Week Ahead for December 9, 2024: Nelson Supervisors to hold public hearing on first utility-scale solar facility; Public hearing in Charlottesville for $185.7M capital improvement plan
Plus: Albemarle County Supervisors will vote on a resolution to join the new Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Transit Authority
If you are new to this newsletter, on Sundays I go through all of the agendas for all of the meetings coming up in the next week in local and regional government. This year I’ve begun to add state meetings that are of relevance. The goal is to help people understand what elected officials are deciding and how they can get involved. Another goal is to help me figure out what I’m going to write in the coming weeks. There’s a lot!
As far as government meetings are concerned, there are two more weeks left in the year. However, you can begin to feel the gravity of the holidays when you note that the Albemarle Board of Supervisors have moved up their second meeting of the month to the second week.
Thanks as always to the Piedmont Environmental Council for their sponsorship of this newsletter.
Some highlights:
A project to build a 90 megawatt solar power generation facility in Nelson County goes before the Board of Supervisors Tuesday at a public hearing. The Planning Commission voted to recommend denial and to state it would not be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
On Thursday, the Louisa Planning Commission will have a public hearing on a 3 megawatt solar installation.
This week the Planning Commissions in Charlottesville, Fluvanna, and Louisa will review draft capital improvement programs. These lay out what infrastructure investments each locality plans to make in the next five years.
The Charlottesville PC will also get an update on the work plan for the Neighborhood Development Services.
The Albemarle Planning Commission will have an AC44 work session on rural area land use and then will have two public hearings including one on a rezoning in the rural area for a 50-unit mobile home community.
The Greene County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will take up a resolution to partner with Orange County on water supply planning.
The Charlottesville Economic Development Authority will review placemaking, goal 4 of the relatively new economic development strategic plan.
Albemarle County Supervisors will have their final meeting in the year on Wednesday and will take up a resolution to join the Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Transit Authority.
Monday, December 9, 2024
Some days are less full than others. Today is one of those days, so here are some brief listings.
The Fifeville Neighborhood Association will present the results of a survey related to a potential grocery store at 501 Cherry Avenue. That will take place from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church at 105 Lankford Avenue in Charlottesville.
The Economic Development Authority of Fluvanna County will meet at 5 p.m. in the Morris Room in the county administration building. (meeting agenda)
The Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Council will meet immediately afterward. (meeting agenda)
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Nelson Supervisors to take up 90 megawatt Wild Solar facility that Planning Commission recommended they deny
The five-member Nelson County Board of Supervisors meet at 2 p.m. in the General District Courtroom in the Courthouse in Lovingston. (agenda packet)
There is a proclamation for National Wreaths Across America Day. I’ll have more on that later in the week.
There will be three presentations with the first being from the Virginia Department of Transportation. That’s not in the agenda packet this time around.
Supervisors will also get an update on the design for the new social services office from PMA Architecture. They’re scheduled to give a final presentation to the Board of Supervisors on March 11, 2025. The process to find a contractor is expected to take six weeks and construction is estimated as taking 18 months.
Davenport will present proposed policies for the county’s finances. If you want to review these, this section begins on page 62 of the packet. One item I find of interest are two lists of peer groups to compare Nelson County’s $65.5 million in revenues. One is contiguous and ranges from Appomattox County ($57.6 million in revenues) to Albemarle ($526.8 million in revenues). The other is arranged by a range with Nottoway County at $50.64 million to Southampton County at $79.95 million.
There are four items under new and unfinished business:
The first is a request from the Future Farmers of America to help cover the costs of a trip to the National Western Stock Show in Denver. The group is hoping to raise a total of $10,000 to allow students to have the experience. (learn more)
Then there will be a discussion amendment to a work order with the Berkley Group to develop new language in the zoning code related to short term rentals. The Planning Commission requested this on October 23. Supervisors will not take action until a joint meeting with the Planning Commission on December 18. (learn more)
There will be a resolution to authorize a public hearing on January 14, 2025 to give Supervisors the local authority to lower some speed limits in some areas to below 25 miles per hour. (learn more)
There will be another resolution to authorize a public hearing on December 18, 2024 for a proposed amendment to the Wintergreen Master Plan related to a conservation easement. This is related to a 40 acre section of land known as Grassy Ridge for which residential development is planned. (learn more)
There will be a closed session related to litigation involving the Region 2000 Services Authority.
