As the population of Albemarle and Charlottesville continues to rise, a world-renowned professor of sustainability is encouraging us to imagine how a new generation of mass transportation could help create even better places to live.
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.
Action Alert: Crunch Time for Loudoun 2040
In late March, the Loudoun Planning Commission voted to send the draft Comprehensive Plan (a.k.a. Loudoun 2040) to the Board of Supervisors for review and action. Unfortunately, the current draft plan reads like a speculative real estate developer’s wish list — and the increased scattered residential development would come at the expense of existing residents.
It’s time for Loudoun residents to speak up and weigh in with the Board. There are important public hearings coming up in April and letters/emails/calls to the Board can start going in right away.
Loudoun 2040: More of the Same or a New Path Forward?
The draft Loudoun 2040 plan outlines how and where the County intends to grow and how it plans to protect its natural and historic assets. Check out this blog post to learn more about what’s in the draft plan and what you can do to weigh in with the Loudoun Board of Supervisors. View slides/graphics from our spring 2019 community meeting presentations.
Action Alert: Board of Supervisors to Consider Loudoun 2040
On Tuesday, March 26, the Loudoun Planning Commission voted to send the draft Comprehensive Plan (a.k.a. Loudoun 2040) to the Board of Supervisors for review and action. Up until now, voices advocating for more residential growth have disproportionately influenced the draft.
It’s time for Loudoun residents to take back the process and be heard by the Loudoun Board of Supervisors. There are important public hearings coming up in April and letters/emails/calls to the Board can start going in right away.
“Rural Resort” Ordinance Amendment Proposed in Madison County
This coming Wednesday, April 3rd at 7pm, the Madison County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will hold a joint public hearing to consider a change to its zoning ordinance. If adopted, the change would allow “rural resorts” as a special use in agriculturally zoned areas. Update: the proposal was tabled at the April 3 meeting and there is time to weigh in prior to May 1, 2019.
2019 General Assembly: What Happened?
The 2019 General Assembly Session has concluded. The budget and surviving legislation is now with the Governor awaiting action. It was a fast-paced short session — roughly 45 days in which thousands of bills were heard, including the budget bill.
Albemarle County Reaches Conservation Milestone
Only the second locality in the state to reach such a milestone, Albemarle County surpassed 100,000 acres of land permanently protected by conservation easements! In 2018, an additional 1,055 acres were protected in the county, bringing the grand total to 100,629 acres.
On the Ground — Spring 2019
Updates from around the PEC region, organized by county. Albemarle: Housing and Connectivity. Clarke: Water Quality and Conservation Luncheon. Culpeper: White Farm Conserved and PDR Program. Fauquier: Transportation Fixes and New Cell Tower Regulations. Greene: Putting Stanardsville on the Map. Loudoun: Trails, Comprehensive Plan, Roundabout Meadows and Easement Program. Madison: Planning Commission Tackles Utility-Scale Solar. Orange: Healthy Watershed Pilot Program. Rappahannock: Rappahannock County Park: Attacking Invasives and Planting Natives
Working Toward a More Connected Community
Greenways are safe and durable routes where people can walk, bike and run in nature-rich settings. For more than a year now, PEC has been working with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) to link communities in the Charlottesville/Albemarle urban core with greenways and other infrastructure for walking and biking, both for transportation and recreation.
Jefferson Area Bike and Pedestrian Plan: A Regional Vision Built on Community Dialogue
TJPDC’s Jefferson Area Bike and Pedestrian Plan is a key milestone in the effort to make the region more connected for people walking and biking. The plan covers Charlottesville and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties, but it focuses on the combined Charlottesville/Albemarle urban core. With support from the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, PEC has led extensive community engagement to gather data and input for the plan and to mobilize and coordinate public support for its implementation.