Three-quarters of dates that fall upon August 4 are the 216th day of their year. Next year everything will be slightly changed, so let’s all experience this normality while we can. We’re now 59 percent of the way through 2023 a year that perhaps has proven there is no such thing as a normal year for Charlottesville Community Engagement. I’m still Sean Tubbs either way.
On today’s installment:
There’s more time to apply for the vacant seat on the Charlottesville Planning Commission in advance of public hearings on the city’s new zoning code
There’s still time to vote on a name for Albemarle’s new streetsweeper, an initiative related to both water quality and public safety goals
The University of Virginia responds to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended the legality of affirmative action in college admissions
Albemarle County has awarded five climate action grants ranging from worm composting to grassland restoration at Darden Towe Park
The head transportation planner at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission explains why a project to create one map for bike and pedestrian infrastructure has
stalledchangedPreliminary feedback is in for the region’s long range transportation plan
First shout-out: WTJU staging the Cville Puzzle Hunt on August 26
In today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out: By now, readers and listeners know WTJU’s position on algorithms. But do you know that the radio station celebrates puzzles? In fact, on Saturday, August 26, WTJU is organizing the second annual Cville Puzzle Hunt, a huge, cerebral puzzle that will spool out across downtown Charlottesville.
The Cville Puzzle Hunt will take you and a team of friends on a wild afternoon running around trying to untangle five diabolical, large-scale puzzles inserted into the urban landscape. The opening clue will be read at 3 p.m. at the Ix Art Park. Find out more about this WTJU-organized event at cvillepuzzlehunt.com.
Deadline extended to apply for vacant Charlottesville Planning Commission seat
The release of a consolidated draft of Charlottesville’s future zoning code has been delayed another week, which could push back public hearings and ultimate adoption.
The city has also pushed back the deadline to apply for a vacant seat on the Charlottesville Planning Commission. That’s the appointed body that advises City Council on land use matters including the Comprehensive Plan and the zoning code.
Would-be applicants have until August 31 to apply to replace former Commissioner Liz Russell who has since left Charlottesville. (apply)
In June, City Council reappointed Commissioner Hosea Mitchell and Commissioner Rory Stolzenberg to new four-year terms. At the time, there was one other applicant who was not selected for either of the two positions.
UVA responds to U.S. Supreme Court decision banning affirmative action
In late June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling that ended the ability of higher education institutions to consider race as a factor in admitting students. This week, top officials at the University of Virginia responded that they will follow the law.
“We also will do everything within our legal authority to recruit and admit a class of students who are diverse across every possible dimension and to make every student feel welcome and included here at UVA,” reads a letter from President Jim Ryan and Provost Ian Baucom.
The letter lays out three admission practice that will be followed, including not allowing anyone involved in the admissions process to see information regarding a candidate’s race or ethnicity. Each applicant can choose to disclose that information in the personal essay.
“To the extent a candidate’s race or ethnicity is disclosed through this process, that information only will be considered as it relates to that person’s unique ability as an individual to contribute to the University, and not on the basis of race or ethnicity alone,” the letter continues.
For current and historic demographic data about students, faculty, and staff at the University of Virginia, take a look at the Diversity Dashboard.
Poll to name Albemarle’s first street sweeper closes Monday
Albemarle County is in the nascent stages of establishing its own public works department and one of the first moves has been the purchase of a large vehicle intended to clean streets in the urban area.
“Investments in an urban right of way program – including launching a local streetsweeper program – and property maintenance will increase our management of our public spaces and the safety of our built environment,” wrote County Executive Jeffrey Richardson in the executive summary for the budget for FY2023. (page 7)
The capital budget for that year includes $385,000 to purchase the streetsweeper and $50,183 to hire a full-time operator. The vehicle is set to arrive in August 2023 and Albemarle is conducting a poll through Monday for the public to choose a name between nine choices. You can visit the poll here.
The finalists are:
Lightning McClean
Bruce Streetclean
Lil Bo Sweep
Sergeant Sweeper
Beeper the Sweeper
Sweepzilla
Sweeping Beauty
Dirt Vader
Emily Broomtë
During a two month rental of a streetsweeper, Albemarle picked up over 100 tons of trash and debris. The Engage Albemarle website extols the environmental benefits of streetsweeping:
Street sweeping helps preserve our roadways by removing wearing debris and extending the life of paved roads and paths.
Street sweeping helps protect wildlife by eliminating the number of plastics and litter that end up on the sides of roads.
Street sweeping helps to remove harmful metals and pollutants that can enter our air emissions. By reducing the amount of road debris, street sweeping helps preserve our local waterways and air.
Albemarle County awards first set of climate protection grants
One of the new initiatives suggested in Albemarle County’s Climate Action Plan is a program to fund community programs intended to help the overall community reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A call for applications was issued in March and now the county has made five awards totaling $100,000.
A group called Autism Sanctuary will receive $25,000 to create a worm composting project “to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote green gardening practices in the local community, and provide additional jobs and learning experiences to those with autism in Central Virginia.”
The nonprofit Community Bikes has been awarded $25,000 to expand a project called “Bicycle Recycling, Refurbishment, & Redistribution” “with the goal of providing more affordable and sustainable transportation options to underserved communities in Albemarle County.”
The International Rescue Committee runs the New Roots Farm will use its $20,020 in part to purchase equipment that is not powered by fossil fuels. They’ll also "create a democratic self-determination process for designing its largest community garden.”
