Residents in the most environmentally impacted district in the state are fighting to stop the City of Richmond Fire Department from turning playgrounds, greenspace and community center into a fire training facility. Hickory Hill School was built in 1915 in the village of Hickory Hill as the first African American elementary and high school in the county until its closure in 1990. It is located near Bells Road, named after a former slave named Gabriel Bell who came into possession of a large farm, and removed the tolls formerly charged to use the road. The center is currently used by children and adults throughout the year in activities such as soccer, walking, martial arts, basketball, Double Dutch, gym and other fitness activities, civic association meetings, cultural programming, and a children’s daycare during summer months.

During meetings of the City of Richmond Urban Design Committee residents learned that proposal will significantly impact residents already overburdened by pollution. For decades the community has strived to reverse the impacts of pollution to health. The Serene Wildlife Sanctuary is a natural habit area adjacent to the property, over 100 trees were planted at the Hickory Hill Community Center a couple of years ago, and the Southside Eco Corridor Initiative helps to elevate the importance of ecology and economic assets to help address the disproportionate impacts of noise, industrial pollution, and emergencies that contribute to resident health challenges.

The Fire Department proposal means that residents will be sandwiched between Fire Station 22 (Broad Rock Blvd/Warwick Road), Fire Station 21 (Jefferson Davis Highway/near Terminal Avenue) and the training facility. Councilwoman Reva Trammell of the 8th District continues to support this plan despite community opposition. It appears that the correlation between violence and community spaces for activities for youth and others is routinely ignored. Residents express that for enhanced safety and to “stop the violence” the city needs to protect recreational and community spaces and activities for Southside residents too.