Urban Design Committee approves relocation plan for Richmond Police memorial statue to academy plaza

The Urban Design Committee on Sept. 11 approved a conceptual plan to relocate the Richmond Police Department memorial statue to the main entrance plaza of the Richmond Police Training Academy at 1202 West Graham Road.

Staff and applicant representatives told the committee the statue — created in 1987 by artist Maria Kirby Smith and removed from public display after damage in 2020 — has been in storage and that the academy site would provide greater public visibility. Deputy Chief Sydney Collier of the Richmond Police Department said, “the statue has pretty much been in storage since 2020,” and described the academy entrance as a high-visibility location for recruits, visiting law-enforcement personnel and the public.

Committee members broadly supported the relocation but asked the applicant to refine several design elements to improve pedestrian safety and the memorial’s prominence. The committee approved the proposal with conditions that the applicant: add statue lighting (preferably ground-mounted), expand pedestrian viewing space so it is not in the drive aisle, simplify and clarify paving to make pedestrian crossings legible and ADA-compliant, examine driveway width and traffic calming, and reconsider the scale and style of lantern-style lights proposed for the site.

Design team landscape architect Beth Lerogles described a concept that uses a paver field to create a flush pedestrian crossing across the academy drive and said the intent is to “unify the two spaces” so visitors slow when approaching the statue. Committee members raised concerns the current placement leaves the statue “squished” near the road and recommended exploring options that give the statue greater prominence — including possible relocation in the plaza or a modest increase in pedestal height. One committee member suggested a pedestal of “at least 3 feet to 3 and a half feet tall” to improve proportion and presence.

Public comment came from a community member, David Burke, who supported the relocation and asked for lighting that would illuminate the statue looking from Graham Road. The committee incorporated that request into its required conditions.

The committee’s motion to approve was offered by Committee Member Pearson, seconded by Committee Member Gimmer, and carried by unanimous voice vote.

The committee’s staff summary and conditions will be transmitted to the Planning Commission as part of the record; final design details, including ADA crossings, lighting specification, and final paving patterns, return for administrative review and permitting.