Fall updates: Albemarle Data Center Ordinance, Loop de Ville, AC44 nearing completion, and Ragged Mountain temporarily closes + lots of events.
Faith Schweikert
Resources from the Albemarle Data Center Community Meeting — Sept. 16, 2025
Resources for Albemarle County from our Data Center Community Meeting held Sept. 16, 2025 in Charlottesville.
Join Us for a Data Center Community Meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 16
Join us for a community meeting in Charlottesville Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 6-8 p.m. to hear from PEC’s data center experts about the industry’s environmental impacts and how advocating for better regulations and transparency in both the county and the state can help catalyze better outcomes for communities.
Rivanna Festivities & Take Action
This text was taken from an email alert sent out on July 29, 2025. Sign up for email alerts →
Dear Supporter,
If you’ve spent any time around the Rivanna River this summer, then you’ve experienced first-hand the benefits of increased public access to nature and the environment. This is a key focus area for PEC because access to nature improves the health and well-being of individuals and communities, it creates a deeper connection to place and often inspires enhanced stewardship and love of the environment.
Read on to learn about upcoming happenings around and about the Rivanna River this summer and fall — and how you can get involved!
Ways to Get Involved
Sign the Petition: Make Free Bridge Lane Permanently Car-free
Late last year, Albemarle County closed Free Bridge Lane to automobile traffic, creating a highly accessible and safe riverside space for walking, running and biking. That action has proven quite popular, and the Board of Supervisors will discuss making the closure permanent at its August 6 meeting.
In our petition, we’re asking Albemarle County to:
- permanently transition Free Bridge Lane from underutilized roadway to public park
- fund and build a first wave of safety, access and environmental improvements
- budget significant funding for buildout Free Bridge Lane and the larger Rivanna River Greenway
There is no guarantee this will happen without strong public support. Here are some ways you can help:
- Sign the petition. This is a simple way to be on record supporting this effort.
- Contact the Board of Supervisors directly and tell them why places like Free Bridge Lane are important to you.
- Attend the Aug. 6 meeting and consider speaking during the public comment period (at the beginning of the meeting).
Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting
Wed., Aug. 6, 1 – 4:30 p.m. (Public Comment around 1:30 p.m.)
County Office Building, 401 McIntire Road
Although the county has long term plans for a promenade, right now, Free Bridge Lane is a bit of an empty canvas where new temporary installations or popup events are possible. Some are already happening. If you have an idea for improvements, projects, activities, or events you would like to see in the future, you can share your ideas here.
A team of PEC Summer Fellows has prepared an idea book of (mostly) practical ways to transform the disused roadway into a lively park. Take a look!
The wider network of riverside greenways (and blueways!) will be topics at two upcoming gatherings.
Mobility Alliance Meeting + Social
Fri., Aug. 8, 4 – 6 p.m.
Decipher Brewing, 1540 Broadway Street
Do you like to walk, bike, run or paddle – or just move freely in fresh air? The Piedmont Mobility Alliance is a coalition focused on making it easier and safer to get outdoors. This casual gathering will be a chance to learn, share, and collaborate, with a special emphasis on the Rivanna River.
All are welcome! There will be beer specials, plenty of non-alcoholic options, snacks, plus pizza and pretzels for purchase.
—
Annual Rivanna Basin Conference
Wed., Sept. 24, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Boulevard
This year’s conference focuses on water supply planning within the context of the region’s data center development and a growing need for drought resilience. PEC Director of Land Use, Julie Bolthouse, will speak about our data center reform efforts across the state. Additional speakers, tabling organizations and a full agenda to come.
Speaking of the Rivanna, registration will open this Friday, Aug. 1 for the annual Loop de Ville Trail Fest!
Loop de Ville Trail Fest
Sat. Sept. 27, All Day (Raindate: Sun., Oct. 5)
Hikes, runs, rides of various distances, Rivanna River Company, 1520 E High Street
The Loop de Ville celebrates Public Lands Day on the beloved Rivanna Trail, which encircles Charlottesville and links to the Rivanna River. The day features numerous hikes, walks, runs, and bike rides for people of all abilities, including a 3-mile riverside walk and half-loop — with guides and support along the way.
An event of this size needs the support of the community to make it happen. Consider signing up to be a sponsor or volunteer, both of which are needed.
See you in the community,
Faith Schweikert
Communications Specialist
[email protected]
(434) 977-2033 x7026
Spring Orange County Updates
A lot is going on in Orange County. Read on for updates on the Wilderness Crossing lawsuit, potential changes to agricultural zoning, and how the region is attempting to counter the area’s water woes with collaborative water supply planning.
