The third week of June looms, and it’s another week of decisions to be made in local and regional governments in and around Charlottesville. As the second half of the year approaches, the pandemic continues to recede even as community health officials continue to monitor new cases. A new sense of normality has taken hold, while community conversations about growth and its impacts are becoming more common.
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.
Update on St. Louis / Aldie
On Wednesday, June 9, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors held two important public hearings. The first was to listen to residents’ thoughts about how the county should address the Middleburg Preserve development and planning and zoning issues in St. Louis. The second was to review multiple offers from prospective buyers of the county-owned Aldie Assemblage property, which consists of three distinct parcels. The board previously decided to abandon plans to build a fire station there in the face of overwhelming public opposition.
Week Ahead for June 7, 2021: Charlottesville PC to discuss homestay regulations; Albemarle to hold community meeting for solar panels at landfill
Two more weeks until the summer solstice, but there’s never really a slowdown in local and regional government in the Charlottesville area. There are 23 meetings listed in this week’s installment.
Cville Comp Plan; National Trails Day; Mobility Survey
As you may be aware, the city is in the midst of updating its comprehensive plan. This email will fill you in on where things stand and how to share your input by June 13. Next, I will share an important mobility survey for Charlottesville residents and finish with a few ways that everyone can celebrate National Trails Day (June 5).
Week Ahead for May 31, 2021: Albemarle PC to consider new hydroelectric generation on Hardware River; city tree panel to hear more on Ash crisis
A four-day work week for most begins Tuesday, a day after the observance of Memorial Day. But this is a fairly light week, which I think many of us welcome! This is a time of adjustment as COVID-19 restrictions are now lifted but things may not seem quite back to normal. But, what is normal, anyway?
Development Pressure Squeezes St. Louis Residents and Water Supply
Loudoun County has an opportunity to protect the health, safety and welfare of St. Louis residents in two distinct ways…
Community-based Partnerships Take Root & Grow in Loudoun County
The Piedmont Environmental Council is proudly working with multiple community partners to support local farms and farmers, create more public access to outdoor spaces, and support the county’s food insecure population. Some of these initiatives were inspired or amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic, while others continue to advance PEC’s core mission of protecting and promoting the Piedmont’s natural resources, rural economy, history and beauty.
Solarize Piedmont 2021 campaign available in ten different localities
The Solarize Piedmont program is back through June 30 and available to homeowners and business owners in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock counties, and the City of Charlottesville. Solarize Piedmont makes adding solar power, battery storage, and electric vehicle charging stations to homes and businesses easier and more affordable than ever, by leveraging the collective buying power of many to provide a one-stop shop for solar education, vetted installers, and discounted pricing.
Week Ahead for May 24, 2021: Charlottesville Council to discuss 7th Street parking garage, proposed CAT bus route changes
This is effectively the last week of May, a month that seems to have just started. I am still going through everything that happened so far and hope to have a full week of episodes of Charlottesville Community Engagement to document as much as I can. Thanks to all of you for reading and please share with others.
Trout Stream Restoration Gifts Doubled Through May 31
Through May, we’ve teamed up with Orvis to raise money to restore two miles of brook trout stream habitat on Bolton Branch in Rappahannock County. Receive a $10 store coupon when you donate $10 or more at the register in any of the four NoVA locations: Leesburg, Arlington, Tysons and Woodbridge. Your gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $10,000!