We are now on the 173rd day of 2023 and have the ability to declare a snapshot in a fixed system of time. But what year is it and from what perspective? Each of us has different start and stop points, and it’s my hope that by capturing as many stories as possible, more people will understand the viewpoints of others. That’s some of the background radiation of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a little newsletter and podcast that could.
On today’s program:
Two incumbent Charlottesville Planning Commissioners have been reappointed to four-year terms
There will be a new co-executive director of an organization devoted to food justice
Albemarle County wants input on the second phase of the “Broadway Blueprint”
Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook is set to tread the boards of a play about people being pushed off their land in the 1930’s
The Charlottesville Planning Commission will take up whether public infrastructure for a controversial apartment complex would be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan
First shout-out: Charlottesville Jazz Society
In today’s first subscriber-supported public service announcement: The Charlottesville Jazz Society at cvillejazz.org is dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and perpetuation of all that jazz. Want to set up your week and make sure it’s going to have some music? Check out the schedule at cvillejazz.org. Here’s some of what’s coming up this week, straight from the calendar
Friday June 23: Beleza Duo, Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery, 5 pm, 800-800-9463
Sunday June 25: Vocalist Paulien with Michael Elswick/sax, Bill Edmonds/guitar, Joseph Nichols/bass, Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard, 1-4 pm, 434-365-3006
Sunday June 25: Robert Jospe Trio with Robert Jospe/drums, Alan Parker/guitar, Randall Pharr/bass, Kardinal Hall, 5 pm, 434-295-4255
Mitchell and Stolzenberg reappointed to Planning Commission
Two incumbent members of the Charlottesville Planning Commission have been reappointed to additional terms. Both Hosea Mitchell and Rory Stolzenberg will serve another four years until the end of August 2027.
What do Planning Commissioners do?
“The City of Charlottesville Planning Commission advises City Council on promoting orderly development of community,” reads the city’s website. “Advises in the development of the Comprehensive Plan, including land use, transportation, community facilities and service, and designation of renewal and other treatment areas.”
There were three applicants for the two positions according to Missy Creasy, the deputy director of Neighborhood Development Services.
That means both will continue to play key roles in the Commission’s discussion as the Cville Plans Together initiative continues with the rewrite of the zoning ordinance. The next step is the release of a consolidated document that features any changes that have been made since three modules have been released to the public.
Meanwhile the city continues to take applications for the vacancy created by the resignation of Liz Russell. The application window closes on July 7 according to the city’s website. Creasy said at least five people have
On Monday, Council also reappointed three members of the Historic Resources Committee. They are former Planning Commissioner Genevieve Keller, University of Virginia religion professor Jalane Schmidt, and UVA architectural historian Richard Guy Wilson.
New co-chair set to join Cultivate Charlottesville
The organization Cultivate Charlottesville was formed three years ago when three food-justice based groups decided to join forces. The group has been run by two co-executive directors in Jeanette Abi-Nader and Richard Morris. Now one is leaving and a replacement has been identified.
“Richard Morris will be leaving his position at the end of June, while Jeanette Abi-Nader will be staying on through December to ensure a smooth transition,” reads a press release sent out earlier this month.
Aleen Carey will take over the position held by Morris on July 1. Carey has worked for Cultivate Charlottesville since 2020 when she became the outreach and resource program director.
“[Aleen’s] commitment to Cultivate, to the community, and to our shared work is as evident as her dynamic skills,” the release continues.
Cultivate Charlottesville’s component organizations are the City Schoolyard Garden, the Urban Agricultural Collective of Charlottesville, and the Food Justice Network.
The schoolyard garden at Buford Middle School is currently being dismantled to make way for construction of a renovated and expanded school.
Albemarle seeking input on Broadway Corridor
There are many quirks in our community when it comes to land use and perhaps top of the list is a landlocked section of Albemarle County on the western banks of the Rivanna River surrounded by the City of Charlottesville.
You may know the area as being the home of the redeveloped Woolen Mills which was overseen by developer Brian Roy. His investment sparked the interest of Albemarle County’s Office of Economic Development. A planning study of about 45 acres of land known as the Broadway Blueprint got underway in 2019 but its completion was delayed by the COVID pandemic.
Here are two previous stories I wrote:
Albemarle Supervisors updated on Broadway Blueprint, June 1, 2021
EDA briefed on Broadway Blueprint study, March 23, 2022
A second phase is about to begin.
“Broadway Blueprint Phase 2 will study the Broadway Corridor and focus on possible physical improvements to improve placemaking, connectivity, and economic vitality,” reads an email sent out by Albemarle County earlier this month. “The report will serve as a roadmap to guide future investment, policy decisions, and regulatory/zoning changes along the corridor.”
A difference in Phase 2 is emphasis on equity and community in addition to economic development. Here’s bullet point #3 on the project website:
“Collaborate with the diverse community of stakeholders within and around Broadway including small business startups, local artisans, established businesses, property owners, neighboring County and City residents, and city officials and staff to draft recommendations that support the varied needs of the Broadway community.”
Albemarle County will take public input through a survey through July 19 that seeks your opinion about why you go to the Broadway Corridor and what you might like to see there. (take the survey)
Charlottesville Mayor has bit part in local play
There are some odd perks to being mayor of Charlottesville, according to City Councilor Lloyd Snook.
“I got a call from folks at the historical society asking me if I would be interested in a cameo appearance in a play, and I am going to be playing the part of the Governor of Virginia in a play that’s being produced up at PVCC,” Snook said.
