Government Glance for June 21, 2022: Amherst Supervisors to hold public hearing on first phase of Madison Heights Town Center; Pittsylvania BOS to learn how tourism is preparing for Danville casino
Plus: Several more localities to take action on TJPDC VATI grant
Welcome to the sixth installment of a weekly newsletter that summarizes what’s coming up at local meetings in the 24 localities in Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District. My personal goal in doing the work is to familiarize myself with other localities that share a representative in the federal legislature. There are a lot of stories I want to track as I develop this concept.
For fifteen years, I’ve had a close-up view of Albemarle and Charlottesville and this is a way for me to shake things up a little. This work helps me see how other communities do things.
There is a lot that connects the various communities. U.S. 29 spans from Charlottesville to Danville, and U.S. 60 from Amherst to Powhatan. What future infrastructure will be built in the next nine years before redistricting happens again?
Many of the localities are working together on a public-private partnership to extend broadband Internet to as many homes as possible. This week you’ll see several counties either take action or get a briefing on the RISE project with Firefly Fiber Broadband coordinated by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. In all, 13 Central Virginia counties are taking part. Look below at the Amherst, Appomattox, and Louisa Supervisor agendas for more information.
One story I want to track over the next nine years is how the communities will grow or decline. In preparation for this installment, I looked up the most recent population projections put together by the Demographics Research Group at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. New projections will be available soon, and I want these in the back of my head as I review government meetings for communities I’m just getting to know.
This is a free newsletter for now, but you can support the work through a paid subscription to my Charlottesville Community Engagement newsletter and podcast, or a contribution to Town Crier Productions through Patreon. Please ask me any questions you may have.
Monday, June 20, 2022
Today is a Federal holiday to recognize Juneteenth, and all local government offices are closed. This means there are no meetings, and why this newsletter is coming to you on a Monday morning as opposed to the usual Sunday. Juneteenth marks the day 157 years ago in 1865 when the United States Army issued General Order 3 proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas.
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Louisa Supervisors to get an update on Firefly Fiber project
In 2020, the U.S. Census counted 37,596 people in Louisa County and the Weldon Cooper Center currently has a projection of 44,246 people in 2035. Their seven-member Board of Supervisors meets in closed session at 5 p.m. and in open session at 6 p.m. (meeting info) (meeting packet)
On June 6, the Louisa Board of Supervisors formally entered into an agreement with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission and Firefly Fiber to run lines for broadband to expand Internet all across the county. Louisa is putting up as much as $8.9 million in local funds as part of the overall Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) project that TJPDC will oversee.
“The primary objective of VATI is to provide financial assistance to supplement construction costs by private sector broadband providers, in partnership with local units of government, to extend broadband facilities to areas that presently are underserved by any broadband provider,” reads the minutes of Louisa Supervisors’ June 6 meeting.
In business items, Supervisors will vote on a proposal to use a portion of a nearly $500K federal grant to hire someone to run a volunteer recruitment and retention program for the Louisa County Fire and EMS department. They’ll also authorize a grant for that department to purchase a fire and rescue boat. Finally, they’ll approve a letter of support for a special license plate for Lake Anna that would include the county’s name as well as that of Orange and Spotsylvania counties.
Charlottesville City Council to interview Planning Commission candidates, get briefing on Central Water Line
Charlottesville City Council may win the award this week for the busiest meeting. First, they’ll meet in a special closed session at 1:30 p.m. to interview candidates for several vacancies on the Planning Commission. Due to a series of resignations over the years, five of the seven terms expire on August 31. Two members are not eligible to serve another term.
Later in the meeting, there’s a consent agenda that seeks Council’s approval to stagger those terms. One of the appointees will serve a one-year term, two will serve through 2025, and two will get four-year terms.
