Cville Area Land Use Update: Week of August 7, 2023

Posted on by Sean Tubbs

The length of this newsletter leads me to believe that the summer slowdown is over, and that’s even with a summer break for the Greene County Supervisors!

This one at 5,750 words. If you receive this newsletter via email, you will need to click through to the website to see the whole thing.

Some brief highlights:

  • The Charlottesville Planning Commission will have public hearings Tuesday on whether the Comprehensive Plan supports public facilities to be built as part of the development of 245 units along the Rivanna River. They’ll also have a public hearing on a rezoning for up to 118 units and commercial space at 501 Cherry Avenue. 
  • Charlottesville City Council will have a work session Monday on the future of transit. Specifically, how should it be run in the future in order to generate more revenue to pay for expanded service. 
  • There’s a possibility of a new reservoir for Lovingston and Colleen in Nelson County. The Board of Supervisors will consider authorizing a preliminary engineering report on Tuesday. 
  • The Albemarle Planning Commission will review Comprehensive Plan “toolkits” on Tuesday. 
  • Two Albemarle Community Advisory Committees will take a look this week at the Long Range Transportation Plan work being undertaken by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission for the Metropolitan Planning Organization. Or: Two Albemarle CAC’s to see LRPT by TJPDC for MPO.  
  • Charlottesville’s Historic Resources Committee will discuss who, where, and what should be on a list of Civil Rights milestones in the community. 

Thanks to The Piedmont Environmental Council for their sponsorship of this weekly look ahead at what’s coming up in public meetings.

Monday, August 7, 2023

Council to learn about revenue sources for expanded transit in governance study update

The five member Charlottesville City Council begins their meeting at 4 p.m. with a work session on transit beginning at 4 p.m. followed by the regular session at 6:30 p.m. (meeting overview)

The work session could be an important one for the future of public transportation in the area. The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission has been overseeing a study to look at the structure of how transit is currently provided in the area that will make recommendations for how it might be changed in the future to support expanded service.

That expanded service would be informed by a completed “Regional Transit Vision.” 

“Led by the TJPDC and supported by the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and DRPT, the Transit Vision Plan established a unified vision for transit service in Region 10, which is made up of the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and the City of Charlottesville,” reads the hand-out for the work session.

A table summarizing two versions of the Regional Transit Vision (Credit: TJPDC)  

The governance study is in the third of five phases. Providing transit service is not cheap, especially in an era where a shortage of drivers has led to frequent service disruptions on Charlottesville Area Transit routes. This step of the process will look at potential revenue sources to come up with an estimate of the total amount that might be generated. 

A vision constrained by the reality of potential revenue sources has an estimate of about $35 million. The unconstrained vision where money is no object has an estimate of about $85 million. 

The thing is, Charlottesville City Council holds most of the cards as Charlottesville Area Transit is a city agency. If there is to be a regional transit authority, will the City Council agree to give up control? 

And will there be an update to Council on the status of the bus route changes that were discussed two years ago but never implemented? What role does the new CAT transit strategic plan play in all of these other studies? Who stays on top of this all? I try. 

Here are some stories I’ve written on the topic of expanded regional transit:

Council will direct the Planning Commission to review future zoning code

Council will begin their regular meeting with a proclamation for the Soul of Cville festival happening August 11 through August 13 at the Ix Park.

“Soul of Cville seeks to reclaim the narrative surrounding some of Charlottesville’s darkest days by showcasing and elevating Black voices, art, entrepreneurship, music, food and more,” reads the proclamation.

The consent agenda is a list of items that Council will approve but aren’t scheduled to talk about unless one of its members pulls it for discussion. 

  • There’s second reading of an appropriation of $56,316.53 in insurance reimbursements for a variety of damaged city infrastructure such as poles. (staff report)
  • There’s second reading of an appropriation of $100,000 from the Virginia Department of Education for the Special Nutrition Program Summer Food Service Program. (staff report)
  • There is second reading of a transfer of $33,827.85 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from the City of Promise to the city. City of Promise had been using the money for community resiliency activities at the Westhaven Clinic but a decision has been to return the funds to the city. (staff report)
  • There is second reading of an encroachment agreement with the owner of 1117 Preston Avenue as some of the infrastructure for a proposed 16-unit apartment building is within the city’s right of way. (staff report)
  • There is the second reading of an appropriation of $285,665 in funding from the Virginia Department of Transportation for a share-used path from Washington Park to Madison Avenue. (staff report)

Next, Council will officially start the clock for the Planning Commission to make a recommendation on the new Development Code that will include both the new zoning ordinance and the new subdivision ordinance.