The evening session is more or less devoted to a proposal for a Large Solar Energy System on property zoned agricultural. This is the Wild Rose Solar Project that will be built on 550 acres and there are two public hearings for what would be the county’s first major solar installation. The first is for a special use permit to allow the use and the second is for a proposed siting agreement. (learn more)
“The applicant is proposing to install a 90 megawatt (utility scale) solar energy farm on land in active timber use,” reads the staff report from planning and zoning director Dylan Bishop. “The remaining land is planned to remain in silvicultural use during the life of the project, which is proposed at a length of 35-40 years.”
The report states that construction will generate 250 temporary jobs and between two and five permanent positions. The county will get a rollback tax payment of $132,000 because the property will be taken out of land use taxation. Under the siting agreement, Nelson County would receive $16 million over the course of the life of the project.
Under other business, there’s an appeal of the Nelson County Planning Commission’s finding related to the project’s compliance with the Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission voted 4-1 on June 26 that the project does not fit the plan and unanimously recommended denial.
I will have more from the Nelson County meeting in Tuesday’s edition of the newsletter.
This is not the last time Nelson Supervisors will meet this year. As I mentioned above, they’ll do so again on December 18 for a joint public hearing with the Planning Commission.
Greene Supervisors to consider resolution to partner with Orange County on water supply
The Greene County Board of Supervisors will meet at 5 p.m. for a closed session followed by an open meeting at 6:30 p.m. (meeting agenda)
There are two public hearings.
The first is to consider an easement of right of way over county-owned property on Knight’s Drive. This is to satisfy a bank that has been asked to finance the purchase of another property on the roadway. (learn more)
The second is to consider changes to the zoning ordinance related to performance bonds and to add language clarifying the differences between subdivision plats and subdivision site improvement plans. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the changes at their meeting on November 20. (learn more)
There will be a presentation from Jaunt’s CEO. The agency took over control of Greene County Transit in 2020 and currently offers two services. One is the Greene Link which can take people to Albemarle and Charlottesville and the other is the Greene Circulator which operates within the county.
Under items for discussion, there is a resolution to direct staff to investigate a partnership with Orange County for a reservoir.
“Collaboration with Orange County could provide mutual benefits, including shared resources, cost savings, and enhanced regional water management,” reads the resolution.
The two counties formerly collaborated as part of the Rapidan Service Authority. Greene County left that organization when members from Orange and Madison County indicated they did not want to increase revenues to build a new water supply. One of the items called for in this resolution is a feasibility study.
Supervisor Francis McGuigan also wants the county to reduce its general fund balance and return funds back to citizens. (learn more)
There is also a discussion of priorities for planning and zoning. That information is not in the packet in advance.
Fluvanna Planning Commission to hold public hearing on Capital Improvement Plan
The Fluvanna County Planning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. for a work session followed by a regular meeting at 7 p.m. They meet in the Morris Room in the county administration building in Palmyra. (agenda)
The work session is on revisions to the subdivisions ordinance that will be the subject of a future public hearing.
There are four public hearings on the agenda of the regular meeting. (regular meeting packet)
One is for the $104.8 million Capital Improvement Plan for the next five years. This is contained in a separate 256-page packet which you can read here. The single largest expenditure anticipated is in FY27 when a $43.1 million project for the Fork Union Water Supply is programmed.
The second public hearing is on changes to the language in zoning related to day homes. This will reduce the number of children allowed from six to five and to make other changes to conform with Virginia Code. (learn more)
The third is on the language in zoning for minor subdivisions. In particular, this will clarify that no more than five lots can be created through a subdivision. (learn more)
The fourth is on language in zoning related to the definition of front yards. (learn more)
There will be a review of the site development plan for Antioch Baptist Church to construct a 21,117 square foot multi-purpose building. (learn more)
There will be a resolution to advertise the public hearing for changes to the subdivision ordinance. (learn more)
Under unfinished business there will be a discussion of the Comprehensive Plan review that is underway and another on special events. For the former, they will review the presentation that will be used at five input meetings to take place in each of Fluvanna’s magisterial districts early next year. (learn more about the Comprehensive Plan)
For the latter, there is a review of how other localities regulate special events. (learn more)
Under new business will be a discussion of agritourism which is currently not addressed in Fluvanna’s zoning code. (learn more)
Charlottesville Planning Commission to hold public hearing on capital improvement program
The seven-member Charlottesville Planning Commission will meet at 5 p.m. for a non-televised but public gathering in the Neighborhood Development Services conference room in City Hall. This is where they will talk about the meeting. (meeting agenda)
At 5:30 p.m. they’ll walk down the corridor to City Council Chambers where they’ll give reports. But first they’ll hear a work plan for Neighborhood Development Services. I’ll have a further preview of that in Monday or Tuesday’s newsletter. (view the work plan)
The Development Code adopted by the City Council last December stripped the role that the Planning Commission plays in the land use process in favor of by-right development. Public hearings are now very rare and the main item on the agenda at this meeting is one for the Capital Improvement Program. For background on that, I refer to you two previous stories:
Charlottesville PC gives broad direction on capital improvement program, October 3, 2024
Charlottesville Planning Commission gives more direction on capital improvement program, December 6, 2024
Page 125 of the full packet includes a list of responses to questions asked at the November 26 work session. One item to note is that City Manager Sam Sanders is planning to bring forward “Urgent Transportation Improvements” as a separate item from the Capital Improvement Plan at the January 6, 2025 City Council meeting.
