April 24, 2024: Another solar project under review in Albemarle; Charlottesville seeks firms to develop urban forest management plan
Plus: A series of "price drops" in the real estate market including a $2M drop in Fifeville
How do you consume Charlottesville Community Engagement? Do you read all of it or do you skim through the headlines? Do you listen? Have you ever hired a troupe of actors to perform the stories? If so, why was I not invited?
The point of this introductory paragraph is to make sure you take a look at the penultimate section of each edition. Reading Material is my attempt to make sure you’re aware of all of the other stories being written by other information outlets. Sometimes I pop in other stories from outside Virginia that some may find of interest.
I’m Sean Tubbs, and I also occasionally snap and crackle.
In today’s edition:
An interim water and sewer director is in place in Greene County, a locality that only assumed control of those operations last June
Another utility-scale solar facility has been proposed in Albemarle County
The Regional Transit Partnership meets tomorrow
Another list of recent procurement activities in Charlottesville, including a request for firms to create a plan to manage the city’s urban forest
A round-up of the latest PRICE DROPS in the area’s real estate market
Two award-winning podcasters podcasts will chat with each other in an event tomorrow sponsored by the UVA Department of English
First shout out: ReLeaf Cville
In today’s first subscriber supported public service announcement: ReLeaf Cville exists to reverse a worrying trend. Since 2004, Charlottesville’s Tree Canopy has declined from 50 percent to 38 percent. Two-thirds of the city’s neighborhoods are below 40 percent. ReLeaf Cville aims to change that through a series of tree plantings, preservation efforts, and education campaigns.
ReLeaf is a public / private partnership between the city tree Commission, the Nature Conservancy, City of Promise, Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards, and the Van Yahres Tree Company. Their efforts are funded through donations so consider making yours today!
Interim director in place for Greene County’s new water and sewer department
Greene County has encountered obstacles in the ten months since it took over water and sewer operations from the Rapidan Service Authority. One of them has been keeping someone in charge of creating a brand new department.
On April 11, Dave Hundelt took over as interim director of water and sewer following the departure of Alan Harrison. Harrison took over from the first director, Greg Lunsford. Greene County fully took over from the RSA in June 2023.
Hundelt spent 32 years in Arlington County in water and sewer before retiring in 2022.
“We are very pleased to have Dave Hundelt join us here in Greene County,” said County Administrator Cathy Schafrik in a press release.
The Greene County Supervisors voted to leave the RSA in July 2020 after representatives from Madison County and Orange County denied a plan to charge facility fees to pay for the creation of a new reservoir at White Run.
A few days after the announcement of Hundelt’s appointment, Emily Hemphill wrote a story in the Charlottesville Daily Progress documenting many of the issues that have affected Greene County, such as billing errors and mounting repair and replacement bills.
Looming in the future are decisions about how to proceed with financing for the impoundment of White Run which has an approved permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (read a story from last September)
Plans filed for 4.5MW solar project on Secretarys Sand Road
An entity called New Leaf Energy has filed a special use permit for a 4.5 megawatt utility-scale solar project in southeastern Albemarle County.
The company will lease 96.7 acres from the landowner, and the solar panels will be installed on about a third of that area. Appalachian Power will purchase the energy from the company.
This application comes at a time when Albemarle County is studying changes to the existing rules for solar. Supervisors first approved the use in the rural areas in June 2017 with a special use permit. Since then, Supervisors voted yes for permits for projects known as Rivanna Solar, Midway Solar, Woodridge Solar, and the Ivy Landfill.
In addition to the Secretary Sands project, there’s also a project known as Buck Island.
A survey to get input on proposed changes closed in March and the item will return to the Planning Commission in the near future. There’s no scheduled date according to Abbey Stumpf, the county’s director of communications and public engagement.
Such projects go through environmental review before they get to county review stage because consultants are hired to do site analysis.
“A comprehensive environmental resource assessment was performed for the site, and [consultant] Labella delineated one PFO wetland, three PSS wetlands, and four PEM wetlands,” reads the narrative included in the application. “They also identified six ephemeral streams, one intermittent/perennial stream, and one perennial within the Study Area.”
In case you’re curious:
PFO = Palustrine Forested Wetlands
PSS = Palustrine Scrub Shrub
PEM = Palustrine Emergent
Two threatened or endangered species were found. As a result, tree clearing will be done at a time when it will not interfere with bats.
One concern expressed about utility-scale solar projects in the rural area is the potential for removing land that could be used for crops. The narrative states that this property is categorized by the United States Department of Agriculture as “Farmland of Statewide Importance and Primary Farmland” due to the quality of soil. The solar panels would be considered temporary and would prevent a more permanent one.
“Upon completion of its useful life, the solar farm will be decommissioned and the land restored to its original pre-project condition,” the narrative continues. “This will provide the landowner with supplemental income needed without resorting to subdividing the property for future residential development, which would take away from the rural character.”
Regional Transit Partnership to meet tomorrow
One advantage to more frequent newsletters is that if I miss a meeting that’s coming up the Week Ahead version on Sunday, I can write it up during the week such as yesterday’s meeting of the Albemarle Planning Commission.
Today it is the Regional Transit Partnership that gets the spotlight. The advisory body made up of Albemarle, Charlottesville, and various other officials will meet at 4 p.m. in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission’s offices at 407 Water Street.
The main item on this meeting is a presentation of Charlottesville Area Transit’s Strategic Plan. The firm Kimley Horn has been working with CAT and city transportation officials on the document mandated by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
Charlottesville City Council got a look at the document’s progress on April 15, but I’ve not had a chance to get to that yet. According to the minutes of the March RTP meeting, CAT Director Garland Williams said the aim is to complete the strategic plan by June 30.
In late February, Council gave direction to pursue both electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to help meet greenhouse gas reduction goals. On April 15, Council approved a budget for fiscal year 2025 that includes additional funds to hire eight drivers. This funding comes from a 20 cent increase in the personal property tax rate.
There will also be an update on the creation of by-laws for the Regional Transit Authority, a new entity that would at least initially be made up of Albemarle County and Charlottesville officials. In February, the RTP directed staff to write up the documents.
Second shout-out: Charlottesville Area Alliance holding webinar on Community Support
In today’s second subscriber-supported shout-out, the Charlottesville Area Alliance is an organization created in 2015 that is made up of several groups that seek to make the community the most age-friendly community in the country. Toward that goal, they’ve begun a series of free webinars on resources on local support and services available to seniors, caregivers of those with long-term illness, and those needing care.
On April 25, the Jefferson Area Board for Aging, most commonly called JABA, will give a presentation on what they have to offer to the community. Register for the event on Zoom here.
Charlottesville bids: City seeks a firm to create forest management plan
Every year, City Council adopts a budget which includes funding for Charlottesville City Schools. During the rest of the year, staff spend the money to obtain items needed for activities to continue. Paying attention to these details is part of the work I do as a municipal journalist. Many of these stories perhaps have more of a story behind them.
One that jumps out in this set of procurement activities is a bid sent out Tuesday for firms to create an urban forest management plan for the city. Specifically, the city wants a plan to adapt to climate change.
“As we document continued urban canopy loss, observe increasing stresses from invasive species, project local risks and vulnerabilities related to climate change are projected, and acknowledge equity and access issues in the community, we recognize the need and opportunity to tackle a more relevant, adaptive, and inclusive approach to the management of our urban forest,” reads a section of the RFP.
Here’s what the city wants from the plan:
Alignment with the city’s Climate Action Plan
Set a formal goal for an urban tree canopy
Synthesize recently collected data including information on heat-islands to update the CityGreen Map
Identify training opportunities for individuals, groups and organizations to get involved
“Engage difficult-to-reach and previously under-represented communities.”
Incorporate strategies for private landowners as well as outreach to Albemarle County
Bid are due on May 21, 2024.
Here are some other activities worth noting:
The firm AAR of Kernersville, North Carolina, has been awarded a contract for the second phase of a roof replacement at Charlottesville High School. (learn more)
The firm Benevate Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia, has been awarded a contract to provide software to help the city manage grant applications. They do business as Neighborly Software. (learn more)
The firm Sowing Good Seed Landscaping was awarded a contract on April 9, 2024 for mowing and trimming services on trails owned by the City of Charlottesville. (learn more)
University Tire and Auto Center of Charlottesville have been awarded a contract “to provide passenger, light truck, and police pursuit tires and related services on an as-needed basis.” (learn more)
On April 3, 2024, the city put out bids for someone to replace the emergency generator at the Smith Aquatic Center. Bids close on May 15, 2024. (learn more)
Charlottesville City Schools are also preparing to be the sole owner and decision-maker at what will be known on July 1 as the Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center. Bids are being sought for a firm to take two classrooms and convert them into a kitchen and dining area “to support additional food services curriculum located within CATEC.” Bids are due May 5, 2024. (learn more)
Charlottesville City Schools are seeking a firm to remove a cooling tower at Jackson-Via Elementary School and to install a new one. Bids close on May 29, 2024. The work is to be completed by August 1, 2025. (learn more)
Charlottesville is seeking a firm to provide home electronic monitoring services for youth. This is related to the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act for when a court has ordered particular individuals to be geographically restricted. The firm must provide up serve 50 individuals. For a sense of how often these are used, there were 26 youth who requires home monitoring in FY23, 31 in FY22, 42 in FY21, and 40 in FY20. The contractor must be able to provide notifications of six violations including whether the device has been tampered with or whether the individual is violating curfew. (learn more)
Bids closed on April 17, 2024 for firms to remove and replace two gas-powered generators for Charlottesville High School. (learn more)
Another look at what properties are experiencing a “Price Drop”
Since 2021, I’ve written up a summary of land use transactions in Charlottesville. For much of that time, the trend seemed to be on an upward trajectory. Has that changed? I’m not in the business of quantifying trends, but just pointing out an endless amount of anecdotes.
