Government Glance for May 31, 2022: Charlotte Supervisors to hold public hearing on SolUnesco’s 800 megawatt solar installation; Nelson County to begin Comprehensive Plan process
The third in a weekly newsletter seeking to better understand local governments throughout Virginia's new Fifth District
Welcome to the third installment of a weekly look at what’s happening at the top level meetings in the 24 Southside and Central Virginia localities within the 5th Congressional District. This is an experiment to see what commonalities are experienced by City Councils and Boards in a district that for the first time in my life makes a lot of sense.
This is a slow week and May 31 is a fifth Tuesday, which means no regularly scheduled meetings are held. There is one event worth noting in Nelson, though. In addition to writing about top level meetings, I will also be writing up anything related to Comprehensive Plans. I’m very curious to see what will happen in the next ten years in all of the Fifth CD localities, and my hope is to document as many of the conversations as I can.
This week will look a lot like the companion Week Ahead newsletter because of the way the calendar falls. Both are productions of Town Crier Productions, the company I’ve formed to produce these works. The Week Ahead appears as part of Charlottesville Community Engagement, and some of the material will overlap.
Next week will feature previews of meetings in Appomattox County, Campbell County, Charlottesville, Danville, Goochland County, Halifax County, Prince Edward County, and Lunenberg County.
If I missed any meetings, please let me know!
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Nelson County kicks off Comprehensive Plan process
The 2020 U.S. Census recorded 15,020 people in Nelson County. How many people will live there in 2040? The Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia forecasts a decline, but is that realistic in an era where there appears to be growth pressure everywhere else?
Whatever the future, the Nelson Board of Supervisors has authorized the hiring of the Berkley Group to facilitate the update of the Comprehensive Plan. The last plan was adopted on October 8, 2002. (current plan)
A public workshop will be held at 6 p.m. though no location is listed in the agenda. This meeting does not appear to be on the county’s calendar. I suspect this meeting is being held at the General District Courtroom in Lovingston.
The Berkley Group has provided some materials in advance for the workshop. These include a document prepared in July 2016 by the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association called “Managing Growth and Development in Virginia: A Review of the Tools Available to Localities.” (meeting packet)
“A Comprehensive Plan enables local government officials and citizens to anticipate and deal constructively with changes occurring within the community,” reads page 11 of that document. “Typical topics addressed in a Comprehensive Plan include the analysis of population change, land use, and economic trend, natural and environmental features, housing, transportation systems, and community facilities and services.”
The document is well worth a read for anyone interested in land use and planning. Also worth reading is the Berkley Group’s own guide to Comprehensive Plans.
The Berkley Group has also produced a diagnostic of the current plan and concludes work needs to be done to ensure best practices are included in the new document.
“The plan can be strengthened by including current housing conditions, locations, and needs, as well as strategies to address housing needs in the County as required by the code of Virginia,” reads the section on findings. “The Designated Development Areas, along with the development models, should be reviewed and updated, as appropriate based on community engagement findings, planned capital projects, and future growth needs.”
The plan also suggested including information on housing included in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission’s regional housing plan.
The project website will go live on June 15 as will an online survey on July 1. A series of public workshops will be held throughout the summer. Draft content will be available for public review beginning in September. Adoption will be at a time to be determined according to the draft schedule.
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Albemarle Supervisors to talk transit vision, consider rezoning for 102 units in Places29-North
The Albemarle Board of Supervisors will meet in person at Lane Auditorium for their first meeting of June. (agenda) (meeting info)
First on their agenda is an update from School Board Chair Graham Paige. Dr. Patrick McLauglin has been approved as the Assistant Superintendent and will continue to lead strategic planning for the division. He’s been chief of strategic planning since 2018. Charmane White is the new director of the transportation division and continues to lead efforts to address a shortage of drivers.
The name of Greer Elementary School continues to be reviewed as per the city’s naming review policy. Potential names are Blue Ridge Elementary School, Hydraulic Elementary School, Gecko Elementary School, as well as an affirmation of continuing to call the school after Mary C. Greer. A survey closed on May 27.
Next, Supervisors will be presented with the Regional Transit Vision, a project funded by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation with additional resources from Albemarle County and the city of Charlottesville. The Regional Transit Partnership had a briefing on May 26 and I’ll have more information in the next edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. In the packet is a summary of community engagement efforts as well as a vision statement with goals and objectives.
After that, Supervisors will get a briefing on the build-out analysis for the Comprehensive Plan. This is the same presentation the Planning Commission received last week, as I wrote about in the May 24 edition of CCE. Read that story here.
