August 21, 2024: No left turns allowed from Hydraulic onto U.S. 29 after Sunday
Plus: Plans are filed for 24 units off Barracks Road by Meadowbrook Shopping Center
On this day in 1772, King Gustav III of Sweden seized power from a parliamentary system run by nobility in what is known as either the Bloodless Revolution, the Coup of Gustav III, or the Swedish Revolution. Taking a moment to read up a little about that incident offers a comparison to the world we live in today, but yet the edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement for August 21, 2024 does not have 1.1 gigawatts required to make the journey to 252 years and an ocean away. I’m Sean Tubbs, keen to learn more.
In today’s installment:
The next phase of Hydraulic Road’s future begins Monday with a permanent prohibition on left hand turns onto U.S. 29
A developer plans to build 24 apartment units on less than an acre off of Barracks Road behind the Meadowbrook Shopping Center
A demolition permit has been filed for a single-family house in Charlottesville believed to be the first to make way for new units under the city’s new Development Code
Charlottesville will hold a final listening session Thursday for a decarbonization study that’s underway
The latest in procurement news in Charlottesville including an award for a company to make repairs to the city’s Downtown Transit Center
First-shout: WTJU’s Offbeat Roadhouse features Scuffletown this week
Every Friday night at 8 p.m, Offbeat Roadhouse on WTJU invites a different musical group into your home for an hour long concert live from WTJU’s performance space. Each week there will be Blues, Folk, Jazz, and Roots acts from around the globe.
This Friday, Scuffletown w Matty Metcalfe will take the stage. Scuffletown is an acoustic duo featuring Marc Carraway on guitar and vocals and John Whitlow on harmonica, accordion, flute and vocals. The band has performed high-energy original and acoustic roots music for over 25 years and has recorded 4 acclaimed albums along the way. Matty Metcalfe is an accomplished and much-recognized multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and vocalist. The three have played together many times, and do once again this Friday night on Offbeat Roadhouse.
Want to see the live event? Check out more on WTJU’s Events Calendar!
No left turns ever again at Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29 starting Monday
The Virginia Department of Transportation is currently managing a $24 million project to reconfigure Hydraulic Road and its intersection with U.S. 29 through a series of alterations.
One of these is a roundabout at Hillsdale Drive that opened to traffic on August 6, a week ahead of schedule. Another that is being staged right now is a pedestrian bridge across U.S. 29 near Zan Road. A third will be changes to how both Brandywine Drive and Michie Drive access Hydraulic Road.
A fourth will be put into permanent effect on Sunday night when crews will work to reconfigure the traffic signals at the intersection to prevent left-hand turn lanes onto U.S. 29 from both eastbound and westbound Hydraulic Road.
“By rush hour Monday morning, the new traffic pattern will be in place,” reads a press release sent out on August 20. “In the new configuration, only through and right-turn movements will be allowed on Hydraulic Road at U.S. 29.”
As part of the work, concrete medians will be reconstructed to deter anyone who wants to make that movement illegally.
VDOT’s website has suggestions for how to navigate the area, including a recommendation that vehicles seeking to go south on U.S. 29 from Hydraulic Road would instead turn right onto U.S. 29 and take a U-Turn at Seminole Court.
By eliminating one full movement of vehicular traffic, there will be more time to create a cycle way for pedestrians to cross the intersection, most likely in two steps.
“With this project element, VDOT will install a pedestrian refuge island, ADA ramps, street lighting at crosswalks, pedestrian signal poles and crosswalks on the south leg of the intersection and the Hydraulic Road approaches to improve mobility and safety for pedestrians,” reads a VDOT website on the overall project.
The projects under construction were fully funded only after the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization submitted a much larger $187 million Smart Scale request in 2020 that included a full grade-separated interchange at Hydraulic and U.S. 29. That was not recommended for funding and planners broke the elements into multiple pieces. (view the application)
Another element of that 2020 application that eventually received funding through Smart Scale is the conversion of the traffic signal at District Avenue and Hydraulic Road into a roundabout that is still in the design phase.
Earlier this month, City Council issued their preference for that roundabout to allow vehicles to enter and exit Cedar Hill Drive into the Meadows neighborhood. The official public hearing for that project won’t be held until some time next year.