“The Planning Commission will have 100 days from this referral to provide their recommendation back to the City Council,” reads the staff report. “The Planning Commission is required to conduct a public hearing on the proposed ordinance before providing their recommendations.”

The resolution states the clock starts at their regular meeting after adoption of the official referral. That brings us to Friday, November 16.

As of August 7, a consolidated draft of the development ordinance is not able for review. There will likely be substantial changes from the three modules that have been released so far. I’ll be publishing up what I can as soon as it comes out, even if this occurs on my birthday this week. The future of Charlottesville’s built environment hinges on the details in this document, affecting everyone who lives regardless of the attention they’ve paid to the Cville Plans Together initiative

Adoption of the new development ordinance is the third leg of the process which included an Affordable Housing Plan adopted in March 2021 and a new Comprehensive Plan adopted in November 2021.

This is where I turn to you and ask a question. Do you agree with this statement?

“There has been extensive community engagement over the entire time period of the Cville Plans Together process as well as specifically in relation to the Zoning Ordinance,” reads the staff report.

My audience is quite small at about 2,400 people. I know I’m not reaching everyone but in reporting recently for a C-Ville Weekly article on Dairy Market Phase 3, at least two people I asked said they had no idea the zoning ordinance is under review. My resources are limited but now is the time for people to know about what’s happening.

In the meantime, several land use applications will come before the City Council under the current rules. One of them is for the Salvation Army’s request for a special use permit for expansion of its shelter at 207 and 211 Ridge Street. The Planning Commission recommended approval on July 11 after a joint public hearing.

“The Planning Commission and City Council had a long conversation related to this project and the public good it provides,” reads the staff report. “Parking was the main topic as it relates to ensuring adequate parking is provided both during construction.”

After that, Council will have second reading of a request special use permit to reduce setbacks at the nine-story building previously approved at 218 West Market Street at the site of a 20th century shopping center that will be demolished. (staff report)

The rendering for the proposed expansion of the Salvation Army on Ridge Street (Credit: Mitchell Matthews Architects and Planners)


Last week, Albemarle County Supervisors got the semi-annual report out from the Land Use and Environmental Planning Committee. This is the closed-door successor to the open-door Planning and Community Council Committee that was disbanded in November 2019.

“LUEPC is intended to be a vehicle to collaborate and coordinate land use and development plans and projects and to consider environmental and infrastructure issues facing the community,” reads the staff report.

While perhaps not the intent, the body is also intended to be a place for collaboration to occur before items are ready for public review. The charter has been amended to make certain that what gets discussed at LUEPC stays at LUEPC until it’s ready for the public. I wrote about this on May 10.

There’s a lot in the semi-annual report to review and I’ve written up a lot of it. There is no greater factor in this region’s future than growth at the University of Virginia. What happens at LUEPC is one of the many ways to get information about their planning process. Here’s an outline of the report that might have made my third-grade teacher proud. 

  • February 2023
    • The Virginia Department of Transportation gave an update on projects including the Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29 intersection, Albemarle County’s future roundabouts, the U.S. 29 / Fontaine Avenue interchange, and current studies underway. (report)
    • The University of Virginia presented a timeline for several projects underway as the Fontaine Research Park is expanded to include the Biotechnology Institute. (report)
  • March 2023
  • April 2023
    • The University of Virginia presented the results of a thermal energy study (report)
  • May 2023
    • The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority presented a review of the community’s water supply plan (report)
    • The Smart Scale funded East High Streetscape project is in the right of way acquisition phase with construction expected to begin in late summer 2004. Those are two takeaways from the city’s presentation. (report)
    • The University of Virginia presented their Grounds Framework Plan, which serves as a master plan for the public entity’s future land use (report)
  • June 2023
    • The RWSA presented its plans to build a waterline crossing over the South Fork Rivanna River (report)
    • The University of Virginia Foundation presented its plans to renovate Birdwood Mansion on Ivy Road as an event center (report)

Council’s meeting ends with a quarterly update from the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority and the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority. (report)

A cartoon in VDOT’s February 2023 report that describes the transportation planning process. (Credit: VDOT)

Louisa County BOS to consider rezoning for 25 units for Fluvanna-Housing Housing Foundation 

The seven-member Louisa County Board of Supervisors will meet at 5 p.m. at the county administration at 1 Woolfolk Avenue in Louisa. They begin with a closed session and go into open session at 6 p.m. (meeting info)

The first item on the agenda is a recognition of the 2022/2023 Louisa County High School Girls’ Varsity Softball Team for winning the Virginia High School League Class 4 State Championship. 

Then there will be a presentation from the Louisa Forward Foundation. That’s a nonprofit group created by the Louisa County Chamber of Commerce to promote economic, education, and community development. 

Under unfinished business, there will be the resumption of a discussion about the Transportation Safety Commission’s consideration of road matters. A written update from VDOT’s Scott Thornton is here.

Under new business there are three items:

  • One is a request from the Louisa County Water Authority for $100,000 for repairs at the Lake Anna Wastewater Treatment Plant. (resolution)
  • The second is a resolution for a transit services agreement with Jaunt. Louisa County will pay $465,647 to Jaunt in FY2024. This is something to keep in mind when considering the transit government study. (resolution)
  • The third is for the purchase of a $350,000 ambulance for the Louisa County Department of Fire and EMS. Half of the cost comes from Virginia’s Rescue Squad Assistance Fund. (resolution)

There are six public hearings:

  • A couple seek a rezoning of 10.848 acres from General Commercial (C-2) to Agricultural (A-2) for the purposes of a family subdivision. (staff report)
  • The Fluvanna-Louisa Housing Foundation seeks a rezoning of 8.322 acres from Industrial Growth Area Overlay District to Resident General (R-2) for a multi-family complex with 25 units. (staff report)
  • The above also needs a special use permit. (staff report)
  • Oh, and a special exception, too, related to landscaping and buffering requirements. (staff report)
  • The county wants to give about a tenth of acre of surplus property on Elm Avenue to Region 10. (staff report)
  • There are amendments to the ordinance related to animals running at large. (staff report)

Okay, four items. Six public hearings. 

For more details on all of this, check out Tammy Purcell’s Engage Louisa newsletter.

A sample of one of the units that would be built as part of the Fluvanna-Louisa Housing Foundation’s project (Credit: Louisa County)

ARB to review new location for Airport Auto, Home Depot outdoor sales

The Albemarle Architectural Review Board meets at 1 p.m. in Lane Auditorium of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. (meeting info)

There are two regular items for review as the properties are within an entrance corridor. 

The first is for a site development plan for a new location for Airport Auto at the intersection of U.S. 29 and Northside Drive on land zoned for Heavy Industrial. This would be for automotive repair as well as tire sales, but not self-storage. (staff report)

The second is for the outdoor sales area for the Home Depot slated to replace the Sears at Fashion Square Mall. The ARB recommended approval the initial site plan at their meeting on May 15, as I wrote about at the time. Outdoor sales require a special use permit from the Board of Supervisor. At this meeting the ARB will be asked to give their review. 

“The proposed Garden Center is partially roofed and partially open to the sky,” reads the staff report. “Products housed in the Garden Center include plants, mulch, building materials and other similar items.” 

Conceptual plan for the outdoor sales area at the new Home Depot

The ARB will also have a discussion for Rio Road East, one of the county’s entrance corridors.  The staff report contains a brief history of the area. 

“Earlier nineteenth century maps include place names that remain familiar today, including Dunlora, Meadowbrook, Branchland, Rio, the Meadows, Stonehenge, Cochran’s Mill, and Meadow Creek,” reads the staff report. “Residential development began in the area in the late 1950s, with portions of the Greenbrier and Northfields developments in place by the mid-1960s.”

In other meetings:

  • The regularly scheduled meeting of the Fire-EMS Executive Committee has been canceled. 
  • The Agricultural and Forestal District Committee has been canceled. 

