March 10, 2025: UVA undergraduate enrollment to remain flat through 2031 but projections show more graduate student over that time
Plus: A consultant is recommending several new zoning districts for Nelson County
The Kingdom of Great Britain as well as Canada is currently ruled by a monarch named Charles III who is not the second sequel of Charles I. That particular king claimed a divine right and on March 10, 1629, Parliament was dissolved and a period of authoritarian government began that is known as Personal Rule or the Eleven Years of Tyranny.
This would eventually lead twenty years later to a revolution and eleven years without a monarch until the restoration in 1660 when Charles II was returned to the throne. This is Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter and occasional podcast born five years ago underneath a democracy. I’m Sean Tubbs, and my favorite Rush album is Farewell to Kings.
In today’s installment:
The driver of a Charlottesville Area Transit bus that crashed into a house on Barracks Road suffered a medical emergency and will not be charged in the incident
A plan to phase out the use of coal at the University of Virginia is among several projects waiting to be added to the school’s Major Capital Plan
The Nelson County Board of Supervisors will be asked tomorrow to give direction to a consultant to create new zoning districts
The Rivanna Solid Waste Authority extending hours at McIntire Recycling Center
The number of undergraduate students at the University of Virginia will remain at around 17,000 for the next seven year, but the number of graduate students will increase.
First shout-out: Camp Albemarle
Today’s first subscriber-supported public service announcement goes out to Camp Albemarle, which has for over sixty years been a “wholesome rural, rustic and restful site for youth activities, church groups, civic events and occasional private programs.”
Located on 14 acres on the banks of the Moorman’s River near Free Union, Camp Albemarle continues as a legacy of being a Civilian Conservation Corps project that sought to promote the importance of rural activities. Are you looking to escape and reconnect with nature? Consider holding an event where the natural beauty of the grounds will provide a venue to suit your needs. Visit their website to view the gallery and learn more!
Medical emergency caused CAT driver to run into house
A Charlottesville Area Transit bus operating Route 5 on Barracks Road ran into a single-family home on March 4. Today Albemarle County provided me with an update upon request.
“The Albemarle County Police Department’s Crash Reconstruction Team has determined the cause of the crash to be a medical emergency,” said Logan Bogert, a public information officer with Albemarle County. “We do not believe alcohol or speed to be a factor in the crash, and we are not seeking charges against the bus driver.”
Both the driver and the homeowner were sent to the University of Virginia hospital for minor injuries.
University of Virginia planning to phase out coal plant
At their meeting in June, the governing body of the University of Virginia will decide whether to move forward with a $38 million project to convert the heating plant to move away from the use of coal.
The Major Capital Plan is how UVA manages the planning and financing for buildings and new infrastructure. The current total amount is $2.1 billion according to Colette Sheehy, the senior vice president for operations and state government relations at UVA.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee and the Finance Committee both have a role to play in determining what projects get added. They are introduced to new projects in the winter session and take a vote in the spring. There are several potential candidates to add to the list.
“The first is a fuel conversion at the main heat plant,” Sheehy said. “Currently at the heat plant, we burn natural gas, mostly natural gas, but also coal as a backup fuel. We'd like to be able to get off of coal. And that's what this project would allow us to do.”
Sheehy said the heat plant produces steam for use by the UVA Medical Center. UVA relies on the City of Charlottesville for natural gas and sometimes UVA’s use is curtailed.
“Right now that backup fuel is coal, which is becoming increasingly difficult to procure, costly to operate on coal, et cetera,” Sheehy said. “And so we believe that by converting off of coal, we obviously will eliminate those four lovely coal silos that are down on Main Street, as well as all the associated ash and handling facilities.”
Under this system, the backup fuel would be oil which Sheehy said would be used about 5 percent of the time.
Two other projects are an $8 million renovation of an outdoor recreation area on North Grounds as well as a $10 million renovation of a building on Millmont Street used by UVA Parking and Transportation.
“This interior renovation would really just be able to use the space there more efficiently for the expanded operation of parking and transportation, which includes, over time, a conversion to battery electric buses,” Sheehy said.
There’s also $72 million for a data center to support the Fontaine Research Park as well as $77 million for a second building for the School of Data Science. The cost of the latter is covered in part by a $41 million gift.
There was not much discussion by the Buildings and Grounds Committee. What did the Finance Committee have to say? I hope to have that story later this week. Hopefully tomorrow!
Consultant to recommend new zoning categories for Nelson County
The Nelson Board of Supervisors adopted a new Comprehensive Plan in April 2024 that called for some changes to the county’s zoning code. The county has hired the Berkley Group to perform the work.
