More details coming for Albemarle's Rivanna Station expansion project; New attorney in Fluvanna County
Third of four installments this week!
Today’s installment is made much easier due to the already-published Week Ahead from this week. There will be another edition today with more links to stories from journalist colleagues as well as a preview of the Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors meeting from Thursday.
Albemarle Board of Supervisors to learn about solar policy, Rivanna Station Futures
The six-member Board of Supervisors in Albemarle County will begin their day at 9 p.m. for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new courts complex to be built in Court Square. Any time three or more members meet, this must be noticed to the public. (meeting info)
They’ll gather again at 1 p.m. for their regular meeting. (meeting packet)
The first major item on the agenda is a work session on commercial solar, also titled “Solar Land Use Regulation Overview.” The county hired the Berkley Group to assist with a review of the process by which utility-scale projects are permitted in Albemarle. The Berkley Group is performing similar work for localities throughout the Fifth District. (read the report)
“It is understood that this initiative is in large part based on recent and growing interest in the development of solar facilities in the County, and given the scale and potential impacts – both positive and those less so – the County is seeking a better understanding of the land use issues particular to solar energy generation facilities and how those issues may be better addressed through regulations, permit review, and procedures,” reads the staff report.
In 2010, there were two gigawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity in the United States. That’s grown to 130 GW by the middle of last year. In Virginia solar capacity has increased from 17 megawatts in 2014 to 470 megawatts in 2020.
“Most of the state has an average solar insolation of nearly four (4) kilowatt hours (kWh) per square meter of sunlight per day, a percentage of which can be captured by photovoltaic solar panels,” the staff report continues.
The Clean Economy Act of 2020 requires Dominion Energy and American Electric Power to invest in alternatives to fossil fuels and to be 100 percent renewable by 2045 and 2050 respectively.
Supervisors will learn about impacts to agriculture, experiments in agrivoltaics to combine uses, stormwater management, decommissioning and disposal.
Next Supervisors will get an update on the initiative to spend $58 million to purchase 462 acres of land to help prevent Rivanna Station from being encroached. Take a look at my story from May 25. We’ll learn more about how the county would finance the purchase.
After that there’s a quarterly report from the Albemarle County School Board. Here are some things of note (read the report):
C’ta DeLaurier is the new principal of Woodbrook Elementary
Seth Kennard is the new principal of Mountain View Elementary
Jim Kyner is the new principal of Brownsville Elementary
Leslie Wills-Taylor is the new principal of Mountain View Elementary
Albemarle County Public Schools is continuing to work on pupil transportation issues related to driver shortages. All parents of students are asked to complete a one question form by June 30 to request service.
A community meeting on high school Center II was held on May 9. The new facility is expected to have a capacity of 400 students a day and a total of 800 students. The goal is to be open by the 2026 school year.
The School Board is seeking applications from people who want to be on the Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee.
In the evening meeting there are several public hearings:
Two medical transportation companies are seeking the ability to operate within Albemarle County for non-emergencies. The two firms are Delta Response Team and Kiwi Emergency Medical Services. (staff report)
Misty Mountain Camp Resort seeks a special use permit to increase to 158 campsites and 19 cabins, as well as to allow camping year-round. The Planning Commission recommended approval in January on a 6 to 0 vote. (staff report)
Albemarle County wants to be able to offer on “sign-on incentives” for new police and fire recruits. (staff report)
There’s also a proposal to pay members of Boards and Commissions more money. The funding was set aside in the FY24 budget but a public hearing must be held to change the ordinance. (staff report)
There’s also a public hearing to increase compensation to the Albemarle Board of Supervisors. (staff report)
Fluvanna Supervisors to approve hiring of new county attorney
The five-member Board of Supervisors in Fluvanna County meets at 5 p.m. in the Fluvanna County Library at 214 Commons Boulevard in Palmyra. This is a change from the usual location. (meeting packet)
There are five action matters at this meeting and no public hearings.
There will be a resolution to hire a special deputy county attorney on a temporary basis. This person is Frederick Payne who has performed the function of county attorney for many years through the law firm he retired from on May 1. He will remain with Fluvanna through the end of June.
There will be an agreement to hire Daniel N. Whitten as county attorney effective this week. Fluvanna is transitioning to having its own in-house counsel as opposed to hiring a law firm.
There will be a budget appropriation to address a cost over-run related to the Children Services Act. (page 19)
There will be a discussion of Jaunt funding for FY24. To maintain existing service, Supervisors will need to appropriate $10,950, something they opted not to do in the budget process. If they appropriate $22,760, two services can be expanded from three days to five days. A second motion in the packet would officially acknowledge service cuts. (page 21)
There will be another discussion about the removal of illegal signs from the right of way held by the Virginia Department of Transportation. Supervisors will learn that Caroline County, Spotsylvania County, and Chesterfield County all have entered into an agreement with VDOT for the locality to remove illegal signs and charge civil penalties of $100 per sign. (page 27)
There will also be a quarterly presentation from VDOT.