Hundreds of trees will be removed in Larus Park to make way for Chesterfield’s new pumping station. Credit: Scott Turner

It became official on Monday night: Richmond City Council approved a long-awaited, and at times hotly contested, plan that would allow Chesterfield County to build a water pumping station in Richmond’s Lewis G. Larus Park (a hidden gem of a greenspace bounded by Huguenot Road and Chippenham Parkway).

As Mark Robinson of the Times-Dispatch reported, “Under the complex plan, the city will purchase an 18-acre parcel of undeveloped land abutting the existing parkland, expanding the 106-acre park. A conservation easement for the park also will be established.”

Check out our old articles on this topic for background info.

Going forward, Chesterfield will spend $7.5 million to build the pumping station on what is currently 1.2 acres of Larus Park. The county will lease the land from the city for $1 per year, but the city’s Department of Public Utilities said it will generate $4.1 in gross revenue over five years based on what Chesterfield will pay in water usage.

Check out Robinson’s piece in the T-D for more. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and check out this tucked away jewel of Richmond’s park system. Click here for directions and more info.