Supervisors held a joint work session with the Planning Commission on February 26 and another one is scheduled for April 23. At the first meeting, the group ran out of time to give direction to the Berkley Group on what new zoning districts should be created. (read the letter)
“Based on the scope of work, Berkley Group can modify the existing zoning districts and add three new zoning districts to better meet the community’s needs,” reads a letter from the company. “These modifications and additions should directly support the Comprehensive Plan’s strategies, ensuring zoning regulations effectively address the County’s long-term vision.”
The Board of Supervisors will be asked to provide direction on how to proceed at their meeting on March 11. For more about that meeting, take a look at yesterday’s Week Ahead newsletter.
Potential districts include a new Residential Zoning District (R-3) to provide a place with slightly more density than currently allowed.
“This district would provide opportunities for a larger mix of housing types, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and multifamily developments, to better accommodate residents at different income levels and life stages,” the letter continues.
The four would be overlay districts. The Mountain Ridge Overlay District would protect steep slopes, ridgelines, and other areas that are ecologically sensitive. The Village Overlay District would provide guidance for six rural communities identified in the Comprehensive Plan.
“This district would establish zoning regulations tailored to the distinct character and development needs of these villages, differentiating them from the A-1 and R-1 districts, which currently encompass most of these areas,” the letter continues.
Those villages are Arrington, Faber, Gladstone, Piney River, Schuyler, and Shipman.
The other two would be the Route 29 Corridor Overlay District and the Route 151 Corridor Overlay District.
RSWA adds another hour to use McIntire Recycling Center
There are many reasons to lament the switch to putting the clock one hour ahead Daylight Saving Time but the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority has offered one reason to celebrate.
Beginning today, the McIntire Recycling Center will stay open one hour later until 6:30 p.m.
“The change coincides with daylight saving time and allows local residents to take advantage of the brighter evenings,” reads an information release sent out this afternoon.
The Rivanna Solid Waste Authority was created in 1990 to coordinate the future of the Ivy Landfill and has grown as an organization that seeks to provide resources for community members. The McIntire Recycling Center does not require proof of residency to use, but please remember the facility is closed on Tuesdays.
“Accepted materials include: aluminum beverage cans, corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, plastic films, #1 plastic containers, #2 plastic containers, office paper, glass, newsprint, mixed metals, compostable food waste, oyster shells, pizza boxes, and used cooking oil,” reads the release.
The hours will revert back to a 5:30 p.m. closing time on November 3 when daylight saving time ends.
Second shout-out: Plant Virginia Natives
Almost spring! Almost!
This is the time to plan and you can take some time to get ready for spring! Check out Plant Virginia Natives! Plant Virginia Natives 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. For the Charlottesville area, download a free copy of the handbook: Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens.
Plant Northern Piedmont Natives is for anyone who works with native plants, whether you are a property owner, private consultant, landscape designer, nursery operator, conservation group, or local government.
UVA projects increase in graduate student enrollment through 2031 while undergraduate population will remain flat
There’s still a big story I want to write up from the Board of Visitors meetings last week, but I’m determined to go through my recordings of the entire two-day event. I’m up to the afternoon of March 6 and the Academic and Student Life Committee.
“We have a very robust agenda,” said committee chair Carlos Brown. “An update on what's happening with our fraternity and sorority system. And we're also going to have a panel of faculty members to talk about the climate on Grounds here. In addition to that, the Provost has some administrative matters, including the assumption of six new endowed professorships, the discontinuation of two master's degree programs, and the review of enrollment projections through the academic year.”
Brown also hinted that there would be an update on admissions processes that would be discussed by the full Board of Visitors the next day. Those materials were not in the packet for the committee meeting. (read the packet)
One of those endowed professorships is the Donald Black Professorship in Holocaust Studies, named after a sociology professor who died in January 2024. According to the staff report, Black left funding in his well for the position in the Jewish Studies Program following a rise of antisemitism after attack by Hamas on Israel in October 2023.
“It will be a crucial addition to our scholarship and teaching in Jewish studies,” said outgoing provost Ian Baucom at his last meeting.
Another professorship made possible by the Pelican Fund is to establish a position in the campaign to eradicate Huntington’s Disease. Another medical professorship is to study women’s health during mid-life. The Jefferson Scholars Foundation is creating the Paul Tudor Jones Professorship in Climate and the Environment.
