district.

03 Kemper Street Industrial Historic District

Kemper Street Industrial Historic District encompasses the core of a manufacturing area of Lynchburg devoted primarily to the production of clothing and shoes. The district arose during the early 20th century as the City’s initial commercial and industrial districts reached capacity. Covering approximately 17 acres, the district consists of five building complexes, representing some of the largest, most modern industrial buildings in the region during the district’s first 40 years after 1916. The Lynchburg Industrial Development Corporation, a private entity dedicated to selling land to “start-up” businesses, was significant in the development of the district. The district also spawned the Lynchburg Manufacturers Building Corporation, which constructed a generic “loft” building speculatively. The Blue Buckle Overall Company, one of Lynchburg’s major employers, was one of the few businesses consistently seeking female employees. The long lifespan of the district’s buildings and the companies housed within them effectively tells the story of manufacturing in Lynchburg during this important period in its history. Kemper Street Industrial Historic District is a state and national historic district.

04 Twelfth Street Industrial Historic District

With the completion of the Lynchburg and Salem Turnpike in 1836, the Twelfth Street corridor became a gateway from western regions to the City’s commercial heart. In the mid-1800s, Twelfth Street emerged as a center for tobacco, with industrial enterprises expanding west from the James River and Kanawha Canal and railroad operations in the Lower Basin. Following the Civil War, the corridor grew through the end of the 19th century with construction of new tobacco factories and warehouses, attracting a large African American workforce. While most of the buildings in the district were built for the purpose of processing and storing tobacco, some would accommodate a variety of other uses, including housing a Civil War hospital and an African American school and lodge. After the decline of Lynchburg’s tobacco industry in the early 20th century, other industries, such as commercial laundries, arose as the local economy diversified. The oldest building in the district today is a circa 1858 tobacco prizery. Twelfth Street Industrial Historic District is a state and national historic district.

THERE IS NO NEW WORLD THAT YOU MAKE WITHOUT THE OLD WORLD.

JANE JACOBS

01 Anne Spencer House

During her long and active life, Anne Spencer (1882-1975) was recognized as a lyric poet of considerable talent. For an African American woman to win recognition from her intellectual peers was a remarkable feat, given the climate of the times. Through quiet dedication to her craft and causes, she gained respect, not only as a writer but as a humanitarian. Although a foe of bigotry, her poems dwell more on the universal themes of love, beauty, truth, nature, and the human spirit. Among the many visitors to her Lynchburg home were W. E. B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King Jr., and Thurgood Marshall. Mrs. Spencer’s commodious but unpretentious Queen Anne-style house of 1903 remains unchanged since her death, preserved by the Friends of Anne Spencer Memorial Foundation, Inc., and located in the Pierce Street Historic District. In the garden is Edankraal, a one-room cottage where she wrote and thought.

02 Diamond Hill Baptist Church

Established in 1872, Diamond Hill Baptist Church is Lynchburg’s second-oldest African American church and was a pivotal local player in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Under the leadership of Rev. Virgil Wood, pastor there from 1958 to 1963 and a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the church was an important meeting place where leaders and activists planned campaigns for registering and turning out voters, integrating the City’s schools, desegregating local lunch counters, and protesting discriminatory hiring practices, among similar activities. Built in 1886 in a Late-Gothic Revival style, later remodeled in 1903 and expanded in 1993, Diamond Hill Church represents the growth and influence of Black churches during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War. Diamond Hill Baptist Church is part of the Diamond Hill Historic District.

The Economic Impact of Heritage Tourism in Virginia

Preservation Virginia, 2017

Heritage Tourism is traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. In the past few decades, heritage has become an important aspect of tourism development strategies to attract visitors who seek a unique and rewarding experience. Heritage tourism, especially in Virginia, is a major contributor to the economy, generating jobs and tax revenues.

03 Dr. Walter Johnson House and Tennis Court

Dr. Walter Johnson House and Tennis Court, located at 1422 Pierce Street, in the Pierce Street Historic District, was a center for the training, mentoring, and financial support for young African American tennis players. Johnson, a surgeon, served on the City’s Interracial Commission and broke the racial barrier at Lynchburg General Hospital as the first African American to earn staff privileges. Recognizing that African Americans were not exposed to tennis at an early age, he recruited players throughout the country to his summer tennis camps held at his home and tennis court. As founder of the Junior Development Program of the American Tennis Association, Johnson sponsored young players in tournaments along the East Coast. Among his proteges were Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, the first Black female and male to win Wimbledon championships.

04 Marshall Lodge Memorial Hospital

In 1983, the Diamond Hill Historic District was slightly expanded so that a triangular piece of ground bounded by Grace, Jackson, and Fifteenth streets and containing the Lynchburg Hospital (Marshall Lodge Memorial Hospital) was attached to the southwest corner of the original boundary. Because of the building’s size, exterior neoclassical composition, and location on Diamond Hill, it is a major focal point to the overall development of the neighborhood.

The City of Lynchburg initially enacted historic district legislation within its overall zoning ordinance in 1976, and established the Board of Historic and Architectural Review, now the Historic Preservation Commission, to monitor exterior changes to existing buildings, new construction, and demolition within local historic districts.

Virginia Department of Historic Resources

The Department encourages the stewardship of historic resources as “valuable assets for the economic, educational, social, and cultural benefit of citizens and communities.” In addition, properties listed on the register of historic places may be eligible for rehabilitation tax credits. There are grant programs available for preservation projects through other federal, state, and private entities.

Historic Preservation Commission

Neighborhood Institutions

The Diamond Hill Neighborhood contains five well-established anchor institutions — Diamond Hill Baptist Church, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center, Dunbar Middle School, the Hunton Randolph Community Center, and Payne Elementary School.

01 Diamond Hill Baptist Church

Diamond Hill Baptist Church is located at 1415 Grace Street, in the Diamond Hill Historic District. Established in 1872, Diamond Hill Baptist Church is Lynchburg’s second-oldest African American church and was a pivotal local player in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Their campus has grown to include the church, parsonage, historic fire station, and the Hope Diamond Childcare Center. In 2023, Diamond Hill Baptist Church established the Diamond Hill Community Development Corporation to provide community outreach services.

02 Dunbar Middle School

Dunbar Middle School for Innovation is located at Twelfth and Polk streets, and has a student population of 670. The school is named for Paul Laurence Dunbar, the distinguished and gifted African American poet. The school buildings and campus have a rich and diverse history in the community. Built in 1923, Dunbar served as the African American high School. The original name of the school, Dunbar High School, still remains engraved in marble on the central building. The campus is comprised of three attached buildings. Mozee building houses primarily sixth grade students. Central building houses the main office, full gymnasium, 900-seat auditorium, music classrooms, communications studio, and full cafeteria. West building houses seventh and eighth grade classes and the library. The Amelia Pride Building, originally the home economics center for girls, now houses several alternative and adult programs.

03 Hunton-Randolph Community Center

Once known as Hunton Branch YMCA of Lynchburg, the Center was built at 1220 Taylor Street in 1956 as a dedicated recreation facility for Black youth and families during the era of segregation. It later disaffiliated from YMCA of America and in 2007 was renamed “Hunton-Randolph Community Center” (HRCC). The facility still functions today as a recreational facility in Lynchburg’s densely populated urban core. It is located along Twelfth Street, between Payne Elementary School and Dunbar Middle School, an ideal location for youth and community programs. As a nonprofit organization, the HRCC is governed by a volunteer board of directors. Currently, the Center hosts periodic activities and events. With their rich history of community service, the Hunton-Randolph Community Center could explore capacity-building strategies in order to develop and sustain regular programs to serve a new generation of youth and families.

04 Parks and Recreation Neighborhood Center

Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center, located at Monroe and Seventeenth Streets, was built in 1977, on the site where Floyd School was built in 1894. The Center is operated by the neighborhood services division of the Parks and Recreation Department. The neighborhood center offers programs which support families, workforce, and education. Center staff lead after-school and summer programs for school-age children, caregiver-attended preschool programs, and senior adult programs. The Center also hosts classes, workshops, and neighborhood events, such as Clean Your Block and Community Care Day.

05 Payne Elementary School

Robert S. Payne Elementary school is located on Floyd at Twelfth Street and has a student population of 550. It was built as Robert E. Lee Junior High School in 1925. It was later re-named Robert S. Payne Elementary, when it became an elementary school, in honor of the first chairman of the Lynchburg School Board. The school houses a cafeteria, a large auditorium with balcony, media center, and a full-size gymnasium. Its classrooms are spacious, with many having a distant view of the City, surrounding counties, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The school campus covers two citysquare blocks.

Land Use

Existing Conditions

The use of land in the City is governed by zoning districts, which work in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan, other adopted plans, and the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance to regulate permitted uses.

R-2 | LOW-MEDIUM DENSITY

RESIDENTIAL

Diamond Hill North residential area is zoned R-2, which is intended to provide for residential development at low densities, together with public uses, institutional uses and private recreational facilities that are in scale with single-household residences. This district is intended to allow higher densities than the R-1 district where supported by adequate infrastructure and compatibility of site.

R-3 | MEDIUM DENSITY

RESIDENTIAL

Diamond Hill South residential area is zoned R-3. The R-3 district is intended to provide for residential development and other compatible uses at medium densities in areas with adequate infrastructure and access to public and commercial services. In addition to small-lot singlehousehold development, duplexes and other compatible housing types may be allowed, as are public and institutional uses in scale with neighborhood use.

B-1| LIMITED BUSINESS

The B-1 district is intended to provide for office, retail, restaurant and service uses that are compatible with nearby residential areas because they are in scale with adjacent neighborhood development and have pedestrian-oriented designs.

B-4 | URBAN COMMERCIAL

These areas are intended to consist primarily of office, retail, personal service, and restaurant uses that are scaled and designed to be compatible with and serve their immediate neighborhood. Patrons can walk,

bike or take a short drive to reach them.

B-5 | GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

The area along Twelfth Street is currently zoned as B-5 general business district. This district is intended to provide for a variety of commercial and similar uses that require large sites and which often produce substantial nuisance effects. The location of these districts should provide for a high level of access, relatively large amounts of level land, and opportunities to shield adjacent residential districts from nuisance effects. This area abuts the

residential areas in both Diamond Hill and College Hill neighborhoods. This plan recommends the zoning designation of B-4 Neighborhood Commercial, for the Twelfth Street Corridor.

I-2 | LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT

The area along Kemper and Buchanan streets is zoned as I-2 light industrial district. The I-2 district is intended to provide for industrial uses of a variety of types that produce relatively low levels of smoke, smell, noise, light, dust, and other nuisances. This area abuts the residential zone along Buchanan.

Zoning Map Legend

R-2 LOW-MEDIUM DENSITY

RESIDENTIAL

Diamond Hill North is zoned R-2 Low-Medium Density

Residential.

R-3 MEDIUM DENSITY

RESIDENTIAL

Diamond Hill South is zoned R-3 Medium Density Residential. There is opportunity to expand the scope of R-3 to create missing middle housing in Diamond Hill South, through both infill and redevelopment.

R-4C MEDIUM DENSITY

RESIDENTIAL (CONDITIONAL)

In 2007, approximately 0.82 of an acre at 1402 Fillmore Street was rezoned from R-3 to R-4C to allow the use of an existing structure for five apartment units and associated parking.

B-1 LIMITED BUSINESS

Several properties in the vicinity of Grace Street are zoned B1, including City of Lynchburg parcels, 1505-1517 Jackson Street.

B-3C COMMUNITY BUSINESS DISTRICTS (CONDITIONAL)

In 2007, approximately 7.4 acres on Kemper Street was rezoned for a cluster commercial development with a mixed use of residential, office, and retail units.

B-4 URBAN COMMERCIAL DISTRICT

In 2019, approximately 0.9 of an acre at 1503 Grace Street was rezoned from B-1 Limited Business District to B-4 Urban Commercial District to allow the redevelopment of the property into fifty apartment units, Diamond Hill Lofts.

B-5 GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

The area along Twelfth Street is currently zoned as B-5 General Business District. This plan recommends changing the zoning on th Street to B-4 Urban Commercial District

1-2 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT

The area along Kemper St. is currently zoned as I-2. A more suitable use for this area would be Mixed Use.

Future Land Use

Future Land Use Map (FLUM)

The Future Land Use Map identifies a desired future use for each area in the City. It guides staff, residents, businesses, and City leaders in making future land use decisions.

The City of Lynchburg Comprehensive Plan 20132030 identifies Diamond Hill Neighborhood as one of four neighborhood conservation areas, which form the inner ring of residential development around the Central Business District.

The Diamond Hill neighborhood is an extension of the Downtown with mostly traditional street layouts and direct access to Downtown amenities. Although rich in historic and cultural fabric, mature neighborhoods face challenges of reinvestment and rehabilitation (Comprehensive Plan, p. 65).

The recommended uses, created in the City of Lynchburg Comprehensive Plan process, are listed here.

TRADITIONAL RESIDENTIAL

The FLUM categorizes Diamond Hill’s residential areas as a “Traditional Residential.”

This category includes R-2, R-3, R-4, and B-1 designations. This land use category has been applied to the City’s older neighborhoods, generally built before World War II and before the City was zoned. For many of the houses here, lot sizes, setbacks, and/or building heights do not conform to the standards of the City’s residential zoning districts. Infill residential development in these neighborhoods should be designed to complement the style and type of housing there and to utilize comparable setbacks, yards, and building heights. Within Traditional Residential neighborhoods, small retail, personal service, office, and restaurant uses are often found.

NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL

Areas along Twelfth and Kemper streets are categorized in the FLUM as “Neighborhood Commercial.” These areas are intended to consist primarily of office, retail, personal service, and restaurant uses that are scaled and designed to be compatible with and serve their immediate neighborhood. They are comprised of individual businesses, clusters of businesses, or small shopping centers, which meet the day-to-day needs of a limited residential trade area of 2,500 to 10,000 people. A small grocery store or drug store is often the anchor for a neighborhood shopping center. Office uses should be relatively small-scale. Residential uses may be established on the upper floors of commercial structures or as transitional structures between residential and commercial buildings.

MIXED USE

The FLUM categorizes a small area along Kemper with a conditional use permit as “Mixed Use.” This category may be appropriate for a wide range of zoning districts, depending on the location, existing and planned land uses, surrounding neighborhoods, natural constraints, and available infrastructure. The mixed use areas generally consist of large undeveloped areas that are intended to be developed for a balanced mix of residential, neighborhood commercial, civic uses, parks, and open spaces.

INSTITUTION

The City’s institutions include the religious, educational, and other nonprofit entities in the City. Greater Peaceful Zion Church and the Hunton-Randolph Community Center parcels are categorized as “Institution” on the FLUM.

PUBLIC USE

The FLUM categories public facilities — Payne Elementary, Dunbar Middle, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center — as “Public Use.” Public Use areas include properties currently owned and operated by government, excluding public parks and recreation centers.

PUBLIC PARKS

Public Parks is a designation for lands owned by the City of Lynchburg or other governmental agencies that are intended to be open for public recreational or conservation use.

RESOURCE CONSERVATION

AREA Resource Conservation Areas encompass lands with special natural characteristics that limit uses and development to protect the City's environmental health. These areas are recommended to become greenways and may have public access trails.

FLUM Legend

TRADITIONAL RESIDENTIAL

NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL

MIXED USE

INSTITUTION

PUBLIC USE

PUBLIC PARKS

RESOURCE CONSERVATION

Recommended FLUM Amendments

1 INSTITUTIONAL

Change Diamond Hill Baptist Church campus parcels to “Institutional” — 805 Fifteenth Street, 1421 Grace Street, 812 Fourteenth Street.

2 RESOURCE CONSERVATION

Change area bordering the Lynchburg Expressway to "Resource Conservation Area."

3 PUBLIC PARK

Change “Traditional Residential” parcels at 1005

Seventeenth Street, 1010 Seventeenth Street, and 1713

Grace Street to “Public Parks.”

4 TRADITIONAL RESIDENTIAL

Change 1517 Jackson Street from "Public Parks" to “Traditional Residential.”

