Today’s installment has a shout-out for a fundraiser called C'ville STEM: Support Schools in COVID times. UVA doctors have teamed up with schools and want your financial support for school scientific supplies for up to 2,100 children in City Schools who might not otherwise have access. They are very close to meeting their goal.
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Today is the third anniversary of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville which resulted in a vehicle being deliberately driven down 4th Street into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing Heather Heyer and severely injuring dozens of others. Charlottesville City Hall will be closed for a “time of reflection and remembrance.” So will the vehicular crossings of the Downtown Mall.
A coalition of groups including the Charlottesville Democratic Socialists of America and Showing Up for Racial Justice Charlottesville plan to hold an event beginning at 1 p.m. at Market Street Park where the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands.
However, city manager Tarron Richardson issued a statement warning that his pandemic-related decision to stop issuing permits for events city parks still stands.
“We ask that the community continue to follow all aspects of the local COVID-19 ordinance, specifically the wearing of face coverings and adherence to the gathering limits,” Richardson wrote in a statement. “No special event permits have been approved for the use of downtown parks or other public property for August 11 or 12, 2020.”
Dr. Richardson went on to state it was important that roads not be blocked in protests.
“Unauthorized closures of City streets can delay responses for emergency vehicles and require rerouting to an emergency incident, the hospital, or other critical infrastructure when seconds matter,” Richardson wrote. “Additionally positioning one’s self in a lane of travel/traffic without proper protection is putting oneself potentially in grave danger.”
On August 8, the city issued a statement that sought to remind the public that gatherings of fifty people or more were specifically prohibited by Council on July 27 when the city enacted restrictions that are greater than what is allowed under Phase 3 of Governor Ralph Northam’s Forward Virginia program.
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There are another 776 cases of COVID-19 in Virginia reported by the state health department this morning, and another eight deaths for a total of 2,352 to date. The seven-day average for positive tests has dropped to 7.3 percent statewide. The Thomas Jefferson Health District has another 23 cases with eight from Albemarle, five from Louisa, four from Charlottesville, two from Greene, two from Fluvanna and two from Nelson.
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The James River Water Authority (JRWA) will meet today to discuss delaying the application process for a pump station to bring water to the growth area at Zion Crossroads. In March, authority members from Louisa and Fluvanna counties voted to proceed with a plan to build the pump station at a Monacan site called Rassawek which was a major population center before colonization. That’s prompted over 10,000 signatures on a petition organized by the group Cultural Heritage Partners.
“Although the James River Water Authority is confident that the revised application materials submitted to you in March took a hard look at a broad range of alternatives and identified the only practicable alternative, we have continued to engage in discussions with interested parties on this matter,” reads a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from D.D. Watson, chair of the JRWA.
The letter goes on to state that the Louisa and Fluvanna needs an expanded water supply and that a short delay will allow for the study of alternatives to the site at Rassawek. Look to coverage on this from Allison Wrabel in a future edition of the Daily Progress and get more information from her preview story.
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The pandemic has delayed the public dedication of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at the University of Virginia, but the monument has already become a central gathering point in the community as seen during the protests against the killing of George Floyd. There will be a virtual panel discussion about the architecture of the memorial at 4 p.m. held by Arch Daily. Participants include Alice Raucher and Mary Hughes of the UVA Office of the Architect), Mabel Wilson of Studio&) and J. Meejin Yoon of Höweler + Yoon Architects.
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At 7 p.m., the University of Virginia’s Religion, Race and Democracy Lab will hold a zoom webinar that reflects on three years ago. The title is “Praying With Our Feet: Religious Activists Remember the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville.” Speakers include Jalane Schmidt, an activist who helped build community support for removal of Confederate statues, and Don Gathers, a founded of the city’s Black Lives Matter chapter and founding member of the Police Civilian Review Board. (info)
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The Charlottesville Planning Commission said an official goodbye to one of its longest-serving members last night. Lisa Green has served on the seven-member body since October 2010 and her term ends at the end of this month.
“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” Green said. “I know sometimes it doesn’t seem like it but I am passionate about this city and I see all the potential.”
Green was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Commissioners for the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. She’s also a 19-year veteran of working for Albemarle County.
“I think I am rooted into public service,” Green added. “I believe in public service. I believe in local government. I believe in all the things we can do better and I truly believe that there are systems we can change to make it more equitable for everyone in the city.”
Charlottesville City Council has not yet appointed a replacement, so Green will continue to serve on the Planning Commission until they do so. Interviews with applicants for the position have not yet been conducted, according to Council Clerk Kyna Thomas.
We’ll have an update on the Charlottesville Planning Commission’s discussion on the Comprehensive Plan and the New Hill Community Vision Plan on a later show.
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The Crozet Community Advisory Committee meets at 7 p.m. and begins with a discussion about Old Dominion Village. Developer Katurah Roell is requesting a rezoning of 14.259 acres from rural area to Neighborhood Model District for the creation of a new neighborhood. However, the land is not within the jurisdiction of the Albemarle County Service Authority. Currently only the existing structure on the property is allowed to connect to public water. The applicant will request that connection as well as to public sewer. The Crozet CAC will also discuss the results of community feedback on bike and pedestrian connectivity. (agenda)
August 12, 2020: Three years later; JRWA to consider alternatives to Rassawek site