When I begin to write these each week, I always think they will be short. But then I find myself writing much more than I expect. There is always so much going on, and my job is to provide the context. The main item this week is a Charlottesville City Council meeting that could be quite long.
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.
Orange Board Denies Special Use Permit for Mid Atlantic Pyrotechnic Arts Guild
During their Dec 15 meeting (view recording) the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted (3-2) to deny the special use permit (SUP 20-10) for Mid Atlantic Pyrotechnic Arts Guild (MAPAG). Jim White made the motion to deny the SUP, based on inconsistencies with the Comprehensive Plan (e.g. rural nature of the A-1 zoning district being intended for use by agricultural operations and residential properties). The motion was seconded by Mark Johnson, who stated that the SUP brings very little to nothing for the residents of Orange County, and has the potential to severely impact residents’ enjoyment of their property.
Fauquier Habitat goes native around Haiti house
Fauquier Habitat for Humanity has gone “green” with construction and landscaping of its 55th home. Last week, 15 volunteers and staff members transformed the Warrenton home’s small yard into vibrant, low-maintenance landscape with 217 native plants.
What Does 2021 Hold for Conservation?
The 2020 Special Session, focused on resolving budget issues stemming from Covid and addressing police and criminal justice reform, has ended just in time for the holidays. But as in the movie Groundhog Day, now we prepare to do it all over again. Virginia’s 2021 legislative session opens on Jan 13 and will prove no less challenging than the special session. At this moment, details are still fluid, but here is what we know.
On the Ground Updates – December 2020
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
Standing with St. Louis…And Now Aldie
When a developer, Mojax LLC, bought the Howards’ ancestral land in 2017 and proposed a development of 27 homes with individual wells, the community was understandably concerned. “As a widow and a senior citizen on a budget, the development could drive up the taxes and force me to dig a new well, which I can’t afford,” said Peterson. Besides the water issues and property values, residents worried about losing the historic cemetery, undiscovered graves of enslaved people, and the cultural history of the place.
Week Ahead for Dec, 2020: Charlottesville Climate Action, redeveloping Red Carpet Inn for those in need
This is the last big week of 2020 for local government but even this week is showing the signs of a community at year’s end. A winter storm is forecast for Wednesday, and I think how strange it is that even if the area is blanketed with snow, meetings and school won’t be canceled because most of them are already happening virtually. Strange days, indeed.
Zoning Changes Proposed in Advance of a New Warrenton Master Plan
Back in July, we told you about the Town of Warrenton rushing through a new master plan. In response to concerns raised by residents like you, the town planning commission formed a subcommittee to redraft the plan. We were heartened by the pause and have been waiting on an updated draft. However, in a truly “cart before the horse” move, the planning commission is now set to consider related (and somewhat controversial) zoning changes at a public hearing this coming Tuesday, December 15.
Take Action: Help Save Metro and Other Public Transit!
Congress needs to pass a stimulus package with $32 billion in emergency operations funds for transit agencies across the country. Send a quick email to your Representative and Senators using this campaign set up by our colleagues at The Coalition for Smarter Growth.
Week Ahead for Dec 7, 2020: Albemarle officials to review draft housing strategy that seeks thousands of additional homes
This week, one major item to watch is the joint meeting of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission. They’re set to discuss the county’s draft housing plan, which calls for changes to county policy to allow more housing to be built.