The committee also approved a proposal to eliminate the Master’s of Arts in Asian Studies as well as the Master’s of Arts in Chemistry.
“Both are being discontinued due to lack of sustained enrollments and have been through the regular process of review within the university, concluding with the Faculty Senate before coming to the Board of Visitors,” Baucom said.
Baucom noted there is still a Master’s of Science in Chemistry.
Despite discontinuing the programs, Baucom said UVA does anticipate increasing the number of graduate students. That came up during a review of enrollment projections for the next seven years.
“We're not projecting any significant growth in undergraduate on Grounds enrollment but we're keeping the size of the first time first year class essentially steady,” Baucom said.
There were a total of 17,469 undergraduates on-Grounds in 2024 and that number is projected to remain the same through 2031. Baucom said that could change in the future.
There were 4,957 graduate students in the fall of 2024 and that number is projected to increase to 5,400 by 2031. Baucom said the Batten School is planning on launching new programs and the School of Data Science is growing rapidly.
The 2024 number doesn’t include students at the School of Law or School of Medicine for which there were a total of 1,451. That number is only expected to increase by several dozen to 1,515 in 2031.
Baucom said these numbers are important for overall planning.
“We need to make sure that we can house our students, that they're dining supports for them, their student affairs support, library support,” Baucom said.
Baucom said UVA could grow if it wanted as there is demand, but President Jim Ryan said there’s no need to add more undergraduates.
“We're a very good size and have hit the sweet spot of being big enough so that you can explore or pursue any interest you want, but small enough that it still feels fairly intimate,” Ryan said. “And I think that's a key part of UVA's identity.”
Brie Gertler has taken over as interim provost. For the purposes of brevity, I’m skipping over the discussion on fraternities and sororities. If you want to see the presentation, you can do so here.
I didn’t quite get to the end of this discussion but this is where I will pick up tomorrow.
Reading material for #828:
IRA funding freeze has put ‘many’ clean energy projects on pause, Lamar Johnson, Facilities Dive, March 7, 2025
Pending law could allow anesthesiologist assistants to work in Va., bolster health care workforce, Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury, March 7, 2025Bills that change how localities can conserve trees amid development await Youngkin’s approval, Evan Visconti, March 10, 2025
The Virginia localities most dependent on federal funding are generally in Southwest Virginia, Elizabeth Beyer, Cardinal News, March 10, 2025
#828 happened somehow
I woke up today having thought I’d already written a few stories. This happens a lot now. When I was a restaurant server, the anxiety dream took the form of tables I could not get to. From time to time, I still wake up convinced I’ve got a college class to finish!
For the first hour or so, I was quite groggy today. I had to get a story written for C-Ville Weekly and I had not selected one. As I walked on my treadmill, I picked a story. When I got off the treadmill, I realized I didn’t have the audio handy.
So I went with a replacement, because after five years of doing this, I’m highly organized. I will chunk out the audio from meetings. Right now I’ve got several stories like this waiting to be written. In the future, I hope to be able to connect these with students or interns so I can train them how to write up a basic story.
The way I do this is different. Most every other journalist I know looks down on me for relying on meeting coverage. Yet, I can’t comprehend why so much low-hanging fruit remains unwritten! So I move forward this way, and I use this end-space each time to hint to all of you that I see a future for this work.
Over the weekend, I got over $500 in new subscriptions. That may very well be because of the piece for paid subscribers, but I also acknowledge I’m doing something unique. What you read each week is the creation of a sole journalist who is aghast at the decimation of local journalism over the past 40 years. My readers want more information, not less, and so I’m going to keep doing this for as long as I can.
Some examples of the stories remaining:
City Council took action on several obscure agreements related to the provision of affordable housing, and each one will get a separate story.
Council also had a budget discussion and Councilor Michael Payne asked for additional funding to restore Charlottesville Area Transit service back to pre-pandemic levels.
I want to go through the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Committee meeting to listen to what got said, knowing I’ll get something out of that if I can just get the time.
There’s still a lot more to come out from the University of Virginia Board of Visitors meeting and the decision to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. I also really want to hear what the Finance Committee had to say.
A lot of people spoke at the Albemarle Board of Supervisors’ public hearing last week, and I need to hear that before I get through their budget work sessions.
I think this stuff is important. I can still here so many journalists throughout my career telling me that no one liked to eat their broccoli. I still remember a Washington Post editor explain how not everything rose up to the level of a story. I still see so many problems out there in the world, and see people who have solutions.
And so on. Now, let’s here Mike Watt spiel something out from the fIREHOSE days!