On the consent agenda is a site plan approval for 2117 Ivy Road, a ten-story apartment building planned for 2117 Ivy Road right across the street from where the University of Virginia plans to build three residential buildings for student housing.
AC44 review extravaganza continues with discussion of rural area land use actions
The review of Albemarle County’s Comprehensive Plan is now technically in its fourth year and staff are slowly rolling out the various chapters and suggested actions. I’ve made the attempt to keep track of it and in doing so I’ve had to step up my organization up a few notches. There’s a lot to keep track of and I’m still two meetings behind.
A third meeting happens at the 4 p.m. work session at which draft actions in the Rural Area chapter. This is highly technical stuff but some of the details are worth continued review such as whether new uses should be allowed.
“It should be noted that Rural Area policies from the 2015 Comp Plan, including land conservation, protecting the natural environment, and reducing land fragmentation, continue to remain priorities in AC44,” reads the staff report. “The topics for this work session and previous work sessions are intended to build on these priorities and address policies where there is less consensus and therefore more input is needed from the community, Commission, and the Board.”
There’s a lot to this and I’ll reserve a lot of words for when I write this up later in the month.
Here are some materials for this work session:
There are two public hearings for the evening session which begins at 6 p.m.
The first is a rezoning request for just over 50 acres of land on Chestnut Grove in the Samuel Miller District from Rural Areas to Residential 4 to allow for a 50 unit mobile home community. Staff recommends denial due it not being consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. (staff report)
The second is a special use permit for City Church on Rio Road East to build a 13,100 square foot building and an additional 111 parking spaces. (staff report)
Charlottesville Economic Development Authority to discuss 501 Cherry Avenue project
The Charlottesville Economic Development Authority meetings are not televised so if a reporter wants to see what happens, they’d better attend. This month’s meeting is at 4 p.m. in CitySpace. (agenda packet)
There are six items under new business. The first two are the presentation of the annual audit of the EDA for FY2024 and then the annual report. I’ll have a more detailed report on that in Tuesday’s edition of the newsletter. Then new leadership will be selected for 2025.
There will be a resolution to approve a performance agreement for the Maury Avenue Center related to a $50,000 grant application from the Virginia Brownfields Restoration and Economic Development Assistance Fund. This is with Stadium Row LLC, the owner of a shopping center on Maury Avenue.
“This application will improve the environmental quality of the site and further business development opportunities,” reads the resolution.
Next up is a discussion of the affordable housing development that Piedmont Housing Alliance and Woodard Properties are partnering on at 501 Cherry Avenue. This is under the heading “For Awareness and Future Action.”
The final item on the agenda is a discussion of Goal 4 of the relatively recent Economic Development Strategic Plan. Goal 4 is Placemaking. (read the plan)
“We will invest in placemaking to celebrate Charlottesville’s creativity and culture,” reads the one-line goal.
Here are the strategies under the goal.
4.1: Collaboratively reimagine, with key stakeholders, the Historic Downtown Mall and a retail strategy to support it
4.2: Explore, with community partners, the creation of a welcoming initiative
4.3: Support the Rising Professional program
4.4: Support the efforts of Visit Charlottesville to grow destination assets
4.5: Provide, maintain, and promote innovative parking solutions
This reporter would like to hear that conversation and report from it. But will there be time?
