Love of local and regional government is in the air, or at least in my heart. Each week I’m blessed to be able to take a look at what’s coming up on the agendas of local meetings with the goal of explaining the various subjects. At some point, I may have been hit with the wrong kind of arrow.
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.
Wilderness Crossing developer proposes reckless path forward
In January, the developer behind Wilderness Crossing submitted a letter to the county regarding unreclaimed mine sites on the 2,602-acre property.
Week Ahead for February 7, 2022: Nassau rezoning returns to Charlottesville Council; Scottsville Town Council to discuss downtown density requests
The first full week of February is among us at a time when the local government year is beginning to really pick up. Budgets are being developed in all six of the localities covered by this newsletter.
Your Action Needed on a Few Good Bills
Three bills that need your advocacy this week, plus more to pay attention to as the General Assembly session continues.
Conservation in 2021 bring regional conserved land totals to 25 percent
In 2021, private landowners partnered with various land trusts and conservation agencies to permanently protect an additional 6,474 acres of land in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties.
Conservation Easement Stories: Dr. Sam Ahdoot
Dr. Sam Ahdoot placed her land in Rappahannock County under a conservation easement with The Piedmont Environmental Council in 2019. The easement was designed to have many public benefits, including the protection of clean water, restoration of native plant and wildlife habitat, and the scenic views from Shenandoah National Park and F.T. Valley Road.
Week Ahead for January 31, 2022: Albemarle PC to get update on Comprehensive Plan update; Charlottesville Council to meet with School Board on budget issues
The second month of 2022 begins with a final day of the first. This usually means a sort of holiday for anyone who covers local and regional meetings. Fifth Mondays do not happen often so I took a little bit of a break, but the regular schedule now resumes!
SB 255: A Sweetheart Deal for Big Telecom
If passed, Senate Bill 255 would effectively prevent localities from denying cell tower proposals under 150 feet in height, making it extremely difficult to protect important cultural, scenic and environmental resources.
Week Ahead for January 24, 2022
Somehow, we are on the fourth week of the year and a lot seems to have happened. A pair of winter storms has brought a lot of attention to the how of government. This particular newsletter is more about the where and when of government meetings that also seeks to explain some of the context behind the what and the why. To what extent? The next five days.
Culpeper Reviews Its Comprehensive Plan in 2022
Every five years, each locality in the commonwealth is required to conduct a review of some part or all of its comprehensive plan. For Culpeper County, which last adopted its comprehensive plan in September 2015, that five-year review will take place over much of 2022, after a pandemic-related pause to a review process that began in 2019.