Danville to consider permit for 500 units in Imperial Tobacco building;
It’s a busy Tuesday for meetings of elected officials in Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District. This is the second edition this week of an experimental newsletter that seeks to let people know a little more about local government. I’ve written about Albemarle and Charlottesville for years, and find that reporting on other localities is refreshing.
Anyway, it’s a busy day and I’m 12 hours late with this, so here goes!
500-unit adaptive re-use of Imperial Tobacco building before Danville City Council
The nine-member Danville City Council meets at 7 p.m. followed by a work session after the regular business meeting. They meet in the City Council Chambers at 427 Patton Street in Danville. (regular meeting) (work session meeting)
The first item on the agenda is a public hearing for a special use permit for three properties on Craghead Street to allow for development of multifamily units above the density allowed in zoning. This is an adaptive re-use project that would create 250 one and two bedroom units.
“The Imperial Tobacco building at 501, 505, & 539 Craghead Street, previously served as a prizery and storage warehouse,” reads the staff report. “There are approximately 155,000 square feet of building improvements located on 1.9 acres within the Tobacco Warehouse Commercial zoning district.”
Next, Council will approve an agreement between the School Board of Danville and Branch Builds for the final design of the new G.L.H. Johnson Elementary School. Danville voters approved a sales tax referendum in 2021 to authorize a one percent increase dedicated to school construction.
Third, Council will hold first reading of an ordinance to enter into the second opioid settlement and accept $1,087,500.
Finally, there will be an acceptance of a state aviation grant of $260,409 with a local share required of $129,774. This is to fix roof leaks in the terminal building at the Danville Regional Airport and to contribute toward a multi-phase rehabilitation of the south ramp.
The work session will be held in the 4th Floor Conference Room. They will have a discussion of revenue bonds for electric and water infrastructure. There will also be a program update and an economic development update.
Amherst County to consider requests for budget based on $56.16M in revenues
The five member Amherst County Board of Supervisors meets at 3 p.m. in the administration building at 153 Washington Street. The agenda is quite light. (meeting info)
There will be a first reading of a change to the erosion and sediment control to state that the county attorney is responsible for enforcing its provisions, and not the Commonwealth’s Attorney. The public hearing is scheduled for March 21.
The agenda also contains the minutes for the February 21, 2023 joint meeting with Nelson County. The minutes tell us the next step in the creation of an agricultural complex to serve both communities.
“It was the consensus of the two Boards to have the Amherst County Administrator and the Nelson County Administrator form a Committee consisting of two Board members each from Nelson County and Amherst County as well as representation from both Amherst County Public Schools and Nelson County Public Schools and stakeholders from the agricultural community,” reads those minutes.
It’s also worth reading Justin Faulconer’s account in the Amherst New-Era Progress for more details. This could really transform both communities and will be something to watch over the next few months to see where it goes.
Now, the minutes are also very useful because they include the presentation from the Supervisors’ briefing on revenue projections of $56,157,638. Here are some highlights:
Amherst reassesses its property every six years and last did so in 2000. “Amherst has missed the bubble for inflated real estate values such as those being seen in Lynchburg,” reads one quote.
Amherst is proposing assessing personal property at 80 percent of the value.
Staff recommends a seven percent cost of living increase for employees at a cost of $1,172,058. There was 17 percent turnover in 2022. All over Virginia governments are keen to hang on to their employees.
There’s also another $2.5 million for “education support increase.”
No tax rate increases are expected this year
Some dates to mark down. The School Board’s presentation will be on March 21. The budget is to be finalized by March 28.
Good minutes for a reporter looking to bring people information. Also included but I won’t comment here for time are the slides on Firefly Fiber Broadband on the expansion efforts underway. Thank you, Amherst County. These details will not only help me but will also help anyone in the future who wants to look back on this time.
There will be two special presentations. One is a resolution for Glenn Micklem who is retiring from the Amherst County Service Authority after a long career.
“Operations Manager Glenn Micklem is retiring from Amherst County Service Authority after 47 years and 8 months of service, both professional and private, to ACSA and its customers and Amherst County and its citizens,” reads the staff report.
The other is the annual report from the Economic Development Authority.
There will also be a discussion of supplemental budget requests. These include additional money to pay people to be park attendants at Mill Creek Lake Park this summer at a cost of $16,632, $18,000 for a drone for code enforcement, and two public safety dispatchers at a cost of $107,200.
All of these requests are detailed in the budget document. It’s the most budgetful time of the year.
Nelson Board of Supervisors holding special meeting for recreational needs at Larkin property
In the past year, the Nelson County Board of Supervisors agreed to purchase a 300-acre property near the high school and middle school for future recreational needs. They hired the firm Architectural Partners to review potential uses. These include:
A recreation center
Athletic fields
Industrial sites
Housing
A career and technical education center
A reservoir for future water supply
Hydro-electric or solar power generation
An agricultural facility
Architectural Partners will return with their report at a special meeting of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors that will begin at 9 a.m. at the Courthouse in Lovingston.
But first, Jerry West with the Parks and Recreation department will present the results of a recreation assessment.
Campbell County Supervisors to consider switching Leesville Road land to residential
The seven member Campbell County Board of Supervisors meets a little earlier than usual at 5:30 p.m. to take a group photo! But the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. (agenda)
The meeting begins with a public comment period followed by a presentation from Melissa Lucy of Horizon Behavioral Health.
Next there will be a request from a landowner to alter the Future Land Use Map in the Comprehensive Plan for property along Leesville Road on the border with Lynchburg. The ultimate request is to change the designation from “Urban Development Area Commercial” to “Medium to High Density Residential” or “Medium to High Density Mixed.”
“The parcels in the County are zoned Business – General Commercial but are used for legal non-conforming residential uses,” reads the staff report. “A rezoning to Residential – Multi Family is required to develop the property as desired by the requester. Urban Development Area Commercial designation in the Comprehensive Plan does not support a rezoning for residential uses.”
Next there is an authorization to spend $97,770.38 to extend a natural gas line on Crowell Lane to facilitate development of a property on Timberlake Road. Last April, Supervisors heard a proposal to help cover the cost of extending that utility as an incentive for Chik-Fil-A to locate in the 21000 block. At the time, they agreed to reach out to other business owners to find out if they would be interested in using the service.
“After confirming the anticipated gas usage details with Clubhouse Bar & Grill, Lynchburg Powder Coating, and Industrial Plating Corporation, Columbia Gas determined that the cost of the project is $97,770.38,” reads the staff report from Economic Development Director Nina Rezai. “Campbell County is responsible for paying this amount as stated in the Aid to Construction agreement that will be signed upon approval by the Board.”
The businesses all agree to commit to connecting to the line within a year of it being in service.
After that: The Campbell County Industrial Development Authority created Seneca Commerce Park and now wants to expand on two remaining lots. The firm Perkins and Orrison have determined the site can fit a maximum of 100,000 square feet. Supervisors will determine whether the firm should complete engineering plans to get the site ready for development.
On the consent agenda:
Campbell County is working with RDA Systems to develop new software for Finance & Management Services, County Administration, School Administration, and Information Technology. A transition to the new software will begin early this summer with a launch on July 1, 2024. The capital improvement program includes $900,000 in initial cost plus an annual cost of $120,000. There’s a resolution to execute a final contract.
Campbell County will sign on to the second opioid settlement.
In the evening session, there are five public hearings:
A property owner seeks a special use permit to operate an automobile sales and repair business at 3682 Oxford Furnace Road in the Concord Election District. The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval.
A property owner seeks a special use permit to operate a tourist house in a townhouse at 112 English Commons Drive in the Rustburg Election District. The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend denial.
A property owner seeks a special use permit to operate a tourist house in a single-family home at 802 Peerman School Road in the Altavista Election District. The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval
A property owner seeks a special use permit to operate as a salvage dealer and rebuilder at 157 Springlake Road in the Concord Election District. The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval
Should Campbell County sell a 12 acre property known as the S.R. Bryant Memorial Greenway? That’s the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Council.
Goochland County Supervisors to hold CIP work session?
The meeting portal for the Goochland County Board of Supervisors lists a work session at 1 p.m. on transportation and the Capital Improvement Program. But there’s no material available in advance.
Reading material:
Lynchburg City Council terminates school board agreement on unspent money, Bryson Gordon, Lynchburg News and Advance, March 1, 2023
Danville tightens guidelines for public comments, Chuck Vipperman, Chatham Star-Tribune, March 2, 2023
Donation will pay for video laryngoscopes in Bedford County, Shannon Kelly, Lynchburg News and Advance, March 1, 2023
Col. Barfoot honored in Virginia National Guard base redesignation, SSG Jacob Kohrs, U.S. Army News, March 2, 2023
Campbell County's $91M proposed budget cuts taxes in several areas, Shannon Kelly, Lynchburg News and Advance, March 2, 2023
Buckingham planning commission member raises alternative to mining ban, Brian Carlton, Farmville Herald, March 2, 2023
Bedford County supervisors OK Forest townhomes, Shannon Kelly, Lynchburg News and Advance, March 2, 2023
Lynchburg Regional Airport director talks capital improvement projects, Rachael Smith, Lynchburg News and Advance, March 4, 2023
Randolph, Sweet Briar students participate in contest to redesign old Lynchburg reservoir space, Rodney Robinson, Lynchburg News and Advance, March 4, 2023
Halifax County supervisors face precinct split, solar issues, Miranda Baines, South-Boston Gazette-Virginian, March 6, 2023