At 4 p.m. Council will hold a work session with two items. The first continues a discussion of city-owned property and leases with various entities. In May, Councilors learned about efforts by the Office of Community Solutions to get a handle on properties the city owns and leases out to others. This work session covers the 170 city-owned properties in both Albemarle and Charlottesville, including undeveloped land that could be sold to others. This includes 10 acres of land in the Albemarle Lake subdivision. Staff wants a policy to govern future decisions. (view the presentation)
In the second, Council will get a status report on a $41 million Central Water Line the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority is planning on building across the city to connect the Observatory Water Treatment Plant with the Pantops area. This is part of an overall community water supply plan intended to support a growing population in both Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The five-mile line will be built under existing city streets. RWSA staff are recommending an alternative that will run under Cherry Avenue for several reasons including lowest impacts to traffic and lowest project cost. Council will be briefed on the other alternatives. (view the presentation)
On the consent agenda:
Just over $10,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding that had been programmed for the Ridge Street neighborhood will be transferred to close out a project for the 10th & Page neighborhood to create Jenkins Park. (staff report)
The city’s allocation of CDBG and HOME funding for FY22 is down 4.28 percent from what had originally been estimated and an amendment must be made. (staff report)
Council will be asked to approve an agreement that will allow the owners of 1622 East Market Street to sell their property. A structure was built in 1920 that encroaches onto city-owned property. The current owners purchased the property in 2004 and were unaware of the issue until a recent survey. (staff report)
Council will be asked to authorize up to $50,000 in tax refunds to freelance writers who have been charged business taxes found to be unconstitutional by the Virginia Supreme Court in a June 9, 2022 opinion. The money will cover a $3,304.21 refund to author Corban Addison Klug, the plaintiff in a suit against the city of Charlottesville as well as others who may be in a similar category. (staff report)
Several action items pertain to various city properties.
The owners of a lot at 321 6th Street SW seek purchase of a strip of property platted in 1888 as right of way for Oak Street (staff report)
The owner of a lot at 815 East Jefferson Street wants the City to donate 0.01 adjacent acres it owns (staff report)
The owners of 1110 Preston Avenue seek quitclaim any interest in adjoining property (staff report)
The city wants to purchase 921 East Jefferson Street which is a 0.40 acre property which is currently used for parking. The price would be $1.65 million and that funding would come out of money in the capital improvement fund for the now-defunct 7th Street Parking Deck project. The property is assessed at $953,000. (staff report)
In another item, Council will be asked if an artist can use the trees on the Downtown Mall for an exhibit to be called “The Story of Us: Reclaiming the Narrative of #Charlottesville through Portraits of Community Resilience.” There would be 12 to 16 images displayed in the trees, similar to what used to happen during the now defunct Look Festival. The staff report does not identify the artist nor does it include the proposal. (staff report)
Finally, the Thomas Jefferson Regional Planning District Commission will present the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan to Council. Suggested mitigation activities for the city include completing the flood resilience plan and the climate adaptation plan, as well as updating regulations about developing in the floodplain.
Danville City Council to adopt FY23 budget, discuss removal of Long Mill Dam
The population of the city of Danville peaked in 1990 at a Census count of 53,056, but has declined ever since. In 2020, the count was 42,590 and the Weldon Cooper Center currently projects a further slide to 32,796 in 2035. But, will that turn out to be true in a community where a major casino will open in 2024? The city is currently updating its Comprehensive Plan, as future installments of this newsletter will report.
In the meantime, the nine-member Danville City Council will have a regular meeting beginning at 7 p.m. followed by a work session. They meet in the Municipal Building. (agenda)
One of the first items is adoption of the budget for FY23. One item in the packet that strikes my eye is a full list of authorized positions for Danville’s municipal government. Next year’s budget includes three youth and gang violence outreach workers funded through a grant, two lead abatement positions (also grant-funded), an additional electrical inspector, and three additional planners.
In the work session, Council will be asked to consider the removal of the Long Mill dam on the Dan River for safety reasons. Danville is expanding its recreational amenities with the construction of River Front Park later this year as well as a future white water channel.
“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,” reads the staff report.