Demographic Summary

The population of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood is approximately 2,051. This community profile provides a snapshot of the people living in the Diamond Hill Neighborhood. For context, a profile of the entire City of Lynchburg population is also included. Information sources include Esri forecasts, U.S. Census Bureau, and the American Community Survey.

Significant Statistics

HOUSING UNITS

• Owner occupancy is significantly lower in Diamond Hill.

• Vacant housing units are significantly higher in Diamond Hill.

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

• Household income is lower in Diamond Hill than in Lynchburg at large.

• The majority of households in Diamond Hill are below the median household income for Lynchburg.

RACE/ETHNICITY

• The majority of Diamond Hill residents are Black; the majority of Lynchburg residents are White

AGE DISTRIBUTION

• Lower percentage of residents ages 15 to 24 in Diamond Hill than in Lynchburg.

• Higher percentage of residents ages 45 and older in Diamond Hill than in Lynchburg.

HOUSEHOLD SIZE

• Higher percentage of one-person households in Diamond Hill than in Lynchburg

• Lower percentage of two-person households in Diamond Hill than in Lynchburg

Diamond Hill Housing Units

Diamond Hill Households by Income

Diamond Hill Race/Ethnicity

Diamond Hill Age

Diamond Hill Households by Size

Education Attainment for Population 25+ Employed Population 16+ by Occupation

Public Safety Stratified Policing

The Lynchburg Police Department implemented stratified policing, beginning in June of 2023, after hearing community concerns about safety and analyzing citizen calls for service.*

Stratified policing increases and prioritizes patrols in areas with a high volume of calls for service. Officers are directed to increase both vehicle and foot patrols, with a focus on engaging the community.

Since the onset of stratified policing, there were reductions in violent crime in Diamond Hill. The Lynchburg Police Department continues to work closely with the community as residents have identified safety as a priority.

*In 2023, Diamond Hill Suffered the tragic loss of three of its youth in separate incidents of gun violence. The neighborhood has been satisfied with LPD's stratified Policing strategy, and refuses to be defined by the tragic events. Instead, stakeholders strive to equip young people with the resources they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Read more about the community response and the 40 ways Coalition on page 54.

DIAMOND HILL LYNCHBURG

White Collar Services Blue Collar

Diamond Hill Lynchburg

Lynchburg Diamond Hill

Public Safety

Calls for Service

The graphs below show five-year trends for public safety in Diamond Hill:

• Decrease in police calls for service in significant categories

• Increase in fire calls for service in significant categories

In Your Neighborhood

Lynchburg Police Department

In 2024, the Lynchburg Police Department will pilot a substation at the Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center, located at 1005 Seventeenth Street. This neighborhood location will allow officers to maintain a presence in the community, complete reports, and engage in community policing.

Lynchburg Fire Department

Fire Station #2 is located just outside of the neighborhood boundary at 2006 Grace Street. Firefighters from this station respond regularly to calls in Diamond Hill and are actively involved in community risk reduction. For example, they have participated in many neighborhood canvassing efforts to install smoke alarms and porch lights for residents.

Community Engagement 04

Staff worked with neighborhood residents and stakeholders throughout the planning process to establish an open, informative, and motivating approach to envisioning the future of Diamond Hill. There were three distinct categories of community engagement: public workshops, field engagement, and stakeholder discussions.

Engagement Strategy

The goal of the engagement strategy is to incorporate feedback from residents and stakeholders into the goals and recommendations of the plan. Engagement consisted of more and less formal exchanges:

• Stakeholder Advisory Group Meetings

• Web Page

• Public Workshops

• Questionnaires

• Discussions

Stakeholder Advisory Group

The stakeholder advisory group was established to ensure an open and meaningful community engagement process. In order to ensure a manageable size, the group included a limited number of representatives from a broad selection of groups and organizations working in and serving the Diamond Hill Neighborhood.

Organizations Represented

• 40 Ways Coalition

• Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum

• Community Access Network

• Diamond Hill Baptist Church

• Diamond Hill Historical Society

• Diamond Hill Neighborhood Watch and Restoration

• Greater Lynchburg Transit Company

• Hunton-Randolph Community Center

• Pierce Street Gateway

• Lynchburg Community

• Action Group

• Resilient Virginia

• University of Lynchburg Center for Community Engagement

• Virginia Career Works,

• Virginia Cooperative Extension

• Virginia Department of Health

• Whirlwind Johnson Foundation

Meetings

The stakeholder advisory group met to provide input during each phase of the planning process, in advance of the public workshops. All stakeholder advisory group meetings were held on the campus of the Diamond Hill Baptist Church, one of the neighborhood’s anchor institutions. Summaries from stakeholder meetings were posted to the plan web page and emailed to attendees.

Web Page

A project web page was created on the City of Lynchburg’s website in March of 2023 to provide information about the neighborhood plan. The project brief, stakeholder advisory group meeting summaries, and workshop announcements and reports are all available on the web page.

Public Workshops

Community engagement for the plan included four consecutive public workshops, each held at an anchor institution in the neighborhood. The workshops provided opportunities for robust discussion, while generating enthusiasm for the plan. Reports from each workshop were posted to the plan web page and sent to attendees.

Workshop 1

OPEN HOUSE KICK-OFF

The workshop was held at Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center, 1005 Seventeenth Street, on Saturday, March 25, 2023, in the afternoon. The open-house format allowed attendees to circulate through stations and talk one-on-one with City staff, stakeholders, and neighbors, about the planning process and life in the neighborhood. Stations included: public safety, workforce, anchor institutions, community streets, neighborhood marketplace, parks and historic resources, and healthy homes.

Workshop 2 VISION, GOALS, AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The second workshop was held at Payne Elementary School, 1201 Floyd Street, on Thursday, May 25, 2023, in the evening. The smallgroup format led attendees to discuss key neighborhood topics, confirm guiding principles, and identify critical issues. Attendees gathered into five small groups — each facilitated by a stakeholder. The meeting began with an overview of the plan purpose, framework, and timeline, then, moved into small-group discussions on the five framework areas, before concluding with a summary.

Workshop 3

STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS

The third workshop was held at the Hunton-Randolph Community Center, 1220 Taylor Street, on Saturday, August 26, 2023, in the afternoon. The format was open house, with stations from the planning framework — anchor institutions, commu-

nity streets, housing, marketplace, and parks and historic resources. Participants were invited to move through the stations, engage in the planning process, and talk one-on-one with City staff, stakeholders, and neighbors.

At each passport station, participants were presented with a neighborhood plan goal and a list of strategies; then, asked to review and prioritize the strategies.

Workshop 4

CONFIRM AND COMMIT

The fourth workshop was held at the Hunton-Randolph Community Center, 1220 Taylor Street, on Saturday, August 3, 2024 in the afternoon. Staff provided an overview of the planning process, shared the goals and objectives, and highlighted key projects. At the conclusion of the presentation, there was a question-and-answer period. Then, participants were encouraged to review plan details and offer final feedback at five stations staffed by project team members.

I LOVE ALL THE PLANS THAT ARE UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD — AND THAT I CAN BE A PART OF IT.

MARSEA WALLER

Questionnaires

To learn more about specific areas of neighborhood concern, staff solicited feedback from stakeholders using questionnaires. Topics included: housing preferences, real estate investment, neighborhood convenience store use, a porch light campaign for safety, and priorities for action.

Housing

Approximately 90 percent of the housing in Diamond Hill was built before WWII. To better understand the diverse housing needs and preferences of today, staff asked residents about preferred housing types, sizes, tenures, and costs.

RESULTS

Forty-seven questionnaires were submitted. Responses indicated that the three most important housing attributes were: affordable, safe and attractive, and energy-efficient. Most respondents needed two or three bedrooms. Twenty percent of respondents lived alone; 75 percent lived with immediate family. The top three preferred housing types listed by respondents were: house, duplex, and apartment.

Real Estate Investment

There is a significant opportunity for redevelopment in the neighborhood, as roughly one-quarter of the residential structures are either vacant or condemned. Additionally, there are over one hundred undeveloped lots, which present opportunities for scattered-site infill development. A questionnaire to gauge interest in real estate investment in Diamond Hill was given to Real Estate Investment Association members at the June 2023 meeting. There were 11 responses.

RESULTS

Responses indicated broad interest in investing in the neighborhood, including: new residential, residential rehabilitation, new commercial, and commercial rehabilitation. When asked “What would make you want to invest in Diamond Hill Neighborhood,” responses included: City improving safety and appearance; City support for development through incentives, such as waiver of utility connection fees; low-interest financing; and strong markets for home ownership and rental.

Neighborhood Lighting

Staff conducted a windshield survey of lighting conditions and perception of safety in the neighborhood in May 2023, after a series of violent crimes in Diamond Hill. Lighting sources in the neighborhood included streetlights, housing lights, and porch lights. Overall, the lighting conditions were inconsistent.

STREETLIGHTS

There were 17 streetlights out at the time of the windshield survey. The respective light pole addresses and numbers were reported to City of Lynchburg’s Citizen’s First customer service, who notified Appalachian Power.

HOUSE LIGHTS

Undeveloped lots and vacant houses scattered throughout the neighborhood resulted in poorly lit conditions and negatively impacted perception of safety.

Porch Light Campaign — A Pilot Project

Keeping the porch lights ON is a simple step that residents can take to improve nighttime safety. According to the Lynchburg Police Department and the Neighborhood Watch Association, porch lights improve visibility, increase the perception of safety, and reduce the opportunity for unwelcome street behavior at night. City staff piloted a Porch Light Campaign in the Diamond Hill Neighborhood. Lowe’s of Lynchburg and Strong Neighborhoods Alliance provided energy-efficient LED bulbs. City staff went door-to-door to hand out the bulbs, talked with residents about safety, and asked them to be part of the campaign by turning ON their porch lights each night from dusk to dawn. Nearly 200 porch light bulbs were distributed in the initial canvassing efforts.

PORCH LIGHTS

Porch lights contribute to the perception of nighttime safety. Staff asked residents about their support for a porch light campaign, where porch lights are kept on each night from dusk to dawn. There were 24 responses.

RESULTS

Eighty-six percent of respondents supported the concept of a porch light campaign; fourteen percent were neutral; none were opposed. The favorable response resulted in staff piloting the Porch Light Campaign.

Urban Food Systems

Virginia Cooperative Extension Family Nutrition Program staff conducted a survey of Diamond Hill residents to better understand existing food systems in the neighborhood and opportunities to develop healthy urban food systems. There were 79 responses.

RESULTS

Results indicated that the top three items purchased at the neighborhood convenience stores are snacks, hot food from the grill, and soda.

About one third of respondents shop at the convenience store(s) more than once per week; one quarter, once per week; one fifth, once per month. The prevailing reason for shopping at the neighborhood convenience stores was their proximity to work/home. Seventy-six percent of respondents indicated that they would purchase fresh fruits and vegetables if available at the convenience stores.

I WILL STAY IN DIAMOND HILL BECAUSE I STILL LOVE THE COMMUNITY AND IT HAS A LOT OF LIFE. WHERE THERE IS LIFE, THERE IS HOPE.

GRACE DEAN, RESIDENT

Discussions

To better understand the neighborhood and inform the plan with detailed strategies, project team members met with a broad representation of individual neighborhood stakeholders over the course of 2023. The list below represents more than 20 discussions, which offered greater insight into important plan areas, including: public health and safety, community gardens, historic resources, healthy homes, affordable housing, real estate investment, food security, youth programs and services, neighborhood services, arts and culture, and Neighborhood Watch. Here’s Who We Talked To

40 Ways Coalition, African American Cultural Committee, Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum, Centra Health, Diamond Hill Baptist Church, Diamond Hill Community Development Corporation, Diamond Hill Historical Society, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Watch and Restoration, Downtown Lynchburg Association, Dunbar Middle School, Greater Lynchburg Transit Company, Greater Peaceful Zion Church, Healthy Homes Program, Hunton-Randolph Community Center, Lynchburg Community Action Group, Lynchburg Community Market, Lynchburg Health Department, Lynchburg Housing Collaborative, Lynchburg Community Action Group, Payne Elementary School, Pierce Street Garden, Pierce Street Gateway, Randolph College — Museum and Heritage Studies, Real Estate Investor Group, Sow and Grow Gardens, University of Lynchburg Center for Community Engagement, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Whirlwind Johnson Foundation.

Plan Implementation

The success of this plan ultimately depends on a strong collaboration between neighborhood stakeholders, community partners, and City departments.

The Plan Gets Us to the Starting Line

This chapter outlines the roles individuals and organizations can play in bringing the plan’s recommendations to life:

• Neighborhood Role

• Community Partners

• City Departments

• Funding Opportunities

• Context

Neighborhood Role

Residents and stakeholders took an active role in the development of this plan. Now that the plan is in place, their focus can shift to implementation — through both advocacy and action.

Plan Action Committee

With the plan’s adoption, the stakeholder advisory group should become the Plan Action Committee. The Diamond Hill Community Development Corporation should serve as the lead agency of the committee.

The committee should meet quarterly to review plan recommendations, track progress, and create a realistic work list. They should regularly communicate the plan status to the neighborhood.

‘NO

TRESPASSING’ SIGNS TELL TODAY’S STORY. AND WE WANT TO CHANGE THAT STORY. RANDY WOODS, RESIDENT

Community Partners

Sixteen community organizations, serving Diamond Hill Neighborhood, participated in the plan development. They should continue to support the plan recommendations through advocacy and action, especially where there are mutual interests. The mission of each of the community partners is listed here.

Diamond Hill Community Development Corporation

Established on June 6, 2023, the CDC was formed as a ministry of the Diamond Hill Baptist Church “to provide community outreach services.” Representatives from the Diamond Hill CDC were stakeholders in the planning process and, with the Diamond Hill Baptist Church, hosted the stakeholder advisory group meetings. The Diamond Hill CDC should serve as the backbone agency for the implementation of the neighborhood plan.

Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum

“preserves and celebrates, through education and research, the literary, cultural, and social legacy of Anne Spencer, thus memorializing her contributions and those of the Spencer family to the City of Lynchburg, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the United States of America.”

Central Virginia Health District

“nurtures the community’s wellbeing by practicing public health, meeting the needs of the present while planning for the future.”

Community Access Network

“to ensure exceptional, quality, compassionate and comprehensive healthcare for every member of our community.“

Diamond Hill Baptist Church

“glorifies God by serving His body through caring for the operational aspects of the church.”

Diamond Hill Historical Society

“preserves and encourages the historical and architectural integrity of the Diamond Hill Historic District through the fostering of education, research, and restoration.”

Diamond Hill Neighborhood Watch and Restoration

“is an organized effort by concerned citizens to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood by cooperating with law enforcement to reduce crime.”

Greater Lynchburg Transit “provides safe, dependable, affordable, accessible, and high-quality public transportation to the Central Virginia community.”

Hunton-Randolph Community Center

“provides educational, enrichment, and recreational opportunities for youth and families.”

Lynchburg Community Action Group

“provides direct assistance to low- and moderate-income individuals and families in the prevention, reduction or elimination of poverty and adverse situations in their lives.”

Pierce Street Gateway

“supports the preservation of the neighborhood.”

Resilient Virginia

“accelerates resiliency planning in communities across the commonwealth.”

University of Lynchburg, Center for Community Engagement

“connects students, faculty, and staff with our neighbors in Lynchburg.”

Virginia CareerWorks

“advances economic stability and growth by preparing and connecting people who want to work with employers who need to hire through its training providers and network of professional partners.”

Virginia Cooperative Extension, SNAP-Ed “teaches limited-resource households how to make healthier food choices and become better managers of available food resources for optimal health and growth.”

Whirlwind Johnson Foundation

“restores and preserves the home, tennis court, garden, and legacy of Dr. Robert Walter 'Whirlwind' Johnson for generations to come.”

Community Development Corporation

Establishing a community development corporation (CDC) is a practical and collaborative way to improve the quality of life in a neighborhood. CDCs can work with community partners and investors to address neighborhood concerns — such as housing, childcare, senior services, employment, job training, small business development — through services and revitalization. As 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, a CDC’s work may be funded through state and federal grants. They can also receive funding through Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), intermediary organizations, and philanthropic organizations.

