Senator Hanger (R-Staunton) has introduced SB 950, an excellent bill to protect water resources from impacts of pipeline construction, similar to a bill that Delegate Rasoul (D-Roanoke) introduced in the House, HB 1141. Sen Hanger’s bill has been referred to Senate Finance.
Bri West
Bri West is the director of outreach and communications for The Piedmont Environmental Council.
Growing Connections: The Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows
Food brings people together. But healthy food is sometimes hard to come by. Despite Loudoun County’s reputation as a wealthy community, a surprising number of children in the county — one in 10 — live in households with limited access to healthy food. The consequences can be stark for these children, as their development, ability to learn and overall health is directly related to the quality of their diet.
Surprise… Developers Want More Residential at Vint Hill
On December 14, 2017, the Board of Supervisors will vote on an applicant-proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment in Vint Hill that would convert 61.89 acres of “Planned Industrial Development” to “Medium Density Residential.” This change would allow for an additional 497 units (8 units per acre), including the potential for detached single family homes, in place of the planned economic development.
More than $1 Million Worth of Solar Installed
The benefits of solar power are multi- fold: it provides peak power close to the demand, energy security, cost savings, local employment opportunities and emission reductions. These benefits are why, for the last three years, we’ve partnered on a Solarize Piedmont campaign with friends at the Local Energy Alliance Program and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.
Now that the 2017 Solarize Piedmont campaign has come to a close (it ran from mid-March through April), we wanted to share the results from these past three years: — Signed Contracts: 41– Dollar Value of Systems: $1,260,005 — Installed Capacity: 395 kW — Locations: Albemarle, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Orange & Rappahannock…
‘Hedgerow’ Property Prompts Important Discussion About Albemarle’s Park Priorities
We believe it is time for Albemarle County to increase investment towards greenways, open space, and trails within its Growth Area.
The County Comprehensive Plan has long held that public infrastructure spending shall be directed toward Ablemarle’s designated Development Areas. It also calls for a Development Area where people can “live, work, and play” with “parks and trails [that] provide respite and recreation.”
However, despite that laudable goal, only two of the county’s thirteen parks are located within the Development Area. Further distancing itself from its goal, the county has retained a consultant to develop a plan for yet another Rural Area park, located on the the 340 acre “Hedgerow” property on Route 29, south of I-64. Preliminary estimates would require an investment in excess of $2-million and approximately $82,000 annually for maintenance and operation.
Potomac Bridge Crossing Maps
During the summer of 2017, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors directed county staff to study and recommend potential Potomac bridge crossing sites between Goose Creek and the Fairfax County line. The new bridge has long been a dream of area real-estate interests, but has been rejected by residents and planners throughout the years, due to numerous flaws (see our 8 Reasons blog post for more detail).
DEQ to Hold Series of Public Hearings on ACP & MVP Pipelines
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is hosting a series of public hearings on the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) and Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). These public hearings are designed to seek public comment on the DEQ’s proposed water quality permit (401 Certification).
Virginia Farm Winery Study
Heads up! The VA Dept. of Agriculture is using this survey to gather feedback about the impacts of farm wineries and winery events on neighbors and communities near wineries (e.g. noise & traffic). The deadline to take the survey is August 18, 2017.
Eight Reasons to Put an End to the Potomac River Bridge Project (before it bites)
As their name implies, zombie projects have a way of coming back every few years. Proponents of these projects keep spending money, they gin up PR campaigns and they eventually convince policymakers that the project deserves another look. In the transportation world, these zombie projects usually share an unfortunate set of characteristics: they benefit few, siphon off limited transportation funding from real solutions, and worse yet, they often lead to increased congestion by contributing to sprawl.
Regarding the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and Conservation Easements
PEC Comments to VOF on June 22, 2017: “…As we did at your February 9th meeting in regard to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, PEC encourages the VOF Board to vote NO on the Mountain Valley Pipeline request for a 1704 Conversion/Diversion to allow an industrial access road through the “Terry Property” in Roanoke County…”