Anyone wishing to pass judgment or make a ranking on 2024 so far should consider that only 2.2 percent of the year has taken place so far. More evidence should be gathered. Perhaps each edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement will assist you in your evaluation? Either way, I’m Sean Tubbs, here to capture as much as I can.
On today’s show:
Christopher Fairchild is the new chair of the Fluvanna Board of Supervisors
An expert on infectious diseases from the University of Virginia Health provides an update on winter respiratory illnesses and the latest COVID strain
A round-up of recent land use applications in Albemarle County including an amendment for more residential units at Albemarle Business Campus
First shout-out: Plant Northern Piedmont Natives
Since the beginning of this newsletter in the summer of 2020, one Patreon supporter has dedicated their shout-out to an organization that seeks to draw awareness of the importance of native species to the ecosystem. And with spring not far away, this is perhaps the best time to think about what to plant this season.
Now is the time to visit Plant Northern Piedmont Natives to learn what you can about what species are specific to this region! The initiative is part of a partnership with ten regional campaigns for ten different ecosystems across Virginia, from the Northern Piedmont to the Eastern Shore. Take a look at the full map below for the campaign for native species where you are in the Commonwealth. You can also download a free copy of their handbook: Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens.
In this guide, Piedmont native plants are defined as those that evolved before the influence of European settlements shaped and changed the landscape. Plants included in the guide were selected from the Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora and occur naturally within the region.
Fluvanna Board selects Fairchild as Supervisor
The five-member Board of Supervisors in Fluvanna got to work last Wednesday at an organizational meeting that began with County Administrator Eric Dahl presiding. There were two new members.
“Welcome Mr. Hodge and Mr. Goad to the Board of Supervisors,” Dahl said. “Mr. Hodge representing the Palmyra District and Mr. Goad representing the Fork Union District.”
Mike Goad won election to the Fork Union District with 59.48 percent of the vote, and Timothy Hodge won election to the Palmyra District with 52.14 percent of the vote.
In his first act from the dais, Hodge nominated Supervisor Christopher Fairchild of the Cunningham District to serve as chair. Fairchild is in his first term having won election in 2021 in an uncontested.
Supervisor Tony O’Brien of the Rivanna District nominated Mike Sheridan of the Columbia District to serve as vice chair. Sheridan is in his third term after being elected in 2013.
Both were elected to their positions unanimously.
UVA epidemiologist provides update on respiratory illness season
This newsletter and podcast originally began as a way to get information to people about COVID and in the early days, covering the pandemic was one of the major purposes of Charlottesville Community Engagement. Go back and listen to the Charlottesville Quarantine Report if you want to review recent history.
It’s been over three years since the first vaccines came out, making the public health response to the novel coronavirus more manageable. The federal public health emergency ended on May 11, 2023, but the virus itself has continued to evolve. COVID-19 has joined influenza, RSV, and the common cold as one of a series of illnesses that become more widespread in winter months.
“Early November and mid-November we really saw a lot of RSV amongst our kids and saw that as well in some of our older adults,” said Dr. Costi Sifri, director of hospital epidemiology at the University of Virginia Health System. “I think starting in mid-December we were starting to see also increased rates and increased diagnoses of both COVID and influenza. Those continued into the holidays and this is a pattern we’ve seen before of during the holidays, people come together, they’re traveling, they’re going to church, they’re going to movies, being indoors a lot.”
Dr. Sifri said a peak is being experienced across the entire country, and UVA’s emergency room and clinics are reporting many cases.
“You know I think we’re in the middle of it, and I think we should find this as a no surprise and it’s probably going to be continuing now for at least several weeks, a couple months, before we start to see reduced rates.”
With many different viruses out there, there are symptoms that may indicate what a person is carrying.
“For example, the flu has this characteristic that people may be familiar with that it comes on very rapidly, people feel very sick very quickly often with headaches and high fevers and muscle aches and it’s very abrupt onset,” Dr. Sifri said.
“COVID can sometimes to that as well but occasionally it also has perhaps maybe not as much of a fever component and occasionally has other components such as perhaps more than flu, more [gastro-intestinal] illness, issues like diarrhea,” he continued.
“Then RSV has the ability to cause coughing and wheezing in individuals, particularly in elderly individuals,” Sifri added.
Dr. Sifri said there is a lot of overlap and people who are symptomatic should test for all if possible. That’s what will happen if you end up hospitalized. It’s not unheard of someone to have more than one virus and knowing for sure can help inform potential treatments.
Epidemiologists continue to track the structure of COVID and the emerging dominant strain of COVID across the world has the code JN.1, which derives from another strain called BA.2.86 which Dr. Sifri said emerged this past August.
“That was an interesting new variant because it had a significant number of mutations compared to previous variants, so it had 30-plus mutations compared to what had been circulating before,” Dr. Sifri said. “When that type of significant mutational shift occurs in a strain it leads us to be concerned that it can become a major player and cause a large spike of infections. That’s what was seen for example with Omicron when it emerged and was first recognized in South Africa.”
Dr. Sifri said not as much information is being tracked about COVID as had been occurring during the pandemic, but JN-1 is raising more scrutiny but not raising emergency alarms just yet.
“Based on preliminary information right now, JN-1 is not causing more significant disease compared to previous variants so it does not appear to be causing more proportionally more hospitalizations and other negative consequences of COVID,” Dr. Sifri said.
Dr. Sifri suggested people who have not received a booster or a vaccination should consider doing so now or wearing a mask in places where lots of people are present. According to data from the Virginia Department of Health, 12 percent of the population in Albemarle and Charlottesville had received an updated COVID-19 vaccine in 2023, whereas 30 percent have received a flu vaccine.
