Government Glance for July 4, 2022: Goochland PC to review rezoning for major fulfillment center; Danville Council to approve dam removal, White Hall financing support
Another look at what's coming up in local meetings across the Fifth District
Almost 32 years ago, I got a 78 on a pop quiz Mr. George sprang the first day of 12th grade government at Brookville High School. Mr. George wanted to know what we knew about the system of government, and my grade was top of the class, by far. I’ve always wanted to know how things work.
However, I would go on to get an F for one of the six-week periods in that class because I refused to do a scrapbooking assignment about the first war in Iraq. I felt the project needed to have been more substantive.
A few years before, I remember going to a few Campbell County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors’ meetings because people in my neighborhood were concerned about relatively undeveloped land uphill being developed as a massive shopping center. I was personally excited about having more things to walk to, but the development was voted down. I was fascinated by the experience.
Despite the F, I ended up at Virginia Tech, where I studied political science and history after bombing out of Computer Science. That senior year in high school, I was interested in using the rudimentary internet we had to communicate and I didn’t really understand what I wanted to do. Thankfully I fell into journalism and onto a pathway in which I’m still using my time to explore government.
I’ve spent a third of my life at the northern end covering Albemarle County and Charlottesville government. The district map adopted by the Virginia Supreme Court last December contains both jurisdictions in their entirety, in a political map that makes more sense to me than anything in my lifetime. I want to produce substantive work that documents what local governments do, each and every week.
I am still learning the basics of local government in the 22 other localities within the new Fifth. I am bound to make mistakes, but I’ve never seen being a C student as a disadvantage. My theory of education is that it’s impossible to know everything, and a major reason to be alive is to learn and improve.
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This post will need to be read online to see all of it! There’s a lot happening, even in a slow week.
Monday, July 4, 2022
Today is the federal holiday that marks the date when the Second Congressional Congress approved the Declaration of Independence and thirteen of Britain’s colonies in North America opted to go it alone. It is now 246 years later and this is a time of great uncertainty in a country that has grown to 50 states and currently has fourteen territories. What will things look like at the 250th anniversary? The next few years are crucial.
If you are able to celebrate with friends and family today, think of the importance of documenting what happens and having ways to talk with others about what is happening. We disagree with each other on so many things, but it has been 157 years since there was a formal war between the states.
These days it seems we may be heading that way again, but I am hopeful that through better communications and more reporting we can avoid bloodshed in the future. I write about local, state, and federal government in a way that reminds us of what we do share in common. That goal drives my reporting as a first-generation American.
I am a non-partisan and have made my career out of trying to write a narrative that can be read by as many people as possible. My hope is to get more people to realize how our civilization is based on a series of laws, and the violent rhetoric we use in political conversations threatens the stability our children and their children will need to navigate the problems of the future and the legacies of the past.
We need each other more than ever, even if there are fundamental disagreements between so many. In my career, I’ve found that there are many who distort information to win power. I aim to provide a common set of facts to do what I can to continue a civilization based on reason. This is my faith.
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
Danville City Council to signal “moral obligation” to finance White Mill development
The nine-member Danville City Council will meet at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers for a regular session followed by a work session. (agenda link)
They’ll deal with old business first. For this meeting, they’ll consider an increase in fees for hangar rentals, renting the public library auditorium, and establishment of maker space at the public library. (staff report)
There are three public hearings. In the first, Council will consider a change in the exterior lighting standards to measure illumination by foot-candles of light rather than lamp energy wattage. (staff report)
In the second, the new owner of 726 Temple Avenue is seeking a special use permit for an existing duplex to come into compliance with the zoning code. A previous owner built the units without seeking permission. (staff report)
In the third, God’s Pit Crew seeks a rezoning from Light Economic Development - Industrial to Highway Retail Commercial. God’s Pit Crew is a faith-based non-profit crisis response team. The Planning Commission recommended approval 7 to 0. (staff report)
In other action, Council will be asked to adopt an Equal Opportunity Plan for the Danville Transit System. Last year, the system exceeded the threshold to meet federal requirements.
