Some highlights this week:
- Greene County Supervisors will review a draft of an updated Comprehensive Plan, a document reviewed by the Planning Commission with no outside consultant. Supervisors will also be briefed on the impact of the defense industry. The new Future Land Use Map includes a land use type that could help incentivize more businesses locating within Greene.
- Nelson County Supervisors will have a public hearing on an increase in the transient occupancy tax rate from five percent to seven percent. Last year there was a proposal to take it up to ten percent. They’ll also adopt the FY24 budget.
- The Fluvanna County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on a Wawa store proposed for the intersection of U.S. 15 and U.S. 250.
- Another developer seeks a rezoning under Charlottesville’s existing zoning code rather than wait until the new rules are in place. City Council will meet Friday to interview potential city attorney candidates.
- Albemarle Supervisors will have a retreat at the UVA North Fork Discovery Park to consider “high performance governance” with the assistance of a local nonprofit.
- The Louisa Planning Commission will discuss that county’s growth area boundaries.
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Monday, May 8, 2023
Places29-Hydraulic group to tour Boys & Girls Club
The Places29-Hydraulic Community Advisory Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. at Greer Elementary School at the Lambs Lane Campus. (meeting info)
Kate Acuff of the Albemarle County School Board will provide an update on what the school system is up to and will answer questions. Then the group will get a tour of the recently constructed brand new Albemarle Campus of the Boys and Girls Club from executive director Kate Lambert.
“The Albemarle Campus Club is a state-of-the-art 52,000 square foot facility designed to serve the greatest needs of Club kids and families,” reads the facility’s website. “The Clubhouse features youth and teen centers, seven program rooms, a culinary arts kitchen, a café/multi-purpose room, a STEM lab, an art studio, two gyms, a four-court squash center, two outdoor sports courts, athletic fields, and direct access to hiking trails.”
In other meetings:
- The Fluvanna County Electoral Board will meet at 10 a.m. in the registrar’s office at 265 Turkeysag Trail, Suite 115. This meeting was rescheduled from May 5. (meeting info)
- A subcommittee of the Charlottesville Tree Commission will meet virtually at 12 p.m. (meeting info)
- The Albemarle Fire EMS Executive Committee meets at 4:30 p.m. in the Albemarle County Department of Fire Rescue’s Conference Room 2. (meeting info)
- The Fluvanna County Economic Development Authority will meet at 5 p.m. in the Morris Room of the County Administration Building. The public can access the meeting via Zoom. (agenda packet)
- The Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Council (EDTAC) will meet immediately afterward at 6 p.m. in the same room. (agenda packet)
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Greene County Supervisors to hold work session on Comprehensive Plan
The five-member Board of Supervisors in Greene County will meet at 4:30 p.m. for workshop on the Comprehensive Plan followed by a closed meeting at 5:30 p.m. The open meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.
Localities are required to create and maintain Comprehensive Plans by Virginia code, but they can determine for themselves how to update it. I’ve documented the Cville Plans Together initiative in Charlottesville and try to keep an eye on the AC44 process in Albemarle County. Both Nelson County and Fluvanna County have a review underway at the moment.
Greene County took a simple approach and had staff and the Planning Commission go through the document. Now it’s time for the Board of Supervisors to weigh in.
“After 20 public meetings, the final draft was recommended by the Planning Commission at the February 16, 2023 public hearing and being presented to you for review,” reads the staff report.
There’s a full draft to review, but to get a sense of what changed take a look at the redlined version.
In the evening session:
- There will be a public hearing on the continuation of the Agricultural and Forestal District program.
- There will be a presentation from the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce on the economic impact of the defense industry. This same presentation was given to the Albemarle Board of Supervisors last week.
- There will be a presentation from Greene County Park Partners Inc. in its quest to become a foundation to support the Parks and Recreation Department. They’re in the very early stages.
- There will be a presentation on a review of the county’s rules on water and sewer connection requirements to provide more specificity and potential fee increases to help cover the cost of new infrastructure.
- There will be a vote to adopt the FY24 budget.
Nelson County to hold public hearing on raising transient occupancy tax rate
The five-member Board of Supervisors in Nelson County will meet at 2 p.m. in the General District Courtroom at the Courthouse in Lovingston. They’ll also have an evening session which begins at 7 p.m. (meeting info) (agenda packet)
After a proclamation for Older Americans Month and a recognition of Angela Rose, there will be a presentation from the Virginia Department of Education.
There are four items under new and unfinished business.
- There will be a vote on a memorandum of agreement for a Transportation Alternative Program grant of $586,966 for the relocation of the Gladstone Depot. The county and philanthropy are providing the rest of the nearly $3.2 million cost for the first phase.
- There will be an authorization to set a July 11 date for a public hearing for real property tax exemptions for veterans.
- There will be a funding request of $5,000 from the Juneteenth Celebration Committee. They are planning an event at 3 p.m. on June 18 at the Nelson Heritage Center.
- There will be a proposal from the Lovingston Volunteer Fire Department for a July 4 event.
There are three public hearings in the evening session:
- The first is for the secondary six-year road plan for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
- The second is for the proposed increase in the transient occupancy tax from five percent to seven percent. Supervisors considered an increase to ten percent last year but appointed a committee to further study the issue. This is expected to bring in an additional $720,000 a year.
- The third is for the $93,052,486 total budget for fiscal year 2024. There are no proposed increases in any of the tax rates and the real property tax rate will remain at $0.65 per $100 of assessed value. The general fund budget is $50,222,379, a 4.18 percent decrease from the current fiscal year.
Fluvanna Planning Commission to hold public hearing on new Wawa store at U.S. 15/250
The Fluvanna County Planning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. for a work session followed by a regular session. They meet in the Carysbrook Performing Arts Center at 8880 James Madison Highway. (meeting packet)
There are two topics at the work session. The first is an overview of the proposed Reventon Farms camp development which requires a special use permit. For more background, read Heather Michon’s story in the April 9, 2023 Fluvanna Review.
The second topic has the title “Utility-Scale Solar Generation Facility Land Uses v/s By Right Accessory Rooftop Solar Applications.”
In the regular meeting, there will be a public hearing on a rezoning request to rezone 4.7 acres in Troy at the intersection of U.S. 15 and U.S. 250 to B-1 Business. Some of the property is currently agricultural and some is industrial.
“The applicant has continued to work with Fluvanna County on making this store to be the same, if not better than the recently completed Wawa in Albemarle County, located on Route 29 at Proffitt Road,” reads the staff report.
Charlottesville PC to consider proposed rezoning for five-units on Cabell Ave
The Charlottesville Planning Commission meets at 5 p.m. in CitySpace with a pre-meeting followed by the official meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. This is a link to the meeting page. Can you find the agenda? I can’t provide a direct link anymore and I’m curious to see if others can easily find the materials.
This is a fairly light agenda with no public hearings with City Council. There will be an update on the zoning update as well as a preliminary discussion on 626 and 630 Cabell Avenue. This is yet another rezoning being sought before City Council adopts a new zoning code.
“Neighborhood Investments, LLC (Owner and Applicant) is proposing to redevelop a multifamily property located at the intersection of Cabell Avenue and Burnley Avenue,” reads the staff report. “The applicant is proposing to construct a five-unit apartment building adjacent to the existing multifamily building, utilizing the by-right density currently allowed in the R-3 district.”
The properties are currently R-2U and would be Residential-Mixed Use 3 (RX-3) in the new code.
In other meetings:
- The Social Services Board will have its preparation meeting at 11:30 a.m. at Wahoo Barbecue Restaurant at 10 Centre Court in Palmyra. (meeting info)
- The Charlottesville Economic Development Authority will meet at 4 p.m. in City Council Chambers. The main item on the agenda is a renewal of a sublease at 700 East Jefferson Street. There’s no further information. These meetings are not televised. (meeting info)
Wednesday. May 10, 2023
Albemarle Supervisors to hold “high-performance retreat”
Every so often, elected bodies have a special meeting to talk about longer-term issues. These are often facilitated by consultants at a different location than a regular meeting.