For a snapshot of planning history, take a look at an article I wrote for Charlottesville Tomorrow in December 2008 that describes a meeting at which the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization prioritized the Rio Road intersection over the Hydraulic Road intersection. At the time, a business group called the North Downtown Business Council was vehemently opposed to any grade separated interchange and wanted the Western Bypass built instead.
Two dozen apartments planned for land next to Meadowbrook Shopping Center
Charlottesville’s new Development Code has now been in effect for six months and the city’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services (NDS) is processing the first few examples of builders taking advantage of additional residential density.
One of them is a proposed 24 unit residential complex to be built on 0.83 acres on Barracks Road adjacent to the Meadowbrook Shopping Center. Greenshire Holdings purchased the underdeveloped land for $581,500 on June 28 and have recently filed a major development plan with NDS.
The by-right proposal would be to subdivide the property into two lots and to build 12 units on each. The land is within the Residential-B district which allows up to six units per lot but an additional six can be built if they meet the city’s affordability guidelines.
“Any project with residential units is required to complete an Affordable Dwelling Unit Certification Application,” reads page seven of the city’s affordable dwelling unit manual.
Unfortunately the developer was unable to upload the plan’s to the city’s website and that document is currently unavailable from public view.
The maximum building footprint on each lot is 3,500 square feet and according to the city’s development portal the total project would be 6,588 square feet.
Greenshire Holdings paid a $900 fee to have the major development plan processed.
Demolition permit filed for 303 Alderman Road
The City of Charlottesville’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services is processing an application to build six units on a 0.31 acre lot on Alderman Road in the city’s Lewis Mountain Neighborhood.
On August 13, Evergreen Home Builders filed a permit to demolish the single-family house that has been on the property since 1950. The cost to do so is estimated at $25,000.
The city’s development portal for this application contains a letter from the president of SEMCO Services Incorporated to certify a hazardous material identified in the building has been dealt with.
“All removed asbestos containing materials will be properly disposed of in a [United States Environmental Protection Agency] approved landfill,” writes Jim Haltigan.
The land is within the city’s Residential-B zoning district which allows six units per lot if all are market-rate and up to 12 if half are designated as affordable. Each application has to demonstrate how the requirements are being satisfied, even if there are not affordable units proposed.
The major development plan for the six units also calls for a waiver seeking to exceed the massing height by five feet. For more on that, read my previous story on the development.
Second-shout out: Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival
This September, the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival turns 25 with a series of concerts and events that will build on a musical journey of 24 years. They’ve explored a breadth of music, mined the core repertoire, discovered new sounds and rhythms.
Chamber Music involves instrumental music played by a small group and this year’s festival begins with a Sunday afternoon concert at the Paramount Theater at 3 p.m. on September 8 followed by two more on the evenings of September 9 and September 12.
Want to try out Chamber Music? The Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival will offer a free community concert at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, September 13.
Then the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival moves to Old Cabell Hall at UVA on September 15 at 3 p.m. followed by a final concert at 7:30 p.m. on September 19. Visit cvillechambermusic.org to get tickets and to learn more about the musicians and what’s being played.
Charlottesville to hold final listening session on decarbonization study
The City of Charlottesville has owned and operated a natural gas service for over 150 years and there are over 21,500 residential and commercial customers. As part of the city’s commitment to first reduce and then eliminate its greenhouse gas emissions, there’s a study underway to find ways to reduce the service’s carbon footprint.
“Charlottesville Utilities has been working with the consulting firm Black & Veatch on a comprehensive decarbonization study to responsibly and accurately determine how its natural gas utility can help meet Charlottesville's community greenhouse gas reduction goals,” reads the sign-up page for a final listening session intended to get public input on the study.
For some previous stories on the topic, read on:
Charlottesville studying whether to end provision of natural gas, March 24, 2023
Charlottesville awarded $7.1 million to upgrade natural gas system, April 17, 2023
Charlottesville details steps being taken to implement Climate Action Plan, July 31, 2023
Update on Charlottesville school bus situation, decarbonization study, August 27, 2023
Charlottesville launches climate action dashboard during annual report, July 22, 2024
Procurement round-up: Repairs coming to the Charlottesville Transit Station
In order to build and maintain infrastructure, local governments mostly hire companies to do the work of implementation. Public entities are required by law to keep the process open for public inspection and one of the tasks Charlottesville Community Engagement undertakes is to go through all of those documents in order to increase understanding.
