Today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out comes from an anonymous supporter who wants to say - "We keep each other safe. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance."
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There are another 861 cases of COVID-19 in Virginia reported today by the Department of Health, and another 11 deaths for a total of 2,396 people dead since the pandemic began. The seven day average for positive tests dropped to 6.8 percent. There are another 19 new cases in the Thomas Jefferson Health District. The test rate here is at 6.4 percent, up from 6.1 percent on Monday.
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The Virginia General Assembly convenes today for a special session expected to cover the impacts of COVID-19, criminal justice and police reform, and whatever else might come up. A joint meeting of the House Appropriations, House Finance and Senate Finance committees kicked off the session at 9:30 a.m. beginning with remarks and budget amendments from Governor Ralph Northam.
“Virginia ended the 2020 fiscal year on June 30 with a $234 million shortfall in general revenue collection,” Northam said. “We now project that we will have $2.7 billion less than we expected in general revenue for the coming biennium. We feared worse. But this still requires serious and thoughtful budgeting and planning.”
The full House of Delegates convenes at 1 p.m. at the Siegel Center in Richmond, and the full Senate will also convene at 1 p.m. (full schedule) (legislation list)
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Charlottesville City Council held a public hearing last night on giving permission to the regional water authority for a pipeline to connect the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir with the Ragged Mountain Reservoir. The project has an $80 million cost estimate and is the second phase of the community’s long-term water supply plan.
“This waterline will replace the existing Upper Sugar Hollow pipeline which is very old and increase raw water transfer to the urban water system,” said Lauren Hildebrand, the city’s utilities director. “The waterline is anticipated to be constructed between 2027 and 2040.”
At the public hearing, former City Councilor Dede Smith continued her opposition to the plan, which she voted against in January 2012. She claimed there were cheaper alternatives.
“This $80 million pipeline that may I add was not in the original plan and was added very late in the game doubles the cost of the community water plan and that is going straight into our water bill,” Smith said.
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority submitted its application for the water supply plan in June 2006.
“The project involves expansion of the existing Ragged Mountain Reservoir (RMR) and construction of a new raw water intake and pipeline from the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir (SFRR) to RMR,” reads the permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The application goes on to say that timing of construction would be dependent on funding. The first phase of the plan was completed in 2014 when a new earthen dam was built at Ragged Mountain Reservoir, expanding capacity.
The second phase is not yet programmed in the RWSA’s Capital Improvement Program, which lays out how ratepayer money is reinvested back into the water and wastewater system. One of the next steps is an analysis of current water usage rates which was presented to the RWSA in June.
Capital projects such as the waterline are paid for through bonds floated by the RWSA and paid by ratepayers in the form of debt service. The cost share agreement adopted in January 2020 states that Albemarle ratepayers are responsible for 80 percent of the costs of the waterline.
Council asked for a full briefing on what the impacts that other 15 percent might have on Charlottesville ratepayers in the future.
Council also passed a resolution in support of three Smart Scale applications, one of which would include a pedestrian bridge to connect the city’s side of U.S. 29 with Stonefield.
“We definitely need some way for people that aren’t in vehicles to get across that road because it is not an option right now at all,” said City Councilor Heather Hill.
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New apartment units are coming to the Stonefield mixed-use development in Albemarle County, according to information told to the Places-29 Hydraulic Community Advisory Council Monday evening. Stonefield was originally rezoned by the Board of Supervisors in 2003, but the project did not break ground until the spring of 2011.
“The original vision was for a very vertically mixed-use development and it remained unbuilt for a number of years and what we’ve all seen built out has been more single-use and shorter buildings due to economic factors,” said county planner Micheala Ac cardi. “For the past two years we’ve seen developers come in submitting some plans that are more consistent with that more vertical mixed-use development.”
Accardi said these include 220 apartments planned for a new building on an empty parking lot between Hydraulic and the Hyatt Hotel, which will also include commercial space. Close by there are 49 town homes under construction as well as another 160 unit apartment building.
Supervisor Diantha McKeel said these new projects will get the built environment closer to what had been planned.
“If you think about the main street where all those stores are, those stores were planned to have residential living above them,” McKeel said. “When the economics and recession hit, those residential units were taken away. It would have been more like a, if you think about downtown Charlottesville where you have stores on the mall and then residences above, that’s what Stonefield was originally planned to look, we’re making up for that now.”
Another common link between the downtown Mall and Stonefield is the presence of a movie theater, and those were all closed at the beginning of the pandemic. Victoria Tremaglio is the general manager of the Shops at Stonefield, which she said is holding its own despite the loss of a few tenants. She said the Regal Theater will reopen this Friday for limited service.
“They’re going to have 50 people per theater to start, I think with $5 movies at Regal which should help with some foot traffic,” Tremaglio said.
As for Stonefield, Tremaglio said more people are coming back.
“People have been super respectful, super safe, lots of outdoor dining. You’ve probably seen Champion Grill is on the green and they’re going to be adding a tent. We’ve added other tables and chairs outside for people to sit.”
The Violet Crown on the Downtown Mall remains closed.
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Coming up in government meetings today, the Albemarle County Economic Development Authority and the Albemarle Planning Commission meet, but not at the same time. The EDA meets at 4 p.m. for the first time since three members resigned last month in protest of new conflict of interest forms they had to sign. (meeting info)
The Planning Commission has a public hearing at 6 p.n. on a rezoning for the proposed Albemarle Business Campus on Old Lynchburg Road across from the county’s office building. (meeting info)
The Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review will meet at 5:30 p.m. Items include lighting and interpretive signage of the historically protected Coal Tower on Water Street, an update on the Belmont Bridge project, and a letter of support to apply for the Burley School to be on the National Register of Historic Places. (agenda) (meeting registration)
Correction: This article originally stated an incorrect figure for the cost share for the future waterline. It has since been corrected. I regret the error.
August 18, 2020: Council takes step on water supply plan; Stonefield updates; Regal reopens on Friday