It’s another strange start to the week with another winter storm having moved through yesterday. The uncertainty of weather as well as today’s holiday for the local government caused me to delay publication until today.
Our Region
PEC focuses on nine counties and one city in the northern Piedmont of Virginia: Albemarle, Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock.
We also team with local organizations to promote thriving communities and healthy natural resources in a much larger region, including the Shenandoah Valley, the central Piedmont, and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Corridor. In addition, we are proud to serve as fiscal sponsor of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization that focuses on land use and policy in the greater Washington D.C. area.
Eyes Turn Toward Richmond: What To Expect This Session
Beyond the biennial budget bill, where PEC plans to help lead the charge for increased and dedicated funding for natural resource preservation, there are a few key issue areas we’ll be watching closely over the next two months.
Webinar: Smart Growth Protects What We Have!
On January 6, 2022, Prince William Conservation Alliance hosted a panel discussion on data centers… from the Rural Crescent to the Occoquan Reservoir.
Week Ahead for January 10, 2022: Albemarle to discuss CenturyLink issues; Charlottesville may pick an interim manager
In many ways, this is the real start of the new year. In addition to the opening of the 2022 General Assembly session, Virginia’s new governor takes office on Saturday. But this newsletter has a focus on what happens at the local level. This is the week where things really get going with the first of many full weeks. This is a rare one in which the elected bodies of all six localities I cover will meet.
Warrenton Seeks Massive Boundary Line Adjustment
In December 2021, Fauquier County released maps of an area the Town of Warrenton proposed for addition to the Town in closed session discussions. These maps reveal that the Town of Warrenton seeks to expand its boundaries by 1,750 acres—a full 60% increase in land area.
Shocking news about historic gold mining contamination
Last fall, PEC learned some important new information related to the gold mining legacy at the proposed site of the Wilderness Crossing residential development: of the five formally-named gold mines located on the property, none have been closed and cleaned up – a process called “reclamation.”
Week Ahead for January 3, 2022: New faces join elected bodies to face new challenges in a new year
And just like that we’re back for another year in local and regional government. A new year brings new faces but work that’s already underway will now resume after a very brief break. This week is a fairly quiet one, except for City Council who get right to work with two major rezoning applications. Everyone else will begin 2022 a bit more subdued with only eleven meetings in this installment. This won’t last.
Planning for the Future
We have accomplished a lot together over the 50 years of PEC’s history. With 2022 on the horizon, we have begun work on an updated strategic plan to guide our efforts in the coming years. What will the Piedmont look like in 2030, 2050 and beyond?
Wilderness Crossing: New Residential Development or Potential Superfund Site?
In November 2021, PEC learned that of the five formally-named gold mine sites located on the proposed Wilderness Crossing residential development, none of them have been closed and cleaned up – a process called “reclamation.”
Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe Shares Hope for the Holidays
Over 70 people, from Fairfax to Winchester, gathered at the Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery in Delaplane on Saturday, Dec. 18 to hear from Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, renowned climate scientist and author of the recently published book Saving Us.