The play is Can’t Feel at Home and tells the story of people who were displaced from their homes nearly a hundred years ago when Shenandoah National Park was created.
“It’s based loosely on about three or families but it’s all very much true to life,” Snook said. “And if you have any interest in the history of Albemarle County and the history of this area, I would recommend it.”
There will be four performances in total on Friday and Saturday. For more information, take a look at Jane Sathe’s preview in the Daily Progress. It’s at the Dickinson Theatre at PVCC and you can get your tickets here.
As for Snook’s performance?
“I get to play a mixture of Snidely K. Whiplash and Darth Vader as I tell the Sheriff he’s got to go burn those people’s houses down,” Snook said.
Can’t Feel at Home is a presentation of JoeBob Productions and the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society.
Second shout-out: Design Develop
In today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out, architectural firm Design Develop wants you to know about a new service aimed at the development community that may not be widely known yet — 3D point cloud scanning! That’s a technique that uses specialized equipment, such as 3D scanner systems, to gather a large amount of data points that represent the surface of the scanned object or scene.
The applications of 3D point cloud scanning are extensive and cover various fields, including architecture, construction, cultural heritage preservation, virtual reality, industrial design, manufacturing, and more. These applications require accurate 3D spatial information, and Design Development's workflow provides precise and comprehensive results, all while being more cost-effective than traditional methods.
Design Develop has expertise in this workflow for their own needs and now has a dedicated team offering this service in the Charlottesville and Albemarle Area. If you're involved in the real estate, design, or construction industry, feel free to contact us for more information or a free quote.
Visit their website for an introductory video that captures the 3D point cloud scanning of the Downtown Transit Center and a booklet that will explain more!
Charlottesville Planning Commission will review apartment complex in floodplain for Comprehensive Plan compliance
The Charlottesville Planning Commission will review a proposal to build 245 units on land within the floodplain of the Rivanna River to see if infrastructure that would be built there is consistent with the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
“Internally we’ve had that conversation and it’s the desire of the chair to call that item to their attention,” said Deputy City Manager Sam Sanders confirmed that what is known as a “2232 review” will take place. The topic came up at the City Council meeting on Tuesday when two community members asked for it to happen.
“The project is concerning because it proposes a massive amount of fill dirt, up to 17 feet on several acres, to elevate the apartments out of the flooding risk in a 100 year flood,” said Sam Gulland, a resident of Goodman Street. “That’s great for the apartments. The downside is that it will increase the flood risk for neighboring properties.”
Gulland called upon City Council to direct the Planning Commission to study whether public infrastructure proposed as part of the plan would follow the city’s official policy.
“There’s a section of state code that is duplicated verbatim in the city’s zoning ordinance that requires that new public facilities must be reviewed by the Planning Commission as to whether they are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan,” Gulland said. “The Planning Commission’s decision can be appealed by the developer to City Council.”
Another neighbor pointed that the Urban Rivanna River Corridor Plan crafted by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission was added to the Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan on February 7, 2022. Rebecca Reilly said the plan puts a premium on environmental protection and stewardship above all other factors. She read from one section of the plan.
“In all cases, development and redevelopment should be planned and designed in context-sensitive ways that respect the Rivanna River’s status as a scenic river, the first river in Virginia to achieve this official designation,” Reilly said.
City Councilor Michael Payne said Gulland and Reilly made good points and he wanted the Planning Commission to conduct such a review. Mayor Lloyd Snook did as well.
“I think we would have to vote,” Snook said. “Simply one or two random Councilors saying you all doing this, even three random Councilors saying it without a formal vote together would not constitute official action.”
Snook said they could not take that vote without publicizing such a resolution in advance.
Andrew McRoberts of the law firm Sands Anderson has been serving as the interim city attorney since the beginning of the year. He said in Virginia, such a review by a Planning Commission is called “2232” review after the section in state code.
“I have not discussed this with your planning staff,” McRoberts said. “Presumably they know how to do 2232 reviews and my guess is that they’re probably on top of this. The good thing is that there’s really nothing for Council to do. It’s something that if appropriate for a 2232 review, it’s taken up by the Planning Commission usually at the request of staff and then there’s the ability to appeal it to Council.”
Sanders said the matter will come before the Planning Commission but a date has not yet been set.
“The Planning Commission has the authority irrespective of the facilities that can call up an item for review and they have opted to do so,” Sanders.
Earlier this year, Council directed staff to hire a firm to appraise the land for its market potential as a first step in potentially buying the land or assisting a non-profit. A spokesman for Seven Development told me earlier this year that they would entertain the idea, but feel that development of the land serves other Comprehensive Plan goals. That was the topic of my C-Ville Weekly article in the June 7 paper.
Reading material:
Virginia air board approves withdrawal from regional carbon market, Charlie Paullin, Virginia Mercury, June 7, 2023
'Can't Feel at Home' traces pain of displaced mountain families, Jane Sathe, Charlottesville Daily Progress, June 21, 2023
Notes for #549
Somehow that’s four out of five days for regular editions of this newsletter and podcast, and I know there are items and topics I didn’t get to for time today. The goal is to turn this into a seven-day-a-week community resource that comes out at the same time. Until then, do take a look at Substack Notes to see what the status is.
This is the section of the notes where I tell you that subscriptions are important and that Ting will match initial payment. It’s also the place where I thank you for reading or listening, and hope you’ll share this with more people. I’m grateful to get to do this work and to have it fuel my confidence in the ability of communities to come together, even in disagreement.
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June 22, 2023: Mitchell and Stolzenberg to serve four more years on Charlottesville PC