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Nelson County looks to upgrade water/sewer facilities for Lovingston

The five member Board of Supervisors in Nelson County meets at 2 p.m. in the General District Courtroom at the Courthouse in Lovingston. They also have an evening session which begins at 7 p.m. (meeting packet)

The afternoon session begins with a recognition of James Morris. He’s a county employee who is retiring after 33 years of service. (page 58)

There are two presentations.  One is from the Virginia Department of Transportation. The other is an update from the Nelson Heritage Center. 

There are three items under new and unfinished business. 

  • There’s a funding request of $12,367 from the Rockfish Senior Group. There had been funding in FY21 but none in FY22 or FY 23. The FY24 budget includes the amount. The official request is handwritten. (page 59)
  • There’s a funding request of $5,500 from the Lovingston Village Association to hire the Spill Teem to work on a branding and marketing proposal. That is not a misspelling of team. (page 63)
  • There’s a resolution to authorize Preliminary Engineering Reports for a water impoundment and treatment plant at Dillard Creek to serve Lovingston and the upgrade of the Lovingston wastewater treatment plant. (page 68)

There are three public hearings in the evening session. 

  • The first is an amendment to the county code for the Safety Program to update references to which entities are covered by the Line of Duty act. (page 72)
  • The second is an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation for the Nelson County Service Authority. (page 86)
  • The third is for consideration of a special use permit to allow an Outdoor Entertainment Venue on land zoned for agricultural use at 877 Glenthorpe Loop in Nellysford. The Planning Commission recommended approval on a 4-1 vote. (page 103)

Albemarle PC to review toolkits on growth area expansion, other land use changes

Virginia law specifically assigns Planning Commissions the responsibility of developing Comprehensive Plans “for the physical development of the territory within its jurisdiction and every governing body shall adopt a comprehensive plan for the territory under its jurisdiction.” 

For over a year and a half, Albemarle County has been updating its plan in a process called AC44. At 6 p.m., the Planning Commission will have their latest work session on AC44. You can read the staff report for some of the background, but it’s fairly dry and not incredibly accessible.

A major reason for Charlottesville Community Engagement is to cover this process. Here’s a link to some of the articles I’ve written to date. 

This work session will cover the same “toolkits” that the Community Advisory Committees reviewed in July.  

“The toolkits are intended to build on key features of the current Growth Management Policy, including the expectation that future growth will occur primarily within the Development Areas,” reads the staff report. “AC44 is grounded in the same overarching idea as the current Comprehensive Plan — that focusing growth within the Development Areas is the best way to preserve land for agriculture, forestry, and natural resources in the Rural Area, foster a vibrant mix of uses and activities with services and amenities in the Development Areas, leverage existing infrastructure and opportunities for redevelopment, discourage sprawl, and provide services and infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner.” 

What do you think? The Board of Supervisors will hold their work session on September 6. 

Busy Charlottesville PC to hold public hearings on 0 East High Street, 501 Cherry Avenue

The Charlottesville Planning Commission meets in CitySpace at 5 p.m. for a pre-meeting discussion about the agenda followed by the beginning of the meeting at 5:30 p.m. This is a busy meeting and anyone who wants to know what will happen should watch the pre-meeting to see if there are any changes to the entire session. (meeting overview)

There are three joint public hearings with City Council. 

First, opponents of a proposal to build 245 apartment units along the Rivanna River on undeveloped land in the floodplain have persuaded the city to conduct a review of whether public facilities that would be constructed there are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. These include future public streets, public trails, and public parking. 

“Other components of the proposed development, including the multifamily residential use, private parking lot serving the multifamily units, and private amenity spaces, are not components for which the Planning Commission may conduct a comprehensive plan compliance review,” reads the staff report. 

City staff have denied a preliminary site plan four times. I’ve not had a chance to write-up the most recent one. 

Some background in the form of older articles:

Second, there will be a public hearing on an allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funding that will be funneled through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME program. There’s a total of $340,000. 

“The City plans to use to support the preservation and/or development of rental units affordable to households at 60 percent of the local Area Median Income (‘AMI’) (at or below $55,500 for a household of four persons in 2023),” reads the agenda. 

The final event is a request for a rezoning and special use permit that Woodard Properties has requested for a major parcel on Cherry Avenue. This is another example of a rezoning moving forward under existing zoning rather than wait for the new set of rules.

