This week: Data center regulation subject of Albemarle community meeting
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.
Take Action: Make Free Bridge Lane Permanently Car-free
Late last year, Albemarle County closed Free Bridge Lane to automobile traffic, creating a safe, riverside space for walking, running, and biking. That has proved very popular so the Board of Supervisors will discuss making the arrangement permanent at its August 6 meeting.
Here are five ways you can help:
- Please sign PEC’s petition requesting the following: 1) finalize the road closure, 2) fund and build a first wave of safety, access and environmental improvements, and 3) budget in coming years to construct the proposed promenade. We will forward the petition to County leaders when the time comes.
- Contact the Board of Supervisors directly and tell them why places like Free Bridge Lane are important to you.
- Attend the August 6 meeting and consider speaking during the public comment period (at the beginning of the meeting).
- Share your ideas for improvements, projects, activities, or events you would like to see On Free Bridge Lane (especially things that can be done quickly, cheaply and that you would be willing to champion).
- Get inspired! 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 future of Free Bridge Lane will depend on a combination of volunteer energy, private donations and certain specific actions that only the government can take (like improving the safety and access). We depend on all of you to make it happen!
In the meantime, go check it out. The flat, paved riverside space is especially good for learning ride a bike or rollerblade, doing measured wind sprints or walking with elders. [Info page]
A Great Day at Eldon Farms: Annual Gathering Recap
his year’s annual gathering on June 8 – Inspiring Conservation – was a particularly special event at a truly magnificent property that is a shining example of how conservation and thoughtful land stewardship can align to support the community, agriculture and biodiversity.
Albemarle’s Growth Management Policy at Inflection Point
Expanding the Development Areas now is not only unnecessary, but would compromise the county’s climate and resiliency goals.
Cville Area Land Use: Week Ahead for June 23, 2025
This week: Greene Supervisors to see reduced scope for water supply plan implementation
Data Centers: Industry Impacts In Virginia
Virginia holds the largest global concentration of data centers anywhere in the world. This multibillion-dollar industry requires huge amounts of energy, land, and water, resulting in widespread community impacts. Without swift intervention, data centers in the Commonwealth will derail critical climate goals and efforts to improve air and water quality, advance land conservation, and protect national and state parks.
A Conversation on Trails and Connectivity
While conserving the verdant landscapes of Virginia’s Piedmont is foundational to The Piedmont Environmental Council’s mission, making the outdoors accessible to everyone has become an equally vital goal. Over the past few years, we have deliberately integrated trail development into our broader conservation mission, protecting strategic properties that can serve as trail corridors or public access points to create lasting places and ways for people to experience the Piedmont’s natural beauty firsthand.
On the Ground Updates – June 2025
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
Support Loudoun’s Agricultural Businesses! Weigh in on ABC Licensed Uses that Impact Farmers and Residents
June 18 meeting canceled – Loudoun County staff and Supervisors have been working hard since last November on the update to the Zoning Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan for Western Loudoun. On date TBD and July 16 at 5 p.m. in the main board room at the County Government Center, the Transportation and Land Use Committee will hold its fourth and fifth stakeholder work sessions for the Western Loudoun ordinance and comprehensive plan update. These two sessions will cover the regulations and standards surrounding the ABC licensed businesses of Western Loudoun, including wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries.
Cville Area Land Use: Week Ahead for June 16, 2025
This week: Student housing building planned in Fifeville; Albemarle and Charlottesville to consider permanent financing for renovations at regional jail