2023 Crater Resilience Action Workshop:
The Crater Region RAFT workshop was held virtually on February 16, 2023. The workshop was hosted by The RAFT Core Team to orient participants to The RAFT process and goals, review the region’s Scorecard results and opportunities for improving Crater resilience, and support and guide participants through the process of developing a draft One-Year “Resilience Action Checklist” (RAC) for each locality. The RAC development process is designed to allow participants to elevate up to five specific actions to improve resilience over the next year. During the workshop, members of The RAFT Core Team provided context for The RAFT, shared Crater resilience findings, and opportunities that surfaced through interviews and focus groups, and facilitated the development of draft resilience action checklists for each locality.
2022-2023 Crater
Petersburg
The City of Petersburg is bounded to the north by the Appomattox River, at the northeastern end of Dinwiddie County. The city has a total area of 23.2 square miles and is located approximately 9 miles from the neighboring City of Hopewell to the northeast. Petersburg is 22 miles south of Richmond, Virginia. According to the 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the City of Petersburg has a population of 31,362 people. The median age is 38.1, which is 0.1 years older than the national average. In the City of Petersburg, 24.1% of residents live below the poverty level. The median household income is $38,679, which is $27,434 lower than the national median income. Within the City of Petersburg, residents are 78.4% African American, 19.4% white, 1.4% Asian, and 0.6% Native American. 28.2% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education, compared to the national rate of 32.1% Preservation of the Appomattox has profound implications for both public and environmental health, as well as economic development along the riverfront. According to the City of Petersburg, Virginia Comprehensive Plan 2014, several initiatives have been identified to allow for simultaneous economic development and ecological conservation. These include (1) preserving selected greenfields on the Southside to bolster flood resilience through low-lying marshlands; (2) redeveloping downtown brownfields along the Appomattox through economic revitalization efforts; and (3) improving wastewater treatment infrastructure to reduce nitrate and phosphorus contamination.
“Downtown Petersburg” by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Hopewell
The City of Hopewell is located at the confluence of the Appomattox and James Rivers, at the northwestern end of Prince George County. The city has a total area of 10.8 square miles and is located approximately 9 miles from the neighboring City of Petersburg. Hopewell is 22 miles southeast of the state’s capital, Richmond. According to the 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the City of Hopewell has a population of 22,456 people. The median age is 36, which is 2.0 years younger than the national average. In the City of Hopewell, 23.6% of residents live below the poverty level. The median household income is $39,030, which is $27,083 lower than the national median income. Within the City of Hopewell, residents are 52.8% white, 44.9% African American, 2.0% Asian, and 0.6% Native American. Of Hopewell’s residents, 24.7% have a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education, compared to the national rate of 32.1% The entirety of Hopewell’s geographic area drains directly or indirectly into the Chesapeake Bay through the James and Appomattox Rivers. Due to the historic presence of industrial activity along Hopewell’s waterfront, preservation of its ecologically and economically vital riparian resources is critical. The Hopewell Comprehensive Plan, published in 2018, outlines several initiatives to enhance waterfront sustainability. These include (1) emphasizing policies, action plans, and implementation efforts that reduce the contribution of stormwater pollutants and water runoff issues; (2) pursuing public education efforts to better inform the public and stakeholders of expectations and requirements of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act; and (3) incorporating necessary initiatives to meet all DEQ expectations for specific Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act policies.
Photo courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Program
Hopewell's Scorecard Opportunity List
