City founder William Byrd II is said to have named Richmond after observing that section of the river from what is now Libby Hill Park.  He was struck by the similarities between the James and the River Thames in the English borough of Richmond upon Thames.  George Ross, of the development company USP Rocketts, said he respects the view but is aware of no proof that it's historic.

"It's a view . . . and we did everything we can to not impact it," he said. "The view that's being blocked is the view of the other side of the river, where the water treatment facility is."  To preserve the view of the bend, the two buildings planned at Echo Harbour have been shifted to the west, Ross said.

In addition, the building heights are proposed to drop gradually, from about 180 feet on the western edge of the complex to about 84 feet on the eastern side, he said. Both were initially proposed to be 160 feet tall.

Echo Harbour would have about 196 condo units, a restaurant, office and retail space, as well as about 1,000 feet of dock and an extension of the Canal Walk.  Ross estimated the potential investment at $160 million and said the 5½-acre site south of Dock Street is key because it's on the river side of the CSX railroad. "This is Richmond's first and best opportunity for connecting to the river and using the river," he said.

Several critics of the Echo Harbour plans said the changes aren't substantive enough.  "It looks great for Miami Beach," Keith West said last week after reviewing the latest artist renderings for the development. He had stopped by Libby Hill Park with this children.

"It's a view that, once it's gone, you're not going to be able to get it back," said West, who represents the 7th District on the Richmond School Board.

Leighton Powell, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Scenic Virginia, said she considers the revised plan no better than the one filed last year.  "The problem is, it's one of these things where there's a fundamental disagreement about what the view shed is," she said. "They are limiting it to the bend in the river. Those of us who care about the view see it as the whole panorama."

William J. Martin, executive director of the Valentine Richmond History Center, said there's no record proving that Byrd named Richmond after observing the James from atop Libby Hill.  But, he added, the landscape makes a compelling case.  "It's certainly true that the bends in the river . . . are identical," Martin said. "It's uncanny to the views in Richmond, England."

A marker at Libby Hill Park recognizing "the view that named the city" was designated last year by the mayors of Richmond and Richmond upon Thames.

This year, the General Assembly approved a resolution celebrating the panoramic view and its role in the naming of Richmond. A copy was to be given to Queen Elizabeth II during her recent visit for the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.

The city's review of the Echo Harbour project is on hold because the developers have not shown adequate emergency access to the site, said Rachel O. Flynn, Richmond's director of community development.

She agreed the tiered building heights represent an improvement over the original plan. The site is zoned for office or industrial development, and any change allowing residential uses would have to be approved by City Council.

Councilman Bruce W. Tyler, 1st District, said he will be unable to discuss or vote on the case because of his ownership interest in Baskervill, the architectural firm for Echo Harbour.