The final day of January 2024 is upon us, and please turn in your rankings on the quality of the month based on a variety of considerations. Have you accomplished what you wanted to do? Did you learn something new? How many editions of Charlottesville Community Engagement did you read or listen to? I’m Sean Tubbs, and for the next 3,000 words or so, none of those questions are relevant.
On today’s show:
The average property in Charlottesville has increased in value by five percent in 2024 according to the city assessor’s office
The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority will spend $2.65 million for a building on the Downtown Mall and Council has taken the first step toward buying a key CRHA property for $4 million
No one speaks at a public hearing on how to use the city’s most recent year-end surplus
The MPO Policy Board endorses a federal grant application to further engineer a bridge across the Rivanna River
A quick look at zoning clearance applications in Albemarle hints at plans for a restaurant to become a bank and a new storage facility on Rio Road
First shout out: Rivanna Conservation Alliance open house on February 15
In today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out: Are you interested in learning more about the health of area waterways? Want to get some first-hand experience using science to evaluate water quality? Or perhaps you’d like to help keep rivers and streams clear of debris and trash?
If so, consider joining the Rivanna Conservation Alliance for a volunteer open house on Thursday, February 15th. Come by the RCA office on River Road anytime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to learn about their programs and the many ways you can get involved. Staff members will be on hand to share information about their monitoring, restoration, education, and stewardship activities. New and current volunteers are welcome! Light refreshments will be provided. RSVPs are appreciated at rivannariver.org.
Property assessments up 5 percent in Charlottesville
The City of Charlottesville has returned to a single digit increase in property assessments after two years of double digits. Assessment notices are now in the mail to thousands of property owners.
“Of the 15,114 taxable properties, residential parcels increase by an average of 5.61 percent,” reads a press release sent out today. “Commercial properties (including apartments, retail, office, industrial, vacant land) increased by an average of 3.11 percent.”
When taken together, the overall increase is five percent. Nearly 98 percent of residential properties increased in value and 83.62 percent of commercial properties increased.
The sample assessment form notes that the tax rate required to bring in the same amount of revenue as FY23 would be $0.927 per $100 of assessed value. State law requires local governments to provide that number. The real property tax rate in Charlottesville is $0.96 per $100 of assessed value.
There are three Frequently Asked Questions on the assessor’s website worth reviewing for more information.
Anyone who wants to challenge their assessment has until February 29, 2024 to file an appeal. Learn more on the City Assessor’s website.
CRHA Board approves $2.65M Downtown Mall purchase for agency’s new headquarters
The governing body of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority has approved a resolution giving the director the power to purchase a building in the 300 block of East Main Street, otherwise known as the Downtown Mall.
“It’s a 22,000 square foot mixed-use development with three commercial spaces, three dedicated office spaces, and three three bedroom apartments,” said John Sales.
The Board took their action after coming out of a closed session, a closed session invoked after a motion from City Councilor Michael Payne. Under Virginia law, meetings of public bodies can meet privately for certain matters that are laid out in the motion.
“I hereby move that CRHA close the open meeting and go into closed session for the purpose of discussion or consideration of the acquisition of real property and the disposition of property as authorized in Section 2.2-3711(A)3 of the Code of Virginia,” Payne said.
The closed meeting lasted for 23 and a half minutes and the Board took up Resolution #1468 and voted on it with no discussion. Seeing that there was media present on the Zoom call, Councilor Payne asked CRHA Executive Director John Sales to explain what was happening.
“The property will be redeveloped in partnership with other entities that will occupy the commercial spaces and then CHRA will be moving its headquarters to that building as well,” Sales said.
The property formerly provided office space to the firm Silverchair and retail space to Vita Nova. Sales said the property had been listed for $2.75 million, but Sales said it is under contract for $2.65 million and the deal should close by the end of February.
The apartment units would be renovated for the CRHA’s use as well. Sales said the agency will seek grant funding to help subsidize those units as well.
There were no comments from any of the members of the CRHA Board and after the vote, there was action on Resolution #1469. This is for the sale of 405 Levy Avenue and 405 Avon Street to the City of Charlottesville for $4 million.
“We are slated to close by the end of February for this property as well,” Sales said.
The Board had no discussion or comments on that matter either.
The sale appears to indicate that the CRHA Board will not directly follow one of the recommendations of a sustainability study for the agency’s future. The work by the firm Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures presented two options for how the CRHA could benefit from the sale or long-term lease of the land. (view the presentation)
Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders briefed Council on the purchase at their meeting on January 22. He said no final decision had been made about what to do with the property.
“Because I have spoken very little about this particular project, a lot of other information has been circulating and going beyond what I have said,” Sanders said.
Sanders said the city will use leftover funds from the COVID-related American Rescue Plan Act to purchase the property.