The specific request is to rezone from the Cherry Avenue Mixed Use Corridor district to the B-3 Business district. The special use permit is for additional density and to reduce setbacks. The new zoning would eliminate such density requirements. 

“The applicant is proposing a mixed-use development with up to 118 units and approximately 26,400 square feet of commercial space through new construction,” reads the agenda. 

“In addition to new housing, this project would provide commercial tenant spaces that could serve a variety of users that would benefit local businesses by allowing them to locate within the communities they serve and that would benefit residences by having services they utilize nearby,” reads the narrative written by Shimp Engineering. “The owner has actively engaged with area non-profits about the potential to relocate to this property and there is interest from local businesses in doing so.” 

They are Twice is Nice and the Music Resource Center. 

The developer has listed several conditions called proffers. 

  • A minimum of 60 of the units would be offered for sale to the Piedmont Housing Alliance. If that contract is not agreed to by December 31, between four and nine affordable units would be built by the developer. The staff report notes that if the latter option is exercised, the developer would still be able to pay into the city’s affordable housing fund rather than build the units on site. 
  • Non-profit space would be offered for sale for a period of 120 days after the first certificate of occupancy is issued. 
  • A minimum of 5,000 square feet of commercial space will be reserved for a grocery store that sells fresh produce. 
  • Several uses will be proffered out including gas stations, car washes, dry-cleaning, and drive-through establishments.
  • Building height will not exceed 65 feet.

Attachment E of the package is a memorandum of understanding between Woodard Properties and the Fifeville Neighborhood Association and the Piedmont Housing Alliance. This begins on page 162 of the agenda packet. 

“Under current city parameters, by right, any property owner would be allowed to develop 47 luxury residential units, which would not align with the priorities expressed in the Cherry Avenue Small Area Plan,” reads the MOU. “FNA and the WP-PHA Partnership believe that, with thoughtful redevelopment that considers the surrounding neighborhood, the Estes IGA property has the potential to reestablish its central cultural and economic role in the neighborhood.” 

Woodard Properties owns a large amount of land on the Cherry Avenue Corridor including the Cherry Avenue Shopping Center and a large vacant lot used for parking. The MOU states that there is transparency regarding their ownership and points to partnerships such as the Fifeville Community Trail. 

Other items of cooperation include the Piedmont Housing Alliance’s purchase of duplexes in the Orangedale section of the neighborhood under the Piedmont Community Land Trust. 

The MOU also states that Piedmont Housing Alliance will pursue low-income tax credits and funding from the city of Charlottesville for their portion of the project should that proceed. Piedmont Housing Alliance is already getting millions from the city for Kindlewood (former Friendship Court) and two separate developments on Park Street. Competition is increasing for low-income housing tax credits issued by the entity formerly known as the Virginia Housing Development Authority. 

Massing diagram for 501 Cherry Avenue (Credit: BRW Architects)

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Fluvanna Planning Commission to consider hazard plan, sidewalk waiver request

The Fluvanna Planning Commission meets at 6 p.m. for a work session followed by a regular meeting at 7 p.m. They meet at 8880 James Madison Highway in Fork Union. (meeting packet)

The work session will cover the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and specifically adding the Hazard Mitigation Plan to that document. That document was prepared by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District commission and adopted by the Fluvanna Board of Supervisors on February 1. Take a look at the document here. 

In the regular meeting, there is a review of a site development plan for a 5,000 “fabrication building” on Richmond Road and Zion Station Road. This is within the Zion Station Industrial Park and is within the Zion Crossroads Community Planning Area. This property borders a planned roundabout at U.S. Route 250 and Troy Road. Specifically the applicant has asked for a waiver from the requirement to build a sidewalk. Staff believes the exception isn’t necessary due to the VDOT project. 

The conceptual design for the roundabout at U.S. Route 250 / Route 631 (Credit: Virginia Department of Transportation)

In other meetings:

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Crozet CAC to review plans for long-range transportation plan 

The Crozet Community Advisory Committee will hold their monthly meeting at the Crozet Library beginning at 7 p.m. with a scheduled ending time of 8:30 p.m. That’s to give enough time for attendees to help break down the room before the library closes. (meeting info)

There are three items on the agenda.  The first is a presentation from the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission on the long-range transportation plan that is currently in development. 

