In just under three weeks, Election Day will come and go. There’s a tension in the air about what might happen and that tension is pervading much of the nation.

At the same time, meetings of local and regional government continue as decisions about how to prepare for the future take place in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District. The decisions at these meetings are often the subject of this newsletter.

My mind is already thinking ahead to the 2025 election as I wait to find out if more people will step forward to run for office. Perhaps one of you reading this is considering a campaign? 

Whether you’re a prospective candidate or just someone with a casual interest in municipal affairs, this is the newsletter for you. As you go through this and editions, click on the various links to learn more information. My hope is to connect people with context. 

Some items this week: 

• Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders will take Council through a presentation on “Community Interventions” and will consider a lease for the Rivanna River Company for city-owned land they’ve been using for years. 
• The Albemarle Planning Commission will continue the Comprehensive Plan process by will reviewing details of land use categories to encourage denser development in the county’s growth areas.  
• Greene County Supervisors will learn about public input for a proposed recreation center.
• Louisa County Supervisors will consider legislative requesting including funding to help mitigate harmful algae blooms on Lake Anna, and will also authorize a budget supplement to help keep law enforcement officers from taking jobs with neighboring jurisdictions. 
• A joint Albemarle and Charlottesville committee will get several updates on what’s happening at Darden Towe Park including the status of the conversion of Free Bridge Lane to a pedestrian promenade. 

Thanks as always to the Piedmont Environmental Council for their support for my vision of journalism which seeks to give people information about the place where they live. 

Monday, October 21, 2024

Charlottesville City Council to hold public hearing on $50K for ReadyKids

Residents of Charlottesville demand a lot of their local government. There are many interest groups that are incredibly effective in packing City Hall during Council meetings to make certain demands. That is the way it has been since I’ve been covering Council dating back to 2007.

Council’s work session at 4 p.m. will be held on the topic of “Community Interventions” and the staff report said community desires fall into three categories: Community Safety, Homeless Services, and Quality of Life. (agenda overview)

“What is common among the categories is that there are multiple ways to consider addressing them and rarely is there one simple option available that everyone can agree on,” reads the staff report.

At times, you may see one advocacy group pack the public comment period to insist that their way forward is the best. That leaves Councilors wanting to send staff in different directions that may disrupt implementation of the existing strategic plan framework. 

At this work session, City Manager Sam Sanders will present Council with another framework to how to prioritize the priorities in crucial areas. 

“These areas of focus are by no means the only things that rank high on the To-Do List, but they are matters with elements of high urgency that require this specific moment to pause and consider ways to intervene, disrupt, and change the outcomes facing members of our community,” Sanders write in a staff report.

The regular meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a proclamation for Camp Holiday Trails. The organization turns 50 on November 2, 2024. 

“In 1974 Camp Holiday Trails, a year-round nonprofit camp based in Charlottesville, became one of the first camps in the region to welcome children with diverse medical diagnoses and their siblings,” reads a resolution. “For the past 50 years, Camp Holiday Trails has empowered over 10,000 campers by offering traditional camp activities and teaching them to manage their medical diagnoses in a supportive and inclusive environment.”

Some items on the consent agenda are worth a review.

• There is a second reading of an appropriation of $12,500 from the Virginia State Police for equipment related to the Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT) program. Specifically reimbursements related to the Berla Toolkit. (staff report)
• There is a second reading for an appropriation of $350,000 for equipment to maintain the Meadowcreek Golf Course. The staff report argues that purchasing the equipment is cheaper than renting it. There’s a life cycle of five years. (staff report)
• There is a second reading of the first payment to Habitat and Piedmont Housing Alliance for their purchase of the Carlton Mobile Home Park. This is for $379,000 forgivable loan. (staff report)
• There is a second reading for an ordinance establishing a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program to encourage investment in newer heating and cooling systems as well as other programs. (staff report)
• There is a second reading of an amendment to the proffers for the rezoning at 240 Stribling to allow for eight affordable units to be built off-site rather than on site. (staff report)
• There is the only reading for the acceptance of an vehicle from the University of Virginia for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Fellowship program. (staff report)
• There is the first of two readings in the appropriation of $90,321.98 in COVID funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that have not yet been appropriated. Council will decide later how the money will be used. (staff report)
• There is the first of two readings to appropriate an additional $93,654 grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for homeless solutions. Most will go to the Haven for the “Rapid Rehousing” program. (staff report)
• There is the first of two readings to appropriate $115,400.58 from the Supreme Court of Virginia’s Behavioral Health Docket. The funding passes through to Offender Aid and Registration. (staff report)
• There are two items related to allowing the city to collect slightly higher court fees. 

There are two public hearings.

The first is for an amendment to the city’s plan for how Community Development Block Grants are used. The proposal is to reallocate $50,000 in funds for ReadyKids to address one of the legacies of the pandemic. 

“ReadyKids continues to refine their understanding of the profound impacts of the COVID pandemic on the mental health and school readiness of area children and youth,” reads a staff report. “Research and data indicate that as a direct result of the pandemic youth are experiencing higher rates of isolation, depression, and anxiety.” 

In 2023, ReadyKids was not able to fulfill 408 referrals. This funding is intended to assist them in their mission. 

The second public hearing is for a lease of 1520 East High Street to the Rivanna River Company of the land the city purchased last year to stop development of a residential complex. The Charlottesville Economic Development Authority is handling the five-year lease. 

“The lease functions essentially as a ground lease and the tenant bears all expenses associated with maintaining the property and the business and pays a monthly rent of $800 with an annual increase,” reads the staff report. “In addition, the tenant agrees to brush-hog the entire parcel and maintain a trash can along the Rivanna Trail for public use.” 

Next up Council will have a second reading on an amendment to the ordinance that governs the Police Civilian Oversight Board. This one clarifies who can be on the board. (staff report)

There will also be a request from the owners of a restaurant in Belmont to build in the city’s right of way, a technical term known as encroachment. This would be for a canopy at Mas that would require footers on public property. Staff in the Utilities and Engineering department are recommending denial. 

“Both departments are against both forms of encroachment, as the encroachments will impact their ability to service or provide future service in the right-of-way in those areas,” reads the staff report.

There are three items under General Business. 

• The first is for an appointment to the Youth Council. 
• The second is for an update from the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority and the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority (staff report)
• The third is for the city’s legislative priorities for the 2025 General Assembly. I’ll write this one up afterward as I have done for Albemarle last week. (draft priorities)

Louisa County Supervisors to approve legislative platform for 2025 General Assembly

The 2025 General Assembly is less than three months away and Virginia’s legislators are considering what bills to file in the upcoming session. Elected officials at the local level also make their positions known and today the Louisa County Supervisors will have their discussion. 

The seven members begin their second meeting of October meet at 5:00 p.m. for a closed session with a regular session beginning at 6 p.m. (agenda)

Three items on the consent agenda worth mentoring:

• There’s a resolution to approve a capacity study for Bowler’s Mill as well as a recertification of wetlands at the Shannon Hill Regional Business Park. The cost for a firm to do that work is $107,126. (staff report)
• There’s a resolution to approve a memorandum of understanding for a 2024 grant for for the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative Fiber Deployment Grant. (read the MOU)
• There’s a resolution authorizing a budget supplement for a pass-through grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Fluvanna-Louisa Housing Foundation. (resolution)

There will be a presentation from the Louisa Arts Center.

Under unfinished business, Supervisors will resume a discussion about updating the county code on erosion and sediment control. (learn more)

Under new business, Supervisors will consider adopting the 2025 legislative platform. The draft list calls for local control over zoning issues, funding for broadband, and assistance with covering the salaries of teachers and law enforcement officers. 

Supervisors also want help covering the cost of maintaining buoys on Lake Anna as removing hydrilla. They also want assistance with dealing with harmful algae blooms, a cost estimated at around $20 million. 