Fifth Street CDC — A Local Example

The Fifth Street CDC was established in 2001 to initiate, coordinate, and implement programs, activities, and projects designed to improve conditions and develop opportunities in the commercial and residential district known as Fifth Street. The Fifth Street CDC has been the primary advocate and supporter of Fifth Street corridor redevelopment.

City Departments

City departments support the recommendations of the plan, as listed below. A City staff member should serve as an advisor to the plan action committee.

Communications and Public Engagement

Communications and Public Engagement Department staff will provide information related to City government services and programs to residents through the Citizens First Info Center, a onestop citizen assistance office.

Community Development

Community Development Department staff will manage the recommendations of the plan, coordinate with other City departments, and advocate for progress.

Office of Economic Development and Tourism

The Office of Economic Development and Tourism will help to support and grow businesses along Twelfth and Kemper Streets, as well as the neighborhood’s historic destination assets.

Museums

The Lynchburg Museum System manages the official history museums and archives of the City of Lynchburg. It is a division of the Office of Economic Development and Tourism, working in partnership with the nonprofit Lynchburg Museum Foundation. The Museum System will serve as a resource to share the history and culture of the neighborhood.

Lynchburg City Schools

Payne Elementary and Dunbar Middle schools will further develop as anchor institutions in the neighborhood and also collaborate with the community to establish public schoolyards.

Parks and Recreation

The Parks and Recreation Department staff will continue programs and services at the Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center and support improvements to public schoolyards and green spaces.

Public Works

The Public Works Department staff will incorporate improvements to neighborhood streets into their transportation master plan. They will work with Community Development to implement improvements to neighborhood streets, existing green spaces, and neighborhood gateways, as described in the plan.

Water Resources

The Water Resources Department staff will partner on neighborhood projects to incorporate stormwater quality and quantity improvements and green infrastructure where possible. As Water Resources upgrades its underground infrastructure, it will coordinate projects with the above-ground recommendations of this plan.

Funding Opportunities

The recommendations resulting from this planning process require both human and financial resources. Funding sources listed here include select sources at the local, state, and federal level. Additional incentives and financing resources are listed in the appendix.

Left: Conceptual views of select Diamond Hill projects (top to bottom): Twelfth Street Marketplace (Chapter 9). Payne Community Schoolyard (Chapter 10), Twelfth and Kemper Street Transit-Oriented Development (Chapter 7), Dunbar Community Schoolyard (Chapter 10). Renderings by Peter Giraudeau, Hill Studio.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Lynchburg receives Community Development Block Grant funds through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to “develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.”

The competitive application process is managed by the Grants Administration division of the Community Development Department. CDBG funds are considered for City capital projects, Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority programs, and targeted neighborhood or public housing service programs that have a City department/LRHA sponsor.

U.S. Department of Transportation

The U.S. Department of Transportation provides grants to help build up and maintain a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system for the American people, today and into the future

FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION (FTA)Transit-Oriented Development (T0D)

This program provides funding for local communities to integrate land use and transportation planning with corridor-based capital investment. Projects must examine ways to improve economic development and ridership, foster multimodal connectivity and accessibility, improve transit access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, engage the private sector, identify infrastructure needs, and enable mixed use development near transit stations.

THRIVING COMMUNITIES

TOD planning grants are awarded to support community efforts to improve access to public transportation. The grants help organizations plan for transportation projects that connect communities and improve access to transit and affordable housing.

BUILD AMERICA BUREAU

For TOD projects advancing to design and construction, the Build America Bureau offers financial assistance for TOD implementation through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Credit assistance programs. In partnership with the Bureau, FTA conducts oversight of certain TOD projects to ensure compliance with federal requirements, while the Bureau provides technical assistance for potential borrowers.

SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL (SS4A)

The SS4A program funds regional, local, and tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. The SS4A program supports the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy and the goal of zero roadway deaths using a Safe System Approach. Working with Central Virginia Planning District Commission, the City of Lynchburg will pursue recommendations of the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan — SS4A, Multimodal Plan, Thriving Communities, and LongRange Transportation Plan.

Virginia Department of Transportation

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL (SRTS)

The Safe Routes to School program has been active in Virginia since 2007 and helps schools and communities make walking and biking to school a safe, convenient, and natural activity.

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)

DHR is the state’s lead natural resource conservation agency. DCR protects natural habitats, parks, clean water, dams, open space and access to the outdoors. They offer grants and funding resources for flood prevention, planning and recreation, and land conservation.

Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR)

DHR administers several grant opportunities that provide financial and technical assistance to support the preservation and protection of historic resources in Virginia. In addition to grant programs managed by DHR, there are several additional grant programs available for preservation projects through other federal, state, and private entities.

Private Foundation Grants

Community Development Corporations and other nonprofit organizations can also receive funding from philanthropic foundations. The grant opportunities should be fully explored to help fund various projects, programs, and services.

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) – Brownfields

Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

Capital Improvement Programming is a method of planning for the effective and efficient provision of public facilities, infrastructure improvements, major maintenance requirements, and acquisition of property and equipment. Projects identified in the CIP may be funded by different sources. During the City’s annual budget process, the projects are analyzed for sources of funding, availability of funding, and impacts to long‐term debt service.

Brownfields are properties in which redevelopment or reuse is complicated by the presence (or potential presence) of hazardous materials, pollution, or contaminants. Assessing, mitigating, and reinvesting in these properties utilizes existing infrastructure, reduces development of undisturbed open land, facilitates job growth, increases local tax bases and both improves community aesthetics, while protecting the environment. DEQ works closely with property owners to turn these contaminated properties back to productive use across Virginia. Using innovative approaches to resolving problems, the agency works to safely clean up, transform and sustainably reuse these underutilized properties.

Context

This planning effort seeks to celebrate the unique character of the neighborhood and also recognize areas for improvement. It builds upon the City’s area and corridor plans and follows recent public investments in the neighborhood.

Past Plans and Studies

DEARINGTON

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN (2022)

The Dearington Neighborhood Plan presents a vision for recreational improvements in the Dearington Neighborhood and sets overarching goals and specific strategies to help the neighborhood and the City achieve that vision together. The plan was adopted on October 11, 2022.

DEARINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING STUDY (2022)

The Dearington Neighborhood Housing Study is a supplement to the Dearington Neighborhood Plan

TYREEANNA/PLEASANT VALLEY

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN (2022)

The Tyreeanna/Pleasant Valley Neighborhood Plan is a product of the input received from neighborhood residents, citizen members of the project’s steering committee, City of Lynchburg planning staff, and the consultant firm Hill Studio working together to envision opportunities for sustainable growth in the neighborhood. The plan was developed under the direction established by the City of Lynchburg Comprehensive Plan 20132030 to build strong neighborhoods, conserve the City’s unique places and resources, promote business vitality, enhance the attractiveness of gateways and travel corridors, and protect the natural environment, while also promoting sensitive development and redevelopment. The plan was adopted on May 24, 2022.

GROWING TINBRIDGE HILL (2014)

The Growing Tinbridge Hill Neighborhood Plan was developed through a partnership between the Tinbridge Hill Neighborhood, the City of Lynchburg, and area nonprofits. Public participation in the planning process was strong and the resulting plan document focuses on sustainable neighborhood development strategies and efforts to foster the next generation of neighborhood leaders. The plan was adopted on March 11, 2014.

FIFTH STREET

CORRIDOR MASTER PLAN (2006)

The Fifth Street Corridor Master Plan establishes the vision for a rehabilitated and revitalized corridor that serves the needs of the surrounding neighborhoods. The purpose of this plan is to provide a vision and a blueprint for the revitalization of the Fifth Street corridor between Main Street and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bridge. The plan was adopted on May 23, 2006.

Recent Diamond Hill Neighborhood Projects

DUNBAR CROSSWALK (2024)

The Community Development and Public Works departments collaborated on a new Paul Laurence Dunbar-themed crosswalk at Monroe on Twelfth Street. Crosswalks help to guide pedestrians toward the safest possible route and reinforce right-of-way. The pedestrian network, including sidewalks and crosswalks, should be prioritized to improve access to anchor institutions, neighborhood commercial areas, transit routes, and key corridors.

DIAMOND

HILL NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER RENEWAL PROJECT (2019)

The Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center Facility Renewal Project was completed in 2019. The project was funded through the Community Development Block Grant program and cost approximately $198,000.

GRACE STREET RETAINING WALL PROJECT

(2022)

The Grace Street Retaining Wall Project was completed in 2022. The project was funded by the City’s capital improvement program and cost approximately $574,000.

WATER

LINE REPLACEMENT (2023)

Water Resources designed and installed approximately 2,400 linear feet of new 8’ water line on Fifteenth Street between Grace and Monroe Streets and between Fourteenth and Sixteenth on Jackson and Monroe streets.

COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW SYSTEM PROJECTS

There are several design projects ongoing in the Buchanan, Pierce and Thirteenth street areas, where the Water Resources Department is continuing CSO separation work..

Anchor Institutions

The Diamond Hill Neighborhood contains five well-established anchor institutions — Diamond Hill Baptist Church, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center, Dunbar Middle School, Hunton-Randolph Community Center, and Payne Elementary School.

GOAL

Diamond Hill schools, churches, and community centers are the places where the cultural, educational, and social activities of the community are focused.

This chapter outlines the recommended strategies, objectives, and actions to help achieve the anchor institutions goal.

CONCERNS

SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES IS NEEDED

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION IS NEEDED

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES ARE NEEDED

HIGHLIGHTS

• 40 Ways Coalition

• Opportunity, Responsibility, Security

• Social Infrastructure

• Public Health and Safety

• Diamond Hill CDC

• Early Childhood Care and Education

STRATEGY 1

Recognize Diamond Hill Community Development Corporation as a Backbone Organization for Community Support and Revitalization

OBJECTIVE | Partner with City and supporting agencies for plan advocacy and implementation.

OBJECTIVE | Organize stakeholders and community partners.

STRATEGY 2

Expand Social Infrastructure

OBJECTIVE | Promote activities for youth and families.

OBJECTIVE | Create safe and healthy places for people to gather.

STRATEGY 3

Expand Educational Opportunities

OBJECTIVE | Elevate early childhood education (birth to Pre-K).

OBJECTIVE | Promote postsecondary education.

STRATEGY 4

Improve Public Health and Safety

OBJECTIVE | Improve community streets to increase pedestrian comfort and safety.

OBJECTIVE | Increase opportunities to improve health and wellness.

Anchor Institutions

SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS ARE THE PLACES WHERE THE CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMUNITY ARE FOCUSED.

1

STRATEGY Recognize Diamond Hill CDC as a Backbone Organization for Community Support and Revitalization

OBJECTIVE Partner with City and supporting agencies for plan advocacy and implementation

ACTIONS

• Regularly review and advance plan strategies, objectives, and actions with stakeholders and community partners.

• Leverage resources available to community development corporations to advance projects and programs.

OBJECTIVE Organize Stakeholders and Community Partners

ACTIONS

2

• Hold regular stakeholder meetings to support and track plan progress.

• Communicate plan implementation progress with neighborhood.

• Establish and utilize communication channels such as social media page.

STRATEGY Expand Social Infrastructure

OBJECTIVE Promote Activities for Youth and Families

ACTIONS

• Increase support for youth sports activities and events.

• Expand opportunities for youth arts and cultural activities and events.

OBJECTIVE Create Safe and Healthy Places for People to Gather

ACTIONS

• Maintain community gathering spaces.

• Improve deteriorating public spaces.

• Host festivals and events for community.

3

STRATEGY Expand Educational Opportunities

OBJECTIVE Elevate Early Childhood Education (Birth to Pre-K)

ACTIONS

• Encourage development of preschool education programs at anchor institutions.

• Promote a culture of reading for children and families at anchor institutions.

• Promote local Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs offered through governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations.

OBJECTIVE Promote Post-Secondary Education

ACTIONS

4

• Connect participants to agencies who offer postsecondary education opportunities, including career technical education and apprenticeships.

• Host annual neighborhood career/workforce fair.

• Explore the development of a neighborhood business incubator space.

STRATEGY Improve Public Health and Safety

OBJECTIVE Improve Community Streets to Increase Pedestrian Comfort and Safety

ACTIONS

• Participate in the Adopt-a-Street program by adopting streets around anchor institutions.

• Host Neighborhood Watch groups at anchor institutions.

OBJECTIVE Increase Opportunities to Improve Health/Wellness

ACTIONS

• Host annual health/wellness events.

• Expand health/wellness activities and programs.

• Increase neighborhood access to fresh produce by hosting produce markets and community gardens.

• Expand family nutrition programs at anchor institutions.

• Explore “Shop Smart, Eat Smart" healthy food retail initiative for convenience stores.

Map of Anchor Institutions

40 Ways Coalition

The 40 Ways Coalition formed in the spring of 2023, after three children died by gun violence in separate incidents in the Diamond Hill Neighborhood. The coalition includes City leaders, community organizations, and academic and faith-based institutions. It is dedicated to creating a safe, supportive, and empowered community for Lynchburg’s youth. By leveraging the 40 developmental assets identified by the Search Institute, the coalition strives to equip young people with the resources, opportunities, and support they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Developmental Assets

The Search Institute recognizes the importance of developmental relationships — close connections with adults, near-peers, and

peers that help young people cultivate their abilities to shape their own lives, build resilience, and thrive. These connections are critically important for young people, especially those growing up in challenging circumstances.

External Assets

External assets support the healthy development of youth. At a neighborhood level, external assets include:

SUPPORT

The young person experiences caring neighbors.

EMPOWERMENT

The young person perceives that adults in the community value youth. They feel safe at home, school, and in the neighborhood.

BOUNDARIES/EXPECTATIONS

Neighbors take responsibility

for monitoring young people’s behavior.

CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME

The young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice for sports, clubs, music, theater — at school and/or in community organizations.

Initiatives

40 Ways Coalition initiatives include strengthening youth supports, promoting a culture of reading, and strengthening supports for fathers.

Vision

40 Ways Coalition envisions a future where youth violence is replaced with opportunities for growth and development, where educational success is the norm, and where every child has access to the resources and support they need to thrive.

Opportunity, Responsibility, and Security

Poverty in Diamond Hill

Poverty impacts residents of the Diamond Hill neighborhood. The anchor institutions and agencies serving the neighborhood are encouraged to continue developing programs and services which strengthen the neighborhood.

The Research

FAMILY

Strengthen families in ways that will prepare children for success in education and work.

WORK

Improve the quantity and quality of work in ways that will better prepare young people — men as well as women — to assume the responsibilities of adult life and parenthood.

EDUCATION

The AEI/Brookings Working Group on Poverty and Opportunity recommends a way forward in their plan, “Opportunity, Responsibility, and Security.” To reduce poverty, there must be support for three critical areas — family, work, and education. The research begins with an unbiased, thorough review of basic facts about poverty, mobility, education, employment, and marriage in America. It concludes with a path forward and detailed strategies. Here are its general recommendations for reducing poverty.

To improve education in ways that will better help poor children avail themselves of opportunities for self advancement.

Investment in Education

The Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan specifically recommends investment in two under-funded stages of education — early childhood and postsecondary.

ELEVATE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (BIRTH TO PRE-K)

• Encourage development of preschool education programs at anchor institutions.

• Promote a culture of reading for children and families at anchor institutions, with programs such as summer story time at Payne Elementary library for children and caregivers.

• Promote local Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV).

PROMOTE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

• Connect participants to agencies who offer postsecondary education opportunities, including career technical education and apprenticeships.

• Host annual neighborhood workforce fair.

Expand Social Infrastructure

Create and Maintain Gathering Places

Creating and maintaining safe and inviting places for people to gather plays an important role in community revitalization and should be prioritized at anchor institutions in Diamond Hill. The image above shows people gathered for the annual Summer Social event at the Pierce Street Garden.

Promote Activities for Youth and Families

INCREASE SUPPORT FOR SPORTS ACTIVITIES/EVENTS

Dunbar Middle School offers basketball, cross country, football, soccer, softball, tennis, track, volleyball, and wrestling. This plan recommends increasing support for sports activities and improvements to deteriorating athletic fields and spectator areas (read more about Community Schoolyards on pages 94-99).

EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTS/CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Anchor institutions and nonprofit organizations in the community should expand cultural opportunities for youth and families in the neighborhood. Both Payne Elementary and Dunbar Middle have public auditoriums, which are valuable assets for arts and culture. Reinvesting in these public spaces will support arts and cultural activities for the neighborhood.

Improve Public Health and Safety

Food Security

Diamond Hill neighborhood is considered a food desert — an area with limited healthy and fresh food access. Anchor institutions can increase access to healthy and fresh food by hosting produce markets and growing community gardens; they can advocate for a grocery with affordable, healthy food. Anchor institutions should continue to pursue measures to promote nutrition education and access to affordable, healthy food.

FOOD SECURITY

For a closer look at food security in Diamond Hill, see Inner City Food Deserts: Case Study of Lynchburg, Virginia, by John Abell, Randolph College.

Diamond Hill Community Development Corporation

A Ministry of Diamond Hill Baptist Church

The Diamond Hill Community Development Corporation was incorporated on June 6, 2023, to provide community outreach services. A community development corporation (CDC) is a practical and collaborative way to improve the quality of life in a neighborhood. CDCs can work with community partners and investors to address neighborhood concerns — housing, childcare, senior services, employment, job training, small business development , etc. — through services and revitalization. As 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, CDCs work may be funded through state and federal grants. They can also receive funding through Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), intermediary organizations, and philanthropic organizations. Diamond CDC should serve as the backbone organization for community support and revitalization.

Early Childhood Care and Education Hope Diamond Center

In 2023, Diamond Hill Baptist Church made plans for the use of their campus at 805 Fifteenth Street, known as the Hope Diamond Center, as a childcare center for up to 30 students. The center is pictured above. Throughout the 2023 planning process, stakeholders and residents expressed strong support for the expansion of early childhood care and education opportunities. This plan recommends supporting Diamond Hill Neighborhood’s churches, schools, and community centers in their efforts to expand services as anchoring institutions, specifically including early childhood care and education services.

Community Streets 07

In Diamond Hill, the neighborhood streets are laid in a classic grid pattern, with the notable exception of Grace Street, which winds between the northern and southern areas of the neighborhood. Like hallways of the neighborhood, the streetscapes hold potential as strong connecting places for residents.

GOAL

Diamond Hill community streets unite the neighborhood, provide access for motorists and non-motorists, and promote neighborhood identity, health, comfort, and safety.

This chapter outlines the recommended strategies, objectives, and actions to help achieve the community streets goal.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Neighborhood Watch

• Street Lighting

CONCERNS

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

VIOLENT CRIME

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF UNDEVELOPED LOTS AND VACANT BUILDINGS

• Street Trees

• Adopt-A-Street

• Community Gardens

• Sidewalks

• Neighborhood Gateways

• Transit

• Crosswalks

• Transit-Oriented Development

STRATEGY 1

Develop Twelfth Street Corridor as a Safe Multi-modal Community Street

OBJECTIVE |Pursue transit-oriented development with support of the Thriving Communities Program.

OBJECTIVE | Activate Twelfth Street to support revitalization.

STRATEGY 2

Improve Community Streets for Non-motorists (by providing safe and inviting places to walk and cycle)

OBJECTIVE | Prioritize bike and pedestrian improvements in well-traveled areas.

OBJECTIVE | Improve transit stop amenities.

STRATEGY 3

Improve Neighborhood Gateways

OBJECTIVE | Pursue Grace Street Realignment Project.

OBJECTIVE | Develop neighborhood wayfinding system.

STRATEGY 4

Encourage Natural Forms of Monitoring and Responsibility for Public Spaces

OBJECTIVE | Increase participation in litter control and Adopt-A-Street programs.

OBJECTIVE | Expand Neighborhood Watch efforts.

OBJECTIVE | Activate dormant areas to increase safety.

Community Streets

COMMUNITY STREETS UNITE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, PROVIDE ACCESS FOR MOTORISTS AND NON-MOTORISTS, AND PROMOTE IDENTITY, HEALTH, COMFORT, AND SAFETY.

1

STRATEGY Develop Twelfth Street Corridor as a Safe Multimodal Community Street

Objective Pursue Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) with Support from the Thriving Communities Program

Actions

• Scope Twelfth Street redevelopment projects with deep-dive analysis.

• Fund TOD infrastructure projects through the Build America Bureau and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

• Implement transit-oriented development projects on Twelfth Street and at 1201-1305 Kemper Street.

Objective Activate Twelfth Street to Support Revitalization

Actions

2

• Coordinate with local arts institutions to create public art program for undeveloped lots, fences, walls, and vacant buildings along Twelfth Street.

• Coordinate amongst anchor institutions on Twelfth Street to host neighborhood events.

STRATEGY Improve Community Streets as Safe Streets for All (SS4A)

Objective Prioritize Bike and Pedestrian Improvements in Well-Traveled Areas

Actions

• Develop multimodal transportation system on Twelfth Street, a major arterial.

• Complete sidewalk segments along two-way yield streets, connecting residents to anchor institutions.

• Delineate crosswalks at Payne and Dunbar.

• Work with urban forester to increase the number of street trees, where possible.

• Prioritize streetlight replacement on arterial streets and along bus routes.

Objective Improve Transit Stop Amenities

Actions

• Add smart trash receptacles at high-volume stops.

• Add seating and amenities at high-volume stops.

3

STRATEGY Improve Neighborhood Gateways

Objective Pursue Grace Street Realignment Project

Actions

• Address erosion on Grace Street between Twelfth and Madison streets.

• Establish Neighborhood Gateway at Lower Grace Street Green, 501 Grace Street.

• Improve Grace Street, a minor arterial, with enhanced curb zone.

Objective Develop Neighborhood Wayfinding system

Actions

4

• Install/improve gateway signs; install wayfinding signs and directional kiosks for cultural, historic, and recreational attractions.

STRATEGY Encourage Natural Forms of Monitoring and Responsibility for Community Streets

Objective Increase Participation in Litter Control and Adopt-A-Street Program

Actions

• Prioritize adoption of streets around anchor institutions and along bus routes.

Objective Expand Neighborhood Watch Efforts

Actions

• Increase participation in existing neighborhood groups and develop new groups.

• Promote participation in Porch Light Campaign as a safety measure.

Objective Activate Dormant Areas to Increase Safety

Actions

• Promote the development of community gardens on vacant lots to activate space and monitor area.

Community Streets Map Legend

BUS STOPS/ROUTES

GATEWAYS

COMMUNITY GARDENS

ARTERIAL STREETS

ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS

HISTORIC DISTRICTS 01 DIAMOND HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT 02 PIERCE STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT 03 KEMPER STREET INDUSTRIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT 04 TWELFTH STREET INDUSTRIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT

Neighborhood Watch

According to the Neighborhood Watch Association, crime and the fear of crime threaten a community’s wellbeing. People can become afraid to use the streets, parks, or even sit on their own front porches. As law-abiding residents stay inside out of fear, criminals are given more opportunity to commit crimes without fear of being reported to the police.

Neighborhood Gatherings

Anchor institutions and neighborhood nonprofits host gatherings, block parties, and celebrations, like Community Care day at the Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center and Summer Ice Cream Social at the Pierce Street Garden. These gatherings take place on community streets, improve the quality of life, and help to revitalize the neighborhood.

Neighborhood Watch is an organized effort by concerned citizens to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood. In partnership with the Lynchburg Police Department, neighbors work to safeguard each other’s homes and reduce the risks for crime in their neighborhood. Neighborhood Watch is one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime.

Neighborhood Watch groups are the foundation of crime prevention efforts and can be a stepping stone to community revitalization. There are currently two Neighborhood Watch groups in Diamond Hill. To improve safety, the Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan recommends expanding the number of Neighborhood Watch groups and growing participation in existing groups.

Street Lighting

LED Lighting

Street Trees

The high-pressure sodium streetlights in use throughout the City are gradually being replaced with LED light fixtures, which produce a brighter, clearer light. LED fixtures have been installed on the Sixteenth Street bus route in order to improve light quality and safety.

Pedestrian-Scale Lighting

On historic Pierce and Washington streets, pedestrian-scale street lighting, compatible with the historic area, is recommended. See example above from Daniel's Hill.

Street trees have a positive impact on neighborhood safety and comfort. Where there is an existing tree lawn, street trees should be planted. Tree lawn installation should be incorporated into future street/sidewalk projects, where right-ofway allows. The examples above show an ideal, consistent rhythm of street trees in different settings throughout the neighborhood. The urban forester prunes trees, structurally, at a young age to reduce maintenance costs and improve the long-term health of the trees. New street trees are inventoried and placed on a maintenance schedule over the first five-to-six years.

Street Trees Benefit Communities

• Tree-lined streets have a stronger walk-appeal, resulting in more eyes-on-the-street, which discourages crime.

• The presence of street trees strengthens the street wall and reduces driving speeds.

• Street trees, located between the street and the sidewalk, serve as a safety buffer between pedestrians and traffic.

• Trees have a cooling effect (as much as a 20 degree perceived difference in the shade).

Adopt-A-Street

The Program

Public Works Department administers the Adopt-A-Street program. Individuals or groups can register for the program, and should complete at least four cleanups a year at their designated locations. The City provides orange trash bags, litter grabbers, and safety vests, and collects filled bags after each cleanup. An Adopt-A-Street road sign with the individual’s or organization’s name will be placed at the adopted location.

The Benefits

Safe and well-kept streets have a positive impact on daily neighborhood life. This plan recommends utilizing the well-established Adopt-A-Street program to preserve and maintain the appearance of neighborhood streets. Several blocks in Diamond Hill have been adopted by neighborhood residents and organizations. Areas around anchor institutions and along bus routes should be prioritized for Adopt-A-Street sites.

Pierce Street Garden

The Pierce Street Garden, pictured above, activates an undeveloped space. The garden is located behind the Pierce Street Gateway headquarters at 1301 Pierce Street. It opened in 2021 as a hub for community engagement, to promote sustainable agriculture and provide fresh food for the neighborhood.

Community Gardens

Growing community gardens is one way to activate a dormant space, and increase safety. By making a place where neighbors can gather to cultivate plants, vegetables, or flowers, neighbors activate the space and monitor the area. Currently, there are three successful models of raised-bed gardens within the neighborhood: Sow and Grow Garden at Diamond Hill Baptist Church, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center Teaching Garden, and Pierce Street Gateway Garden. This plan recommends growing community gardens to activate dormant space, increase safety, and build community. Gardens Benefit Communities

• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Vacant lots can be transformed into gardens, where residents and stakeholders can grow food together and strengthen community ties.

• NUTRITION: FOOD SECURITY AND ACCESS

Community gardens provide residents of Diamond Hill the opportunity to grow their own produce, increasing access and affordability.

• PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Community gardening can encourage more active lifestyles through stretching, bending, walking, digging, and lifting.

• EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Hands-on exposure to community gardens can teach children about the sources of fresh produce, demonstrate community stewardship, and connect them to the environment.

• VITALITY AND SAFETY

Community gardens offer a focal point for neighborhood organizing, and can lead to community-based efforts to address social concerns, as residents monitor the garden area.

Sidewalks

Sidewalks encourage walking and are an important part of pedestrian safety in the urban setting. This plan recommends prioritizing sidewalk completion near anchor institutions and bus routes. Diamond Hill streets have a strong grid pattern. On the narrow, numbered streets, right-of-way presents challenges for sidewalk development. On the named streets, however, where approximately 70 percent of the sidewalks are complete, there is an opportunity to improve safety by completing missing sidewalk segments and maintaining existing sidewalks. The sidewalk surfaces in Diamond Hill include concrete, stone, and brick, which contribute to the neighborhood's character and also present maintenance challenges.

Sidewalks Map Legend

SIDEWALKS

BUS ROUTES

ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS

Pierce Street Improvement Project

This community streets project will improve sidewalk conditions and pedestrian safety on the 1200 block of Pierce Street by establishing a tree lawn on the southwestern side of the street to align with the existing tree lawns on the 1100 and 1300 blocks.

• Street parking will remain in place.

• The slight narrowing of the street will calm traffic.

• The new tree lawn will provide shade and also serve as a safety buffer between pedestrians and traffic.

The project is funded with a Community Development Block Grant. The photo above shows the current conditions in the subject area.

The aerial views above show: left, the 1200 block of Pierce Street; right, the 1300 block of Pierce Street. Note the absence of street trees on the 1200 block; the 1300 block is lined with street trees on both sides.

Neighborhood Gateways

Lower Grace Street Gateway

Grace Street is a neighborhood gateway. The minor arterial begins at Twelfth Street, accommodates bus lines, connects to the expressway and neighborhood collector streets, and terminates at Florida Avenue. This plan recommends neighborhood gateway improvements — including signage, landscaping, and seating and amenities, where space allows.

GRACE STREET REALIGNMENT

This plan recommends improvements to the lower Grace Street Gateway at the time of the Grace Street Realignment. Project. As shown in the aerial view to the right, the realignment will move the intersection of Grace and Twelfth streets to Madison and Twelfth streets to improve traffic safety and pedestrian access. This project is identified as a future need in the Capital Improvement Program.

Upper Grace Street Gateway

Another gateway to the neighborhood is located at 1913 Grace Street, in the vicinity of the Lynchburg Expressway overpass. This plan recommends improvements to the landscaping and signage at the gateway.

Wayfinding Systems

Wayfinding systems help to create a coherent experience — connecting parks, trails, green spaces, and cultural and historic places. This plan recommends a wayfinding system for Diamond Hill. Examples of the Downtown Lynchburg wayfinding system are at the bottom, right of the page.

TwelfthStreet

Madison Street

Grace Street

Transit

Greater Lynchburg Transit Company (GLTC) offers City bus service in Diamond Hill. Routes 1a, 1b, and 3a run through the neighborhood, and the GLTC Transfer Station is located nearby at the Kemper Street Station. This plan recommends improving amenities at high-volume bus stops.

Crosswalks

To guide pedestrians toward the safest possible route and reinforce right-of-way, crosswalks should be installed at access points to the neighborhood anchor institutions. Curb extensions should be used to visually and physically narrow the roadway, and create safer and shorter crossings for pedestrians.

Photos, clockwise from top: typical neighborhood bus stop, Sixteenth Street; example of Simme Seat bus stop (seating fits within narrow right-of-way); Dunbar crosswalk at Twelfth and Polk streets; Payne crosswalk at Twelfth and Floyd streets; existing bench at bus stop on Grace Street.

Transit-Oriented Development

Twelfth Street Corridor

Given its close proximity to neighborhoods and transit options, the entire Twelfth Street Corridor is an ideal location for transit-oriented development (TOD). TOD supports vibrant, sustainable, and equitable communities by creating dense, walkable, and mixed use spaces near transit.

The Twelfth and Kemper street location is close to the expressway, Midtown, the Central Business District, and Kemper Street Station, a transit hub served by Greater Lynchburg Transit Company, Amtrak, Greyhound, and the Virginia Breeze Intercity Bus Service.

The Code of Virginia requires each city with a population greater than 20,000 to consider incorporating into the comprehensive plan strategies to promote transit-oriented development. Strategies may include:

• locating new housing development, including affordable housing, in closer proximity to public transit options;

• prioritizing transit options with reduced overall carbon emissions;

• increasing development density in certain areas;

• reducing, modifying, or waiving local parking requirements or rations; or

• other strategies designed to reduce overall carbon emissions in the locality.

The photo above shows current conditions at 1201-1305 Kemper Street, at the intersection of Twelfth and Kemper streets. The conceptual design to the right offers a future view of transit development at this site. Transit-oriented development projects generally include a mix of commercial, residential, office, and entertainment land uses.

This plan recommends transit-oriented development and complete street improvements on Twelfth and Kemper streets, with a catalyst project at the key intersection of Twelfth and Kemper streets.

SEE PAGE 83 to learn more about the Twelfth and Kemper transit-oriented development project, and read about the associated Thriving Communities Award from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Hill Studio

Peter Giraudeau

Housing

Diamond Hill is home to seniors, children, families, homeowners, tenants, historical enthusiasts, newcomers, and lifetime residents.

The diversity of housing types and architectural styles in the neighborhood appeals to varying residential needs. It affords opportunities for adaptive reuse of existing structures, and infill development along existing infrastructure. It has the capacity to support a range of right-size housing options for different residential needs.