Athens Building Corporation of Richmond has been awarded a contract to make repairs to the Downtown Transit Center which was completed in 2007. The work will “address specific exterior components including sealants, store front/curtain wall elements, exterior wood components, paints and finishes, and other items.” (learn more)
The winning company submitted a bid of $188,961 and Piedmont Paint and Finish submitted a bid of $242,000. The official description is for a “Total Base Bid for the contractor to furnish all labor, supervision, equipment, tools parts and materials, as necessary, to complete the scope of work as per all terms, conditions and specifications herein.
Charlottesville’s public works department has recently built several sections of sidewalk but are seeking a contractor to install “new curb and sidewalk in the right of way on the north side of Azalea Dr. adjacent to 2715 Jefferson Park Ave.”
This new section would be connected to existing sidewalks on Azalea Drive and will connect to a future crosswalk and handicap ramp. (learn more)
That work is funded in part through the Safe Routes to School program according to Afton Schneider, the city’s director of communications and public engagement.
Here are some other recent procurement activities in Charlottesville.
Vess Excavating Ltd of Charlottesville submitted the lowest bid for a project to build curb extensions at Hazel Street and St. Claire Avenue. This will replace plastic bollards that are currently in place. Vess submitted the lowest bid of $41,224 and has been awarded the contract. (learn more)
Vess Excavating Ltd also won the contract for a project to build new 2 handicap ramps and sidewalk at Johnson Elementary School. They had the lowest bid with $22,905. (learn more)
Firms who want to do the work to build a paved cycling trail between Madison Avenue and the Washington Park parking lot have until August 23 to submit their bids. (learn more)
The city is also seeking a firm to “furnish, install, service, maintain, and stock snack food vending machines and beverage vending machines” in 31 locations. “It is very important to them that if they need or want to use these machines that the items are both fresh and heated or cooled to the appropriate temperature,” reads a portion of the bid documents. “The way a vendor could hit it out of the park is if the machines worked so well and were well stocked that the vendor would have to hear from the City outside of variously checking-in or occasional reviews.” Did AI write that? The deadline is September 9. (learn more)
Cummins Inc of Richmond has been awarded a contract to provide a new or remanufactured engine for one of the trolley-style buses operated by Charlottesville Area Transit. (learn more)
Charlottesville is seeking a firm to remove and replace 19 heat pump units at Greenbrier Elementary School. A request for quotations was sent out on August 20 and bids are due on September 25. (learn more)
Today’s the final day to submit a bid to replace an emergency generator at the Smith Aquatic Center. Work won’t take place until September 2025. (learn more)
Bids close on August 28 to replace various pieces of equipment such as hydrants in the city’s water system. (learn more)
Reading material for #721
DOJ is lowering the antitrust bar to go after RealPage, economist says, Robert Freedman, Legal Dive, August 9, 2024
Why building US highways is so expensive, Construction Dive, Julie Strupp, August 20, 2024
Virginia schools post SOL improvements, but most results still lag pre-pandemic levels, Lisa Rowan, Cardinal News, August 21, 2024
The city’s first large student apartment complex on West Main turns 10, Sean Tubbs, C-Ville Weekly, August 21, 2024
Does it matter that #721 went out on 8/21?
No. It does not. To me, that is a neat sentence to read out loud. Mostly everything I write is intended to be read by someone as if its a news broadcast. In January, I’ll celebrate the 30 year anniversary of getting an internship at WVTF Public Radio where I learned from mentors such as Rick Mattioni and Fred Echols. I see that Fred is still doing some work for the station, and you can check that all out here.
As soon as this one is done, I’m going to get to work on the next one. There are so many stories to tell and I’m going to be in my home office for the next 13 days before I head out for a conference on online news and sustainability. I’d very much like to keep going to see how everything turns out. I’m blessed to be able to do this work.
I’m blessed because I know there’s a lot of people willing to pay to make sure someone’s keeping an eye on local government. I love to do the research and to do so in a way that is hopefully accessible. I appreciate readers who alert me to what I get wrong, and appreciate patience with those who get angry at typographical errors.
I’m human, after all, not like the AI I suspect wrote that RFP for vending machine services!
Human or AI, I welcome your paid subscriptions so I can keep going. Ting will match these as part of their ongoing work to help all sorts of people out. I didn’t want to mention it in the first shout-out, but they also underwrite the Offbeat Roadhouse on WTJU.
This is an incredibly generous sponsorship, and 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