Spring Updates from Charlottesville & Albemarle County
Read about housing, data centers in Albemarle, bike month, and farmland protection.
The Little Forest That Could
Deep within the center of a former 1,200-acre monoculture pine plantation-turned-utility-scale solar project lies a donut hole of amazing, permanently protected natural hardwood forest. It exists because Christine and Bob Putnam took yet another of their many steps of fierce commitment to the environment and to Albemarle County by placing their 70 acres of forestland into a conservation easement with the Albemarle County Easement Authority last year.
The Next Generation
For over 100 years, three generations of Goodalls have owned and worked to improve their land in Madison County, which now stands at 596 acres after enlarging the farm several times. Now, brothers Joe and Paul have fulfilled their parents’ final wishes to keep the land as a farm. In April, PEC used grants from the USDA’s Agricultural Land Easement program, the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, and the Volgenau Foundation to purchase a conservation easement for $1.3 million, permanently protecting the farm for the next generation.
Winter Updates from Albemarle & Charlottesville
This text was taken from an email sent Jan. 30, 2025. Sign up for email alerts →
Dear Supporter,
In the last week, I’ve wandered around the County’s new Biscuit Run Park and advocated for data center reform in Virginia’s General Assembly Building in Richmond. Both feel like the right kind of places to spend a winter: enjoying easy-to-access nature and taking action on environmental issues that impact us all. Read on to learn about ways PEC has been working with community members to make Albemarle and Charlottesville better.
And if you’re interested in hearing about all of this directly from us, mark your calendars to join PEC’s Charlottesville staff for an Open House next Mon., Feb. 3 from 4 – 7 p.m. RSVP or swing by to hear about all the land use, conservation, and transportation and mobility work we’re working on this year.
Conservation: Impact of 2024 Conservation Easements in Albemarle
As an accredited land trust, PEC helps Virginia realize its conservation, climate, and biodiversity goals by partnering with landowners who wish to permanently protect their lands by placing a conservation easement on their property. In 2024, Albemarle County landowners protected 665 acres through conservation easements held by PEC, the Albemarle County Easement Authority and the 500 Year Forest Foundation.
Eighty-three percent of land in Virginia is privately owned, and these private lands contain irreplaceable waterways, prime agricultural soils, forest blocks, scenic viewsheds, historic resources and wildlife habitat. Locally, examples of this impact include over 500 miles of streams, 1,500 acres of wetlands, 76,00 acres of forests, and over 40,000 acres of prime farmland protected by conservation easements in Albemarle County alone.
Protecting these conservation values and a myriad of other public benefits that conserved lands give the community, such as climate and flood resiliency, is crucial. This is why we’ve been advocating for increased support for conservation programs in Albemarle County to advance more conservation locally and ensure that landowners of all income levels can participate.
Land Use: Albemarle Comprehensive Plan Update
The Albemarle Comprehensive Plan update process (AC44), which seeks to outline the vision for the County for the next 20 years, will soon wrap up discussion about land use decisions in the Rural Area, the Development Areas and the Growth Management Framework. The Board of Supervisors will hold a work session Wednesday, Feb. 12 on these topics, so we’ll share our comments with those signed up for our AC44 update emails beforehand. Throughout this process, PEC has continued to wave the flag for smart growth, access to nature, and protection of the rural areas for biodiversity, water supply and the rural economy.
Next topic up is Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. The Planning Commission will hold a work session Tuesday, Feb. 11, and a Board of Supervisors work session is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 19. As for all community topics, we encourage you to write to your supervisor if you have an opinion on parks, recreation and open space. County planning staff will continue to consolidate information as they work through the draft chapters before producing a draft document this summer.
Parks & Trails: Biscuit Run Park Opens to the Public
Two decades in the making, 1,190 acres of woodlands and meadows has opened to the public as the new Biscuit Run County Park. PEC had a direct hand in ensuring this land be publicly accessible green space and in pushing the project forward along the way. We’ll continue to be involved as we work toward:
- Connecting the park to Southwood via a new bridge and trailhead at Hickory Street
- Designing a greenway connection to future Monacan Nation Tribute Park
- Expediting walk & bike connections to the rest of the community, including the City of Charlottesville
This new park is located in the heart of the community. Its many offerings, including seclusion, diverse habitats, more than 8.5 miles of well-marked trails, and abundant fresh air, are now available to far more people within a walking, biking or a short drive’s distance. Its heritage trees, multiple streams, a pond with beavers, historic home sites and much more can now be part of people’s everyday lives.
At this year’s Charlottesville / Albemarle Mobility Summit, March 6 and 7, we’ll be celebrating this and continuing to work toward greater access to the outdoors, including launching the study of a path that extends from Charlottesville to the Afton Tunnel near Waynesboro.