“The purpose of this plan is to identify priority transportation needs for the City of Charlottesville and urbanized portions of Albemarle County,” reads the agenda.

Participation in transportation decisions is fairly low. This stuff is all very confusing. Another purpose of Charlottesville Community Engagement is to try to change that from a third-party, non-government perspective.  I believe democracy needs information and context to survive and thrive. Here are some stories about the Long Range Transportation Plan process:

The CAC will also have a discussion of the proposed Riparian Buffer Overlay District that is under review.  This is an outcome of Albemarle’s stream health initiative. 

“Albemarle County is developing a Riparian Buffer Overlay District to protect and improve vegetation along rivers and streams, strengthen buffer requirements that were narrowed in 2014, and be more consistent with Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act,” reads the description on the Engage Albemarle site. 

Input is being taken on the Engage Albemarle site through August 13. There are 39 responses so far. 

Finally, the CAC will discuss the recent virtual meeting on the AC44 process. I have a summary of that here. 

  • The James River Water Authority’s Board of Directors will meet at 9 a.m. in the Fluvanna County Administration Building in the Morris Room. That’s at 132 Main Street in Palmyra. There will be a discussion of the status of the project to build a waterline between the James River and Zion Crossroads. A draft permit from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality will soon be ready for public review. Property acquisition for right of way is underway. (agenda packet)

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Louisa County PC to review short-term rental changes

The Louisa County Planning Commission meets for a work session at 5 p.m. followed by a regular meeting at 7 p.m. (worksession info) (regular meeting info)

The work session will cover potential changes to the county’s Land Development Regulations. The amendments would eliminate the word “tourist” from the definition of short-term rentals, add more restrictions to short-term rentals, and establish zoning districts where their use would be by-right and where they would need a conditional use permit. 

There will also be a review of potential changes to the Livestock and Poultry section of the code to require property owners to keep their animals on their own land. 

In the regular meeting, there is a public hearing for the rezoning of 3.03 acres of land from Industrial Limited (I-1) to General Commercial (C-2) to allow for the sale of recreational vehicles. 

Proposed use table for amendments to short-term rental regulations (Credit: Louisa County)

In other meetings:

  • The Albemarle County Solid Waste Alternatives Advisory Committee meets at 4 p.m. in Room 235 of the county office building at 401 McIntire Road. Among other things, they’ll discuss their annual report to the Board of Supervisors. (meeting info)
  • The Albemarle Conservation Easement Authority meeting scheduled for 4:45 has been canceled 
  • The SWAAC Outreach Group meets at 5:30 p.m. in Room 235. They’ll discuss teaching recycling and composting in public schools. (meeting info)
  • The Places29-North Community Advisory Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. at Hollymead Elementary School in the Media Center. That’s at 2775 Powell Creek Drive. They’ll also get a review of the long-range transportation plan. (meeting info)

Friday, August 11, 2023

Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee to discuss city parks, civil rights figures

The Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee will meet at 11 a.m. in the Neighborhood Development Services conference room. (meeting info)

They’ll get an update on the creation of a Downtown Walking Tour. This will include the discussion of a version of the map for the Internet and themes for future maps. This has been on this group’s agenda for many meetings. 

There will also be a discussion of a submission to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources for a historic marker for Court Square. An application is due October 20, 2023. A sub-committee may be formed.

Another subcommittee may be formed to discuss historic information on city parks that might be added to the city’s website. Perhaps you might want to take a look at the list of parks on the city’s website and see what information you’d like to add? Or perhaps you’re not interested in joining a subcommittee but want to add information anyway? Perhaps you could add something to cvillepedia? If the latter, drop me a line and I’ll set up a time to explain how to use the site. 

There will also be a discussion of Jenkins Park and a possible marker there. I believe Jenkins Park is the pocket park in the 10th and Page neighborhood. It’s not listed on the city website. Cvillepedia comes up with a blank, too. If you want to help start one, here are some resources:

After that there will be a discussion called “Identifying and interpreting mid-20th century local Civil Rights events, places, and people” that is slated for 15 minutes. This is another invitation for people who might like to do that on cvillepedia!

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.