GOAL

Diamond Hill homes are the spaces where residents raise their families, sustain their daily existences, display their identity, and contribute to the neighborhood’s image.

This chapter outlines the recommended strategies, objectives, and actions to help achieve the housing goal.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Community Voice

CONCERNS

VACANT, CONDEMNED OR DERELICT PROPERTIES

LACK OF SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING

HOUSING PRESSURE WITH REDEVELOPMENT

• Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance

• Right-size Housing

• City Assessor’s Office Initiatives

• Lynchburg Housing Collaborative

• Housing Services

• Rehabilitation

• Infill Development

• Property Toolkit

STRATEGY 1

Increase Access to Affordable Housing in the Rental and Sales Markets

OBJECTIVE | Increase number of safe and affordable housing units (different types, sizes, prices, and tenures).

OBJECTIVE | Promote housing education and home ownership readiness.

STRATEGY 2

Preserve Affordable Housing in Rental and Sales Markets (including the rehabilitation of substandard housing)

OBJECTIVE | Promote housing diversity to accommodate different needs (seniors, young families, students, workforce).

OBJECTIVE | Explore new tools to preserve affordable housing.

STRATEGY 3

Identify and Remediate Rental Housing in Substandard Conditions

OBJECTIVE | Increase code compliance for housing in rental inspection district.

OBJECTIVE | Promote HUD Healthy Homes Program.

OBJECTIVE | Reduce housing costs through home maintenance and energy-efficiency programs.

STRATEGY 4

Support Historic Preservation as an Important Aspect of Neighborhood Identity

OBJECTIVE | Preserve neighborhood character.

Housing

HOMES ARE THE SPACES WHERE RESIDENTS RAISE THEIR FAMILIES, SUSTAIN THEIR DAILY EXISTENCES, DISPLAY THEIR IDENTITY, AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD’S IMAGE.

1

STRATEGY Increase Access to Affordable Housing in the Rental and Sales Markets

Objective Increase Number of Safe & Affordable Housing Units

Actions

2

• Bring existing vacant homes into compliance and back onto the market with code enforcement.

• Promote new construction of missing middle housing, which fits the neighborhood style and scale.

• Include affordable housing in the development of 1201 and 1305 Kemper Street.

• Create housing capacity near public resources and commercial corridors.

• Sell City parcels at 1505-1517 & Jackson Street, 12021206 Thirteenth Street for housing development.

Objective Promote Housing Education and Home Ownership Readiness

• Hold annual housing fair at anchor institutions.

• Promote homeownership programs, such as Lyn-CAG’s First Time Homebuyer’s Club.

• Improve the quality and quantity of work in ways that prepare residents for home ownership.

STRATEGY Preserve Affordable Housing in Rental/Sales Markets

Objective Promote Housing Diversity to Accommodate Different Needs — seniors, families, students, workforce

Actions

• Ease dimensional requirements to permit by-right development of rowhomes around public parks.

• Ease dimensional requirements for duplexes in R-3.

Objective Explore New Tools to Preserve Affordable Housing

Actions

• Establish Housing Trust Fund as a tool to produce and preserve affordable housing and remove barriers for redevelopment.

• Advocate for programs that offer incentives for public service employees to purchase homes in low-income communities.

3

STRATEGY Identify and Remediate Rental Housing in Substandard Conditions

Objective Increase Code Compliance for Housing in Rental Inspection District

Actions

• Assure that derelict properties are either substantially rehabilitated or demolished.

• Promote the Good-to-Good Rental Inspection Program to property owners and tenants.

Objective Promote HUD Healthy Homes Program

Actions

• Collaborate with Healthy Homes Program service providers to offer public education about the impact of healthy homes on children.

Objective Reduce Housing Costs through Home Maintenance and Energy Efficiency Programs

Actions

4

• Utilize programs for rehabilitation of existing structures, including “Rehabilitation and Renovation Program” through Assessor’s Office.

• Identify home repair resources, such as classes, workspace, and tool-lending service.

• Promote weatherization assistance program(s).

STRATEGY Support Historic Preservation as an Important Aspect of Neighborhood Identity

Objective Preserve Neighborhood Character

Actions

• Encourage construction of sensitively designed housing options that blend into neighborhood.

• Encourage new construction by creating approved templates, for housing that fits the neighborhood character, current market needs, and zoning requirements.

• Encourage revitalization of historic homes with home repair workshop series.

Housing Map Legend

OWNER OCCUPIED*

TENANT OCCUPIED*

VACANT/CONDEMNED PROPERTIES

INFILL OPPORTUNITIES/UNDEVELOPED LAND

ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS

*Tenure estimated by analysis of property address vs. mailing address.

Community Voice on Housing

Throughout the planning process, residents and stakeholders expressed strong concerns about housing — affordability, low home-ownership rates, housing pressure with redevelopment, access to safe and affordable rental units, unsafe housing conditions, rising utility costs, code violations, rooming houses, and accountability for landlords.

Post-Pandemic Influences

Residents and stakeholders expressed concern over the post-pandemic housing market. High interest rates and home prices, combined with low housing stock, have put home ownership out of reach for many residents. Stakeholders reported that rental households are burdened with rising housing costs, spending more than the recommended 30 percent of their income on housing.

Vacant Homes

Stakeholders expressed concern over the high number of vacant homes in Diamond Hill. Code compliance staff reported three primary causes. First, the neighborhood's aging housing stock requires maintenance, which may prove cost prohibitive to the owner and, if deferred, can result in an unsafe, condemned or derelict property. Second, a property may be inherited by an heir or heirs, who do not utilize it but, instead, let it remain vacant. Third, there is a shortage of licensed contractors to perform residential rehabilitation. There are, moreover, historical influences that have led to the destabilization of urban neighborhoods.

Historical Influences

Stakeholders spoke of the historical legacy of racial segregation in America and its impacts on the residential experience in Diamond Hill neighborhood today. Historic practices of redlining, restrictive covenants, home mortgages, and real estate valuations had a combined negative impact on Black residents.

Image Above: 1937 map of Lynchburg, prepared by the division of research and statistics with the cooperation of the appraisal department and the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, shows redlined areas, including sections of Diamond Hill Neighborhood.

Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance*

and

The City has adopted minimum standards to address substandard conditions of housing, trash, yards, and vehicles. Here is a summary of core services and programs of the Neighborhood Services Division.

Property Maintenance

This program addresses exterior building issues, such as significant peeling paint or damaged foundations, exterior walls, roofs, private stairs, walking surfaces, decks, porches, or chimneys.

Rental Inspections

The Lynchburg Residential Rental Inspection Program addresses existing rentals and short-term rentals located within the Rental Inspection District. Lynchburg has enacted a Good to Go Rental Inspection Program in the rental inspection district, requiring non-owner-occupied rental property owners to comply with existing habitable standards.

Vacant Building Registration Program

This program monitors vacant buildings — those which have been vacant for a period of 12 months, and have not been lawfully connected to electric, water, or sewer service from a utility service provider in excess of six months. The properties are required to be registered by July first of every year or face possible civil penalties.

Derelict Program

A derelict building is a residential or nonresidential building or structure that might endanger the public’s health, safety, or welfare and for a continuous period in excess of 12 months, it has been vacant and not lawfully connected to electric, water, or sewer service from a utility service provider. The owner must submit a plan to demolish or renovate the derelict building within 90 days of notice.

Clutter

This ordinance addresses trash, which emits offending odors, harbors pests, causes a blighting problem, or poses a safety or health risk.

Inoperable Vehicles

This ordinance addresses any motor vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer, or part thereof that is not in operating condition, does not display valid license plates, or does not display a current inspection decal. Inoperative vehicles can be allowed to remain on the property if they are placed in a fully enclosed building or shielded from view by plantings or fences.

Weeds

Weeds or grass over 12 inches high is a violation of code (excluding trees, ornamental shrubbery, vegetable, and flower gardens purposefully planted and maintained by the property owner or occupant, free of weed hazard or nuisance).

*Residents expressed concerns over the negative effects of poorly maintained, deteriorating, vacant, and abandoned homes. The programs of the neighborhood services division are designed to address these concerns.

ABOVE: before

after photos of a Locust Street property, which was brought into compliance.

Right-Size Housing

Around 90 percent of homes in Diamond Hill were built before WWII. While single-household homes are the dominant form of housing in the neighborhood, there are also examples of various housing types, whose scale and form fit seamlessly into the neighborhood.

How can we expand housing choices and make zoning more flexible, while still preserving the character of the traditional neighborhood? The plan recommends exploring ways to remove restrictions, to allow for missing middle housing types, increase the number of housing units, and appeal to people with different housing needs (seniors, young families, students, workforce). As shown here, the neighborhood already includes a variety of housing types that fit the traditional neighborhood scale and form.

Single Household

The sizes of homes in Diamond Hill range from the smallest, 581 square feet, to the largest, 6,904 square feet. The median square footage of neighborhood homes is 1,692. The average square footage of neighborhood homes is 1,960.

Duplex

There are duplexes scattered throughout the neighborhood. The dimensional requirements of the current code can prohibit conversion of existing homes into duplexes. This plan recommends exploring the easing of dimensional requirements for duplexes in R-3.

Multi-Family

Large dwellings, originally built as single-family homes, can accommodate multiple families. The example above, a 4,942 square foot structure, now accommodates four units. Conversion of homes into apartments must be approached thoughtfully, however, as residents have expressed concern over rooming houses and deteriorating conditions of rental units.

Rowhome

Lynchburg’s traditional neighborhoods include examples of rowhomes, an economical use of land in densely populated urban area. These high-density units are ideally placed in areas near public parks, where there is ample green space. This plan recommends exploring the easing of dimensional requirements to permit by-right development of rowhomes, compatible with neighborhood scale and character.

See page 79 to learn more about the 2022 Dearington Neighborhood Housing Study. Zoning changes proposed in the study would help address the existing gap between R-3 and R-4 zoning. The changes would benefit Diamond Hill and other traditional neighborhoods.

Apartments

The Diamond Hill Lofts feature one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, which can accommodate a variety of housing needs. The loft apartments were made possible through rezoning and the adaptive reuse of 1503 Grace Street, originally the Marshall Lodge Memorial Hospital.

Mixed Use

This view of mixed use development on Kemper Street shows the possibility of active, commercial use on the ground floor, and residential use above. Mixed use should also be utilized on Twelfth Street, the neighborhood marketplace.

City Assessor’s Office Initiatives

The City Assessor’s Office offers initiatives for development and redevelopment in Diamond Hill Neighborhood. Rehabilitation and Renovation Program This program grants real estate tax exemptions for eligible and qualified properties that are under substantial rehabilitation/ renovation and located in the Revitalization Zone. The exemption is subtracted from the fair market value assessment before taxes are calculated.

Infill Policy

New construction on vacant parcels in select inner city areas — including areas in Rehabilitation Districts and Conservation Areas in Diamond Hill — now qualifies for a partial real estate tax exemption and can qualify for a 50 percent exemption based on the cost of new construction.

City Assessor’s Office Initiatives Map Legend

REVITALIZATION ZONE

DIAMOND HILL REHABILITATION DISTRICT INFILL ZONE

GRACE STREET CONSERVATION AREA / REHABILITATION INFILL ZONE

Lynchburg Housing Collaborative

The Lynchburg Housing Collaborative includes a variety of public and private stakeholder groups working together to address housing issues. Members include: Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Rush Homes, Miriam’s House, Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity, and Lynchburg Community Action Group. The collaborative recognizes a serious shortage of quality, affordable housing in Lynchburg and supports efforts to increase affordable housing.

Housing Services

Healthy Homes Regional agencies, such as Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, administer state and federal programs to reduce lead hazard and promote healthy homes. Property owners and residents in Diamond Hill should access this program to assure healthy homes.

HEALTHY HOMES PRINCIPLES

• Keep it Dry

• Keep it Clean

• Keep it Safe

• Keep it Well-Ventilated

• Keep it Pest Free

• Keep it Contaminant Free

• Keep it Maintained

• Keep it Thermally Controlled

Lynchburg Community Action Group (LYN-CAG)

Lyn-CAG offers a variety of housing services to Diamond Hill residents.

HOUSING COUNSELING

• Pre-purchase counseling

• Predatory lending practices

• Rental counseling

• Financial literacy

• First-time homebuyers club

• Foreclosure mitigation counseling

• Fair housing initiatives

FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS CLUB

The First Time Homebuyers Club is for individuals who have never owned a home or who have not held primary ownership of a residence in the past three years. Eligible homes purchased must be located in the City of Lynchburg.

WEATHERIZATION

The program works to provide energy conservation upgrades for owner- and renter-occupied low-income homes. The services provide labor and materials to reduce heating and cooling costs and to protect the health and safety of residents.

Rehabilitation

Zoning changes proposed in the 2022 Dearington Housing Study would help address the existing gap between R-3 and R-4 zoning. The changes would benefit Diamond Hill and other traditional neighborhoods.

The Dearington Neighborhood Housing Study takes an in-depth look into housing in Dearington, offers recommendations, and proposes R-3 zoning changes, which would ease restrictions for development. The proposed changes to R-3 zoning would allow rowhomes by-right. A site plan would be required for new rowhome housing developments. The study also recommended triplexes and other low-density multifamily units (such as fourplexes, etc.) in R-3, by-right.

Bringing existing vacant homes into compliance and back onto the market with code enforcement increases the number and quality of housing units. Around 25 percent of homes in Diamond Hill are vacant and/or condemned. The high percentage of derelict properties has an adverse impact on the residents, including their perceptions of safety and value. Addressing derelict properties is a priority for code compliance officials. In many cases, the process is time-consuming and complex. For example, a property belonging to multiple heirs, estates, or absentee owners may prove challenging to address.

Infill

Prioritizing housing development that makes use of existing infrastructure is a common sense and cost-effective way to increase the number of housing units. There are undeveloped lots, which could support the development of new housing, scattered throughout Diamond Hill. The plan recommends prioritizing infill development on undeveloped lots as a way to increase the number of housing units. As recommended in the 2022 Dearington Neighborhood Housing Study, another way to promote new development in the neighborhood is to create a set of pre-approved development templates for developers at no cost. These plans would be uniquely crafted to fit the character of the neighborhood, fit current market needs, and follow existing zoning regulations, such as setbacks, etc.

Property Toolkit

The Property Toolkit contains resources that help to preserve safe and affordable housing in both the rental and sales markets (including the rehabilitation of substandard housing). On June 28, 2022, City Council adopted the additional code requirements for derelict buildings, which, along with additional resources, has allowed the City to pilot a more proactive approach to addressing condemned/blighted properties. Components of the toolkit include:

Programs

The programs listed below are managed by the City's Neighborhood Services Division:

• Property Maintenance

• Rental Inspections

• Vacant Housing

• Derelict Housing

• Demolition

Tax Delinquent Sale

The City can auction real estate property after numerous attempts to collect delinquent taxes are unsuccessful. In order to be auctioned, the taxes must also be in arrears at least two years, plus the current year..

Housing Trust Fund

The Housing Collaborative has requested the establishment of a Housing Trust Fund to produce and preserve affordable housing, and remove barriers for redevelopment. This tool could be used to supplement funding for blight removal, rehabilitation, or pre-development costs.

Dearington Neighborhood Housing Study

Neighborhood Marketplace

The Twelfth Street corridor, a neighborhood boundary, has served as a gateway from western regions to the City’s commercial heart for nearly two hundred years. Once, factories and warehouses lined the way; later, there would be a string of automotive shops. Now, the area holds promise for redevelopment as a robust neighborhood marketplace, which supports businesses and serves residents.

CONCERNS

ESSENTIAL GOODS AND SERVICES ARE LOCATED FAR FROM RESIDENCES

GOAL

Diamond Hill marketplace is the place where neighbors find basic goods and services — as well as some of the social encounters — that enrich their daily lives.