Remember back to the winter of 2020 and 2021? That year there was a high prevalence of flu.
“Circling back to thinking about the COVID-emergence, we really had no flu and even no cold symptoms when we did things like those non-pharmacologic measures to protect ourselves from COVID,” Sifri said. “We wore masks. We did some social distancing. We were very cognizant of washing and cleaning our hands. Those are practices that still work.”
Are you making any changes? Let me know in the comments. I’m curious to know what others think as winter continues.
Second shout-out: Needville play at Live Arts this weekend
In today’s second subscriber-supported public service announcement: The profession of coal mining is a hazardous one with the potential of coal dust to destroy lungs. The work was dark, dirty, and dangerous, and author Sara Robinson has written an acclaimed collection of poetry called Needville that memorializes many of the stories of lament and loss in communities that much had taken away from them.
Now Robinson has translated her collection of poems for the stage that will be presented at Live Arts this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, contact Robinson directly at the contact information in the image below.
Albemarle land use round-up: More homes at Albemarle Business Campus?
This is another periodic look at land use applications using publicly available documents on the Albemarle County website.
Shimp Engineering has filed an amendment to a previous rezoning for a mixed-use development at the intersection of Fifth Street Extended and Old Lynchburg Road that would increase the number of residential units. (ZMA202300018)
The Albemarle Board of Supervisors approved a rezoning for the Albemarle Business Campus in October 2020 that allowed for a maximum of 128 residential units and 401,000 square feet of non-residential use. Those apartments are now under construction.
Developer Kyle Redinger now wants to amend the code of development to allow a maximum of 368 units. A previous amendment was granted in 2021 that did not seek the increase in places for people to live.
“Albemarle Business Campus is a mixed used development of five separate projects, including a progressive, modern 69,000 square foot anchor office building, 10,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 100,000 square foot flex/self storage building, a second 60,000 square foot office or hotel and 128 unit multifamily community,” reads the website.
Those 128 units are now under construction. The website for the Albemarle Business Campus lists a 715-unit storage facility and a firm called PS Fertility as existing tenants.
More on this particular story in this week’s C-Ville Weekly.
The final rezoning application filed in Albemarle County in 2023 would see a single-family residential property on Rio Road turned into a commercial venture.
A couple has filed for a rezoning to operate a restaurant called Saigon Sandwiches at 2401 Northfield Road, a property that borders the busy Rio Road on the southern side. The land is currently zoned C-1 and the owners want to have a second business as well. (ZMA202300019)
“The intent of this project is to rezone the entire property from R-2 to C-1 and obtain a Special Use Permit to allow hotel/motel use,” reads the application put together by the Meridian Planning Group.
The hotel would be operated in the existing dwelling and a new 1,200 square foot building would be constructed for the food store and deli. The existing driveway would be removed and a new parking lot would be built at the rear of the property.
“The property is within the Places29 Master Plan and is designated at Neighborhood Density Residential, “ the narrative continues. “The location of the property is such that it is within the transition from office retail to residential.”
A zoning clearance has been approved for a new take-out restaurant called Royal Biryan in the Albemarle Square Shopping Center. (CLE202300173)
An application has been filed for a primary care medical office in the Ivy Commons shopping center in Ivy. The space had previously been occupied by Ivy Massage. (CLE202300174)
A “small drug discovery company” called Adovate is seeking to use space at Seminole Place for eight full-time employees to develop “small molecules for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.” A letter to the county describes how the performance standards will be met. (CLE202300175)
A business called “STEAM Discovery Academy” has filed a zoning clearance for the site of a former ABC Store in Albemarle Square Shopping Center. (CLE202300177)
The Brewery at 1800 Tiffin Farm Lane in Free Union seeks a zoning clearance for outdoor amplified music. The business currently has a banquet license from the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, but an industry brewery application is still pending. (CLE202300178)
Willow River Veterinary Services in the SouthSide Shopping Center will become the Mill Creek Veterinary Clinic if the zoning clearance is approved. (CLE202300184)
Jim Price Chevrolet on U.S. 29 is now Malloy Chevrolet because the zoning clearance for the changes of hands is approved. (CLE202400001)
The Building Services Division for Albemarle County Public Schools is seeking to relocate to Seminole Place in the space formerly occupied by Custom Ink. (CLE202400002)
Reading material:
An incoming Virginia delegate wants to expand use of speed cameras, Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury, January 2, 2024
Mental health situation': Heavily armed man wandering Charlottesville streets now in treatment, Emily Hemphill, Charlottesville Daily Progress, January 5, 2024
#622 is going around the mountain
So far it’s been a productive year with multiple editions of the newsletter published so far. In 2024, I’m hoping to follow up items more often, and cover even more than I’ve covered in the past. Today’s edition is strange because it is a bit of a throwback to a time when I was writing a lot more about public health.
In yesterday’s post on the Charlottesville thread on reddit, I noted there’s a lot happening this week with public safety and in particular additional funding for more professional fire fighters and rescue personnel. I do this work because I want to understand trends, and report them to as many people as possible.
On Saturday, I posted a longer podcast on City Council’s election of a mayor and vice mayor to the Charlottesville Podcasting Network, a website I started in 2005 as an experiment. I’m still doing that, and will continue to innovate this year and every other year that Town Crier Productions is functioning. All of this is paid for by subscribers and sponsors, and I’m grateful for each and every one.
To help support this work, Ting matches the initial payment of every Substack subscriber.
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
January 8, 2024: UVA infectious disease expert provides updates on COVID, other viruses