Upcoming Events
E-Bike Voucher Registration
Registration ends Friday, Jan. 31
E-Bikes could be game-changers as ways to get people out of cars, while dramatically reducing emissions, congestion, and parking. They transform cycling in some fundamental ways that are particularly important in our region, which is hilly with four very distinct seasons. To reduce barriers to entry, the City of Charlottesville is offering a $1,000 voucher for e-bike purchases. Register for several drawings throughout 2025. The first registration period will end this Friday, Jan. 31. Learn more at https://cvilleebike.com/
PEC’s Charlottesville Office Open House
Mon, Feb. 3, 4–7 p.m., 410 East Water Street #700
Come join us in celebrating the past year and learn about our work going forward. We’ll gather in community with drinks, light bites, and conversation about PEC, the community, and how we can all work together to make it better. Let us know you’re coming and stop by the King Building anytime that evening.
Charlottesville / Albemarle Active Mobility Summit
Two days! Thurs., Mar. 6, 5:30–8 p.m. + Fri., Mar. 7, 9 a.m.–noon,
The Wool Factory (1837 Broadway St.)
The fifth annual Charlottesville / Albemarle Active Mobility Summit invites cyclists, walkers, runners, and people interested in promoting active lifestyles for an evening of presentations, followed by morning work sessions. This year’s Summit will be the unofficial launch of the Three Notch’d Trail study — an 18-month process to determine the best route for a paved, shared-use path connecting Charlottesville to the Afton Tunnel and beyond.
You don’t need to attend both sessions to benefit, but it is encouraged. Both sessions will include snacks and drinks. The Mobility Summit is free but registration is required.
Lastly, these emails are meant to inform, to engage and to remind our members and readers that their participation can make a difference in issues that are important to them. In the midst of great change, local action matters. As always, we encourage you to get involved.
Hope to see you at the Open House next week,
Faith Schweikert
Communications Specialist
[email protected]
Fall Updates From Albemarle and Charlottesville
This text was taken from an email alert sent out on Sept. 26, 2024. Sign up for email alerts →
Dear Supporter,
There are so many ways one can engage with the environment in the Piedmont. Whether you’re interested in wildlife and habitat restoration, water issues, or connecting more people to the outdoors in parks and trails, read on for ways to get involved in making our community better.
And if you’re an Albemarle resident, make sure to check out the Oct. 30 All-CAC (Community Advocacy Committee) meeting on Albemarle’s Comprehensive Plan. The CACs are forums for resident input on Land Use issues within the County’s designated neighborhood areas. They’re a great way to follow what’s happening in the community and in this case, they will all be meeting together. It is a very strategic opportunity and you can be sure that we’ll be there waving the flag for smart growth, access to nature, and protection of the rural areas for biodiversity, water supply, and the rural economy.
Conservation: Establishing Habitat for Grassland Birds in Albemarle
Over 60 species of birds rely on Virginia’s grasslands through the year to nest, collect food or over-winter. But in the last century, grassland birds have experienced the sharpest population decrease of any bird group in North America. The Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative, a collaborative partnership between PEC, the American Farmland Trust, Quail Forever, and Virginia Working Landscapes, has been working creatively to bring that population back on managed agricultural lands.
One of the ways they’ve done this is by creating incentives for farmers to delay their haying or participate in summer pasture stockpiling, practices which give grassland birds a place to nest and mate in the grasses. This season ensured there were 1,527 acres of grassland, from 18 landowners and producers who applied for the program, available for grassland bird habitat. About 40% of that was in Albemarle County. Other landowners are beginning to adopt the practices voluntarily.
A stable habitat is required to support wildlife populations . And ensuring that habitat is there involves maintaining
existing open space, including both working landscapes and natural forestland. To do this, and achieve our community’s climate goals, we are advocating for increased support for conservation programs in AC44 by making it a catalyst project.
Applications for next season’s VGBI incentives program will open Oct. 1 for landowners/farmers interested in taking part in the incentives programs.
Land Use: Water Supply Planning to Address Climate Impacts
Clean drinking water is a fundamental human need. Our community, through the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA), has a long history of planning for water use to ensure that there is sufficient supply for the Charlottesville/Albemarle region. However, the water supply plan was largely spurred by the dramatic drought of record in 2001-2002.
It centered on fortifying Albemarle County, the City of Charlottesville, and Town of Scottsville water supply systems and accommodating projected growth of the urbanized development areas defined in the 2015 comprehensive plan.