There’s also a request to improve the water quality monitoring system in Virginia.

“Freshwater monitoring in the state is minimally funded and decentralized,” the draft list reads. “The County supports state efforts to formalize freshwater monitoring and adequately fund the same to keep public waters safe and protect those enjoying these resources.”

Another request is for additional legislative support for the creation of small modular reactors. Last week, Amazon and Dominion Energy announced they would partner on bringing new nuclear reactors to the North Anna power station. 

They’ll also authorize a $340,000 budget supplement to address salary compression in the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office. 

“Louisa County competes with surrounding localities for talented officers and dispatchers to fill vacancies as well as strives to retain its current employees,” reads the resolution. “Many localities have increased their sheriff’s department salaries higher than Louisa County, making it extremely difficult to hire or retain our employee base.” 

There are no public hearings. 

Equipment rental store next to Northside Library seeks outdoor sales

In Albemarle County, any store that wants to display products for sale outside has to get both a special use permit from the Board of Supervisors as well as a certificate of appropriateness from the Albemarle Architectural Review Board.

The main item at the ARB’s meeting on Monday is a review of Carter Machinery’s request to have its inventory of machinery displayed in the parking lot of its new store at 721 Rio Road West.  The company purchased the 4.37 acre property earlier this year as I reported for C-Ville Weekly. 

“The equipment to be rented out to customers from the Property by Carter will include a variety of hydraulic excavators, backhoes, compact track loaders, telehandlers, skid steer loaders, boom lifts, and scissor lifts,” reads the narrative. 

The ARB meets at 1 p.m. in Lane Auditorium in the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. (meeting info)

Albemarle Electoral Board to meet in closed session

Is it unusual for an electoral board in Virginia to go into closed session with an election underway? I don’t have enough data to know, but I can report the Albemarle County Electoral Board will meet at 9 a.m. and immediately go into closed session. 

“The Board will go into Executive Session for personnel matters,” reads the calendar item on the Albemarle website.

In Virginia, all localities have a three-member board that oversees the activities of voter registration and elections. The party that wins the Governor’s mansion every four years earns the opportunity to appoint two members with the opposition party serving as a minority. 

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Consultant to present survey results for Greene County recreation center 

If Greene County decides to build a recreation center, what form should it take? To inform potential answers, the county hired PB&A Marketplace Intelligence to find out what members of the public think. 

Supervisors will meet at 4:30 p.m. for a work session to go over the results of a survey filled out by over 400 residents. (meeting info)

“91 percent of residents believe the idea of a new Greene County Healthy Living Center is either an excellent or good idea,” reads a presentation.

Survey questions covered whether the facility might be operated by the YMCA, the county, or a private company. There are also projections on whether enough people would join. 

After the work session, Supervisors will go into closed session and will return at 6:30 p.m. for a regular session. 

There’s a public hearing on a request for a rezoning for a 15 acre parcel of land on Seminole Trail from B-2 (Business General) to B-3 (Business Highway and High Intensity). The Planning Commission recommended approval at their meeting on September 18. 

There’s no specific proposal tied to the rezoning application. 

“The applicant seeks to change the zoning on the property to permit a wider variety of business uses on a property that is in an ideal location, directly adjacent to Route 29, and can adequately accommodate business uses that might require more regular and frequent access than those permitted in B-2,” reads the narrative.

There will be a presentation from the Virginia Department of Transportation as well as a presentation from Region 10 on projects funded through various settlements from pharmaceutical companies. (presentation)

Albemarle Planning Commission to review draft land use chapter in AC44

Albemarle County staff have begun to release new sections of the updated Comprehensive Plan, a document required by state law to explain how a community will prepare for its future. On October 8, the Planning Commission reviewed the new wording for the growth management policy and the Board of Supervisors had their review on October 16. I’ll have a story on their discussion out on Tuesday.

The Planning Commission will get to look at the next draft section at their work session on Tuesday which begins at 4 p.m. and not the traditional start time of 6 p.m. (meeting info) (agenda)

This work session covers descriptions for each land use category, the Future Land Use Map for the entire county, and what staff refer to as “Activity and Employment Centers.” 

“These land use tools are key to achieving the objectives of the Growth Management Policy by encouraging the type of development we need to accommodate the anticipated growth in Albemarle County,” reads the staff report.

The document uses the acronym GMP which immediately had me thinking about a particular scene in the film Pulp Fiction.

“Paired with an array of conservation efforts in the Rural Area, the GMP balances the needs of an increasing County population with the community’s support of agriculture, silviculture, stream health, and forestry in the Rural Area,” reads page 2 of the 35-page chapter. 

For this cycle, the plan continues to hold the growth area boundaries in place as the county plans to accommodate an additional 31,000 people by the year 2044. The changes to the land use categories are intended to encourage more density in specific areas clustered around centers.  

“Within AC44, each land use category has a description articulating a vision for the land use and standards establishing desired primary uses, secondary uses, density ranges, and pertinent built form details, such as building height and requirements for ground floor non-residential uses,” reads page 6 of the chapter.

If you’d prefer to listen to my recent story, you can find the audio version on SoundCloud and do not need to download anything.  

There are also two public hearings. 

One is for a place in northern Albemarle County where people can take their solid waste. Albemarle has recently opened such a convenience center in Keene for the southern portion of the county and it is now operated by the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority. The Planning Commission will be asked to determine if this new public facility will be in keeping with the Comprehensive Plan. The location is the intersection of Rio Mills Road and Berkmar Drive. (staff report)

The second is for a special use permit for Dominion Energy to have a new substation on 11 acres. This is scheduled to go to the Board of Supervisors for public hearing on January 15, 2025. (staff report)

Darden Towe Park committee to get updates on pickleball, pedestrian promenade

Albemarle County and City of Charlottesville have joint ownership of Darden Towe Park, 113 acres along the Rivanna River just to north of Free Bridge. Governance comes through a joint committee consisting of two City Councilors and two members of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors. Albemarle covers 69.25 percent of the cost and the city picks up the rest. 

The Darden Towe Memorial Park Advisory Committee will get together Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Room 235 in the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. There’s no information beyond an agenda with a lot of interesting items. (meeting info)

One of the first items is an overview of a parks foundation. Back in January 2023, Rivanna District Supervisors said she was in the early stages of founding such a group to raise money and promote the county parks. 

Next there is a discussion of a potential pickleball project from Teddy Hamilton, a member of the Park Foundation Board. 

After that there will be a presentation on the Rivanna River Resiliency Partnership Project between the Rivanna Conversation Alliance and Albemarle County. 

Then there will be an update on a plan to convert Free Bridge Lane to a pedestrian promenade. Albemarle Supervisors approved a pilot project for this purpose in March 2023, County parks staff will also give an update on athletic fields, restrooms, and a new pedestrian path. 

Albemarle is administering a $2.9 million project to rebuild the athletic fields at Darden one at a time. Supervisors agreed to this project in April 2023 during the budget process that year. 

Public in Nelson County have a chance to review proposed zoning changes 

Nelson County adopted a new Comprehensive Plan in April and quickly began work on updating the zoning and subdivision ordinances in response. 

“The Zoning Ordinance regulates how land is used, designed, and developed,” reads a flier for a public engagement session scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Rockfish Valley Community Center. “The Subdivision Ordinance regulates the division of land into lots, or parcels.” 

So far there are two items available for review. One is the presentation from a kickoff on August 28 as well as a diagnostic of the existing zoning code that was shown that night. The Berkley Group has been hired to conduct the work. 

“The Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance should be restructured into a streamlined, clear, and user-friendly document,” reads the diagnostic. “Combining both Ordinances into a single document would help achieve these objectives.”

Progress toward the development of the new language can be tracked at this website.

