December 17, 2020: Governor Northam announces budget amendments to address pandemic; Albemarle learns more about Rio/29 form-based code
The gift-giving time of the year is now, and today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out is for you to check out a curated gift guide from local Charlottesville Black-owned businesses. You can see the link in the newsletter. There’s a lot on there, including skin care and other products from Payne’s Beauty Supplies, and clothing from Renee’s Boutique. Check out the list more, and let us know what you buy! We won’t tell until after Christmas and the rest of the holidays.
On today’s show:
Governor Ralph Northam unveils budget amendments in advance of the upcoming General Assembly
Albemarle Supervisors get an update on the pandemic and the proposed new zoning code for the area around Rio Road and U.S. 29
Virginians for High Speed Rail celebrate 25 years at recent luncheon
Charlottesville’s Sister City’s Commission is seeking applications for grants
The Virginia Department of Health reports another 3,853 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the seven-day average to 3,759 a day. The percent positivity has risen again to 11.6 percent across the state.
In the Blue Ridge Health District, there are another 100 cases reported, and another two deaths. Greene County sets a one-day record with 17 cases, and Louisa adds 18 cases. There are 27 new cases in Albemarle, 12 in Charlottesville, nine in Fluvanna and two from Nelson.
The Albemarle Board of Supervisors got an update from the Blue Ridge Health District on coronavirus in the area.
“We again saw gatherings and travel around Thanksgiving create this surge that we’re seeing,” said Ryan McKay, the district’s director of policy and planning. “I will say that we are not in as bad a position as other health districts in other parts of the state.
McKay warned that the same pattern could repeat itself at Christmas.
In addition to being briefed on the current surge of cases, McKay also discussed the arrival of the vaccine in the area.
“It’s great news that the local hospitals have access to that vaccine now and are able to offer that to employees,” McKay said. “We are certainly working on our planning process to make sure that we can provide access to the vaccine to the prioritization process set by the state and the CDC.”
McKay said it is crucial that people continue to follow the same guidelines we’ve been hearing since March. Wash your hands. Stay physically apart. Wear a mask.
“We cannot stray away from those if we want to get through this surge with as minimal impact as possible,” McKay said.
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Governor Ralph Northam gave an overview of how Virginia has dealt with the pandemic as he began his remarks yesterday to the Joint Money Committees of the General Assembly.
“Throughout the long months of this health crisis, Virginia has done comparatively well,” Northam said. “Our efforts to bend the curve early on worked, and the virus spread through the Commonwealth slowly for most of the past ten months. Unfortunately, the spread is increasing around the country and here in Virginia too. Our percent positivity has doubled in the past month, as have our daily new case counts. More people are being hospitalized, and unfortunately, more are dying.”
Northam’s proposed budget amendments are made with the pandemic in mind.
“The plan I will present to you today is intended to help Virginians navigate the next phase of the crisis, and perhaps, its final months,” Northam said. “It will position us to recover as quickly as possible as we rebuild our economy in a post-pandemic world. And it’s about advancing the progressive agenda that we all embarked upon together a year ago.”
Some examples of expenses that stem from the pandemic are $50 million a year for broadband expansion, $500 million for school systems, and $90 million for vaccination efforts. The Virginia government works off a two-year budget, and the second year starts on July 1.
“By then, we hope most Virginians will be vaccinated and our society and our economy will have begun returning to more normal activities,” Northam said.
The budget also recommends tweaks to how health districts are funded across Virginia. Northam said the formula hasn’t been updated in a generation, and the state has changed from rural to suburban.
“With this formula frozen in time, places that have seen their economies change—like Lee and Wise counties in the coalfields, or cities like Petersburg and Richmond—are stuck paying more than they should,” Northam said. “Updating the formula is an equity issue, and we’re going to get it done this year. We’ll also make sure that no local health department gets less funding as a result.”
Another adjustment is $50 million to expand capacity to allow more passenger rail service to Roanoke by purchasing right of way.
“This is an important down payment on extending passenger rail connections in Southwest Virginia,” Northam said. “The pandemic has shown us that much work can be done from anywhere--but that means transportation access is more important than ever.”