Going forward, new legislation requires water supply planning to be more regionally cross-jurisdictional and be based on river basins. This brings Charlottesville and Albemarle into a region with Greene, Lousia, Fluvanna and Buckingham counties. It remains unclear what will result from cross-jurisdictional planning. PEC is currently requesting to serve as a formal stakeholder during the regional water supply planning process. Droughts and extreme weather events will be more frequent as climate change gets worse, and will have ripple effects beyond water supply systems. This is why PEC is proposing comprehensive groundwater monitoring programs be established for both Albemarle and Greene counties to inform decisions based on water availability in the future. View our Climate Action Report for more information →
Parks & Trails: Report Finds Residents Want More Trails
The City of Charlottesville has completed the first part of its new Parks Master Plan. This first phase was about understanding the recreational needs of Charlottesville residents. The preliminary results underline (emphatically) what we have been saying for years: Charlottesville residents want more trails, they want for existing trails to be better maintained, and they are willing to pay for them.
We will have more information as the plan develops. For now, here are a few tidbits that caught our eye:
- An astonishing 94% of residents have visited a local park in the last year (national benchmark = 76%).
- While residents clearly love the parks and trails, only 11% rate their upkeep as “excellent”, which is well below the 27% benchmark.
- The top nine priorities all relate to exploring the outdoors, with trails and access reflected in several different categories – all well above things like courts and ballfields (which we also love).
- Most residents (86%) are willing to pay for better parks. More than half would approve a $.01 property tax increase to pay for parks and a third would approve the maximum amount suggested ($.015).
- Not surprisingly, these findings track very closely with Albemarle County’s 2018 Recreational Needs Assessment – their most recent available. That report also found that County residents want more trails – specifically connective trails – and safe places to walk and bike. They too expressed willingness to pay higher taxes in order to have them.
- The results of both of these surveys are statistically and demographically sound and broadly reflective of area residents’ desires. They should not surprise anyone, as they reflect national trends which have solidified since the pandemic.
Peter just shared an update about one of his favorite local trails: a five-mile circulator greenway centered around McIntire Park that will serve both City and County residents by connecting Downtown with the Hydraulic and Rio areas. Peter and I will be leading an Advocacy Hike along that future greenway (which is already a lovely place to walk) on Sept. 28. (See below)
- You can learn more about the City Parks Master Plan here.
Upcoming Events
Loop de Ville 5-Mile Loop Advocacy Hike
Sun., Oct. 6, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., McIntire Park
New date due to inclement weather!
PEC and partners have been advocating for a five-mile loop trail connecting McIntire and Greenbrier Parks, three schools, hundreds of businesses and thousands of residents for years. Now, it’s within reach! Join PEC’s Peter Krebs at 9:30 a.m. during Loop de Ville for a guided tour of the eventual multipurpose-path that will be a game-changer for community connection.
Loop de Ville: 20-Mile Hike / Bike / Run / Volunteer
Sun., Oct. 6, All Day, Starting and finishing at Rivanna River Company
New date due to inclement weather!
Celebrate National Public Lands Day by walking, biking or running the beloved 20-mile Rivanna Trail. There will be numerous hikes, walks, runs, and bike rides for people of all abilities — with guides and support along the way. Find PEC and our partners at the YMCA at our Cheer Zone Tent along the way.
Carbon & Conservation Workshop
Oct. 31st, 11:00-2:00 pm, Standardsville, Va.
Come learn about forest carbon, conservation easements, and other climate-smart conservation programs and opportunities are available to landowners at this free workshop. Lunch will be provided.
Albemarle Conservation Speed Dating Event
Nov. 1st, 1:00-4:00 pm, Bellair Farm
Join us for a hands-on workshop that will give you one-on-one time with local technical assistance providers and conservation practitioners to discuss your interests, options, and next steps specific to your property. All participants will receive a large-scale printed map of their property to use during the event and take home for reference.
Space is limited for this event. Please RSVP by emailing [email protected].
Soft opening of Biscuit Run Park
Fall, 2024Two decades in the making, this 1,190 acres of woodlands and meadows will open as a County Park this fall. PEC had a direct hand in ensuring this land be publicly accessible green space and in pushing the project to completion. Stay tuned for more info about a soft opening this October and an official ceremony in November.
Lastly, these emails are meant to inform, to engage and to remind our members and readers that their participation can make a difference in issues that are important to them. So this election season, we encourage you to make a plan to vote. Early voting is available to all registered voters now through Nov. 2 at your local registrar’s office. You can check your voter registration status and learn more about voting in this year’s election at vote.elections.virginia.gov.
Faith Schweikert
Communications Specialist
fschweikert@pecva.org
(434) 977-2033 x7026