A nonprofit group called FLIPP Inc will receive $18,600 to fund job-training programs for both designing and installing solar facilities that will be aimed at underserved communities.
The Peabody School will get $11,380 to “engage the public and get youth involved in Piedmont grassland education and conservation through a grassland restoration project at Darden Towe Park.”
Second shout-out: Charlottesville Jazz Society
In today’s first subscriber-supported shout-out: The Charlottesville Jazz Society is pleased to announce a new monthly series devoted to showcasing this area’s great local jazz talent. Beginning August 27th at Miller’s Downtown, every final Sunday of the month will showcase the finest bands in and around Charlottesville, Richmond and beyond.
To kick things off, one of Charlottesville’s favorite drummers, Jim Howe, will bring an exciting group featuring internationally known guitarist Royce Campbell. Jim Howe and Friends will play from approximately 6 to 8 pm, opening things up after that to any musicians who want to sit in and jam. These Local Jazz Spotlight shows are free and open to the public and are sponsored in part by WTJU Radio. The CJS is grateful to Miller’s for their long-time support of jazz in Charlottesville, and for offering a home for this new series.
For more information on The Charlottesville Jazz Society, now in its 16th year of preserving jazz through live performances and education, visit cvillejazz.org.
Plans have changed to create “OneMap” of regional bike and pedestrian paths
(story was updated after publication - see comments)
A project to create a single resource of pathways for non-motorized transport in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area doesn’t appear to be happening as originally envisioned in the future. The idea had been suggested at the same time as the Jefferson Area Bike and Pedestrian Plan adopted by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission in March 2019.
“But the actual work associated with developing the OneMap resource was never specifically listed out in any specific [Metropolitan Planning Organization] work plan,” said Sandy Shackelford, transportation and planning director for the TJPDC.
Shackleford said it was up to the localities to do the work to create the map and that depended on staff resources in both Albemarle and Charlottesville.
“The City of Charlottesville was working on it for a while and I think Albemarle but we were never actually able to move the project forward to completion,” Shackelford said.
Shackelford said one issue is that Albemarle, Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia coded their data differently creating incompatibility issues.
The TJPDC has updated the website of the regional Bike and Pedestrian Planning Coordination Committee with all of the individual data from each jurisdiction that was to have gone into the OneMap. Perhaps you’d like to have a go at putting it together? (view the website)
In the meantime, Shackelford said in an email that unified OneMap data is coming, but just at a higher level. She added the Virginia Department of Transportation is working on a similar project at the state level.
The Jefferson Area Bike and Pedestrian Plan instead lists several specific recommendations for new infrastructure in all of the TJPDC localities. Have you ever taken a look?
First feedback is in for TJPDC’s long-range transportation plan
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission is currently working on a mandated plan to give state and federal agencies a rough sketch of what transportation projects are desired in the next 25 years.
Public engagement began this summer on the “Moving Toward 2050” plan with a goal toward prioritizing the many possibilities.
“We’re trying to find out where the opportunities for improvement are in the network,” said Sandy Shacklelford, transportation and planning director for the TJPDC. “We’ve asked a lot about questions about ‘where do you see problems or opportunities and what kind of problems and opportunities do you see? Are you having trouble getting places? Why are you having trouble getting places? How are you trying to get there?”
There was an open house at the Downtown Transit Center on June 21. A survey is currently live and had 250 responses as of July 26 with more on the way. Shackleford shared preliminary results with the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Policy Board.
“The highest priority is safety followed by the environment,” Shackelford said. “Based on the comments we got just from the transit center, the highest was actually efficiency and economic development.
This round of public engagement is expected to wrap up at the end of the month. There’s still time to fill out the survey. (fill out the story)
Albemarle Supervisor Ned Gallaway expressed skepticism that enough was being done to educate the community about the process. He wanted the TJPDC to make presentations to Albemarle’s Community Advisory Committees.
“I don’t think that the average citizen… truly understands how the long range transportation plan impacts transportation priorities and projects over two jurisdictions,” Gallaway said.
A reminder that the point of Charlottesville Community Engagement is intended to try to provide some of that education. After all, how many other articles have you read about this topic?
See also:
TJPDC kicks off public process for long-range transportation plan, June 19, 2023
Planning group wants your input on transportation priorities, July 16, 2023
Reading material:
Charlottesville looks to Sam Sanders for stability as new city manager, Emily Horn, Cavalier Daily, August 1, 2023
‘Fireflies and Zeroes’ shines a brilliant light on Charlottesville, Melanie Chuh, Cavalier Daily, August 1, 2023
Virginia makes exit from regional emissions program official, drawing appeal, Zach Budryk, The Hill, August 1, 2023
Notes for #562
Did this one need to be a podcast? Maybe not. But it is anyway because it doesn’t seem right to me to produce just a written version. The audience is lower for the sonic version, but audio production is my first love. At some point, I hope some of this is on the radio or that I figure out how to get more listeners!
Either way, all of this is funded by listeners and readers who want more information about this community then would otherwise be available. If you’d like to join them, Substack subscriptions are matched by Ting. Ting is an Internet company that seeks to build community, and that’s what this newsletter is all about, too!
And maybe you’re a UVA student looking for fast Internet. If you sign up for Ting at this link and enter the promo code COMMUNITY, you’ll get:
Free installation
A second month for free
A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall
August 4, 2023: UVA responds to Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action; Albemarle awards $100K in climate action grants