This is not the final week of the month, but it is the fourth one which means its relatively slower. At this time of the year, it’s good to have an eye on Halloween and where it appears. October 31, 2023 is a fifth Tuesday so who knows what spooky meetings might happen then as well as the fifth Monday.
But that’s next week. This week is an interesting one with a lot of information but there are no top-level meetings where decisions will be made.
- Charlottesville City Council will have a work session Wednesday on the city’s new Development Code in advance of their public hearing. What will they talk about? I don’t know as its not on the agenda.
- The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s governing body on Monday will approve the purchase of another single family home in the city using funds that had been set aside for housing vouchers.
- The Albemarle Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Tuesday on the University of Virginia Foundation’s request for a rezoning at the North Fork Discovery Park to add up to 1,400 homes. They’ll also get an update on economic development efforts, as well as consider whether a site for a new elementary school in Mill Creek is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
- The Nelson County Planning Commission on Wednesday will have two public hearings on camping sites, including a 20-unit “glamping site.”
- Anyone interested in transit might be interested in Wednesday’s meeting of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board or Thursday’s meeting of the Regional Transit Partnership.
There are no meetings in Louisa County this week. The regular meeting of the Greene County Board of Supervisors has been canceled.
Thanks as always to The Piedmont Environmental Council for their support of this edition of the newsletter.
Monday, October 23, 2023
CRHA to purchase another house
The scope of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s work continues to expand. The first new units produced by the agency and its partners have come on line at South First Street and some residents have moved back into the renovated Crescent Halls.
In the past two years, CRHA has also been purchasing properties across the city using money that had been budgeted by City Council to pay for more housing vouchers than covered by what the federal government distributes to the agency. So far they’ve bought two duplexes on Coleman Street and 100 Harris Road.
At the October 23, 2023 meeting of the CRHA’s Board of Commissioners, another property up for purchase will be up for a vote. The Board will be meeting at Crescent Halls at 500 First Street South and the meeting can be viewed on Zoom at 6 p.m. (Zoom link) (agenda)
The property in question is 1642 Meridian Street and the purchase price is $255,000. City Council must also authorize the transaction because they are technically providing the funding.
The current owner is Faroooui Holdings LLC who bought the property on June 21 for $190,000, which was 40.48 percent below the 2023 assessment of $319,200. The property is zoned Residential-A in the draft zoning code. (view the resolution)
Another item on the agenda is the refinancing of the loan that covered the CRHA’s $10 million purchase of 74 units of affordable rental housing known as the Dogwood housing. In April, City Council agreed to a $5 million loan for the purchase of the properties which CRHA will continue to maintain as affordable units. (read my story from then)
According to the resolution, Woodard Properties provided a loan of $5 million that will now be covered by the taking out of a new $5 million loan from a group called FAHE.
“FAHE is providing funding in the amount of $5,000,000.00 to the Authority, in the form of a seven (7.0%) Loan for a term of sixty (60) months (the “FAHE Loan”), which funds will be used to pay off the seller financing,” reads the resolution.
There will also be an amendment to the existing policy related to security cameras that was adopted by the CRHA Board on July 26, 2021. Under that policy, use of the footage is to be governed by a Community Review Board.
“It is desired that the camera policy of the Housing Authority be more flexible to address active threats to our community,” reads this resolution.
Specifically, the amendment would allow executive director John Sales to “approve the release of video footage when there is an active threat to the community without prior approval from the CRB.” (review the draft policy)
There’s a lot to review from the report from CRHA’s public housing side. As of October 17, 55 residents had moved back into Crescent Halls and part of the fourth floor is available for occupancy. The first three floors remain to be finished and Breeden Construction will work on the rest. (review the report) (review the longer report)
Residents of the older units at South First Street are being relocated into new units built as part of the first phase of redevelopment. After that, the older units will be slated to be demolished to make way for the second phase.
New playgrounds are being built at the Riverside and Madison properties.
In other meetings:
- The Fluvanna County Social Services Board will meet at 3 p.m. in the Department of Social Services in the First Floor Conference Room in Fork Union. (meeting info)
- The Albemarle County Historic Preservation Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. in Room 241 of the county office building at 401 McIntire Street. (meeting info) (agenda)
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
UVA’s rezoning for North Fork to go before Albemarle PC
The seven member Albemarle County Planning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. in Lane Auditorium. (meeting info) (agenda)
The meeting begins with a work session on the economic development chapter of the new Comprehensive Plan. When the last plan was adopted in July 2015, the county had only recently created an office for this purpose. Since then, Supervisors have adopted a strategic plan called Project Enable which has the following seven goals:
- Strengthen Existing Business Retention and/or Expansion (BRE) to Help Existing Businesses Be Successful
- Improve the Business Climate
- Lead the County’s Readiness to Accommodate Business
- Seek Private Investment to Further the Public Good
- Educate the Community and Enhance the Visibility of Economic Development
- Lead External Efforts to Create Strategic Partnerships with Economic Development Institutions
- Partner to Expand Efforts to Build the County’s Tourism Sector
The Planning Commission will review activities to date including a briefing on the county’s upcoming $58 million purchase of 462 acres near Rivanna Station for a future campus to serve the intelligence sector.
“A key element of Rivanna Station Futures is the establishment of an Intelligence and National Security Innovation Acceleration Campus (INSIAC), a place for public sector organizations, private sector businesses, and academic institutions to work together to co-create solutions to the biggest challenges facing our nation and the world,” reads the county website set up to market the idea.
There are two public hearings. The first is for the Planning Commission to determine whether a 15.8 acre county-owned site at 133 Galaxie Farm Lane is suitable for an elementary school to serve what’s known as the Southern Feeder Pattern. The 72,500 square foot school would have capacity for up to 500 students.
The site had originally been slated for the county’s high school Center II but that will now be constructed at the more central Lambs Lane Campus off of Hydraulic Road near Albemarle High School.
The second public hearing is for the University of Virginia Foundation’s request for a rezoning in the North Fork Discovery Park to make way for up a range of residential units.
“This rezoning proposal includes a maximum of 1,400 dwelling units, which would provide 210 affordable units based on the County’s policy of fifteen percent of the total number of units and a minimum of 200 dwelling units, which would provide 30 affordable units,” reads the staff report.
The Board of Supervisors approved the Planned Development Industrial Park (PDIP) rezoning for North Fork in 1996 with subsequent special use permits and a rezoning amendment. There are currently nine buildings with 30 tenants with over 1,500 employees between them. This latest request would be to allow people to live there as well.
“The Foundation proposes to use some of the undeveloped land within North Fork to provide nearby residential options for North Fork employees, provide additional residential opportunities within the County, enliven and enhance the PDIP by providing 24/7 activity, and to create a truly mixed-use community within North Fork,” reads the narrative from the UVA Foundation.
The kinds of housing that might be built include multi-family apartments, townhouses, single-family homes and single-family attached homes. The development anticipates the evental extension of Berkmar Drive from Hollymead Town Center to Airport Road. A roundabout is slated to be constructed at the intersection with Lewis and Clark drive.
“This improvement will allow further development of the North Fork area and North Fork without additional roadway expansions along Airport Road or US Route 29,” the narrative continues.
The UVA Foundation is offering the following proffers to mitigate transportation impacts:
- Construction of two separate left-hand turn lanes on U.S. 29
- Dedication of right of way and easements for the construction of the aforementioned roundabout
- A cash payment of $2.5 million to Albemarle County for the roundabout
- A cash payment of $1.5 million for future transportation improvements which could include transit, widening of Lewis and Clark Drive, or something else. This will be further identified in the site plan process.
The UVA Foundation already paid $6 million for the extension of Lewis and Clark Drive to Airport Road. That project was dedicated in October 2020.
The narrative also covers a concern by the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority that the additional development may need additional capacity for public utilities before the residential units are constructed.
“The UVA Foundation is working with RWSA as it relates to the demand the additional residential units would require and their impact on the timing of the water and sewer supply improvements,” the narrative continues.
RWSA to get update on major capital projects
In the months to come, there will be more public discussion on a proposal to accelerate construction of a water line to connect the Ragged Mountain Reservoir and South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. I suspect there may be some conversation about that at this month’s meeting of the Board of Directors of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority. This takes place at 2:15 p.m. at Rivanna Administration Building in the 2nd floor Conference Room at 695 Moores Creek Lane, Charlottesville, VA 22902. (agenda)
There are three items under other business.
One is a presentation from the Rivanna Conservation Alliance on their water quality monitoring efforts. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality certifies RCA to provide data on bacteria levels and the health of aquatic life. There will also be a presentation on RCA’s evaluation of road-stream crossings in the Rivanna watershed.
The next is on the RWSA’s value engineering policy which calls for a fresh look at all projects over $5 million. For instance, a second opinion yielded $800,000 in savings on the South Rivanna Water Treatment Plant.
The third is a presentation on major capital projects. I hope to have more on this in a segment this week.