The dam was built in 1894 by Dan River Power & Manufacturing Company and is obsolete. The city obtained the low-head structure in 2012.
“The Union Street Dam, which is further upstream, is not under consideration for removal,” the staff report continues. “That dam will be necessary in order to control the volume of water into the planned white water feature, which will be located where the canal is on the south side of the White Mill.
Amherst County Supervisors to consider rezoning for Madison Heights Town Center
Amherst County had 31,307 people in 2020, according to the U.S. Census. The Weldon Cooper Center projects that will stay relatively flat with 31,001 people in 2035. The Amherst Board of Supervisors meets at 7 p.m. in the administration building at 153 Washington Street in Amherst and there are two land use items for new housing stock. (agenda)
First up are a series of public hearings.
Developer Russell Nixon seeks a rezoning of land at the corner of Dillard Road and Route 130 from B-2 to R-3 for a complex of 24 townhomes. This will also require an adjustment to the Future Land Use Map. (item summary)
Rowan Holdings LLC seeks a rezoning of about 9.9 acres in Madison Heights from B-2 and M-1 to the Mixed Use / Traditional Neighborhood Development for a 108-unit apartment complex. This would be part of a larger development to be called Madison Heights Town Center which will eventually feature 400 apartments, up to 250 townhomes, and up to 250 single family homes on half acre lots. (staff report)
The owner of Motor World wants a special exception request for an automotive repair garage (item summary)
The owner of Foxtail Lilies seeks a special exception to turn a house into a short-term rental unit (item summary)
Amherst County seeks an ordinance change to alter the way family subdivisions are handled (item summary)
In other business:
Supervisors will adopt the formal agreement for Amherst to participate in the Firefly Fiber Broadband project (item summary)
There will be a review of the current staffing levels for public safety in Amherst County (presentation slides)
The Amherst Economic Development Authority wants a support letter from Supervisors for financing a 45,000 square foot industrial building for multiple tenants at the Amelon Commerce Center in Madison Heights. (staff report)
Appomattox Supervisors to get update on Firefly fiber project
The Weldon Cooper Center projects a slight increase in population in Appomattox County between now and 2035. The 2020 Census count was 16,119 and UVA’s demographers currently forecast 17,066 people in 13 years from now.
The Appomattox Board of Supervisors will have a work session at 6 p.m. and a regular session beginning at 6:30 p.m. Both are at the Carver-Price Education Complex at 171 Price Line in Appomattox, Virginia. There are no details about the work session, which precedes a closed session. (meeting agendas) (regular session info)
Items include:
A resolution honoring the service of Gary Christie, who retired as the executive director of the Central Virginia Planning District Commission in May.
An appearance by officials from the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative on the Firefly Fiber public-private partnership funded through VATI and local funds.
The Town of Appomattox requests an easement on county property for a streetlight.
Supervisors also will consider a special use permit for the Town of Appomattox’s 4th of July celebration on July 2.
Proven Ministries seeks a special use permit for a skeet shoot to be held on October 1.
The Town of Pamplin seeks a waiver of the land disturbance fee for the development of a parking lot for a terminus of the High Bridge Trail.
Supervisors adopted the $52 million FY23 budget at a special meeting on June 15 and now need to appropriate the funding.
Pittsylvania Supervisors to hear referendum pitch from county schools, update on regional tourism efforts
Will Pittsylvania County’s population have declined slightly when 2035 arrives? The Weldon Cooper Center projects 59,735 people then, down from the U.S. Census count of 60,501 in 2020.
The Pittsylvania Board of Supervisors has a work session at 4:30 p.m. followed by a regular business meeting at 7 p.m. They convene in the Board Meeting room at 39 Bank Street in Chatham. Take a look at the tourism report in this packet and see how those population forecasts may change as the Danville casino is built. (work session packet) (business meeting packet)
In the work session, Supervisors will go into closed session to discuss the potential conveyance of property to the Gospel Tabernacle Outreach Center, as well as other legal matters.
In the regular meeting, they will get a presentation from Pittsylvania County Schools on another referendum to be held this year for a one-percent sales tax increase to fund schools. There will also be an update on regional tourism from Danville’s destination marketing organization.
After that are several rezonings:
A couple seeks a change from Residential Combined Subdivision to Agricultural to allow construction of two residential structures on property currently undeveloped.
A man seeks a change from Residential Combined Subdivision to Agricultural so he can build an accessory structure not otherwise allowed on a property without a residence.
Another couple also seeks a change from Residential Combined Subdivision to Agricultural for 34.9 acres off of Halifax Road so they can use it for agricultural purposes. The applicants had been cited for disturbing land without a permit
The Industrial Development Authority of Pittsylvania County seeks two separate rezonings from M-1 (light industry) to M-2 (heavy industry)
In unfinished business, the First Pentecostal Holiness Church is seeking a real estate tax fund for nearly $8,800 in taxes it paid before being granted tax exempt status by Supervisors this past April.
In other meetings:
The Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan review continues with an in-person open house at the Northside Library meeting room from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (meeting info)
The Campbell County Board of Supervisors meets for a work session, but the link on the meetings page goes to the May 17 meeting. I’m reaching out to the clerk and will try to update this when I do. And in case you’re wondering, another two thousand people or so are expected in Campbell County between 2020 and 2035, with a U.S. Census count of 55,696 and a Weldon Cooper Center projection of 57,782.
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Hanover County is the second largest locality covered by this newsletter, but only the western half is within the new Fifth District. The 2020 Census count is 109,979 and that’s projected to increase to 123,557 by 2035 according to the Weldon Cooper Center.
The seven-member Board of Supervisors will meet at 2 p.m. at the county administration building in Hanover at 7516 County Complex Road. (meeting agenda)
At the meeting:
Shentel seeks to have a nonexclusive agreement to provide cable television throughout the county and a public hearing needs to be authorized. This will be scheduled for July 27. (item packet)
Cascades Containerboard Packaging - Bear Island wants to be able to continue to obtain water from Hanover County and discharge sewage. The previous owner, White Birch Paper, paid for 1.25 million gallons a day whether they used it all or not. Cascades seek a more accurate billing arrangement with a lower “take or pay” amount. (item summary)
There will be presentations on the county’s Septic and Well Assistance Program, a Senior Services update, and a presentation on the Hanover Tomato Festival.
In the evening session, there are several public hearings.
Dominion seeks an easement to run a power line across land owned by the county for the Hill Carter Tank and Pump Station. (item summary)
The owner of the Graymont subdivision wants the county to give up its claim for an easement for a public wastewater pump station that is no longer deemed to be built. (item summary)
A property owner seeks a rezoning of 16.8 acres from Agricultural to Agricultural Residential District so one additional residential unit can be built. (item summary)
Another property owner seeks the same rezoning of a 9.43 acre property for one additional residential unit. (item summary)
A developer of an industrial property on Lakeridge Parkway seeks two special exceptions from the U.S. Route 1 Corridor Overlay District. One is to exceed the maximum building height by five feet and another pertains to the location of loading spaces. (item summary)
The owner of a 4.11 acre industrial property seeks a rezoning to the next intensity (M-2 to M-3) to be able to place two additional propane tanks on the site. (item summary)
There’s a request for a conditional use permit to allow a 170 foot tall cell tower on property owned by the Mechanicsville Little League.
In other meetings:
The Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan review continues with an in-person open house in Room A at the county’s office building on 5th Street from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (meeting info)
Thursday, June 23, 2022
I am fairly certain I may have missed something. I’m still trying to get a feel of who meets when. You will note that this newsletter only covers the top meetings in each locality. It’s my hope to expand that over time to add Planning Commission meetings, as well as planning district commissions.
Friday, June 24, 2022
There tend to be few government meetings on a Friday, as I’ve learned from doing the Week Ahead newsletter each week. But, I may have missed something. Let me know if I did!