Category: Charlottesville Tomorrow

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.

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Growth and development update with Sean Tubbs

Sean Tubbs, Program Officer for Charlottesville Tomorrow, filling in for Brian Wheeler, recaps the week’s growth and development news. On the July 29 edition of the show:
* Coy and Sean talk about the mission of Charlottesville Tomorrow.
* The most recent City Planning Commission meeting went until 2:30 AM. Coy points out that attending public hearings after midnight is problematic for most citizens.
* At that meeting, the Commission approved the mixed-use Grove Square project.; Sean gives the what, where, and how.
* A bed and breakfast proposed for the intersection of Emmett St. and JPA was deferred by the Commission.
* The Commission recommended approval of Whole Foods’ application to move from Shopper’s World to the intersection of Hydraulic Road and Hillsdale Drive Extended, next to Kmart. Sean and Coy talk with each other, and with a caller, about the traffic implications.
* Sean and Coy talk about the long term intersection of the community’s transportation and water supply infrastructure needs.

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Growth and Development update with Brian Wheeler

Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow is a guest every Tuesday on WINA’s “Charlottesville-Right Now!” with Coy Barefoot to talk about growth and development issues in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

On the July 14, 2008 show:

* Plans for the downtown mall– The rumors that trees on the downtown mall will be removed is… partly true. Brian explains that, as well as the brick work.
* St. Anne’s Belfield news– Brian STAB’s efforts to move their middle school students to their lower school campus.
* Dredging task force– Brian explains the makeup of the task force investigating dredging of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. Betty Mooney, a member of Citizens for a Sustainable Water Supply Plan called in to object to the composition and goals of the task force.
* Two new parks have been designated in Albemarle– On July 2, the County Board of Supervisors designated Byrom Park and Preddy Creek Park as new public hiking and biking parks.
* Albemarle website ranking- Albemarle County has received the ninth spot in a ranking of the top information-technology-utilizing counties in the country with populations under 150,000 people.

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Town hall meeting held on Route 29 North safety

The Forest Lakes Community Association held a town hall meeting at Hollymead Elementary on July 1, 2008 to discuss the safety of the Route 29 intersection where a fatal accident occurred earlier this year. A 16 year old Albemarle High School student, Sydney Aichs, was killed on May 9, 2008 turning out of Forest Lakes South from Ashwood Boulevard onto Route 29 South when a tractor trailer driver on Route 29 North failed to stop at the red light. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has investigated the circumstances of the accident, and presented their findings and recommendations to the community at the meeting. Afterwards, over 20 residents asked questions about a number of issues relating to the intersection. There were over 150 members of the public in attendance.

For full coverage, see Charlottesville Tomorrow’s article here.



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Land use taxation program to remain unchanged; revalidation to come back for a vote

An Albemarle County program that grants a reduced tax assessment to property owners who use their land for agricultural purposes will remain unchanged. At their meeting on July 9, 2008, the Board of Supervisors declined to make any changes to land use taxation. Staff had prepared a report that explored the effects on County revenue and staff-time if land use taxation only applied to property that qualified as “open space” under state law.

For a full writeup and timeline, see Charlottesville Tomorrow’s coverage here.



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Public pours in to comment on Mall renovation plans

Over two hundred people took advantage of an important opportunity to comment on the near final design for the proposed renovation of Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. They crowded into the CitySpace meeting room overlooking the Mall to view details of the plans created by MMM Design, and to give feedback on key details of the Mall redesign.

For a full writeup and a timeline, see Charlottesville Tomorrow’s coverage here.



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Brian Wheeler: Land use taxation, water updates and St. Anne’s Belfield

Brian Wheeler, Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow, joins Coy Barefoot every Tuesday for an update on growth and development issues in greater Charlottesville. On the July 8th edition of the show:



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Growth and development update from Charlottesville Tomorrow’s Brian Wheeler (6-03-08)

On the June 3 edition of WINA’s “Charlottesville-Right Now!” Coy Barefoot speaks with Brian Wheeler, the Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow. The topics include:

  • New water supply developments– The RSWA today received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorizing the construction of the new dam re-approved at the last City Council meeting.
  • New bank on Route 29- Chevy Chase will be constructing a new branch on the corner of Emmett Street and Barracks Road
  • New shopping center discussion delayed– Planning Commission discussion on proposed Northtown Center deferred until June 17
  • Eastern Connector Update– The Eastern Connector Steering Committee has decided to recommend as their preferred alignment a four lane road through Pen Park connecting Rio Road to Route 20.



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Council holds three-hour work session on water supply plan

The Charlottesville City Council will vote on the City’s water and sewer rates at its first meeting in June. It may take them that long to digest the presentations made this week at a three-hour work session. Mayor Dave Norris scheduled the event to explore one main question: Should dredging of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir (SFRR) be part of the solution to address the community’s water supply needs?

“This is a chance to consider a variety of options with this plan,” Norris said. The City’s water and sewer rates will reflect how much money the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) needs to start implementation of the Community Water Supply. The plan has already received approval from the Department of Environmental Quality and Federal approval by the Army Corps of Engineers is pending and expected by the end of the May 2008.

Councilors heard a history of the efforts to secure a long-term community water supply plan, received an overview of the assumptions that factored into the plan adopted in 2006, and heard presentations on how dredging would work and how effective it might be in creating extra capacity for the community’s water system.

Read more at Charlottesville Tomorrow, including a timeline. Please comment and let us know your opinion.



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Charlottesville Tomorrow: Butch Davies updates area officials on transportation projects

Top officials from Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the University of Virginia have been briefed on the status of various transportation projects in our area. Butch Davies, Culpeper District Representative on the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), spoke for about forty minutes to the Planning and Coordination Council at their meeting on May 1, 2008.

For details, visit Charlottesville Tomorrow.



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Brian Wheeler on the Meadowcreek Parkway

Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” on Tuesday afternoons to talk about land-use, growth and transportation issues in our community. This week on the show:

  • Council postpones vote on the Meadowcreek Parkway
  • How the Meadowcreek Parkway fits into the Three-Party Agreement
  • North Downtown Business Council invites Danville and Lynchburg business officials to discuss a bypass for US 29
  • Planning Commission reviews cell-tower policy



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Interview with transportation activist Zachary Shahan

Environmental groups in Charlottesville and Albemarle County will celebrate Earth Week with a series of events designed to create awareness of sustainability initiatives in our community. One of those is Discover Transportation Freedom, a program of the Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation (ACCT), an area non-profit that seeks to help the community learn to take advantage of other ways to get around. In my capacity as Program Officer of Charlottesville Tomorrow, I interviewed ACCT Executive Director Zachary Shahan on board the Route 7 bus to find out more.

More information at Charlottesville Tomorrow.



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City, County adopt new budgets; Brian Wheeler has the details

Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow is a guest every Tuesday on WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” with Coy Barefoot to talk about growth and development issues in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

This week on the show: