April 22, 2025: Nelson County Supervisors and Planning Commission to review new zoning code provisions at joint meeting
Plus: The lone bid to reconfigure a key Charlottesville intersection is much higher than the project’s budget
One hundred years ago today was a Wednesday according to the masthead of the April 22, 1925 Charlottesville Daily Progress. Local information printed on the front page that day includes re-election of the leadership of the Retail Merchants Association, the burning down of a building at Hollins College outside Roanoke, and the news that “apples coming into bloom generally and the outlook for fruit favorable.”
April 22, 2125 will also be a Wednesday. Will there still be something called Charlottesville Community Engagement on that day? I’m Sean Tubbs, and perhaps my head will be in a jar! If so, please come pat my head.
In today’s installment:
Charlottesville wants to reconfigure the intersection of Monticello Avenue and 2nd Street in Downtown Charlottesville but a bid to so is about $600,000 over the project’s budget
Nelson County Supervisors and the Nelson County Planning Commission will have a joint work session Wednesday to continue discussion of a new zoning code
UVA’s Office of Sustainability will have an award ceremony on May 2 for eleven winners of their annual leadership award
The fitness center at Charlottesville’s Carver Recreation Center will close for two days next week
First shout-out: Supporting the Keswick Heritage Fund’s Love Better Project
The Keswick Heritage Fund is a partnership of several churches in Albemarle County that provides education support and opportunities for professional development. One of their outreach programs is the Love Better Project, which provides scholarships to Black students in the Keswick area. The fund was created soon after the inaugural scholarship was awarded in 2020.
Grace Episcopal Church, Union Grove Baptist, Union Run Baptist, Zion Hill Baptist and St. John Church are united for growth through community partnership and education. To learn more about the fund, the scholarships, and the churches themselves, visit their website at keswickheritagefund.com.
Procurement report: Sole bid received for Monticello / 2nd project is over budget
The City of Charlottesville has plans to reconfigure the intersection of Monticello Avenue and 2nd Street.
“This project consists of constructing pedestrian improvements on all four corners of the Monticello Ave and 2nd Street intersection to increase visibility for pedestrians and reduce the crossing distances across the intersection,” reads an entry on the city’s procurement page. “Additionally, some signal work is included in this project.”
Bids were due on April 18 and the sole respondent was Curtis Contracting who submitted a bid of $1,838,258.25.
“Bid exceeded project budget,” reads the top of the page.
The Virginia Department of Transportation dashboard lists that the project has a budget of $1.4 million.
A request for comment from the City of Charlottesville is pending.
Only one firm responded to a request for estimates for replacement of 2,900 linear feet of waterline on Locust Avenue. Southeast Connections LLC turned in a bid for $1,508,488,70 and was awarded the bid on April 18.
The City of Charlottesville has awarded a contract to S.L. Williamson to renovate the tennis court at Tonsler Park. As part of the work they will restripe the courts to allow pickleball to be played on top of the tennis playing fields. According to the city’s procurement portal, work is to commence on April 14 and be completed by July 18, 2025. (learn more)
Nelson Supervisors to continue review of new zoning with Nelson Planning Commission
Different localities approach land use policy reform in different ways. Albemarle County is currently conducting a Comprehensive Plan update while slowly reviewing the locality’s zoning.
The City of Charlottesville adopted a new Development Code after adopting a new Comprehensive Plan that encourages additional residential density to support housing affordability.
Nelson County’s approach is more like the one in Charlottesville. They hired the Berkley Group to oversee development of a Comprehensive Plan and now the Bridgewater-based company is leading a zoning code update.
The Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission will hold their third work session on the new zoning Wednesday night beginning at 6 p.m. At this event they will review primary zoning districts, overlay zoning districts, definitions, and what to do about nonconforming uses, lots, and structures. (read the packet)
So far, the Berkley Group has developed a “land use tools diagnostic” intended to identify weak points in the existing zoning. This was the subject of a joint meeting on August 28, 2024.
At the April 23 meeting, appointed and elected officials will get an overview of proposed changes such as a renaming of existing zoning districts. For instance:
R-1, Low-Density Residential District
R-2, Mid-Density Residential District
B-1, Highway Business District
B-2, Neighborhood Business District
M-1, Light Industrial District
M-2, Heavy Industrial District
There is a proposal for a new district to be called R-3, High-Density Residential District.
“This district is intended for multi-family developments and has lower district standards than R-1 and R-2 to accommodate denser development,” reads the agenda. “Developments in this district are required to be served by public water and sewer.”
There is also a new “village overlay” district intended to promote residential development in rural villages. One proposed standard is that parking would be relegated to the rear or side of buildings.
There is also a new Route 29 Corridor Overlay District to promote new commercial activity on U.S. 29 while also enforcing standards and reducing access to the state highway itself.
Joint sessions with the Planning Commission do not appear to be regularly televised on YouTube. (Nelson County YouTube page)
Second shout-out: Charlottesville Jazz Society presents Charlie Ballantine concert on April 24
The Charlottesville Jazz Society and WTJU welcome the return of Charlie Ballantine to Charlottesville, for a concert at Belmont Arts Collaborative on April 24th at 7:30 pm.
Named as one of the top 200 living guitarists by All About Jazz Magazine, Charlie Ballantine is acclaimed as one of the finest and most versatile guitarists on the scene today. JAZZ TIMES MAGAZINE hails his playing as “teeming with intricate grooves and maniacal precision, both beautiful and complex.”
Following two very well received appearances in Charlottesville, Charlie this time brings a veteran band featuring his long-time bassist from Indiana days, Quinn Sternberg, and the great New York City drummer Dan Weiss. The group will be playing selections from their forthcoming release due out in April. The first single from that recording is a thrilling version of The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever.
Tickets to see Charlie Ballantine’s trio April 24th at Belmont Arts Collaborative on Carlton Road are available online. General admission is $22, and paid subscribers of The Charlottesville Jazz Society pay $18. All tickets will be $25 at the door. Call 434-249-6191 for more information, or visit Cvillejazz.org.
Winners announced for UVA Sustainability Awards
The University of Virginia continues to have several goals related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and has many initiatives toward sustainability efforts. The first story I wrote on this topic was back in June 2007 for Charlottesville Tomorrow.
In 2019, UVA formally established a goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel free by 2050.
Earlier this month, UVA Sustainability announced eleven recipients for an annual leadership award.
“We are impressed at the depth of nominations from individuals and groups we received again this year, from across UVA, the region, and across sectors, those who are saving energy and reducing waste in collaborative ways, while providing important and innovative services,” reads an information release sent out on April 10.
The Leadership Awards date back to 2017.
There will be an event on May 2 to formally honor the winners.
There are three community awards.
Bellair Farm has been recognized for donating $39,000 worth of food to five organizations. They did so despite suffering damages during Hurricane Helene.
Flipp, Inc. trains people from various backgrounds to know how to install solar facilities. They’re being honored for their “inclusive approach to growing the clean energy workforce through empowering formerly incarcerated individuals, veterans, and rural communities with a nationally-accredited training program.”
The Local Energy Alliance Program is being recognized for weatherizing 185 low-income households and installing 217 non-cost solar arrays in Albemarle County and Charlottesville in 2024.
The Make a Change Club at Albemarle High School has been creating mats for homeless shelters from plastic bags that they are recycling themselves to create plastic yarn. They claim to have kept 8,400 bags out of landfills.
There are two faculty awards.
Dr. Samantha Ahdoot is a pediatrician and the co-founder of Virginia Clinicians for Climate Adoption which pursues “advocacy efforts for climate-resilient policies, education on climate-health connections, and other pioneering work to protect community health and advance climate change solutions.”
Katie MacDonald and Kyle Schumann in the UVA School of Architecture lead the Before Building Laboratory which seeks to advance sustainable construction efforts by creating materials that reduce construction waste.
Dr. Ahdoot said she is honored to receive the award.
“Physicians and medical students need to understand the intersections between climate change and human health to care for their patients,” she said. “There is rising recognition of the harm caused by healthcare waste and energy consumption, and the benefits of environmental stewardship.”
There are two staff awards:
Tabatha Gilbert and Alicia White are both nurses who have sought to reduce the use of plastic bags for patients’ belongings. They’ve also created a framework to get other nurses thinking about how to reduce waste.
Ash Morton is a career counselor in the UVA Career Center who has sought to get students access to jobs in the sustainability field.
There are three student awards.
Zack Landsmann is a PhD student and the co-founder of JunkLabz which seeks to recycle plastic used in the scientific process. Specifically the group uses plastic pipette tip boxes to create furniture.
Lincoln Lewis is a UVA student who has volunteered on work to update the Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Scottsville.
The group Student Clinicians for Climate Action has members from the UVA School of Medicine and the UVA School of Nursing. They hold an advocacy day and prepare an annual Planetary Health Report Card.
For more information and a series of reports, visit the UVA Sustainability page.
Charlottesville-run gym to close two days next week for maintenance
If you are a regular user of the fitness room at Carver Recreation Center, you’ll need to find a new place to go on April 28 and April 29. The space will be closed for maintenance on those days.
“Patrons with a Carver Fitness Pass may use Smith Aquatic & Fitness Center during this time,” reads an announcement of the closure.
People who want to use the fitness room have two options to pay. The most affordable option is to be a single access user to the facilities at Carver Recreation Center for a one-month cost of $20 for city residents under the age of 60 and $38 for a Charlottesville family. The price goes up to $26 for non-resident individuals but still $38 for non-resident families. People over the age of 60 can pay $15 a month and individuals with disabilities pay $10 a month.
You can also single access to the Smith Aquatic and Fitness Center for $28 a month for city residents under the age of 60 and $53 for famillies. Non-residents pay $36 a month and non-resident families pay $71 a month.
For more permutations, visit the single access page. There are discounts for purchasing passes that last multiple months.
Individuals and families who live in Charlottesville can also purchase a pass for access to both facilities. The cost for individuals to attend both is $40 a month of $108 for three months. The cost of “double access” for a Charlottesville family is $76 a month or $205 for three months.
For out-of-town individuals the cost per month is $52 and $141 for three months. Non-resident families pay $101 a month and $273 for three months.
Reading material:
Another preliminary ruling from Judge Worrell allows lawsuit against Charlottesville’s, zoning code to proceed, Sean Tubbs, C-Ville Weekly, April 18, 2025
Charlottesville spends $59 million in affordable housing over 4 year period, Maggie Glass, WVIR 29News, April 21, 2025
Virginia’s agriculture at risk after Trump administration’s cuts to NOAA, Capital News Service (via Virginia Mercury), April 22, 2025
Epithat for #851? Epithet for #851?
While we’re at it…. Entomology or etymology? I look at Insects and words as similar for some reason. Endlessly fascinating what can happen when an endless variety of combinations are made. Yet, I never got the hang of Cootie?
There’s very little in this postscript. I’m ready to be done with work and to go run some errands downtown. I also want to go chat with a friend.
A story about Charlottesville’s affordable housing spending is not included in this edition but will be in tomorrow’s. As I keep pushing myself to do more work, I’m getting more efficient. One day I’ll be able to demonstrate this in a meaningful way. I never think I’m doing enough, and probably never will. This is how I am built.
If you’ve not seen it yet, check out Fifth District Community Engagement. That’s the other newsletter I do, and the one that I really want to flesh out. There’s not enough time and I’ve not managed to find a pause button.
Thought that may not be true. I’m a big fan of the work of Paul F. Tompkins and today I had a visceral reaction to this duet with Jess McKenna, someone who is a major name in my household.
Honestly, there’s so much great stuff being done these days. We’re in a golden age of entertainment. I’m bummed, though, that the show in Philadelphia on May 4 is sold out. I may try to get a ticket anyway! I’m listening to this for a second time and for the second time, I feel the universe can’t be so bad if these people who make me laugh can also make me feel.