The six-member Albemarle Board of Supervisors will meet at 10:30 p.m. at the North Fork UVA Discovery Park in Room B for a “High-performance Governance Retreat” that will be led by the Center for Nonprofit Excellence. There’s no advance materials available. This meeting will not be live-streamed.
Might this be the first meeting of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors that I’ve attended in over three years? (meeting info)
Crozet panel to get update on water & sewer projects
The Crozet Community Advisory Committee will meet at 7 p.m. in the Crozet Library Meeting Room at 2020 Library Avenue. (meeting info)
The scheduled presentation will be from the chief engineer of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority on various projects in the Crozet area. There will also be a debriefing on the recent community meeting for the Oak Bluff project. The group will also elect new officers.
In other meetings:
- The James River Water Authority will meet at 9 a.m. in the Fluvanna County administration building at 132 Main Street. There’s no agenda available at publication time. (meeting info)
- The Fluvanna Board of Supervisors has a special called meeting at 4 p.m. to discuss matters related to the County Attorney’s office. The county is seeking to hire a full-time employee to replace a law firm of Payne & Hoddous. (meeting info)
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Louisa County PC to review growth area boundaries
The Louisa County Planning Commission will meet at 5 p.m. in the Louisa County Public Meeting Room at 1 Woolfolk Avenue for a long range planning work session followed by a regular meeting. (work session info) (meeting packet)
There are three topics in the work session but no advanced materials available for review. The first is technology and communications. The second is a review of the growth areas in the Comprehensive Plan. The third is an evaluation of ratings in staff reports.
There is one public hearing during the regular meeting. Sortie Inc. seeks a conditional use permit for an equipment sales and rental business.
In other meetings:
- The Albemarle Solid Waste Alternatives Advisory Committee will meet at 4 p.m. in Room 235 at the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. The agenda is not yet published. (meeting info)
- The Albemarle Conservation Easement Authority (ACEA) will meet at 4:45 p.m. in Room 241 of the Albemarle County Office Building. The agenda is not yet available. (meeting info)
- The Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board will meet in CitySpace at 6:30 p.m. This is the first meeting for new Executive Director Inez Gonzalez. (meeting info)
- The Places29-North Community Advisory Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. at Hollymead Elementary School in the Media Center. Among the items on the agenda is a question and answer period on FY24 budget. (meeting info)
Friday, May 12, 2023
Charlottesville City Council to interview City Attorney candidates
Charlottesville has been without a City Attorney since late last year when Lisa Robertson suddenly resigned. Two law firms have been working to provide Council and the city administration with legal advice.
Council will meet at 2:30 p.m. in closed session to interview candidates for the position. That’s at the same time that there will be hearings in Charlottesville Circuit Court for two lawsuits against the city. Here’s a recent summary of open litigation against Council.
City’s historic resources panel to meet
The Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee will meet at 11 a.m. in the conference room of the Neighborhood Development Services. (meeting info)
- There will be an update on the effort to create a walking tour map for downtown.
- There will be an update on public parks including Jenkins Park and River View Farm at the Ivy Creek Natural Area.
- The Green Book subcommittee will provide a report.
- There will be a public meeting on May 24 on the application for the Downtown Mall to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- There is an effort to restore the Coca-Cola sign on the side of a building in 2nd Street SE.
- The deadline to apply for a Virginia Department of Historic Resources marker for Court Square is August 1.
- The terms of five committee members expire soon. Want to apply?
This post was contributed by Sean Tubbs. Sean is a journalist working to build a new information and news outlet centered around Charlottesville and Virginia. In 2020, he launched a daily newscast and newsletter and also created a semi-regular podcast on the pandemic.
Support for Sean’s “Week Ahead” update comes from The Piedmont Environmental Council.