Wednesday, September 14, 2022: Hanover Supervisors to consider $1M to close at-grade rail crossing in Ashland; UVA Board of Visitors committee to consider demolition of University Gardens
The final of three newsletters this week on local and regional meetings in Virginia's Fifth District
My quest to become proficient in the local governments of the new Fifth Congressional District will include failed mentions. For instance, I neglected to list the September 8 meeting of the Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors. I’ll try again for what I hope is the next meeting on October 13. Here’s last week’s agenda in Lunenburg if you’re interested.
In the Tuesday installment, I did promise a third meeting for this one, so I’ll have a brief summary of what’s happening at the University of Virginia’s Buildings and Committee on Thursday. UVA is the largest public university within the Fifth District and its growth affects the Charlottesville area. I’m curious to know how higher education fits into other communities in the District. What can you tell me? Drop me a line!
In any case, I’ll be back with more of these on Sunday, format to be determined. It’s much easier to do one a week, but I’ve enjoyed doing multiple versions. What do you think?
Hanover County Supervisors to discuss $1M in matching funds for grant to remove Ashland railroad crossing
The Hanover County Board of Supervisors will meet at 2 p.m. today in the county administration building at 7516 County Complex Road. The first hour is reserved for the usual opening items, including an invocation, comments from board and staff, and various presentations including one for September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. There’s also the consent agenda and matters from the public. (agenda packet)
After that, Michael Gill, Superintendent of Hanover County Public Schools, will make a report.
There will next be a presentation from the Department of Rail and Public Transportation on a resolution of support for federal funding to eliminate an at-grade rail crossing in the Town of Ashland.
“The County is being asked to consider a commitment of $1 million in matching funds to help leverage grant funding for the total estimated $40 million project cost,” reads the staff report. ”The Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) and the Town of Ashland have indicated their support for the project through a commitment of $4,662,000.”
CSX will contribute $2 million.
Two other applications are also under consideration for safety improvements for at-grade crossings of Doswell Road and Elmont Road.
Then there is a presentation from County Attorney Dennis Walter on how to remove appointed officials from office. Supervisors requested this at their meeting on August 24. Here’s one relevant piece of code if you want to store it away for later.
The meeting concludes with closed sessions. One is on the discussion of Project Starling, code name for an economic development project. The other is for litigation against the county.
The consent agenda includes:
An update of the Richmond-Crater Planning District Commission’s Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan
The county’s legislative agenda for the 2023 General Assembly
A resolution to support the formation of a local committee to plan for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence
Nottoway Supervisors to consider tax exemption for nonprofit
The five-member Nottoway County Board of Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Nottoway General District Courtroom. (agenda packet)
After a call to order, an invocation, the pledge of allegiance, approval of the agenda, abd approval of the minutes, there will be “delegations from the public” which are limited to five minutes each.
Then there will be three public hearings.
A landowner near Blackstone seeks a special exception to allow placement of a manufactured home on a subdivided parcel that is zoned Rural Residential. The applicant said this will help provide additional affordable housing. The Planning Commision heard this item on September 13.
A nonprofit entity called Helping Every Life Prosper (HELP) seeks an exemption from real estate taxes for land on South Main Street in Blackstone. The annual taxes are $86.64 a year according to the staff report.
There are adjustments to the FY22-23 budget to reflect additional state support for School Resource Officers, additional funding for school projects from the state budget, and funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The meeting will end with a closed session for Supervisors to get legal advice on water service options as well as a discussion of the acquisition of property near the town of Crewe.
UVA Board of Visitors to meet; Buildings panel to vote to demolish outdated apartment complex
In fiscal year 2015, the University of Virginia had an economic impact of $5.9 billion on the Commonwealth’s economy according to a study. Much of that impact is felt by jurisdictions in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District.
In the fall of 2021, there were 27,115 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the University of Virginia. That’s an increase since 1991, when that number was just over 18,000.
Governance at UVA is overseen by a 19-member Board of Visitors, who meet Thursday and Friday at various locations. That number includes two non-voting members.
I’m most interested in the gathering of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, who will meet Thursday afternoon at the Rotunda. If you want to know more background on my reporting on UVA, take a look at a segment in yesterday’s Charlottesville Community Engagement, or take a look at that category on Information Charlottesville.
The first item on the B&G Committee’s agenda is a change to the design for the renovations of classrooms in the Physics Buildings to accommodate a recent shift in how science classes are taught.
“Courses in chemistry, calculus, and statistics have been redesigned to to be conducted in an effective learning environment, and courses in biology, psychology, and physics will be designed in a similar way,” reads the staff report.
That means big lecture halls are now deemed to be obsolete. This redesign would build one 3,900 square foot flat floor classroom for 135 students, one 3,100 square foot hybrid auditorium for 150 students, and one 800 square foot classroom support space.
Next, the B&G Committee will consider a refreshing new master plan for the Darden School of Business, which has its own separate campus in UVA’s North Grounds. In 2016, Darden hired Robert A. M. Stern Architects to produce a plan, and hired them again in 2021 to revisit it for several reasons, including improving physical connections to Central Grounds.
After that, The B&G Committee will be asked to support a resolution to demolish University Gardens, an apartment complex on Emmet Street built in 1948 that has been owned by UVA since the 1960’s. There are no plans for what would go in this space next, but a decision has been made to remove what is there.
“The apartments at University Gardens have reached the end of their useful life,” reads the staff report. “Maintenance and operating expenses have escalated to a level where continued operation is no longer economically viable. Among other issues, the buildings have significant deficiencies including aging mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems and do not have central air conditioning.”
Finally, the B&G Committee will consider amending the Major Capital Plan to build 50,300 square feet of space at the Inova Center for Personalized Health Campus in Fairfax.
There are also written reports in the packet, including an annual report from the University of Virginia Building Official. In fiscal year 2022, that office reviews 885 submittals, issued 248 permits, conducted 614 inspections, and evaluated certificates of occupancy for construction worth $1.9 billion.
“Our review work this year included projects from all over the University: student housing at Brandon Avenue, an expansion to the Encompass Hospital at Fontaine, academic renovations at the Physics building. the repurposing of Wyllie Hall at UVA Wise, and the Football and Olympic Sports buildings in the Athletics Precinct,” reads a summary in the report.