Learn more:
Video of Joint Money Committee, December 16, 2020
Northam’s written remarks, December 16, 2020
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If the $50 million for rail to Roanoke is approved, any right of way purchased would be overseen by the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, an entity that met for the first time in late October. The group Virginians for Highspeed Rail have advocated for creation of such an entity for much of its 25-year history. Danny Plaugher is the group’s executive director and he said last Friday that there is a demand.
“If you look at ridership on Virginia’s Amtrak regional trains over the last decade, ridership has grown 107 percent and we were on pace this year for breaking over a million passengers for the first time on our regionals before the pandemic hit,” Plaugher said.
Plaugher spoke at the VHSR virtual luncheon last week. So did Trip Pollard of the Southern Environmental Law Center, who said the daily train between Lynchburg and D.C. is one of Amtrak’s biggest successes nationwide. Service to Roanoke was added to the Piedmont Corridor in October 2017.
“Since 2014, a second daily round-trip on this corridor has been planned and funds have been set aside,” Pollard said. “This service has been tied up for a number of reasons but it needs to be implemented.”
For more on the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, check out Wyatt Gordon’s December 11 story on the Virginia Mercury.
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New guidelines for future buildings in the area around the intersection of U.S. 29 and Rio Road are getting closer to being adopted by Albemarle County. Yesterday the Board of Supervisors was briefed on the form-based code that has been written by county staff (not a consultant) as a technical guide to implementing the vision of the Rio Road Small Area Plan. One bullet point in the plan is to create “a place enhanced through conservation with a network of sustainable and usable public spaces that enrich community and preserve and enhance natural resources.”
Lea Brumfield is a county planner who has been working on this aspect of the code development.
“In the draft framework we did require amenity spaces, although at the time we were calling them green spaces or public spaces,” Brumfield said. “Each parcel which is to be redeveloped under the form-based code would be required to dedicate a portion of the site to public use. And these kind of spaces would incorporate plantings, green spaces, but their primary use would be for active use.”
The intent would be for Albemarle to be able to use these spaces for things such as farmer’s markets, movie nights, and other public events. Brumfield said developers of parcels less than two acres would have the option to provide cash instead of dedicating space. The county would own and maintain these spaces. Landowners could choose to develop their space under existing zoning, but they would lose the incentives that would come using the form-based overlay.
“Really the most meaningful thing and incentive that we can provide is that additional height,” said Rachel Falkenstein. “Probably the most important for us to incentivize would be affordable housing, so we’ve incorporated an affordable housing section at the end of the code, page 50. We are requiring a percentage of affordable housing be provided with residential development.”
Learn more:
Form-based code seen as a tool to build urban Albemarle, Summer 2019 article
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Charlottesville’s Sister City Commission is accepting submissions for grants of up to $4,000 for projects on “a wide variety of cultural, economic, educational, and humanitarian activities that support the CSSC's mission to promote understanding and foster relationships.” The subject matter must relate to: Besançon, France, Winneba, Ghana; Poggio a Caiano, Italy, or Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The latter was just approved to enter into “friendship” status with Charlottesville. Former City Councilor Dave Norris is on the Sister City Commission.
“In general, it was very well-received by City Council and it’s good to get that positive feedback,” Norris said. “Now our work is cut out for us and we actually have to do it.”
Left out of the grant program is Pleven, Bulgaria, which will enter into emeritus status.
Previous grants have gone to projects such as a partnership between WTJU radio and Peace FM in Winneba, and a comparison of “positive behavior interventions” in elementary schools in all of the sister cities with Charlottesville. Learn more in this link about those projects and how to apply for this cycle. The deadline is January 15, 2021.
Today in meetings:
Charlottesville’s Board of Zoning Appeals meets at 4 p.m. One item involves a property in the Fry’s Spring neighborhood, and the other involves a variance request for a building McIntire Plaza that cannot be built to the 70 feet originally approved. (meeting info)
Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority holds public hearing on Annual Plan at p.m. (meeting info)
Police Civilian Review Board meets at 6:30 p.m. (meeting info)
Human Rights Commission also meets at 6:30 p.m. (meeting info)
Live Arts debuts In Hindsight, Maybe Ghosts Were a Bad Idea at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 a household.