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Charlottesville City Council to hold next work session on new zoning code
If you want to know the latest on what’s happening with the Development Code that will allow for significantly more building space in Charlottesville after its adoption, you’re not going to have much luck on the city’s website. I will confess I am behind in what I want to have written about, but the next regular newsletter will focus on the Planning Commission’s recommendation that was made last Wednesday.
I also want to write about the City Council’s October 11 work session on population. There’s a lot being discussed and I don’t know at this point what the topic will be for the next work session scheduled for 6 p.m. The Cville Plans Together site doesn’t tell us anything except that the meeting is being held. There are “no published meeting files” at this time. I’ll have more information tomorrow. (meeting info)
Proposed 20-unit glamping site to go before Nelson County Planning Commission
The Nelson County Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. in the Nelson County General District Courthouse on the 3rd floor of the Nelson County Courthouse. (agenda packet)
There are two public hearings, each for a special use permit for a campground.
The first is to have up to 20 campsites at 6973 North Fork Road. There’s already an approved plan to build nine by-right vacation houses elsewhere on the property known as Lacy Montebello.
“Currently, four (4) cabins have been constructed,” reads the staff report. “This project is in a different location, although on the same property.”
This second project would be done in two phases with six in the first with the rest to be built later.
“These ‘luxury campsites’ are proposed to be tents on deck platforms with access to utilities, accompanied by a bathhouse,” the staff report continues.
The applicant said this project will free up spaces currently used for short-term rentals for long-term residents.
“We believe that this project is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan,” reads the narrative from Jerry Bowman, the manager of the property. “This project will generate additional tax revenues for Nelson County with very little expense to the County associated with it.”
The second public hearing is for two campsites at 266 Big Rock Road.
“The owners currently use the lot for tent camping and fishing, and are proposing to rent out two portable tiny homes on wheels for short-term lodging,” read the staff report.
Albemarle Fire EMS Board to meet
One reason local government budgets across Virginia are increasing is the professionalization of fire and rescue personnel. In Albemarle, these functions are governed by the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Board. This group meets at 1800 hours (6 p.m.) in the county’s office building in room 235. (meeting info) (agenda)
The minutes from the August 30 meeting relate a discussion about how the various fire and EMS services are affected by recent rezonings, such as the six-story mid-rise building under construction in Stonefield. There’s also a discussion about a request from the Cascadia Homeowners Association to remove all of the “no parking” signs.
“Chief Lagomarsino said that ACFR took those who were pushing this and drove them around in an engine and drove them around—which actually prompted them to want more ‘no parking’ signs,” reads a portion of the minutes.
Under new business there will be a discussion of the budget process for FY25, AUP information, and information on tax vouchers for volunteers. I confess I don’t know what AUP means.
In other meetings:
- The Charlottesville Retirement Commission will meet at 8:30 a.m. in Cityspace. They will get the annual actuarial report from SageView Consulting as well as a report from the Investment subcommittee. (meeting agenda)
- The Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board will meet at 4 p.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission’s offices at 407 East Water Street in Charlottesville. There will be updates on the long-range transportation plan, the Regional Transit Governance Study, and potential changes to Smart Scale. (agenda packet)
- The Greene County Board of Zoning Appeals meets at 6:30 p.m. (meeting info)
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Regional Transit Partnership to meet
The Regional Transit Partnership is intended to move the community toward a functioning public transportation system that can provide an alternative to driving. That’s how I’ve been describing this agency in its first six years of existence as the intent is there. How much has changed in those six years?
That’s not on the agenda for this month’s meeting which takes place at 4 p.m. The agenda was emailed to people on a list but is not on the meeting page. I uploaded it for the two or three people who might be interested. (agenda)
On this agenda:
- Charlottesville Area Transit Director Garland Williams will brief the appointed body with the forthcoming launch on October 30 of MicroCAT. Read my story for more information.
- Williams will also be briefed on the transit strategic plan for CAT. This began about four months ago, as I reported at the time. Many of the questions I had then apply now, such as whether route changes proposed in the spring of 2021 will ever be implemented. I also want to know what happened to the $1 million given to CAT by Council from a recent surplus for the “Route 6 Equity Initiative.” What about service to the Center at Belvedere? City Councilors were told in March that this would add a second bus to the route that serves Crescent Halls. Has it happened yet? What about ridership?
This post was contributed by Sean Tubbs. Sean is a journalist working to build a new information and news outlet centered around Charlottesville and Virginia. In 2020, he launched a daily newscast and newsletter and also created a semi-regular podcast on the pandemic.
Support for Sean’s “Week Ahead” update comes from The Piedmont Environmental Council.