In other meetings:

• The Nelson County Sheriff’s Department continues its series of Senior Safeguard Sessions at the Calvary Baptist Church at 8408 Thomas Nelson Highway. (meeting info)
• The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority’s Board of Commissioners will meet at 2:15 p.m. at 695 Moores Creek Lane. On the agenda is an update on major capital projects. (agenda) (meeting info)

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Nelson PC to consider request for homes on business-zoned property in Lovingston

The Nelson County Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. in the General District Courtroom in Lovingston. (meeting packet)

There’s a public hearing for a special use permit to allow two residential units at 622 Front Street, a property in Lovingston zoned B-1. There would also be commercial space in the renovated building. 

“The property previously held a Special Use Permit for a dwelling, which has expired after more than 2 years of vacancy,” reads the staff report. 

The applicants cite the Comprehensive Plan as reflecting the public’s desire for new residential units to be located in Lovingston. 

“Lovingston and the surrounding buildings are currently in a phase of revitalization and this project aligns perfectly with this goal,” reads the narrative from Alexandra and Jesse Lopez Low. 

There will also be a discussion of short-term rentals in light of new legislation that went into effect on December 31 that curtails the ability of localities to restrict them in certain situations. 

“You cannot require special use permits for a [short-term rental] operating as a homestay, meaning that someone is renting out a portion of their home as an STR,” reads a staff report. 

The document has several suggestions for how the county might proceed. 

One interesting item gleaned from the minutes. In September, the Board of Supervisors removed Supervisor Ernie Reed from his position on the Planning Commission and then rescinded that vote. The minutes of the September 25 PC meeting note the resignation of Planning Commissioner Chuck Amante who has protested Reed being the Supervisors’ appointee for more than a two-year period. 

Charlottesville MPO to approve classifications of area roads, get updates on project costs

The planning world often depends on adjustments from one thing to another. For instance, a property’s land use designation affects what can be built there. The same goes for roadways. 

The Federal Highway Administration classifies roads based on what they’re expected to do. At the top are Interstate highways, followed by arterials, collectors, and local roads. Local roads are not likely to be eligible for federal funding. Learn more from a story I wrote earlier this month.

These classifications are up for a review every ten years after a Census and localities can make changes. One of those proposed has not been altered. Charlottesville had requested that Franklin Street between Meade (sic) and Carlton should be a minor collector, an upgrade from local road. 

This has been opposed by at least one resident of the Woolen Mills, who also opposes the reclassification of Chesapeake Street and Market Street from local road to minor collector. Franklin is now proposed to be a local road still, but the other two roadways are now proposed to be upgraded to major collectors. 

The Charlottesville Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Policy Board will take a final vote at their meeting on Wednesday which begins at 4 p.m.  (meeting info)

The MPO will also get a briefing on cost estimate increases for various projects that have been submitted for funding through Smart Scale. These increases take into account inflation expected between the time of submission and then a project might go to construction.

For instance, a candidate project for rebuild Interstate 64’s interchange with Fifth Street Extended had an estimate of $57.4 million during the planning process this year. VDOT has now increased that estimate to $79 million based on a projected constructed start date of July 2032. 

There will also be an update on the Ivy Road Pipeline projects and a strategy of how to fund them. 

In other meetings:

The Charlottesville Retirement Commission will meet at 8:30 a.m. in CitySpace. Among the items on the agenda is a training on parliamentary procedure. (agenda)

• The Albemarle County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Board will meet at 1800 Hours in Room 246 of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. There will be various committee updates as well as a continuation of review of plans. What kind of plans? The agenda doesn’t say. (meeting info) (agenda)

Thursday, October 24, 2024

There do not appear to be any meetings scheduled. I sense this may be an error. 

Friday, October 25, 2024

The Albemarle County Electoral Board is also scheduled to meet at 11 a.m. There’s no agenda for this meeting at publication time. (meeting info)

The Fluvanna County Electoral Board is also meeting at 10 a.m. at the county administration building at 132 Main Street. There’s no agenda for that meeting, either. (meeting info)

---

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.