April 10, 2024: UVA seeks firms to conduct transportation planning, oversee Grove Street planning study
Plus: A 31-year-old man has been murdered by gunfire in Charlottesville's first homicide of the year
Perhaps the first newsletter was carved in stone over two thousand years ago in ancient Rome. This one is carved in digital ink as frequently as possible to serve much of the same purpose of the Acta Diurna. Will anyone remember Charlottesville Community Engagement in another two thousand years? I’m Sean Tubbs, and perhaps rather than planning to hire reporters, I should find a mason with good hammership.
In today’s installment:
A man has been killed by gunfire in Charlottesville, the first homicide of 2024 in the city
The Biden administration release a new rule limiting allowed amounts of “forever chemicals” in drinking water, the latest in a series of anti-PFAS initiatives
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.4 in March based on higher shelter and energy costs
There’s a lot happening in construction and planning at the University of Virginia, despite the lack of a verbal report from the Office of Architect’s representative on the Planning Commission
First shout-out: Community Bikes begin a series of mobile repair clinics this week
In today’s first subscriber-supported shout-out: Charlottesville Community Bikes does a lot to help everyone who wants a pedal-fueled vehicle to get one. They also keep track of their impact on the community. This week on Instagram, Charlottesville Community Bikes posted their first quarter report and so far this year they’ve handed out 213 free bikes to kids and 61 to teens and adults!
On April 18, a series of mobile repair clinics will have its third stop of the year when a trailer stocked with tools and parts will arrive at Townwood at 5 p.m. for basic repair and to pass out helmets. They’ll be on hand for two hours.
Want to help volunteer for a future clinic? Have a suggestion for one should be held? Visit communitybikes.org to learn more and to find out where future clinics will be!
Charlottesville records first murder of 2024 with death of 31-year-old man
A 31-year-old man is dead after being shot Tuesday night while inside a parked vehicle near the intersection of 12th Street and Rosser Avenue in the Venable neighborhood. Deqwane Brown was pronounced dead at the scene. The Charlottesville Police Department continues to investigate the case.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Charlottesville Police Department at (434) 970-3280 or the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (434) 977-4000.
This is the first homicide in Charlottesville in 2024. There were four people murdered in 2020, none in 2021, and two in 2022. The latter figure does not include the murders of three University of Virginia football players in November 2022 as the trigger for those firearm-enabled deaths technically took place in Albemarle County.
Additionally, Cville Right Now reports that there was another shooting in the 300 block of 14th Street around 2 a.m. this morning.
That brings the total number of shots fired incidents reported by the Charlottesville Police Department so to 27 far this year. There were 55 such incidents in all of 2023 and 62 in 2022. Those figures are down from 88 in 2021 and 89 in 2020. There is not a full year’s worth of data for2019 in the city’s crime data portal.
Biden administration issues drinking water standard to block PFAS from waterways
There are growing concerns about the presence of microplastics in drinking water that come from a wide variety of consumer products. Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances are known by the acronym PFAS and are carcinogens and cause immune and developmental damage in infants and children.
Today the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a new rule lowering the allowable limits for five specific chemicals as well as a mixture of the chemicals.
“By reducing exposure to PFAS, this final rule will prevent thousands of premature deaths, tens of thousands of serious illnesses, including certain cancers and liver and heart impacts in adults, and immune and developmental impacts to infants and children,” reads a press release sent out this morning.
In addition to the rule, the administration of President Joe Biden has set aside $1 billion in new funds for municipal waterworks in states and territories to meet the new standards. Biden made his announcement today in Fayetteville, North Carolina where the Cape Fear River has been contaminated with PFAS from a factory in the watershed.
That press release lists other ways the administration is seeking to address PFAS, which is used in a variety of situations.
The Department of Defense now offers PFAS blood tests to military firefighters as many fire suppressing foams contain the chemicals
The Department of Defense is also moving to use fire suppressing foams that do not contain flourines. These are used in the event of aircraft fires and the Federal Aviation Administration will assist civilian airports in switching to the new versions.
The Centers for Disease Control have developed a guide for physicians called PFAS: Information for Physicians.
The Food and Drug Administration has a voluntary program to phase out the use of PFAS in paper and paperboard food packaging. The materials are used to help “grease-proof” wrappers and FDA has announced manufacturers have agreed to not sell the products in the United States. (learn more)
The General Services Administration and the EPA announced this week that custodial contracts for federal buildings are to avoid products that have PFAS chemicals included within them. (learn more)
Consumer Price Index up 0.4 percent in March 2024
The metric used by the federal government to track the costs of good and services is reported as being up 0.4 percent in March. The Consumer Price Index also increased by that same amount in February and January.
“Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.5 percent before seasonal adjustment,” reads a press release from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Consumer Price Index is generated every month when analysts collect prices in 75 urban areas around the country by checking in on about 6,000 residential units and about 22,000 businesses.
For March 2024, the price for shelter increased as did the price of gasoline. Food rose 0.1 percent. The cost of motor vehicle insurance went up, as did medical care, apparel, and personal care.
“The indexes for used cars and trucks, recreation, and new vehicles were among those that decreased over the month,” the release continued.
The next release will be on May 15, 2024.
Second shout out: Friends of Charlottesville Downtown
In today’s second Patreon-fueled sponsorship, we are well into spring and in the midst of a new season of events on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. The Friends of Charlottesville Downtown have a whole lot in store.
First there’s a whole new website with an interactive Downtown map with details on over 1,000 downtown businesses!
Coming up on April 25th, an event called Downtown in Bloom begins with the second annual Flower Market at the Ting Pavillon from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Featuring local vendors, there will be something for every flower and greenery enthusiast to enjoy
There will be a Flower Box Competition downtown for the entire month of May
The Flower, Elf & Fairy Festival will be held on May 18th with a kids parade, balloon artists, face painting, and more! (click here to learn more)
And don’t forget to check out that interactive map to learn something new to do on the Downtown Mall today.
UVA seeks firms to help with transportation planning, Grove Street planning study
The new Development Code adopted by Charlottesville City Council in December means the city’s Planning Commission will likely have a lot less to do in the future. The code allows for unlimited residential density in some areas where a special use permit or a rezoning would have been required previously.
But the beginning of the meeting is an opportunity for the various members to update their colleagues on what they are up to. One of them is Michael Joy, the non-voting representative from the University of Virginia’s Office of the Architect.
“I do not have any specific reports to share today,” Joy said.
Those nine words don’t necessarily mean that nothing is happening at the University of Virginia in terms of land use and construction. But they prompted me to go through the resources I review to see what is going on in order to inform the community.
The following are some updated from UVA that may be relevant to anyone following land use in the city.
Transportation planning
On March 25, 2024, the UVA Facilities Management Office issued a request for letters and statements of qualifications for transportation planning and engineering services. (download the request)
“The consultant shall provide timely transportation planning, engineering, and demand management services as may be required by the University,” reads the section on General Scope of Services.
UVA is in the midst of a major construction campaign that will have a dramatic impact on the City of Charlottesville. For instance, the $350 million Paul and Dianne Manning Institute of Biotechnology will be a structure that is much larger than other buildings at the Fontaine Research Park on the city’s western border.
At the same time, there are several buildings under construction in the Emmet-Ivy corridor that until recently had been on land occupied by private businesses with some residential apartments. These include the School of Data Science and the Karsh Institute of Democracy.
At some point, UVA will also update the Parking and Transportation Master Plan that was created in July 2019. (read that plan)
Grove Street “Owner’s Representative”
On April 1, 2024, the UVA Facilities Management Office advertised a request for qualifications for firms interested in serving as the “Owner’s Representative” to implement whatever comes out of the planning study for the Grove Street Corridor.
“UVA owns seven parcels along Grove Street, adjacent to the Cherry Avenue Entrance Corridor – the 999 – 1001 parcel (referred to as Site A) and the adjacent 6 parcels of the 900 block of Grove and King (referred to as Site B,” reads the request. (read the request)
The UVA Rector and Board of Visitors purchased the land director for $8.73 million in August 2016, skipping the step where the University of Virginia Foundation purchases the land first.
Both this request and a previous one issued last fall for the planning study divides the land into two sites, both of which are designated as Redevelopment Zones in the 2023 Grounds Framework plan. (Grounds Framework Plan points way to future of UVA’s built environment, June 18, 2023)
An “owner’s representative” is a firm that takes on the management of a project on behalf of the property owner. The April 1 letter states that whoever is selected must be willing to engage the public as part of the planning study.
“Since these sites are on the southern edge of Grounds, an important aspect of this planning study will be neighborhood engagement with the Fifeville community early in the process of developing the study,” the request continues. “Another important aspect will be the consideration of program options for the site(s) and are likely to include neighborhood clinics and procedure areas, community uses, and parking in a mixed-use format, although other options will be considered.”
