Loudoun is considering trading too much residential development in St. Louis for too much commercial development in Aldie.
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.
Week Ahead for January 11, 2021
Over the years, the Village of Rivanna Community Advisory Committee (VORCAC) has lobbied successfully to keep development in Albemarle County’s eastern growth area on the lower end of what is called for in a master plan for the area adopted in May 2010.
Jordan River Bridge Under Threat
In December, VDOT and the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors approved the replacement project, despite local residents’ outcry of support for rehabilitation of this historical community treasure.
Week Ahead for January 4, 2021: Chairs and Vice Chairs edition
The first gatherings each year usually begin with the election of new chairs and vice chairs, as well as a general sense of goodwill and cheer for the work that will be done in the months to come. There is usually not a lot of heavy lifting, but the Albemarle Board of Supervisors has a full agenda due to the abrupt halt to their meeting on December 16.
A Few Highlights from 2020
Our work is about showing up, speaking out, and empowering communities to show up and speak out.
Week Ahead for December 21, 2020: Charlottesville City Council to finish the year with a packed agenda
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.
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.