In one other meeting:
The Albemarle Broadband Authority will meet at 6 p.m. in Room 241 of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. One item on the agenda is appointment of a new administrative officer. Mike Culp is retiring and Jason Inofuentes will take on the position. (meeting info) (agenda)
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Albemarle Board of Supervisors to meet for final time in 2024
Are we ready to look back at the year that has been 2024? The answer may not be fully relevant when there’s an item on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors titled Year in Review. That’s the last item on a short agenda for a meeting that begins at 1 p.m. in Lane Auditorium of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. (meeting info) (agenda)
The first item on the agenda is a presentation on the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. That’s the audit of Albemarle’s books for FY2024. This is required by Virginia law of all localities as you can see here. The materials are not available in advance.
Next up is a resolution to approve Albemarle County joining the Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Transit Authority. For background, here are a series of stories I’ve written:
Albemarle Supervisors support move toward Regional Transit Authority, December 3, 2023
Regional Transit Partnership directs staff to write by-laws for new transit authority, March 18, 2024
Work group presents by-laws for potential Regional Transit Authority, July 20, 2024
Transit partnership votes to endorse transition to Regional Transit Authority, August 31, 2024
One story I did not write up was the discussion Supervisors had with Charlottesville City Council at their joint meeting in October. Maybe I’ll get to that before Wednesday?
After that will be a work session on an updated memorandum of understanding between the Board of Supervisors and the Economic Development Authority. This is another story I would have liked an eighth day in a week to have gotten to but I’ve been unable to change the work week.
“In August 2024, the Board and the EDA met for a joint session to discuss the EDA's interest in adopting a revised MOU this year, so as to facilitate the County's economic development priorities, especially as it related to the Rivanna Futures project,” reads the staff report.
The Albemarle EDA adopted the draft MOU at their meeting on November 19, 2024. One reason I’ve not reported on this further is that I neglected to record the meeting in real-time and this one has not been posted to YouTube. In setting up future research just now, I went to the EDA website and note that there is a link to a recording, but the link appears to be null.
There’s also no materials available yet under Year in Review. Soon!
In one other meeting:
The Charlottesville Retirement Commission meets at 8:30 a.m. in CitySpace. (agenda packet)
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Louisa Planning Commission to hold public hearing on 3 megawatt solar facility
The Louisa County Planning Commission will meet at 5 p.m for a work session followed by a regular session at 7 p.m. (work session agenda)
The work session will cover a lot of ground. Under new business there will be an introduction of Louisa’s Capital Improvements Plan and that document is not included in the agenda packet at publication time. There will also be a discussion of the Planning Commission’s by-laws. These were last adopted on February 9, 2023.
Under old business there will be a discussion of proffers, a second phase of amendments to the zoning code, and focus area plans. There’s nothing attached related to the proffers, but there are memorandums on the zoning amendments and the focus area plans.
There are four public hearings.
The first is a rezoning request to allow for an agricultural operation on 3.7 acres of land currently zoned General Commercial (C-2). The property owners at 991 Courthouse Road want to grow “a large garden,a row of fruit trees, a chicken coop with a maximum of 20 birds.” (learn more)
The second is for a conditional use permit for a 3 megawatt solar facility in the Green Springs District on 55.72 acres. (learn more)
The third is on the second phase of the amendments to the Land Development Regulations. These include dropping the ability to have residential uses in commercial zoning districts. (learn more)
The fourth is on amendments to the Land Development Regulations related to Conditional Use Permits for solar siting agreements. (learn more)
In other meetings:
Albemarle county staff will hold an online “lunch and learn” for the Rural Area Land Use Chapter in the Comprehensive Plan. See Tuesday’s Planning Commission entry for more information. This will take place at noon. (learn more about the webinar)
The Albemarle Solid Waste Advisory Alternatives Committee will have an online meeting at 4 p.m. which drastically increases the chances I’ll write about what they have to say. (meeting info)
The Albemarle Conservation Easement Authority will meet at 4:45 p.m. in Room 235 of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. The agenda is not yet posted. (meeting info)
Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders will hold a budget forum at the Carver Recreation Center at 5 p.m. This will be televised on BoxCast. (meeting info)
The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority will have a work session at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers. No materials have been posted at publication time. (learn more)
The Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. The agenda is available! (agenda)
Friday, December 13, 2024
Charlottesville’s Historic Resources Committee to discuss 50th anniversary of the Downtown Mall
The Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee will meet at 10 a.m. rather than the customary 11 a.m. That’s because the meeting is full! This takes place at the NDS Conference Room in City Hall. (agenda)
On the agenda is a discussion of the 50th anniversary of the Downtown Mall which will take place in 2026 and the formation of a subcommittee. There will also be updates on a walking tour, a discussion of markers in Court Square and other locations in the city, and other updates.