Charlottesville Podcasting Network
Lectures, radio shows and more available on-demand
Charlottesville Tomorrow is a non-partisan organization dedicated to informing public opinion and policy on land use, transportation, and community design issues to ensure sensible growth and to realize the best possible future for the Charlottesville-Albemarle area.
Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow joins Coy for the Tuesday growth and development discussion. Issues this week include elections in Albemarle County and Charlottesville, the site of the proposed new YMCA facility, and an interesting situation in the Woolen Mills. Brian also provides an update on the major development projects throughout Central Virginia in this week’s “Speed Round.”
On April 11, 2007, the Senior Statesmen of Virginia held their monthly meeting at the Northside Library in Charlottesville, VA. The three invited panelists, among the community’s most familiar faces when it comes to discussions of local growth and development issues, shared their views on topics including land use, transportation, population growth, government regulation, and property rights.
The panelists were:
Jack Marshall, Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population
Jeff Werner, Piedmont Environmental Council
Neil Williamson, Free Enterprise Forum
[Read more on Charlottesville Tomorrow’s blog]
Thursday afternoon at the Crescent Halls apartments, Democrat Holly Edwards announced her bid for a seat on the Charlottesville City Council. Holly Edwards is a nurse and sixteen-year resident of the City. She said her professional and volunteer experience in the community, working with residents one on one to connect them with resources and essential services, has prepared her to work at the next level setting policy as a City Councilor. She is currently the Program Coordinator of the Public Housing Association of Residents. [Read more on Charlottesville Tomorrow’s blog] [Watch the YouTube video]
Yesterday morning in front of City Hall, Democrat Satyendra Huja announced his bid for a seat on Charlottesville City Council. A thirty-three year resident of the City, Mr. Huja used his announcement to focus on his priorities for City Council and not his long resume of service as a City employee. Huja is best know for his work as long-time Director of Planning and Community Development and as an early advocate for the creation of Charlottesville’s pedestrian Downtown Mall in 1976. Since his retirement from the City three years ago, Huja has been a community planning consultant.
[Read more on Charlottesville Tomorrow’s blog] [Watch the YouTube video]
Brian Wheeler joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now for another update on growth and development issues. Since his last appearance, the Biscuit Run development was sent back to the Albemarle Planning Commission by the Board of Supervisors. The development will next come up in late May during a work session, in which the plan’s impact on infrastructure will be discussed.
Another topic includes impact fees. Brian describes what they are, how they were recently authorized by Governor Kaine, and how they can help the county manage growth, and how homebuilders associations are opposed to the idea.
Listen in for updates on the Hollymead Town Center and City Council elections.
This morning in front of City Hall, Democrat Linda Seaman announced her bid for a seat on the Charlottesville City Council. Seaman, a thirty-three year resident of the City, emphasized her past experience as a City School Board member, as the former Executive Director of the Charlottesville Area School Business Alliance (CASBA), and said she would bring a focus on cooperation with Albemarle County as she seeks regional approaches to community challenges. Ms. Seaman currently serves as a member of the board of the Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together (also known as IMPACT), which has been lobbying local leaders on affordable living choices and public transportation issues. [Read more on Charlottesville Tomorrow’s blog] [Watch the YouTube video]
On April 4, 2007, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors unanimously referred the Biscuit Run project back to the Planning Commission, the body which had unanimously rejected it the week before. They did so at the request of the developer who had expressed a preference for responding to the outstanding questions identified by staff and the Planning Commission before the project is considered by the Board. The Planning Commission is expecting a complete revised application and a tentative work session date has been set for May 22nd. Charlottesville Tomorrow has produced a 25 minute recording of the Board’s discussion of the Biscuit Run rezoning. [Read more on Charlottesville Tomorrow’s blog]
Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow joins WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now each Tuesday for a discussion of growth and development issues. This week, he and Coy Barefoot discuss the Biscuit Run development slated for south of the City of Charlottesville. The Albemarle County Planning Commission rejected a rezoning request last night, but the development will now go before the county Board of Supervisors in early April.
Waldo Jaquith this week reported on cvillenews.com on the potential for a high price tag of the project.
Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow joins Coy Barefoot each week on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now to discuss growth and development issues. This week, Brian describes how he sees room for improvement in the County budgeting process. He says the community would benefit from discussing budget approaches earlier in the cycle when the Supervisors receive projected assessment information and set compensation strategy in the fall.
Coy and Brian also discuss the C-Ville Weekly investigative story describing the 2006 land transfers by the County to support the expansion of the National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC). Mr. Wheeler also described the design competition being managed by the Charlottesville Community Design Center (CCDC) and the potential that contest has to get the public and developers thinking about what might happen to the last open lots near the Downtown Mall between South Street and Water Street across from LiveArts.
Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow appears on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now each week to talk with Coy Barefoot about growth and development issues. Charlottesville Tomorrow is covering this year’s races for the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council, and is posting video of these announcements to YouTube. Brian and Coy also discuss the latest in Biscuit Run and other large developments.
On March 6, 2007, the Free Enterprise Forum hosted a luncheon at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia. Jim Bacon was invited to discuss the political realities of transportation policy as well as the links between economic opportunity and mobility in Virginia. Mr. Bacon is the publisher of the online newsletter Bacon’s Rebellion which he launched in 2002. Prior to that he was Publisher and Editor in Chief of Virginia Business magazine. Mr. Bacon, who lives in Richmond, is among the most prominent and well respected of the new media writers providing insights on Virginia public policy issues and the Virginia General Assembly. [Read more on Charlottesville Tomorrow’s blog]
Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow joins Coy Barefoot on the March 6 edition of WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now. They began the show with a run down of the declared candidates for the November 2007 local elections related to City Council and the Board of Supervisors. City Democrat Jennifer McKeever made her announcement earlier in the day to become the first candidate for City Council.
Brian previewed two items before the Albemarle County Planning Commission later that evening. The first was a rezoning request related to the Avon Center, a commercial development on 5th street which would bring a major grocery store and a home improvement store to the South side of town. The second was a rezoning in the Hollymead Town Center (known as area A2) to allow for 1,228 homes on 47 acres.
Coy and Brian also talked about the transportation infrastructure called for in the Places29 Master Plan currently being reviewed by the community and scheduled for approval in late 2007. A caller asks if public participation in these meetings really makes a difference and Brian gave examples of situations in Hollymead Town Center where 1-2 individuals speaking on a project have dramatically changed the thinking and votes of the Planning Commission. He encouraged the public to get involved.
The show closed with a discussion of the 820 new jobs expected to be brought from Washington, D.C. to Charlottesville’s National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC) in 2011.