The planning study is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Construction impact update
The University of Virginia Facilities Management Office periodically updates a Conditions and Impacts Overview with status reports on major construction. Here are some that affect Charlottesville’s public realm:
UVA is making upgrades to Ruppel Drive at Shumway Hall to increase compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. UVA and the City of Charlottesville have coordinated on periodic traffic controls related to construction traffic as well as major events. This is related to the expansion of the Commerce Complex in the southeast corner of the UVA Lawn. The project website states “this gateway to Grounds will welcome thousands of students, faculty, staff, and visitors every day and provide a symbolic and important link between the City of Charlottesville and the University.” (learn more on the project website)
An employee gym is being built at the Battle Building on West Main Street in a retail space which will create “noise and dust.”
While no longer a city street, the western lane of Brandon Avenue is closed for construction. The east lane is being used for two-way traffic. This is related to the building of Gaston House and Ramazani House. The two wings will house up 238 students who are not first years. (learn more on the project website)
A new pedestrian bridge that will span Emmet Street between Newcomb Hall and the new Contemplative Commons is still under construction. There will be “intermittent partial lane closures” while the bridge is painted and guardrails are installed, but two-way traffic will be maintained.
Construction of a new endzone scoreboard for Scott Stadium will close Alderman Road and the eastern sidewalk during the weekday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This won’t apply during move out weekend or graduation or the spring football game planned for April 20, 2024. As I reported in early March, the $13 million scoreboard will be named for Ramon W. Breeder Jr., a major donor.
The second phase of the Emmet-Ivy Corridor project is underway requiring sidewalk closures on the north side of Ivy Road between Copeley Road and Rothery Road. Foot traffic is being diverted to the southern side of Ivy Road, which remains a public street. The School of Data Science achieved “substantial completion” in March.
There are various sidewalk closures in the area around the new Football Operations Center and the Olympics Sports Center. This area will also be named for Breeden.
Blasting is scheduled for May 20 at the site of the Manning Institute of Biotechnology. Traffic on Natural Resources Drive will also be impacted by construction of a retaining wall. Utilities around the area are also being relocated. Site work is also underway for the new parking garage being built there.
I’ll have more on the University of Virginia as I continue to go through the Planning Commission meeting.
Reading material:
Faculty Senate struggles with issues of faculty representation, visibility, Priya Kommu, Cavalier Daily, April 9, 2024
In rewrite of skill game bill, Youngkin proposes tougher rules on industry, Graham Moomaw, Virginia Mercury, April 9, 2024
Youngkin proposed an amendment to the Right to Contraception Act – the sponsors say it will gut the bill, Brandon Jarvis, Virginia Scope, April 9, 2024
Youngkin wants another vote on ending tax breaks for United Daughters of the Confederacy, Dean Mirshahi, WRIC, April 9, 2024
EPA issues first-ever drinking water standards for ‘forever chemicals’, Elizabeth Daigneau, Route 50, April 10, 2024
Bomb threat at Charlottesville-area Planet Fitness determined to be a hoax, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), April 10, 2024
One exit: Working group will look at necessity of two exits in multifamily buildings, Sean Tubbs, C-Ville Weekly, April 10, 2024
#662 has concluded
This is another podcast-free version which makes me wonder when I’m going to actually produce the audio version! I have to have one ready by Friday afternoon so it can air at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning on WTJU. That likely means there won’t be a newsletter on either Thursday or Friday but at this point who knows?
Nearly 30 years ago I began my professional character learning how to rewrite press releases and how to add additional information to provide more context. That’s what I was taught to do by mentors at WVTF Public Radio in Roanoke. I would very much like to train people how to do the work I have as I think it’s very important to have a press that doesn’t just take things at face value.
In any case, another edition. It’s possible I may decide to go ahead and switch over to a morning publication format, but I’m a romantic for the idea of afternoon papers like the one my family received when we first moved to Virginia in 1980.
Either way, my experimentation is paid for by subscribers as I often say in this section of the newsletter. There have not been a lot of new paid subscribers this week, but I’ve noticed that payments ebb and flow. In four years, I’ve relied on word of mouth and putting out a decent product. One day there may be merch, but that will take time when nothing is happening. That doesn’t seem likely.
Ting will match your initial subscription should you decide to take the plunge.
Ting can help you with your high speed Internet needs. If you sign up for service and enter the promo code COMMUNITY you’re going to get:
Free installation
A second month for free
A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall
