A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
Strong Communities
PEC believes that the work of protecting natural resources and the work of building better communities are integral to each other.
Summit Mobilizes Collective Action
Representatives from several dozen organizations, businesses, agencies, and a handful of passionate individuals came together for a virtual gathering on Friday, February 26, to strategically plan for better walking, biking, running, everyday access nature and active lifestyles in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia.
We Hope You Can Join Us
I’d like to take a minute this week to highlight three upcoming events geared towards PEC members and supporters.
- Thurs, March 11: Go Native!
- Tues, March 30: PEC Quarterly Keynote featuring Mike Curtin (CEO of DC Central Kitchen)
- Thurs, April 29: Brook Trout: Gems of the Piedmont
March is our Membership Month, a time of year when we celebrate our current members and encourage others to join or renew! Learn more and sign up to attend!
Warrenton Residents Deserve Better than “Plan Warrenton 2040”
On March 9, 2021, the Warrenton Town Council will consider whether or not to adopt a new vision as outlined in Plan Warrenton 2040.
Over the last year, PEC has highlighted specific concerns tied to the draft plan’s emphasis on recruiting residential growth (well beyond any projected need), the lack of planning to tackle affordable housing, the inclusion of a new western bypass and missing information on water and wastewater needs, among many others. We believe these concerns need to be addressed and urge the Warrenton Town Council to redraft the plan with these issues in mind.
Greene Comprehensive Plan Public Hearing Rescheduled for Feb 17
I wanted to give you a brief update on Greene County’s comprehensive plan review process. The planning commission’s initial public hearing was scheduled to take place a few weeks ago on January 20, but since the meeting ran long, they decided to postpone it to allow for better public participation.
The initial comprehensive plan public work session and public hearing has been rescheduled for next Wed., February 17 at 6:30 PM. It is now the first item on the planning commission’s agenda. As I mentioned in my previous email, this is a great opportunity to get an overview of the existing comprehensive plan, as well as to learn about the county’s anticipated timeline for completing the comprehensive plan review this year.
Breezy Hill Rezoning Application
Local developer, Southern Development, requested a rezoning (Rural Area to R-4) for 84-acres along Route 250 in the Village of Rivanna.
Loudoun Delays Decision on Aldie Assemblage, Sends to County Finance Committee
On January 13 the Board of Supervisors voted to send the entire land purchase/exchange agreement to the Finance, Government Operations and Economic Development committee. Our hope is that this committee will help clarify significant unanswered questions about Loudoun’s financial and legal responsibilities, Mojax’s appraisal for the properties in question, and other elements of the proposal that could be detrimental to the future of Aldie and its community members.
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.
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.