Strong Communities

PEC believes that the work of protecting natural resources and the work of building better communities are integral to each other. 

Standing with St. Louis…And Now Aldie

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.

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.

Piedmont Environmental Council announces staff changes for Charlottesville and Albemarle, Culpeper, Greene and Madison counties

Piedmont Environmental Council announces staff changes for Charlottesville and Albemarle, Culpeper, Greene and Madison counties

Piedmont Environmental Council President Chris Miller is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Hawk as its Land Use Field Representative in Albemarle and Orange counties and of Adam Gillenwater as Senior Policy Manager & Land Use Field Representative in Culpeper, Madison and Green counties. Both began their new positions on October 30 and work out of PEC’s Charlottesville office.

No One is Expendable: Angie Schmitt Talks Safer Streets

Join us Monday, November 30, 5-6 p.m. for a virtual presentation by author and active-transportation advocate Angie Schmitt! Angie will discuss the ways that inequality and other social trends combine to make walking along America’s roads and streets needlessly dangerous.

PEC Requests Denial of Rezoning Request within the Germanna Wilderness Area Plan

PEC Requests Denial of Rezoning Request within the Germanna Wilderness Area Plan

The Orange County Planning Commission held a public hearing on Oct. 1, 2020 for a rezoning requested by Signature Series Development, LLC. The application would rezone a 75.8-acre parcel from ‘C-2 Conditional’ and ‘R-4 Conditional’ to ‘Planned Development – Mixed Use’ along Route 3 located in the Germanna Wilderness Area Plan.