“And we’ve been able to bring to you an item that would ask that you would allocate a little over $4 million for the acquisition of this site,” Sanders said. “The intention is to hold the site until we can determine what our housing need is as it relates to homeless services in addition to permanent supportive housing units in addition to those that we know are coming online. I am not committing to building a shelter any time soon.”
Sanders said the city will now control what happens on that site. City ownership also means no property tax revenue will be collected, a situation that exists anyway under CRHA ownership. He said more work needs to be done to determine how many shelter beds are needed.
The NREUV report anticipated the CRHA could have made between $7 million and $11 million in a market rate sale. Sanders said what the city will eventually propose on the site would be dense. He also addressed what the other government agency would get from this transaction.
“I’ll add that there are additional community benefits that will come later as CRHA unveils what they would do with the resources that they will receive for this site,” Sanders said. “It checks additional boxes to benefit the city and its economic development strategies.
Last year, the city’s Office of Economic Development finalized an economic development strategy which has several goals which could appear relevant:
#6 is Reimagining a more inclusive Charlottesville is an essential part of its economic development future
#7 is Charlottesville has a growing, diverse, entrepreneurial community
#8 is Charlottesville can bridge equity gaps through innovative workforce development
Council held first reading on the purchase. Mayor Juandiego Wade said there will need to be public engagement.
“We’ve gotten several comments from residents in the area that brought up some excellent points,” Wade said. “I’m still supportive of it but I think that should we move forward, we definitely have to have some very robust community engagement.”
Councilor Michael Payne said he is excited to see the purchase and added this did not come from elected officials.
“This was not a proposal that came through City Council,” Payne said. “This was a proposal that city management really proactively sought out and looked for and that is really a sea-change I think in what city government is prioritizing in how its operating.”
Second reading of the resolution will be on the agenda for Council’s February 5, 2024 meeting.
Council public hearing on appropriating FY23 surplus
In December, Charlottesville City Council learned of a $21.7 million surplus left over from the general fund at the end of Fiscal Year 2023. On January 22, they held a public hearing and held first reading of an appropriation of the funding.
“In order to close out that fiscal year, several year-end adjustments need to be made to various accounts which require City Council’s action,” said Chris Cullinan, the city’s Director of Finance. “These adjustments are to carry over unspent funds from the last fiscal year into the current year.”
The total amount for Council to appropriate is $26.3 million when the school’s carryover was included. Cullinan said staff recommendations were based on Council’s previous direction. The two biggest line items are a $15.82 million transfer to the capital improvement program contingency fund and a $2.6 million cost of living adjustment for retirees from city government.
City Manager Sam Sanders said one reason for a large surplus in FY23 are vacancies in top level positions. He said keeping the future disposition of the money flexible can help Councilors meet some of their goals.
“The surplus being available and placed in the CIP contingency in this manner is how we’ve been able to make some of the nimble decisions that we’ve made over the past year,” Sanders said. “Keep in mind that’s how we purchased CATEC and that is also how we purchased the Dogwood portfolio, and it was because those funds were available.”
The School Board’s $5.3 million purchase of CATEC closed on July 27, 2023, according to Albemarle County sales records. (learn more)
Council gave the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority $5 million toward a $10 million purchase of 74 units scattered across the city. (learn more)
Council also agreed to the use of $5.9 million from the CIP contingency fund to purchase land along the Rivanna River to prevent it from being developed. (learn more)
No spoke during the public hearing.
Second shout-out: Bake-N-Bike with Charlottesville Community Bikes
In today’s second subscriber supporter shout-out, Charlottesville Community Bikes wants you to join them for their annual Valentine’s Day Fundraiser, Bake-N-Bike!
On Wednesday, February 14, costumed bike couriers will deliver pre-ordered bags of scones all around Charlottesville. Bags will include 6 scones (chocolate chip and cranberry) baked and packaged by Sweet Holly's Desserts, and you can add a personalized note for the recipient.
Deliveries will be made from 11 am to 5 pm. If you live outside of our delivery area, you can also pre-order scones and pick them up at Community Bikes on Wednesday, February 14. They are limited to 160 bags of scones, so order as soon as you can! Visit charlottesvillecommunitybikes.org to learn more!
Transportation group in support of federal grant to engineer Rivanna pedestrian bridge
A committee of elected officials who make decisions about transportation projects has endorsed a letter of support for a federal grant to further evaluate a bike and pedestrian bridge over the Rivanna River to connect Woolen Mills and Pantops.
If awarded, the funds would pay a firm to conduct preliminary engineering to help further refine a cost estimate for a project that failed to qualify in the most recent round of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Scale process. The project had a cost estimate of $42.5 million
The project has been championed by staff at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, an organization that doubles as the federally-mandated Metropolitan Planning Organization.