“To satisfy federal requirements, the transit system obtained assistance from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Danville's Human Resource Office to prepare the attached Equal Employment Opportunity plan,” reads the staff report. “Formalized communication procedures have been established to publicize and disseminate Danville Transit's plan to employees, applicants, and the public.”
Next, Council will adopt a resolution stating their moral obligation to finance a project to redevelop 424 Memorial Drive. This is part of the process related to a $26.5 million loan from the American National Bank & Trust for the property owned by the Industrial Development Authority.
“The project will cover the cost of constructing approximately 110,675 square feet of commercial space and 84,773 square feet of parking, also known as “Condo 1” within the building,” reads the staff report. “In addition, construction financing will include making improvements to the exterior of the upper three floors of the eastern 1/3rd of the building and cover the IDA's portion of exterior site development costs.”
American National Bank & Trust also wants a $2.15 million deposit.
Council will also vote to authorize the removal of Long Dam.
“There is concern that, with more people in the area visiting the future park, the renovated White Mill Bridge, River Walk Trail extension, and the redeveloped White Mill, there will be more potential for people to be harmed by the existence of the dam,” writes City Manager Ken Larking in a staff report. “The dam also puts first responders at greater risk, should they be called upon to rescue people in distress.”
Finally, Council will hold first reading of amendment the Fiscal Year 2023 budget to use funding from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission (VTRRC). The idea is to build a shell building in the Cyber Park. Danville is using the $1 million grant as part of its share of the $2.85 million project that’s being constructed with financial input and partnership from Pittsylvania County. You can learn more about the Cyber Park on the Pittsylvania County website.
In the work session following the regular meeting, Council will review the five projects that Danville will pursue through the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Scale process. One will be submitted by the Danville Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Riverside Drive Improvements - Piney Forest Road to Audubon Drive
Riverside Drive Improvements - Audubon Drive to Arnett Boulevard
Riverside Drive Improvements - Arnett Boulevard to Main Street
Piney Forest Road Improvements
Piedmont Drive Pedestrian Accommodations
I look forward to traveling to Danville soon to take a look at these places on the ground.
Louisa Supervisors to take up issue of library name change
The seven-member Louisa County Board of Supervisors meets in open session beginning at 6 p.m. in the Louisa County Public Meeting Room. (agenda packet)
There’s a light agenda as a public hearing on updates to land use regulations has been removed for now. The first action item is a presentation on the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan being put together by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District. One of the suggested actions for Louisa is the repair of the Bowlers Mill dam that creates Lake Gordonsville.
Next, Supervisors will get a presentation on the Virginia American Revolution Commission (VA250) to get ready for may be called the Semiquincentennial. The Commission is an official body of the Virginia government authorized in 2020 by the General Assembly.
“As you know, the 250th anniversary of American independence holds tremendous educational, economic, and tourism opportunities for the Commonwealth,” reads a letter the Commission has sent to all Virginia localities. “Not only was Virginia a central focus of the American Revolution in the 1770's and 1780’s, but it is still at the center, in terms of what visitors can see and experience today.
The Commission wants local committees to be appointed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
After that, the Board has scheduled another discussion of the potential for a name change of the Jefferson Madison Regional Library. The chair of the Louisa Board of Supervisors is Duane Adams and he is also running for the Virginia Senate in District 10 in 2023.
In May, a descendant of enslaved people asked the JMRL Board to change the name. In June, Adams introduced a resolution for Louisa County to oppose any change, which as adopted unanimously. Later in the month, Greene County followed suit with an item on their consent agenda. (Louisa Supervisors unanimously oppose name change for regional library, June 9, 2022)
The JMRL Board of Trustees met last week and were told by JMRL Director David Plunkett that a name change would be up to the Board of Supervisors. He said the appropriate process would be to consider the name change during the next review of the agreement between Albemarle, Charlottesville, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. (Speakers express multiple views on renaming of library system, June 28, 2022)
There’s no material in the packet, but Adams tweeted on July 1.