This year I’ve noticed a lot of emails that shout PRICE DROP in the headline. I collect these and periodically include them in this newsletter.
On April 3, the asking price for a two bedroom unit in the condominium complex at 202 Douglas Avenue in Belmont dropped $15,000 to $745,000. (read the listing)
On April 4, the asking price for a three bedroom single family attached house on Swede Court dropped $10,000 to $465,000. On April 16, the price dropped another $15,000 to $450,000. This is a newly-built unit in the Berkmar Overlook development. The current property owners bought the unit on July 31 for $454,015. (view the listing)
On April 5, the asking price for a three bedroom house in the 1100 block of Elliott Avenue dropped $39,000 to $424,000. The house was built in 1963 and is zoned Residential-B. (see the listing)
On April 7, the asking price for a three bedroom house on Saint Ives Road dropped $15,000 to $420,000. Since then the price has dropped another $5,000. This is within the Camelot subdivision. (observe the listing)
On April 10, the asking price for a three bedroom townhouse on Town Mews Lane in the Out of Bounds neighborhood was decreased by $25,000 to $874.000. The property last sold on May 4, 2017 for $660,434. (peruse the listing)
On April 13, the asking price for a three bedroom house on 3.33 acres on Tilman Road went down $30,000 to $869,000. On Sunday the price went down another $20,000 since to $849,000. Sales data and assessment for this property are not on Albemarle GIS. (peer upon the listing)
On April 18, the asking price for a four bedroom house on Melbourne Road dropped $20,000 to $630,000. The 2024 assessment is $502,700. The property last sold in June 1980 for $67,500. (details in the listing)
On Monday, the asking price for 301 7th Street SW dropped $2 million to $500,000. A company called Launch Pads LLC purchased the property in December 2022 for $807,600. The assessment is $761,900. The company purchased another section of adjacent land last October for $85,000. (glance at the listing)
On Tuesday, the asking price for 610 Ivy Lane dropped $675,000 to $5,975,000. The house is a five bedroom, five bathroom house in Farmington built in 1930. The 2024 assessment is $4,690,300. (peer at the listing)
I hope to get the next Albemarle and Charlottesville transactions listings out sometime in the next week. Those will go to paid subscribers first.
AMBIE Award winner to interview fellow AMBIE Award winner tomorrow
Finally today, earlier this month I reported on the AMBIE Award given to Lisa Woolfork for her podcast Stitch Please. Tomorrow Woolfork will interview another podcaster as part of the University of Virginia English Department’s Writing with Sound Speaker Series.
Anna DeShawn is the host of Queer News, itself an AMBIE award winner. DeShawn also founded the Qube podcast network.
The event will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday at 1515 on the Corner.
Reading material:
Fledgling Greene County Water & Sewer drowning in debt, customer complaints, Emily Hemphill, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), April 16, 2024
Gaston and Ramazani Houses — the University’s newest upperclassmen residences, Zackary Holt and Vyshnavi Tatta, April 16, 2024
EDITORIAL: Celebrating and reflecting on The Cavalier Daily’s independence, Editorial Board, Cavalier Daily, April 18, 2024
Southwood neighborhood comes together for a meet and greet block party, Sarah Allen, CBS19 News, April 20, 2024
Martin Luther King III joins UVa faculty, pushes students to restore 'fibers of democracy', Jason Armesto, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), April 20, 2024
‘So Hoos Asking’: How Much Is UVA Spending on Diversity Programs?, Mike Mather, UVA Today, April 22, 2024
Two fraternities suspended, one terminated after hazing allegations, Ford McCracken, Cavalier Daily, April 22, 2024
VPM News talks to Gov. Glenn Youngkin about the new budget proposal: full transcript, Jahd Khalil, VPM News, April 22, 2024
Stoney drops out of gubernatorial race, Brandon Jarvis, Virginia Political Newsletter (paywall), April 23, 2024
Hall pass: UVA Alumni Association submits plans for a new building, Sean Tubbs, C-Ville Weekly, April 24, 2024
The end of #669 is now
Cutting the podcast back to once a week means more content gets out, but as I conclude today’s edition I realize I’ve not cut any tape at all this week! That phrase is an anachronism, but in a way, this entire enterprise feels that way. But tomorrow I’ll go through to make sure I have enough content for Saturday’s radio show on WTJU.
I believe there are bright days ahead for journalism because there is no shortage of things to write about and I’ve set myself up to do what I can.
And all of this is due to the paid subscribers either through Substack or Patreon. I launched the Patreon in May 2020 as a way of seeing if anyone wanted to pay me to get back to work as a journalist. When I launched the Substack two months later, I knew I had to at least give it a year.
Now I’m coming up on four years and I’m hopeful I can go another year, or maybe another four. This is the work I wanted to do so after I figured out I wanted to be a journalist.
So, thank you for reading if you made it this far. Thank you for paying if you have. And thanks to Ting for matching! I got the payment for March today!
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