“The MPO has done a significant amount of work to move forward from a feasibility study that identified two potential alignments to create a bicycle and pedestrian bridge between Pantops and the Woolen Mills area of Charlottesville and urbanized Albemarle County,” said Sandy Shackelford, the planning and transportation director for the TJPDC.
A lot of that early work is posted to the TJPDC’s website and shared here now for reference:
VHB memo to the Virginia Department of Transportation with two potential alignments
Two page summary of feedback from the online workshop held on November 12, 2020
In 2022, the MPO selected an alignment that would connect at the Wool Factory at the end of the county’s Broadway Street corridor.
Shackelford said the Smart Scale scoring for the bridge showed a high number of benefits, but that $42 million cost estimate was too high to qualify for funding.
“The project had a very high price tag due to a lot of unknown contingencies, being constructed in an environmentally sensitive area, and not having a good understanding of the mitigation measures that would be required as part of that bridge,” Shackelford said.
The preliminary engineering would seek to answer some of those questions through hydrologic and geotechnical analysis. The technical aspects of the project would be administered by VDOT.
The MPO applied for a RAISE grant last year but did not qualify, but Shackelford said the Federal Highway Administration encouraged a resubmission. The MPO Policy Board agreed. Read the resolution for details.
The MPO meeting was the first for City Councilor Natalie Oschrin. She wants to make progress with implementing more options for non-motorized transportation.
“My priorities are very transit-focused, bike lanes, buses, pedestrian flexibility, to get people out of their cars as much as possible which is going to be necessary if we’re going to hopefully see the density that we’re inviting in the new upzoning,” Oschrin said.
Supervisor Ned Gallaway took over as the chair of the MPO Policy Board.
Albemarle land use round-up: New storage facility coming to Rio Road
Periodically I take a look at the latest filings with Albemarle County’s Department of Community Development. Here’s the latest installment.
The Battelle Corporation has filed for a zoning clearance for the reconfiguration of a satellite office in a suite at Town Center Two in the North Fork Discovery Park. (CLE202400003)
There’s a new name for the convenience store at 4842 Richmond Road at Boyd Tavern. Albemarle County has approved a zoning clearance for the name change to Cold Creek Country Store. (CLE202400004)
A defense contractor called SRC Inc. is refitting an office at the North Fork Discovery Park to accommodate an additional ten employees for a total of around 40. (CLE202400005)
A new self-storage facility is being planned for undeveloped property on Rio Road directly across from the Northside Library. Cameron Property Cville seeks a zoning clearance for what will be called Go Store It. (CLE202400006)
A restaurant space at 29th Place will be converted to a retail use. JP Morgan Chase is planning to open a retail banking center in 29th Place in what appears to still be Red Crab Seafood Bar. (CLE202400007)
A new business called the Rhinestone Cowgirl Boutique has filed for a zoning clearance to take over a space at 5548 Seminole Trail, one parcel south of the Greene County Line. A previous business on the site was called County Line Country Mercantile. (CLE202400010)
A business called Crozet Seafood Supply intends to open at a space in the Shoppes at Clover Lawn. According to their application for a zoning clearance, they expect to be open six days a week for take-out service and no inside dining. They will replace the space that had been occupied by Bacio. (CLE202400011)
A 2,406 square foot conference room used by the University of Virginia Foundation at the North Fork Discovery Park is being converted for use by a company called Virginia Retina Consultants. (CLE202400013)
Reading material:
Breeden Construction finishes $9.3M Crozet condos, Katherine Schulte, Virginia Business, January 19, 2024
Accepting comments on proposed Plank Road truck restriction, CBS19, January 26, 2024
Two proposed 6-plexes in Alcova Heights clear a neighbor’s attempt to appeal them, Jo DeVoe, ARL Now, January 29, 2024
ACPD investigating multiple possible 'swatting' reports, CBS19, January 29, 2024
The end of #630
When I was younger, I was always in awe of journalistic organizations that had a big archive of audio they could pull from. In almost four years of recording online meetings for the purpose of sharing information, I’m now in awe of organizations that can pay people solely to curate all that talking!
I can say with all sincerity that I can now imagine when I’ll be writing these types of messages four years from now because there are hundreds of people contributing some amount of money toward this endeavor. I am honored and grateful, and none of your funding is going to waste. If you’d like to join in, please know that:
I write a personalized thank you to everyone who pays for a subscription
Ting will match your initial payment, be it $5 a month, $50 a year, or $200 a year
With more revenue coming in, I hope to hire someone soon barring a personal catastrophe
And maybe you’re in the market for new Internet? Check out Ting to see what they have to offer, and if you decide to proceed, enter in the promo code COMMUNITY to receive:
Free installation
A second month for free
A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall
January 31, 2024: CRHA to purchase Downtown Mall building for new headquarters; Charlottesville assessments up 5 percent