After that discussion, Albemarle County will consider the four candidates for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Scale process. They are:
Avon Street Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements: Mill Creek Drive to Peregory Lane
Fifth Street Extended Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements: Afton Pond Court to Ambrose Commons Drive
Additionally, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District and the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization will submit eight projects on Albemarle’s behalf:
5th Street Extended Multimodal Improvements: Harris Road to 5th Street Landing
Avon Street Corridor Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements: Druid Avenue to Avon Court
US 250/Peter Jefferson Parkway Intersection Improvements, Park and Ride, and Access Management
In the evening session that begins at 6 p.m., there are four public hearings.
Woodard Properties is seeking a rezoning to alter the classification of steep slopes from managed to preserved. The existing zoning on the 5 acre property is R-15, which means a 74-unit multi-family apartment complex would be by-right except for the presence of slopes. The Planning Commission approved a rezoning 6-0 at its meeting on March 1, 2022. (staff report)
Riverbend Development is seeking a rezoning from Commercial to Planned Residential Development on vacant land at the intersection of Proffit Road and Worth Crossing in the Hollymead Town Center area. They also need a special exception to waive a stepback requirement for additional height. Riverbend seeks to build as many as 102 residential units in the “two over two” fashion for a project to be known as Maplewood. Some are for sale and others are for rent. No spoke at Planning Commission public hearing on March 1 which featured a failed motion to deny followed by a motion to recommend approval that passed 5-1. I regret not covering that topic because the minutes are interesting because Commissioners did not seem to feel the project quite ready. (staff report)
Supervisors will hold a public hearing on an extension of the existence of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority. The enabling authority for the RWSA expires on June 7 and Supervisors and City Council both have to extend it. (staff report)
Supervisors will hold a public hearing on raising their compensation by 10 percent to $19,042 a year. (staff report)
Charlotte Board of Supervisors holding special meeting on major solar facility
The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposal from SolUnesco for an 800 megawatt facility known as the Randolph Solar project. The Berkley Group produced an updated staff report on the project which is available in the packet. The Planning Commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit at their meeting on May 3 after deferring on April 26.
“Based upon the applicant’s current environmental site due diligence and engineering, the area of the 300 project parcels totals 21,071 acres of land, which equates to approximately seven percent of Charlotte County,” reads the staff report.
However, only about 15 percent of that area would be covered with solar panels.
Staff is recommending denial based on a variety of factors, including a concern the project application is not complete.
“The proposed project is not definitive, with application contents noting development rights beyond what is reflected in submitted plan, therefore making true project impacts unknown,” the report continues.
However, staff has listed several conditions including a requirement that a building permit be issued within 18 months of SolUnesco getting the necessary state approvals.
For more information from SolUnesco’s perspective, check their website.
Fluvanna Supervisors to discuss hazard mitigation, potential noise control ordinance
The Fluvanna Board of Supervisors will meet at 5 p.m. at a different location than usual. The five-member elected body will gather at the Fluvanna County Library in Palmyra. (meeting packet)
There are no public hearings, but there are several presentations. In the first, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission will give an update on the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. Each jurisdiction has suggested several “mitigation action items” for which to be responsible. For Fluvanna, that includes:
Increase the number of trained emergency responders, both staff and volunteers
Install new fire hydrants along James River Water Authority water line
Conduct register disaster response drills in schools, and with staff at Assisted Living Facilities and Nursing Homes
Continue and expand the number of citizen alert systems
Implement community notification protocols before, during, and after a disaster event
Development Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP) for locality departments and update the plans annually
Carry out a targeted educational campaign in subdivisions at high risk for fire impacts
Bring in experts to conduct in-house staff training in best management practices in hazard mitigation and preparedness
Develop evacuation plans for dam breaches from Charlottesville-area dams
Such planning efforts can help to secure grants such as from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The TJPDC will submit the plan to FEMA later this year.
There will also be updates on firing range improvements for the Sheriff’s office, a semi-annual report on the Children’s Services Act, a briefing on donations of two sets of light poles and fixtures from the University of Virginia for Pleasant Grove Park, as well as a discussion of an amendment to the noise control ordinance.
Earlier in the meeting, the Board will update a memorandum of agreement with the Fluvanna County Arts Council. The Supervisors and the Planning Commission have been using the Carysbrook Performing Arts Center since October 2021 for meetings due to the need for spacing between those in the audience. The MOA has not been updated since 2008.
Thursday, June 2, 2022
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission meets at 7 p.m. in person. However, so far, this Government Glance doesn’t cover PDCs. That functionality will come eventually.
Friday, June 3, 2022
There are no meetings. But I’ll take this moment to ask you: What do you think of when you think of Fifth District? Is there one identity now? Will there be one in ten years? I’ve said what I think about this venture. Let me know your thoughts!
Mixed demographics - income, race, political, and education.