Williamsburg is to work on the creation of an African American heritage trail in the city, an attraction that would complement longstanding plans for a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial.
City Council members discussed the trail during a two-day retreat on Thursday as they worked out a set of goals, initiatives and outcomes for 2020-21. Council members also worked on a vision for Williamsburg in 2040. Many of the aims sought to improve downtown vibrancy.
“This is a new concept that was brought up as part of the process. It’s an offshoot of the MLK memorial idea,” City Manager Andrew Trivette said of the trail. “The vision was maybe it’s not a monument. It’s a heritage trail that walks you through some of the prominent parts of Williamsburg’s African American history.”
He cited the example of the Cross Creek Linear Park in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
“It has nothing to do with African American heritage. It’s a trail that takes you through their very urban downtown and along a creek … you sort of get a mix of things. Every quarter of a mile or so there is some type of marker, whether it’s a fountain, a bronze statue, or a monument that tells you something about what’s important about Fayetteville, North Carolina.”
He said Cross Creek Linear Park is a great example of how a trail could work in Williamsburg.
Councilman Caleb Rogers said the MLK memorial could be a feature on the trail. He suggested work on the attraction could start soon. “When that memorial is completed it would obviously be a stop on the Heritage Trail,” he said.
“By the time the MLK memorial is dedicated in whatever entity it takes place at we can launch it potentially with this heritage trail,” Rogers said.
Councilwoman Barbara Ramsey said the trail could focus on different aspects of African American history such as contributions to education and faith.
Trivette said city staff will develop the idea and highlight the steps to making the vision a reality.
Public art would likely play a prominent role in the heritage trail. Council members spoke of ways of bringing more public art including murals to Williamsburg.
The city is looking at drawing up a more structured process to bring public art to the city. The process would also include art on private property if it’s visible to the public.
Williamsburg’s leaders have discussed building a monument to King for decades. The civil rights leader visited the First Baptist Church on Scotland Street in 1962. The idea of a memorial gathered pace in the 1990s when a sign was placed at the intersection of Scotland and Prince George streets declaring the area to be the future site of the memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Other projects discussed at the retreat included the provision of an indoor sports complex, a lawn bowling center, and boosting the city’s reputation as a center for baseball and softball.
Affordable housing provision was also discussed as an item for 2020-21. Trivette floated ideas to generate more affordable housing in the city including “density rewards.”
He said the popular process is widely used to boost affordable housing provision. Trivette said an affordable housing component in a new development increases the cost to the developer and decreases the viability of the project.
“To offset that potential loss, the locality might say you can build 12 more units on the site to offset the loss,” he said.
Trivette raised the prospect of beefing up the city’s affordable housing ordinances.
David Macaulay, maccaz17@hotmail.com