This chapter outlines the recommended strategies, objectives, and actions to help achieve the neighborhood marketplace goal.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Twelfth Street Corridor

• Thriving Communities Program

• The Marketplace Today

VACANT STOREFRONTS AND UNDEVELOPED LOTS ON TWELFTH STREET IMPACT SAFETY

MORE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE NEEDED NEARBY

STRATEGY 1

Establish Twelfth Street as Marketplace for Residents to Find the Basic Goods and Services for Daily Life

OBJECTIVE |Locate goods and services for residents.

OBJECTIVE | Improve comfort and safety for social interactions.

STRATEGY 2

Support Kemper Street as Neighborhood-Friendly Employment Area

OBJECTIVE | Soften strong edges at Kemper and Buchanan streets to separate industrial and residential uses.

OBJECTIVE| Encourage business on Kemper Street.

STRATEGY 3

Activate Underutilized Space (unclaimed, undeveloped land and decreased activity can undermine security)

OBJECTIVE | Line Twelfth and Kemper streets with active uses.

OBJECTIVE | Pursue place-making activities and events on Twelfth Street, to accelerate improvements.

STRATEGY 4

Encourage Locally-Owned Small Businesses

OBJECTIVE | Establish design coherence and variety to nurture small business.

OBJECTIVE | Seek business and service diversity.

Neighborhood Marketplace

1

STRATEGY Establish Twelfth Street as Marketplace for Residents

Objective Locate Goods and Services for Residents

Actions

3

• Rezone properties along Twelfth Street to B-4 Urban Commercial to ensure neighborhood-serving uses.

• Redevelop vacant buildings; promote mixed use development with active ground-floor uses.

• Develop empty lots; promote mixed use. development with active ground-floor uses.

Objective Improve Comfort and Safety for Social Interactions

Actions

2

• Incorporate building and streetscape improvements, which promote the marketplace, support small businesses, and increase passive contact.

STRATEGY Support Kemper Street as Neighborhood-Friendly Employment Area

Objective Soften Strong Edges at Kemper and Buchanan Streets (to separate industrial and residential uses)

Actions

• Permit low-impact, light manufacturing businesses to support employment.

• Buffer residential area from transportation corridor and light manufacturing with streetscape and landscape improvements.

Objective Encourage Business on Kemper Street

Actions

• Promote opportunities provided through the Virginia Enterprise Zone and local redevelopment programs.

4

STRATEGY Activate Underutilized Space

Objective Line Twelfth and Kemper Streets with Active Uses

Actions

• Encourage active uses on the ground floor in urban commercial areas.

• Utilize the City’s Real Estate Rehabilitation Program to renovate qualifying older structures.

Objective Pursue Place-making Activities and Events on Twelfth Street to Accelerate Improvements

Actions

• Coordinate amongst anchor institutions, located on Twelfth Street, to host neighborhood events.

• Coordinate with arts institutions to create public art program for undeveloped lots, fences, and walls.

• Coordinate with cultural institutions to create interpretive signage to reinforce Diamond Hill history.

STRATEGY Encourage Locally-Owned Small Businesses

Objective Establish Design Coherence and Variety, to Nurture Small Businesses

Actions

• Adhere to design standards to support neighborhood commercial area — align building frontages, limit blank walls and ensure building transparency.

• Encourage beautification of storefronts through grant programs.

• Promote incentives for business investment — Enterprise Zone and local redevelopment programs.

Objective Seek Business and Service Diversity

Actions

• Conduct market research to determine best potential uses for neighborhood-serving urban commercial development.

• Encourage small businesses to set-up shop by identifying grant programs, supports, and incentives.

• Develop healthy urban food systems, including corner stores, outdoor markets, and mobile vending.

Neighborhood Marketplace

US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AREA

THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM FOCUS AREA

KEMPER STREET STATION TRANSIT HUB

COLLEGE HILL NEIGHBORHOOD

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

CITY OF LYNCHBURG PARCELS — POTENTIAL SITE FOR TRANSIT-

ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

Hill Studio

Peter Giraudeau

Twelfth Street Corridor

Neighborhood Marketplace

Diamond Hill stakeholders expressed interest in a neighborhood marketplace with goods and services for daily living — laundromat, grocery store, robust transit stops, fresh produce, pharmacy, shops, and small commercial spaces.

As a corridor to the Central Business District and also a neighborhood boundary street, Twelfth Street is uniquely positioned to serve the needs of both Diamond Hill and College Hill residents, as well as the needs of the larger community.

Currently, businesses along Twelfth Street include convenience stores, automotive shops, and miscellaneous goods and services. Dunbar Middle School and Payne Elementary School are both located on Twelfth Street. There are also numerous undeveloped lots and vacant buildings poised for redevelopment.

Twelfth Street is a neighborhood main street and can be a nexus for neighborhood life. It has the capacity to accommodate high pedestrian volume, transit routes, cyclists, and traffic.

TWELFTH STREET IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

The City of Lynchburg Comprehensive Plan 2013-2030 recognizes Twelfth Street as one of the City's primary commercial and mixed use corridors, which strongly influences the City's accessibility, attractiveness, and economic vitality (Comprehensive Plan, p. 64).

THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM

Building on analysis of existing conditions and stakeholder and resident feedback, staff will work with the U.S. Department of Transportation Thriving Communities Program for an in-depth look at the Twelfth Street corridor, a primary commercial and mixed use corridor, to address:

• Land use and design quality

• Vehicle and pedestrian circulation

• Development, redevelopment, and reuse opportunities

• Conservation of special features

• Provision of utilities and public facilities

Read about the Thriving Communities Program in the box to the right.

SEE PAGE 66 to learn more about Transit-Oriented Development and recommendations for 1201-1305 Kemper Street.

Thriving Communities Program U.S. Department of Transportation

In 2024, the Central Virginia Planning District Commission, with the City of Lynchburg (Community Development, Public Works, Economic Development), and Greater Lynchburg Transit Company, was selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation to participate in the Thriving Communities Program (TCP). The TCP award will focus on transit-oriented development on the Twelfth Street Corridor, to include the City properties at the intersection of Twelfth and Kemper streets.

The Thriving Communities Program provides technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support to teams of community partners that may lack the staffing or technical expertise to scope, fund, and develop infrastructure projects that advance broader community goals. TCP will provide two years of deepdive assistance and three years of facilitated peer learning support to selected communities to help them plan and develop a pipeline of comprehensive transportation, housing, and community revitalization activities.

The Community Work Plan includes:

• Twelfth Street Corridor Revitalization Roadmap

• Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Roadmap

• Funding Playbook and Grant Advising

The rendering to the left envisions a future for Twelfth Street as the neighborhood marketplace. The intersection with Buchanan is shown in the foreground; the intersection with Pierce Street, in the background.

The Marketplace Today

Currently, businesses along Twelfth Street include convenience stores, automotive shops, and miscellaneous goods and services. There are also undeveloped lots and vacant buildings poised for redevelopment. Photographs to the right show Twelfth Street uses today.

FENCING | Barbed wire fencing on Twelfth Street sends the message, “Keep out.” These areas should be better utilized with active uses that provide goods and services to thousands of neighbors in the immediate residential areas.

VACANT BUILDINGS | Vacant buildings should be redeveloped with neighborhood-serving uses. Residents have expressed need for a grocery, laundromat, and pharmacy, as well as interest in retail shops, coffee shops, small commercial spaces, and locally-owned businesses.

UNDEVELOPED LOTS | Undeveloped lots along Twelfth Street present an opportunity for infill development, with active uses on the ground floor and residential uses above.

Local Marketplace Examples

The design guidelines for building and streetscapes along Fifth Street and Downtown, promote active, ground-floor commercial uses. Photos below show street furniture, public art, and pedestrian-scale amenities, which add to the walk-appeal, enhance social interaction, and showcase the area's identity.

Twelfth Street Revitalization Area

The City of Lynchburg Comprehensive Plan 2013-2030 targets Twelfth Street as an area for revitalization, based on such factors as high vacancy rates, building obsolescence, proximity to residential areas underserved by retail, traffic, land use conflicts and historic character (Comprehensive Plan, p. 62).

REVITALIZATION HELPS MEET CITY GOALS:

• Restoring historic mercantile centers;

• Eliminating vacancy and blight;

• Providing retail service and employment opportunities in close proximity to inner city neighborhoods;

• Taking advantage of existing infrastructure;

• Reusing and recycling existing buildings for a stable mix of residential and nonresidential uses, and;

• Improving the City's image.

Parks and Historic Resources

Diamond Hill Neighborhood identity is rich with both pronounced and obscured references to its storied past. There are two local historic districts — Diamond Hill Historic District and Pierce Street Renaissance Historic District — as well as several recognized historic properties in the neighborhood. The school campuses, also historic, serve as public gathering places. There are common sense ways to improve the neighborhood’s existing parks and historic resources.

CONCERNS

PARKS SPACE IS LIMITED

HISTORIC RESOURCES ARE UNDERVALUED

PUBLIC SPACES ARE DETERIORATING

GOAL

Diamond Hill’s parks and historic resources connect residents to the natural environment, to each other, and to their shared history.

This chapter outlines the recommended strategies, objectives, and actions to help achieve the parks and historic resources goal.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Grace Street Green Spaces

• Resource Conservation Area

• Hunton Branch YMCA

• Community Schoolyards

• Historic Washington Street

• Dog Space

STRATEGY 1

Ensure a Park within a 10-Minute Walk of All Urban Residences

OBJECTIVE | Establish a community schoolyard at Dunbar Middle School and at Payne Elementary School.

STRATEGY 2

Invest in Historic Resources

OBJECTIVE | Expand heritage tourism in Diamond Hill Neighborhood.

OBJECTIVE| Pursue improvements to enhance historic Pierce and Washington streets.

STRATEGY 3

Preserve Neighborhood History to Strengthen Neighborhood Identity

OBJECTIVE | Ensure that Twelfth Street marketplace redevelopment is compatible with neighborhood character.

OBJECTIVE | Recognize historic places.

STRATEGY 4

Improve Existing Green Spaces

OBJECTIVE | Enhance existing Grace Street green spaces which connect the northern/southern areas.

OBJECTIVE | Encourage nonprofit organizations with undeveloped lots to host community gardens.

OBJECTIVE | Enhance existing greenway buffer along boundary between neighborhood and expressway.

OBJECTIVE | Create passive park in the Pierce Street Renaissance Historic District.

Parks and Historic Resources

PARKS AND HISTORIC RESOURCES CONNECT RESIDENTS TO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, TO EACH OTHER, AND TO THEIR SHARED HISTORY.

1

STRATEGY Ensure a Park Within a 10-Minute walk of All Urban Residences

Objective Establish Community Schoolyards at both Dunbar Middle School and Payne Elementary School

Actions

2

• Pursue CDBG funding to develop low-maintenance community schoolyards.

• Develop community schoolyards for benefit of neighborhood residents and school population.

STRATEGY Invest in Historic Resources

Objective Expand Heritage Tourism in Diamond Hill

Actions

• Foster opportunities for cultural and tourism industries to work together to showcase historical resources.

Objective Pursue Improvements to Enhance Historic Pierce Street and Washington Street

Actions

3

• Complete improvements on 1200 block of Pierce Street for traffic calming and safety.

• Complete Washington Street intersection improvements project for traffic calming and safety.

• Seek funding for pedestrian scale streetlights.

STRATEGY Preserve Neighborhood History to Strengthen Neighborhood Identity

Objective Ensure that Twelfth Street Marketplace Redevelopment is Compatible with Neighborhood Character

Actions

• Utilize Lynchburg Historic Districts Commercial Design Review Guidelines

Objective Recognize Historic Places

Actions

• Nominate Hunton Branch Y and other significant places to the National Register of Historic Places.

• Explore urban trail development, along the historic trolley route through the neighborhood.

4

STRATEGY Improve Existing Green Spaces

Objective Enhance Existing Grace Street Green Spaces which Connect the Northern and Southern Areas

Actions

• Improve Upper Grace Street Green, with seating, signage, low-maintenance landscaping.

• Improve Middle Grace Street Green, with low-maintenance landscaping.

• Improve Lower Grace Street Green, with seating, signage, and low-maintenance landscaping; consider the addition of a neighborhood fountain, as the location is a gateway to Diamond Hill.

Objective Encourage Nonprofit Organizations with Undeveloped Lots to Host and Manage Community Gardens

Actions

• Consider establishment of raised-bed gardens on undeveloped lots.

• Model gardens after existing community gardens.

• Seek grant funding for materials to build gardens

• Establish and maintain community gardens.

Objective Enhance Existing Greenway Buffer Along Boundary Between Neighborhood and Expressway

Actions

• Change FLUM designation for parcels bordering the expressway to Resource Conservation.

• Plant additional trees to protect residents from harsh conditions of noisy highway.

• Establish earthen neighborhood walking trail along greenway.

Objective Create Passive Park in the Pierce Street Renaissance Historic District

Actions

• Acquire land on 1400 block of Pierce Street.

• Design and implement passive park to complement historic district; consider seating, landscaping, restroom, and passive elements, such as bocce ball or chess.

Parks and Historic Resources Map

Parks

1 LOWER GRACE STREET GREEN

2 MIDDLE GRACE STREET GREEN

3 UPPER GRACE STREET GREEN

4 DIAMOND HILL NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

5 DUNBAR COMMUNITY SCHOOLYARD

6 PAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLYARD

7 RESOURCE CONSERVATION/EXPRESSWAY BUFFER

Historic Resources

A DIAMOND HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT

B PIERCE STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT

Grace Street Green Spaces

Grace Street connects the northern and southern areas of the neighborhood. There are green spaces located along Grace Street. They add aesthetic value and are typically used for passive recreation.

Lower Grace Street Green

Located at 501 Grace Street, at the intersection of Twelfth and Grace streets, the lower Grace Street green is approximately one-half acre. Residents have expressed a desire to beautify the green space as a gateway to the neighborhood, to include signage, landscaping, a fountain, and seating.

Middle Grace Street Green

Located at 701 Grace Street, the middle Grace Street green is a very small green space of less than one-tenth of an acre. Residents have expressed interest in maintaining the space as a beautification measure, building on the current landscaping design.

Upper Grace Street Green

Located at 1601 Grace Street, on the corner of Sixteenth and Grace streets, the upper Grace Street green is approximately one-quarter of an acre. The area currently includes two bus stops, landscaping, a pathway, a "Diamond Hill" neighborhood sign, and a historic marker. Residents have expressed interest in improving bus stop amenities, seating, and landscaping at this site.

Resource Conservation Area

This plan recommends changing the area along the Lynchburg Expressway to Resource Conservation on the Future Land Use Map. Resource Conservation Areas encompass lands with special natural characteristics — such as slopes of 25 percent or greater — that limit uses and development to protect the City's environmental health. Resource Conservation Areas are kept as natural as possible, to stabilize slopes, prevent soil erosion, provide natural absorption areas for urban runoff, moderate climate, and provide wooded areas for wildlife and for the respite of City dwellers. Designating the area in Diamond Hill along the Lynchburg Expressway as a Resource Conservation Area use would allow the development of trails and passive recreational facilities that involve minimal removal of vegetation (Comprehensive Plan, p. 77).

Hunton Branch YMCA, 1956

1220 Taylor Street

The Hunton Branch YMCA of Lynchburg, at Twelfth and Taylor streets, was built as a dedicated recreation facility for Black youth and families, in 1956. It was renamed “Hunton-Randolph Community Center” in 2007, to honor the legacy of local leader Virginia Randolph. The facility still functions today as a recreational facility and continues to address social needs as a community center in Lynchburg’s densely populated urban core.

A Changing Time

Designed in 1954, the same year as the Brown decision, the Hunton Branch YMCA structure embodies a changing time. It breaks stylistically from the traditional structures in the surrounding neighborhood, with a distinctly modern quality. Its architect was Pendleton S. Clark, one of Lynchburg’s most accomplished twentieth-century architects.

International Style

The Hunton Branch YMCA building is classified as International Style, based on modern structural principles and materials. It is characterized by plane surfaces without ornamentation and features modern materials — concrete, brick block, glass, and metal. While not symmetrical, the structure achieves balance through design.

Nomination to the Register of Historic Places

In 2023, the City began working with the Hunton Randolph Community Center board, and engaged a consultant, for the nomination of the Hunton Branch YMCA to the Register of Historic Places. This project contributes to neighborhood identity and was funded through a Community Development Block Grant.

Origins

The new Hunton Branch YMCA served as an important recreational and social space for Black residents during the Civil Rights era. Still, the origins of Hunton run much deeper. The Hunton Branch YMCA of Lynchburg was founded in 1919 and moved three times before settling into its current location.

William A. Hunton

Tracing the namesake of Hunton Branch YMCA leads to the prominent African American YMCA figure William A. Hunton, who carried the YMCA mission to Black communities across the country.

Community Schoolyards

Common Sense and Cost-Effective Community schoolyards offer a common sense and cost-effective solution to increasing access to park space in the Diamond Hill Neighborhood. By establishing school campuses as green and inviting parks, open to the public after school and on weekends, the shared public space is transformed into a positive place for youth, families, and neighbors.

Dunbar Community Schoolyard

The use of Dunbar campus as a community schoolyard will increase access to park space. Seventy-five percent of Diamond Hill residences would then be within a 10-minute walk of a park. The Dunbar campus is over 16 acres in size, spans more than six blocks, and includes multiple access points. Investment in the Dunbar community schoolyard will improve the school campus, by creating safe pedestrian walkways, investing in low-maintenance landscaping, and enhancing recreational opportunities.

BIRDS EYE VIEW

The bird's-eye view rendering to the right shows the Dunbar campus as a community schoolyard, with the addition of outdoor gathering spaces, as well as improvements to pedestrian and recreation areas.

Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan

Phase One Improvements — Dunbar Community Schoolyard

During the neighborhood planning process, residents and stakeholders prioritized parks and gathering spaces. City staff, in collaboration with City Schools, submitted an application for Community Development Block Grant funds for the Dunbar Community Schoolyard. The Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) met in February 2024 to review funding requests for fiscal year 2025 and recommended funding for the Dunbar Community Schoolyard project. Lynchburg City Council approved the recommendation, allocating $478,100 to fund Phase One Improvements.

Hill Studio

Peter Giraudeau

DETERIORATING CONDITIONS

The photographs show deteriorating conditions in the athletic area on the southeastern side of campus.

A VISION FOR IMPROVEMENTS

The rendering envisions improved pedestrian areas with seating, walkways, lighting, and shelters. Improvements to the athletic areas include spectator seating on the hillside and spectator rails overlooking the athletic fields. The proposed event lawn and outdoor classroom space provide connection with the school’s robust arts curriculum, a benefit for students and the larger community.

AN INVESTMENT IN YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY

The Dunbar Community Schoolyard would create conditions for young people, their families, and community members to engage in constructive use of out-ofschool time, through participation in athletics, arts, and recreation in an outdoor park setting.

Peter Giraudeau Hill Studio

Proposed Historic Washington Street Improvements

A Win-Win Solution

TRAFFIC CALMING AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Fitting Dog Space into the Neighborhood

During the planning process, residents expressed an interest in creating a neighborhood space for dogs. While most Diamond Hill residences have some yard space, there was interest in creating places for dogs to run and dog-loving owners to connect.

The Downtown 2040 Plan proposes a dog park in downtown Lynchburg. Given the limited park space in urban settings such as Diamond Hill, the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) recommends exploring alternatives to full off-leash dog parks.

HISTORIC INTERSECTIONS

The proposed solution for historic Washington Street is to expose the existing granite curb and provide cobblestone intersections designed to join with the new asphalt street surface.

When Washington Street residents were notified that the street was scheduled for resurfacing, representatives from the Diamond Hill Historical Society reached out to City staff about pausing the process to explore ways to calm traffic and feature historic materials. They reported traffic concerns (as drivers frequently route between Church and Grace streets) and a desire to enhance the character of the historic district by exposing materials which had been buried under asphalt — Belgian block street pavers, 1894 street car rails, and granite curb stones.

The raised intersections would reduce traffic speed, thereby improving pedestrian safety. This solution would both contribute to the historic character of the neighborhood and calm traffic. The City is prepared to move forward, pending public outreach.

LIGHTING

Opportunities to install pedestrian-scale lighting on historic Washington and Pierce streets should be explored (see page 63).

One solution may be to include a dog run of at least 5,000 square feet in an existing park or open space. Another common sense solution would be to incorporate dog-walking space into the proposed resource conservation land use area bordering the Lynchburg Expressway, where earthen trails are proposed.

Currently, the Lynchburg Parks and Recreation Department operates the Lynchburg Dog Park, located in the Blackwater Creek Athletic Area. A second dog park is being planned as part of Perrymont Park.

Building, operating, and maintaining a dog space requires resources. The NRPA acknowledges that most successful dog spaces are managed by a board of directors and have volunteers who are willing to assist with maintenance, fundraising, and volunteer recruiting.

Payne Community Schoolyard

ENVISIONING A SAFE AND WELCOMING SCHOOLYARD

Plans for a community schoolyard at Payne Elementary School, include steps to make the campus a safe and welcoming environment for the community.

A SMALL BUT MIGHTY SCHOOLYARD

The Payne Elementary Schoolyard is only two blocks in size, but the proposed plans show big improvements to the park:

• expansion/relocation of playground, closer to building;

• relocation of parking, to separate traffic and pedestrians;

• addition of terraced, shaded seating area and open space;

• creation of multi-use courts;

• improvement of multi-use field, surrounded by walking loop/path.

CITIES WORLDWIDE ARE RE-CONCEPTUALIZING THE IMPACT THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL CAMPUSES IN URBAN PLACES CAN HAVE ON THEIR COMMUNITY AND LYNCHBURG HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A LEADER IN INTENTIONALLY DESIGNING SCHOOLYARD SPACES TO MAKE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE SERVE AND THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

REID WODICKA, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT

LYNCHBURG CITY SCHOOLS

Hill Studio

Peter Giraudeau

Conclusion

The recommendations in this plan, developed with committed neighborhood residents and stakeholders, chart a course to a strong and healthy Diamond Hill Neighborhood.

A Strong and Healthy Neighborhood

The recommendations of this plan build upon the unique qualities of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood with a focus on fostering the universal qualities of a healthy neighborhood, one that is identifiable, serviced, diverse, and connected.

Revitalizing Diamond Hill

With the recommended public and private reinvestment in the neighborhood — its anchor institutions, community streets, housing, neighborhood marketplace, parks, and historic resources — we can revitalize Diamond Hill to be a strong, healthy neighborhood.

The wheels are already turning on some of the plan’s catalyst projects, which are thoughtfully designed to improve daily life for residents today and in the future. With the support of policymakers and City staff, Diamond Hill stakeholders will help to drive the full implementation of this plan and ultimately see it through.

Implementation Matrices

STRATEGIES OBJECTIVES ACTIONS

Recognize Diamond Hill CDC as a Backbone Organization for Community Support and Revitalization

Partner with City and Supporting Agencies for Plan Advocacy and Implementation

Organize Stakeholders and Community Partners

Expand Social Infrastructure

Promote Activities for Youth and Families

Create Safe and Healthy Places for People to Gather

• Regularly review and advance plan strategies, objectives, and actions with stakeholders and community partners.

• Leverage resources available to community development corporations to advance

• projects and programs.

• Hold regular stakeholder meetings to support and track plan progress.

• Communicate plan implementation progress with neighborhood.

• Establish and utilize communication channels, such as social media page.

• Increase support for youth sports activities and events.

• Expand opportunities for youth arts and cultural activities.

• Maintain community gathering spaces.

• Improve deteriorating public spaces.

• Host festivals and events for community.

Expand Educational Opportunities

Elevate Early Childhood Education (Birth to Pre-K)

Promote Postsecondary Education

• Encourage development of preschool education programs at anchor institutions.

• Promote a culture of reading for children and families at anchor institutions, with programs such as summer story time at Payne Library.

• Promote local Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs offered through governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations.

• Connect participants to agencies who offer postsecondary education opportunities, including career technical education and apprenticeships.

• Host annual neighborhood career/workforce fair.

• Explore the development of a neighborhood business incubator space.

Improve Public Health and Safety

Improve Community Streets to Increase Pedestrian Comfort and Safety

Increase Opportunities to Improve Health and Wellness

• Participate in the Adopt-a-Street program by adopting streets around anchor institutions.

• Host Neighborhood Watch groups at anchor institutions.

• Host annual health and wellness events.

• Expand health and wellness activities and programs.

• Increase neighborhood access to fresh produce by hosting produce markets and community gardens, and advocating for a grocery with fresh produce.

• Expand family nutrition programs at anchor institutions.

• Explore “Shop Smart, Eat Smart" healthy food retail initiative for convenience stores.

PARTNERS

Diamond Hill CDC, Plan Action Committee, Department of Community Development, University of Lynchburg, 40 Ways Coalition

TIMELINE PRIORITY

SHORT HIGH

ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS

GOAL

Diamond Hill schools, churches, and community centers are the places where the cultural, educational, and social activities of the community are focused.

Diamond Hill Baptist Church, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center, Dunbar Middle School, Hunton-Randolph Community Center, Payne Elementary School, Pierce Street Renaissance District Organizations, 40 Ways Coalition, Lynchburg Area Youth Sports Initiative, Parks and Recreation, Public Works

Dunbar Middle School, Human Kind, Lynchburg Public Library, Payne Library, Virginia CareerWorks, Virginia Department of Health, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center, University of Lynchburg, Beacon of Hope, Liberty University, Hope Diamond Center, Lyn-CAG

SHORT HIGH

FINANCING RESOURCES

• CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS

• GRANTS FROM NATIONAL OR REGIONAL FOUNDATIONS, SUCH AS: CENTRA FOUNDATION, GREATER LYNCHBURG COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

• VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS MICROGRANTS

• VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR THE HUMANITIES (VFH)

Anchor Institutions, Community Gardens (Neighborhood Center Teaching Garden, Pierce Street Garden, Sow and Grow Garden), Hunger Action Coalition, Neighborhood Watch Groups (Diamond Hill North, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Watch and Restoration), Public Works, Virginia Cooperative Extension

STRATEGIES OBJECTIVES

Develop Twelfth Street Corridor as a Safe Multimodal Community Street

Pursue Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) with Support from the Thriving Communities Program

Activate Twelfth Street to Support Revitalization

ACTIONS

• Scope Twelfth Street redevelopment projects with deep dive analysis.

• Fund TOD infrastructure projects through the Build America Bureau and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

• Implement transit-oriented development projects on Twelfth Street and at 1201-1305 Kemper Street.

• Coordinate with local arts institutions to create public art program for undeveloped lots, fences, walls, and vacant buildings along Twelfth Street.

• Coordinate amongst anchor institutions on Twelfth Street to host neighborhood events.

Improve Community Streets as Safe Streets for All (SS4A)

Prioritize Bike and Pedestrian Improvements in Well-Traveled Areas

Improve Neighborhood Gateways

Encourage Natural Forms of Monitoring and Responsibility for Community Streets

Improve Transit Stop Amenities

Pursue Grace Street Realignment Project

Develop Neighborhood Wayfinding system

Increase Participation in Litter Control Adopt-AStreet Program

Expand Neighborhood Watch Efforts

Activate Dormant Areas to Increase Safety

• Develop multimodal transportation system on Twelfth Street, a major arterial.

• Complete sidewalk segments along two-way yield streets, connecting residents to anchor institutions.

• Delineate crosswalks at Payne and Dunbar.

• Work with urban forester to increase the number of street trees, where possible.

• Prioritize streetlight replacement on arterial streets and along bus routes.

• Add smart trash receptacles at high volume stops.

• Add seating and amenities at high volume stops.

• Address erosion on Grace Street between Twelfth and Madison Street.

• Establish neighborhood gateway at Lower Grace Street Green, 501 Grace Street.

• Improve Grace Street, a minor arterial, with enhanced curb zone.

• Install/improve gateway signs; install wayfinding signs, and directional kiosks for cultural, historic, and recreational attractions.

• Prioritize adoption of streets around anchor institutions and along bus routes.

• Increase participation in existing neighborhood groups and develop new groups.

• Promote participation in Porch Light Campaign as safety measure.

• Promote the development of community gardens on vacant lots to activate space and monitor area.

PARTNERS

Central Virginia Planning District Commission, Community Development Department, Economic Development Department, Greater Lynchburg Transit Company, Public Works Department, Twelfth Street Business Community, Randolph College

Community Development Department, Greater Lynchburg Transit Company, Public Works Department

Community Development Department, Diamond Hill Historical Society, Pierce Street Renaissance Community, Public Works Department, AEP

Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center, Diamond Hill Historical Society, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Watch and Restoration, Diamond Hill North Neighborhood Watch, Public Works Department, Police Department, Fire Department, Lynchburg Grows, Virginia Cooperative Extension

COMMUNITY STREETS

GOAL

Diamond Hill community streets unite the neighborhood, provide access for motorists and non-motorists, and promote neighborhood identity, health, comfort, and safety.

INCENTIVES AND FINANCING RESOURCES

• CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

• SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL (SRTS) - VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (VDOT)

• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENTCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT

• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM, SS4A PROGRAM

• BUILD AMERICA BUREAU AND FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION - TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

STRATEGIES OBJECTIVES ACTIONS

Increase Access to Affordable Housing in the Rental and Sales Markets

Increase Number of Safe and Affordable Housing Units

Promote Housing

Education and Home Ownership Readiness

Preserve Affordable Housing in Rental and Sales Markets

Promote Housing Diversity to Accommodate Different Needs — Seniors, Families, Students, Workforce

Explore New Tools to Preserve Affordable Housing

Identify and Remediate Rental Housing in Substandard Conditions

Increase Code Compliance for Housing in Rental Inspection District

Promote HUD Healthy Homes Program

Reduce Housing Costs through Home

Maintenance and Energy Efficiency Programs

• Bring existing vacant homes into compliance and back onto the market with code enforcement.

• Promote new construction of missing middle housing, which fits the neighborhood style and scale.

• Include affordable housing in the development of 1201 and 1305 Kemper Street.

• Create housing capacity near public resources and commercial corridors.

• Sell City parcels 1505-1517 Jackson Street, and 1202-1206 Thirteenth Street for housing development.

• Hold annual housing fair at anchor institutions.

• Promote homeownership programs, such as Lyn-CAG’s First Time Homebuyer’s Club.

• Improve the quality and quantity of work in ways that prepare residents for home ownership.

• Ease dimensional requirement to permit by-right development or rowhomes around public parks.

• Ease dimensional requirements to permit duplexes by-right in R-3.

• Establish Housing Trust Fund as a tool to produce and preserve affordable housing and remove barriers for redevelopment.

• Advocate for programs which offer incentives for public service employees to purchase homes in low-income communities.

• Assure that derelict properties are either substantially rehabilitated or demolished.

• Promote the Good-to-Go Rental Inspection Program to property owners and tenants.

• Collaborate with service providers to offer public education about the impact of healthy homes on children.

• Utilize programs for rehabilitation of existing structures, including “Rehabilitation and Renovation Program” through Assessor’s Office.

• Identify home repair resources, such as classes, workshop space, and tool lending service

• Promote weatherization assistance program(s).

Support Historic Preservation as a Neighborhood Asset

Preserve Neighborhood Character

• Encourage construction of sensitively designed housing options, which blend into neighborhood.

• Encourage new construction by creating approved templates for housing that fits the neighborhood character, current market needs, and zoning requirements.

• Encourage revitalization of historic homes with home repair workshop series.

PARTNERS

Lynchburg Housing Collaborative, Lynchburg Community Development Department, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, HUD, Real Estate Investors, Department of Economic Development, Centra Health, Lyn-CAG (First Time Home Buyers Club, Housing Counseling, Down Payment Assistance Program, Weatherization Services)

TIMELINE PRIORITY

MID HIGH

HOUSING

GOAL

Diamond Hill homes are the spaces where residents raise their families, sustain their daily existences, display their identity, and contribute to the neighborhood’s image.