Charlotte County Supervisors to hold special meeting
This is the eight installment of this newsletter, and in the sixth I began writing out the population numbers for each locality as a way of sharing a sense of what each community is all up to. Charlotte County is the second least populous locality in the new Fifth District with a U.S. Census count of 11,529. The Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia projects a population decline to 10,322 by 2030.
The Charlotte Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing at a special called meeting to be held in the Randolph-Henry High School Auditorium. The topic is the siting agreement for a 167 megawatt utility-scale solar facility that Randolph Virginia LLC seeks to build. They are a branch of SolUnesco LLC. Dominion Energy may purchase the facility, according to a letter included in the packet.
As part of the agreement, Charlotte County will be paid $1,400 per megawatt as part of a revenue share mechanism enabled under state law. The letter states how that payment will be made. The latest revision of the agreement contains language regarding access by emergency personnel. (meeting packet)
In other meetings:
The Campbell County Board of Supervisors usually meets on the first Tuesday of the month but there is no agenda listed for this week. (meeting page)
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Fluvanna Supervisors to renew contract with county attorney; discuss possible new name for Palmyra District
Fluvanna County had a population count of 27,249 in the 2020 Census. Weldon Cooper projects an increase to 28,394 by 2030, according to new data released this month.
The five-member Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors meets at 5 p.m. for a work session and public hearings begin at 7 p.m. after a recess for dinner. They will gather at the Carysbrook Performing Arts Center at 8880 James Madison Highway in Fork Union. (agenda packet)
In their first action, Supervisors will vote to approve an annual contract with county attorney Frederick W. Payne. Payne’s law firm has had that contract since 1988 and is currently paid $10,000 a month for a flat fee for routine services with additional hours. Routine services are defined in the contract as including legal advice, drafting of ordinance, review of legal document, representing Fluvanna in court, and some contract development. Different members of Payne’s law firm are charged different rates for other matters.
Next, Supervisors will vote on implementation of a compensation study and have five options to proceed with the institution of a new system of pay ranges. Staff are recommending moving all employees to the minimum of their new pay tier, plus a three percent increase in salary. This would cost the county $325,985.
Now that Fluvanna Supervisors have adopted a new legislative map through the redistricting process, there may be a need to change the name of one of the magisterial districts.
“The Palmyra District, as redrawn following 2020 the Census and Redistricting, is no longer located near the village of Palmyra,” reads a staff report for a presentation.
Fluvanna is also seeking a clarification of its boundaries with Albemarle County. The border is a straight line that runs from I-64 at the north to Scottsville in the south. A portion of the Town of Scottsville is in Fluvanna. Payne will give an update.
In unfinished business, Supervisors will resume discussion on a conditional use permit for a storage yard for an electric contractor. Learn more about the public hearing and why a vote was deferred in June in this article from Heather Michon in the Fluvanna Review. The applicant is seeking a deferral until the August 18 meeting so more negotiations can be worked out with neighboring land owners.
The Board will also take up a change to the zoning ordinance to allow up to 5.5 units per acre in an R-4 zoning district without a special use permit. This would only apply if the project has access to public water and sewer. Staff is recommending deferring this conversation until after the county has adopted a revised Comprehensive Plan. Review the work to date on the county’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan page or read Heather Michon’s coverage of a June 9 open house in the Fluvanna Review.
Goochland Supervisors welcome new administrator, learn about tourism plan
There were 24,727 people in Goochland County as recorded in the 2020 Census. Demographers at Weldon Cooper project that increasing to 27,339 in 2030 and to 34,742 in 2050.