INCENTIVES AND FINANCING RESOURCES

Lynchburg Housing Collaborative, Lynchburg Community Development Department, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, HUD, Real Estate Investors, Department of Economic Development, Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority

MID HIGH

Lynchburg Housing Collaborative, Lynchburg Community Development Department - Neighborhood Services Division, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, HUD, Lyn-CAG, Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SERCAP), Lynchburg Assessor's Office

SHORT HIGH

• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENTCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT HOME PROGRAM

• LYNCHBURG ASSESSOR'S OFFICE - REAL ESTATE REHABILITATION AND RENOVATION PROGRAM

• LYNCHBURG COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP - FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS CLUB, DOWNPAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM

• LYNCHBURG HISTORICAL FOUNDATION

• SOUTHEAST RURAL COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PROJECT (SERCAP) - LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION PROGRAM

• VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES

• VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - HOUSING REPAIR AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY, HOMEBUYER RESOURCES, TAX CREDIT PROGRAMS

• VIRGINIA HOUSING - REACH VIRGINIA PROGRAM, PREDEVELOPMENT LOANS/GRANTS, SPARC, HOUSING COUNSELING AND EDUCATION GRANTS, EVENT SPONSORSHIP GRANTS, COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS

Historic Preservation Commission, Diamond Hill Historical Society, Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum, Whirlwind Johnson Foundation, Pierce Street Gateway, Parks and Recreation

MID MEDIUM

STRATEGIES OBJECTIVES

Establish Twelfth Street as Marketplace for Residents

Locate Goods and Services for Residents

ACTIONS

• Rezone properties along Twelfth Street to B-4, Urban Commercial, to ensure neighborhood-serving uses.

• Redevelop vacant buildings; promote mixed use development with active ground-floor uses.

• Develop empty lots; promote mixed use development with active ground-floor uses.

Support Kemper Street as Neighborhood-Friendly Employment Area

Activate Underutilized Space

Improve Comfort and Safety for Social Interaction

Soften Strong Edges at Kemper and Buchanan Streets

Encourage Business on Kemper Street

Line Twelfth and Kemper Streets with Active Uses

Pursue Place-Making Activities and Events on Twelfth Street to Accelerate Improvements

• Incorporate building and streetscape improvements, which promote the marketplace, support small businesses, and increase passive contact.

• Permit low-impact, light manufacturing businesses to support employment.

• Buffer residential area from transportation corridor and light manufacturing with streetscape and landscape improvements.

• Promote opportunities provided through the Virginia Enterprise Zone and Local Redevelopment Programs.

• Encourage active uses on the ground floor in urban commercial areas.

• Utilize the City’s Real Estate Rehabilitation Program to renovate qualifying older structures.

• Coordinate amongst anchor institutions, located on Twelfth Street,to host neighborhood events.

• Coordinate with arts institutions to create public art program for undeveloped lots, fences, and walls.

• Coordinate with cultural institutions to create interpretive signage to reinforce Diamond Hill history.

Encourage Locally Owned Small Businesses

Establish Design Coherence and Variety to Nurture Small Businesses

Seek Business and Service Diversity

• Adhere to design standards to support neighborhood commercial area — align building frontages, limit blank walls, and ensure building transparency.

• Encourage beautification of storefronts through grant programs.

• Promote incentives for business investment — Enterprise Zone and local redevelopment programs.

• Conduct market research to determine best potential uses for neighborhood-serving urban commercial development.

• Encourage small businesses to set-up shop by identifying grant programs, supports, and incentives.

• Develop healthy urban food systems, including corner stores, outdoor markets, and mobile vending.

PARTNERS

Central Virginia Planning District Commission, Public Works, Transportation Engineering Division

Economic Development Department, Community Development, Kemper Street Business Community

TIMELINE PRIORITY

NEIGHBORHOOD MARKETPLACE

GOAL

Diamond Hill marketplace is the place where neighbors find basic goods and services — as well as some of the social encounters — that enrich their daily lives.

Diamond Hill CDC, Pierce Street Garden, Sow and Grow Garden, Greater Peaceful Zion Church, Christ Temple Apostolic Church, Payne Elementary School, Dunbar Middle School, Hunton-Randolph Community Center, Economic Development, Pierce Street Renaissance Organizations, Diamond Hill Historical Society, Randolph College

Diamond Hill CDC, Community Development, Department, Economic Development Department

INCENTIVES AND FINANCING RESOURCES

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - INDUSTRIAL REVITALIZATION FUND

• LOCAL REAL ESTATE REHABILITATION AND RENOVATION PROGRAM - CITY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE

• LOCAL REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - LYNCHBURG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FUND - NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS

• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM

• U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

• VIRGINIA ENTERPRISE ZONE PROGRAM: JOB CREATION GRANT, REAL PROPERTY INVESTMENT GRANT - VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

STRATEGIES OBJECTIVES ACTIONS

Ensure a Park Within a 10-Minute walk of All Urban Residences

Invest in Historic Resources

Establish Community Schoolyards at both Dunbar Middle School and Payne Elementary School

Expand Heritage Tourism in Diamond Hill

Pursue Improvements to Enhance Historic Pierce Street and Washington Street

Preserve Neighborhood History to Strengthen Neighborhood Identity

Ensure that Twelfth Street Marketplace Redevelopment is Compatible with Neighborhood Character

Recognize Historic Places

• Pursue CDBG funding to develop low-maintenance community schoolyards.

• Develop community schoolyards for benefit of neighborhood residents and school population.

• Foster opportunities for cultural and tourism industries to work together to showcase historical resources.

• Complete improvements on 1200 block of Pierce Street for traffic calming and safety.

• Complete Washington Street intersection improvements project for traffic calming and safety.

• Seek funding for pedestrian scale streetlights.

• Utilize Lynchburg Historic Districts Commercial Design Review Guidelines.

Improve Existing Green Spaces

Enhance Existing Grace Street Green Spaces which Connect the Neighborhood's Northern and Southern Areas

• Nominate Hunton Branch Y and other significant places to the National Register of Historic Places.

• Explore urban trail development along the historic trolley route through neighborhood.

• Improve Upper Grace Street Green, with seating, signage, and low-maintenance landscaping.

• Improve Middle Grace Street Green with low-maintenance landscaping.

• Improve Lower Grace Street Green with seating, signage, and low-maintenance. landscaping; consider the addition of a neighborhood fountain, as the location is a gateway to Diamond Hill.

Encourage Nonprofit Organizations with Undeveloped Lots to Host and Manage Community Gardens

Enhance Existing Greenway Buffer Between Neighborhood and Expressway

Create Passive Park in the Pierce Street Historic District

• Consider establishment of raised-bed gardens on undeveloped lots.

• Model new gardens after existing community gardens.

• Seek grant funding for materials to build gardens.

• Establish and maintain community gardens.

• Change FLUM designation for parcels bordering the expressway to Resource Conservation.

• Plant additional trees to protect residents from harsh conditions of noisy highway.

• Establish earthen neighborhood walking trail along greenway.

• Acquire land on 1400 block of Pierce Street.

• Design and implement passive park design to complement historic district; consider seating, landscaping, restroom, and passive elements, such as bocce ball or chess.

PARTNERS

Community Development Department, Lynchburg City Schools, Parks and Recreation Department

TIMELINE PRIORITY

SHORT HIGH

Diamond Hill CDC, Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum, Whirlwind Johnson Foundation, Pierce Street Gateway, Diamond Hill Historical Society, Hunton-Randolph Community Center, YMCA of Central Virginia, Parks and Recreation Department, Lynchburg Museum System, Randolph College

Diamond Hill CDC, Community Development Department, Lynchburg Museum System, Public Works Department, Randolph College

MID MEDIUM

PARKS & HISTORIC RESOURCES

GOAL

Diamond Hill’s parks and historic resources connect residents to the natural environment, to each other, and to their shared history.

MID HIGH

Diamond Hill CDC, Diamond Hill Historical Society, Diamond Hill Neighborhood Watch and Restoration, Parks and Recreation Department, Public Works, Sow and Grow Garden, Pierce Street Garden, Greater Peaceful Zion, Christ Temple Apostolic, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Whirlwind Johnson Foundation, Anne Spencer House, Pierce Street Gateway, Randolph College

MID MEDIUM

INCENTIVES AND FINANCING RESOURCES

• COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT

• NATIONAL PARK SERVICE - FEDERAL INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT FOR CERTIFIED HISTORIC REHABILITATION

• VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION

- VIRGINIA LAND CONSERVATION

• VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES - STATE TAX CREDIT FOR HISTORIC REHABILITATION

• VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR THE HUMANITIES

• VIRGINIA OUTDOORS FOUNDATION - GET OUTDOORS FUND

INCENTIVES AND FINANCING RESOURCES

AGENCY PROGRAM

City of Lynchburg - Economic Development

www.opportunitylynchburg.com

City of Lynchburg - City Assessor

www.lynchburgva.gov/real-estate-rehabilitation-and-renovation-program

Local Redevelopment Program

Real Estate Rehabilitation and Renovation Program

DESCRIPTION

• Designed to support small- and medium-scale investments in commercial property within the City of Lynchburg, the Local Redevelopment Program supports a portion of qualified expenditures. Property requires at least 30 percent commercial use, and a minimum investment of $25,000. Proper permitting is required to qualify, and submitted project costs are verified by final building permit.

• This tax credit opportunity effects Residential, Multi-Family, and Commercial and Industrial spaces. Effective in January 2018, residential rehabilitation projects will be offered up to 10 years of real estate tax exemption on the improved value of the home. Multi-Family properties, those representing five or more units, will receive eight years of tax exemption. Commercial and Industrial properties will be given up to 10 years of tax exemption on the improved value of rehabilitation and renovation. This effort has the potential for job creation for commercial and industrial uses.

Virginia Cooperative Extension www.ext.vt.edu Agriculture, Community and Leadership, Family, Food and Health, Lawn and Garden

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)

www.dcr.virginia.gov

Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR)

www.dhr.virginia.gov

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development

www.dhcd.virginia.gov/housing

Virginia Land Conservation Foundation

• Virginia Cooperative Extension offers a comprehensive collection of resources, programs, and services that are research-proven, accessible, and contain actionable information that supports the success and resilience of individuals and communities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.

• The foundation was established to help fund permanent conservation easements and to purchase open spaces and parklands, lands of historic or cultural significance, farmlands and forests, and natural areas. State agencies, local governments, public bodies and registered (tax-exempt) nonprofit groups are eligible to receive matching grants from the foundation.

Virginia Outdoors Foundation

www.vof.org

Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits

Housing Repair and Energy Efficiency, Homebuyer Resources, Tax Credit Programs

Virginia Enterprise Zone Program: Job Creation Grant, Real Property Investment Grant

Get Outdoors Fund

• DHR’s tax credit program provides state tax credits to property owners who undertake the rehabilitation of historic buildings in compliance with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

• DHCD offers many resources to assist with housing needs, from housing rehabilitation to homebuyer resources.

• REACH Virginia Program, Predevelopment Loans/Grants, SPARC, Housing Counseling and Education Grants, Event Sponsorship Grants, Community Impact Grants.

• Get Outdoors (GO) Fund provides grants for projects that increase access to safe open space in Virginia’s communities, especially those that are underserved.

AGENCY PROGRAM

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)

www.vdot.virginia.gov

Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH)

www.virginiahumanities.org

Virginia Housing www.virginiahousing.com

Safe Routes to School (SRTS)

National Park Service

www.nps.gov

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

www.hud.gov

U.S. Department of the Treasury: Community Development Financial Institutions Fund

www.cdfifund.gov

U.S. Department of Transportation

www.transportation.gov

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

www.epa.gov/brownfields

Regular Grants, Rapid Grants, Sponsorships

REACH Virginia Program, Predevelopment Loans/Grants, SPARC, Housing Counseling and Education Grants, Event Sponsorship Grants, Community Impact Grants

Historic Preservation Tax Incentives

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

DESCRIPTION

• The federally funded Virginia Safe Routes To School program enables and encourages children, to walk and bicycle to school; make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age; facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution near schools.

• Grants support projects that explore the stories of Virginia — its history, people, communities, and cultural traditions — as well as issues and questions that impact the lives of Virginians in the present day.

• Provide grants for localities and housing partners working to create or preserve affordable housing.

New Market Tax Credit (NMTC)

• A 20 percent income tax credit is available for the rehabilitation of historic buildings that are determined by the Secretary of the Interior, through the National Park Service, to be “certified historic structures.”

• The CDBG Program provides annual grants on a formula basis to states, cities, and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.

• The NMTC Program incentivizes community development and economic growth through the use of tax credits that attract private investment to distressed communities.

Thriving Communities Program

Brownfields: Assessment, Cleanup

• This planning, technical assistance, and capacity building program will enable disadvantaged and under-resourced communities to advance a pipeline of transformative infrastructure projects that will increase mobility, reduce pollution, and expand affordable transportation options, connecting communities to the essential opportunities and resources that will help them thrive.

• Assessment Grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.

• Cleanup Grants provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the applicant.

ANNUAL EVENTS

Established Events

Clean Your Block

Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center

Join friends, family, and neighbors to clean up litter, plant gardens and revitalize your neighborhood. Safety vests, gloves, litter getters, and bags provided by Public Works Department. spring

Community Care Day

Diamond Hill Neighborhood Center and Neighborhood Watch | Celebrate a day of care for the community with music, performances by local youth, food, and door prizes from area business. It's a celebration of neighborhood pride. fall

Party on Pierce

Pierce Street Gateway | Pierce Street Gateway is including the community they serve in their signature fall event. Join as they take to the street filled with vendors, heritage, music, food, history, sights, sounds, smells, and best of all, each other! fall

Historic

Holiday Parlour Tour

Diamond Hill Historical Society | Tour historically decorated parlors and celebrate early 20th Century Holiday Traditions. Tickets required. December

Hunton-Randolph Community Center

The Center hosts seasonal celebrations for youth and families throughout the year. seasonal

Pierce Street Harlem Renaissance Festival

Anne Spencer House and Garden | Enjoy live entertainment in the outdoor event space, Pop's Chicken House Stage. fall

Summer Ice Cream Social

Pierce Street Gateway | Lend a hand in the Pierce Street Garden, pick up a plant at the Pay-What-You-Can Plant Sale, and enjoy the Ice Cream Social. Engage with vendors, crafters, and plant lovers. fall

Tennis and Healthy Alternatives

Whirlwind Johnson House | The Whirlwind Johnson Foundation and Johnson Health Center partner to offer tennis, health checks, and history on the historic tennis court, where Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, Jr. trained. Participate in miniclinics on the court and see the latest renovations to the home of Dr. Robert W. “Whirlwind” Johnson — physician, civic leader, and tennis mentor and coach. fall

NEW ANNUAL EVENTS (PROPOSED)

Virginia Careerworks Apprenticeship Fair | For companies and potential employees to make connections about onthe-job training that combines paid work experience with classroom instruction.

Diamond Hill Trolley Walk | Lynchburg Museum leads a guided walking tour of the historical trolley route that once traversed the northern and southern reaches of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood.

Don't Hesitate! Let's Renovate! | Attention homebuilders, property owners, and craftsmen. Make connections and discover resources to move forward with home renovations and improvement projects, including for historic properties.

Healthy Homes Fair | Learn about resources available to property owners and tenants for safe and affordable housing. April (fair housing month)

Parks and Recreation Month | Enjoy summer activities at parks and community schoolyards throughout the month. July

Reading Program and Children's Book Festival | Payne Elementary School library is open weekly for caregiver-attended story time and reading activities. The reading program kicks off with a children's book festival event. summer

WORKS CONSULTED

• City of Lynchburg Comprehensive Plan: Planning for the Future 2013-2030

• Close-Up: How to Read the American City, Grady Clay

• Fixer-Upper: How to Repair America’s Broken Housing Systems. Jenny Schuetz

• Inner City Food Deserts: Case Study of Lynchburg, VA, Randolph College

• Inspiration Street: Two City Blocks That Helped Change America, Darrell Laurant

• Lynchburg, Virginia: The First Two Hundred Years, James M. Elson

• Neighborhood, Emily Talen

• Planning to Stay: Learning to See the Physical Features of Your Neighborhood, William Morrish and Catherine Brown

• Redlining in Lynchburg: Lingering Effects on Home Valuations, John D. Abell, Department of Economics, Randolph College

• Urban Street Design Guide, National Association of City Transportation Officials

• 2022 Dearington Neighborhood Housing Study, Lynchburg, Virginia