The Goochland County Board of Supervisors will meet at 2 p.m. in the Board Meeting Room at 1800 Sandy Hook Road in Goochland. But before that, they will have a reception at 1 p.m. for the new county administrator, Victor Carpenter.
Carpenter was named to the position in May, according to the county website. He comes to the position from Kershaw County, South Carolina where he was the administrator. There’s a resolution on the agenda that welcomes other new personnel who have joined county government.
From the agenda, I have learned that July is Parks and Recreation Month. I’ll make a note of that over the next few weeks. (staff report)
Supervisors will be presented with the draft of a tourism strategic plan that’s been put together with the collaboration of the county’s economic development authority.
“Home to a wide variety of craft beverage companies, corporate headquarters, healthcare providers, and construction services create a successful corporate environment,” reads the acknowledgments section of the draft plan. “The unmatched natural beauty of rolling hills, long standing farms, access points to the James River, and established amenities have helped establish a solid foundation for a successful and growing tourism industry.”
The evening session begins at 6 p.m. There are several public hearings. Here are the ones pertaining to land use:
A couple seeks a conditional use permit to build a detached accessory unit on a 4.527 acre property on Meadow Ridge Lane. The Planning Commission recommended approval on a 5 to 0 vote at their June 2 meeting. (staff report)
A for-profit private school known as Acton Academy seeks a conditional use permit to operate in an existing building on Broad Street Road.
“The applicant describes the school operation as a micro-school/home school co-operative,” reads the staff report. The property is within the Oilville Village Overlay District and two certificates of appropriateness have been approved administratively.
The Comprehensive Plan designates the land as single family residential. An existing dwelling on the property would be demolished and an entrance onto Broad Street Road would be closed. The Planning Commission recommended approval on a 5 to 0 vote at their June 2 meeting.Spruce Homes seeks a rezoning of 15 acres on Hermitage Road from agricultural to single-family residential (R-1) on land designated in the Comprehensive Plan as Rural Enhancement. They would build seven homes. The Planning Commission recommended approval on a 5 to 0 vote at their June 2 meeting. (staff report)
One thing I really like about the Goochland Board of Supervisors’ agendas is that the final information is a list of upcoming land use applications that will be heard by the Planning Commission and then the Board of Supervisors at their next meeting.
Thursday, July 7, 2022
Goochland County Planning Commission to consider rezoning for major employer near I-64
So far, this newsletter is intended to be limited to top meetings by elected officials. Ultimately I hope to cover land use issues across the entire Fifth District. I’m hesitant to commit to listing all Planning Commission meetings so far, but I’ll add these gradually, or when I feel it’s a good time.
In that spirit, the Goochland Planning Commission meets at 6:45 p.m. for a brief meeting in the board conference room at 1800 Sandy Hook Road in Goochland. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and there are four public hearings: (agenda packet)
A couple seeks an amendment to an existing conditional use permit that allowed veterinarian services to be conducted on Cardwell Road under the business Little Hawk Equine. The request is to drop a restriction on that permit being transferred to the new owners, who want to use nearly 41-acre property to be used as an equestrian school.
A company sinks the rezoning of 105 acres of agricultural land on Ashland Road to industrial. This would be for a “multi-story e-commerce fulfillment center” which would be 650,000 square feet with 55 loading docks. According to the proposed site plan, this is known as “Project Rocky.” The Comprehensive Plan designates this area as “flexible.” The tenant is not identified, but materials state the center would employ up to 1,000 people across two shifts. The property is within the Tuckahoe Creek Service District.
The above project also requires a special use permit for the building to be 120 feet tall.
The Richmond Strikers Soccer Club seek the renewal of a conditional use permit for an athletic field on West Creek Parkway.
Friday, July 8, 2022
Nothing on Friday this week but I am considering going on a field trip to somewhere in the Fifth District on Thursday and Friday. Where should I go? Who should I meet? I’m very excited to explore and get to know places I’m writing about each and every week.