May 22, 2025: City Manager Sanders outlines how he wants to spend $5.4 million of Charlottesville’s FY24 surplus
Plus: Charlottesville’s Board of Architectural strongly denies request to demolish 1301 Wertland Street
On the 142nd day of 1846, five daily newspapers in New York City formed a cooperative in order to share the costs of reporting the Mexican-American War. On this May 22 in 2025, the Associated Press turns 179 and likely has many stories about what’s happening in state and federal government. This is Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter and occasional podcast that seeks to provide information about local and regional government. I’m Sean Tubbs, powered by inertia and stubbornness.
In today’s installment:
Charlottesville’s Board of Architectural Review has denied a request to demolish a historic structure at 1301 Wertland Street
Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders briefs Council on how he wants to spend around a quarter of the city’s $22.4 million surplus from FY2024
First-shout: Friends of JMRL Spring Sale Results
The Friends of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library are pleased to report another successful book sale! This spring, the group raised over $168,000 during their Spring Sale!
They want to use this shout-out to give a big thank you to all the donors and customers who made the record breaking Spring 2025 sale possible. The funds will support JMRL programs, library materials, reading programs and more!
Now it’s time to get ready for the next sale in the fall. You can help by dropping off books at the Gordon Avenue Library. But not only books: DVDs, CDs, LPs, puzzles, games, sheet music and ephemera! For more details and hours of operation, visit the Friends of the JMRL Library website. The group is also looking for volunteers!
Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review denies request to demolish 1301 Wertland Street
The Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review will not give its assent to a plan to demolish 1301 Wertland Street, a two-story house built in 1843 and a key component of one of the city’s architectural design control (ADC) review districts.
William Wertenbaker was the first person to live in the house. He was the second librarian at the University of Virginia, a position he held until 1880.
Jeff Werner, the city’s preservation planner, said the structure has a long history of being recognized by historic preservationists.
“In 1974, the Charlottesville Landmarks Commission, in response to requests from Council, identified the Wertenbacher as one of the city's historical, historically and architecturally significant structures,” Werner said. “In 1984, the Wetland Street Historic District was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the following year it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”
Neither of those give any protection to the structure. In 1999, Council established the Wertland ADC which did give the BAR the authority to approve demolitions of buildings considered to be contributing structures.
A limited liability company tied to Seven Development bought the 0.4-acre Wertland Street property in May 2024 for $1 million. The property is zoned Residential Mixed-Use, which would mean unlimited residential density and a maximum of seven stories if the project meets the affordability levels necessary to achieve bonus height.
No one representing Seven Development appeared before the BAR to explain the reasons for demolition. Members of the public were invited to offer their comments.
“We're very concerned, shocked, actually, that anyone would seriously consider removing the Wertenbaker House from Wertland Street,” said Genevieve Keller, president of the group Preservation Piedmont. “At this moment, the Wertenbaker House is Charlottesville's most significant endangered historic place. Its demolition would not only erase a piece of local history, but also disrupt a place tied to our communities and the University of Virginia's historic urban development.”
Keller noted that the Board of Architectural Review has granted a Certificate of Appropriateness for a project that would build apartment units around the structure. She said that should be the way forward to the house can continue to serve as a cross-section of UVA and community history.
“The house spans our history as a residence established by one of the university's first students, its longtime librarian, the enforced workplace of at least three enslaved individuals, and later home to generations of students who have lived, studied, partied, and perhaps once played music with Bob Dylan during his residency,” Keller said. “It has witnessed both desegregation and co education, been home to Confederates, Vietnam War protesters, musicians, frat boys. And it has seen the university transform from coats and ties to T-shirts, leggings and running shoes.”
Another speaker recently represented the Delta Zeta sorority in their request to demolish a structure from 1905 that is the Corner ADC. In January, the BAR denied a request and Kevin Blair made a successful appeal to Council earlier this month. Now he asked the BAR to preserve 1301 Wertland Street.
“I just want to say that this building, unlike 144 Chancellor Street, is a beautiful example of its history and it's a wonderful structure that should be preserved,” Blair said.
There was no argument from anyone on the BAR.
BAR Member Cheri Lewis said she was disappointed the applicant did not make an appearance.
“For such an important application, you know, taking down a building this old in the city, I think they bear the burden of addressing our guidelines,” Lewis said. “That's what we're driven by. We're not just people that are randomly making a decision here.”
BAR Member Katherine Snider Tabony could not support demolition.
“There is something special about Charlottesville in that new developments can sit adjacent to old, very unique properties that are very much contributing to the history of this place and the story of this place,” Tabony said.
The BAR voted unanimously to deny the Certificate of Appropriateness. Werner said Seven Development has until June 4 to request an appeal to the City Council.
Second shout out: Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library
The rolling topography of the Charlottesville area keeps some people away from choosing cycling as an option to get around. Perhaps an e-bike is in order?
That’s where Charlottesville’s eBike Lending Library comes in! E-bikes are a great way to get around the community but there are many brands and styles to choose from. Because many e-bikes are sold online, it can be a challenge to try an e-bike before buying one.
The Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library is a free, not-for-profit service working to expand access to e-bikes in the area. They have a small collection of e-bikes that they lend out to community members for up to a week, for free. You can experience your daily commute, go grocery shopping, or even bike your kids to school, and decide whether e-bikes are right for you. Check out this service at https://www.ebikelibrarycville.org!
Sanders provides updates on how FY24 surplus might be spent ahead of June 2 vote
Charlottesville is a locality where many express their desire for local spending to combat social problems. As City Manager, Sam Sanders is charged with translating public sentiment into government action.
On May 19, he provided City Council with an update on how the city’s surplus from Fiscal Year 2024 might be used to fund new and ongoing initiatives. (view the presentation)
“Back in October, I came before you council to share with you a series of recommendations that I categorized for things that we just need to seriously take a hard look at,” Sanders said. “They were aimed at being things focused on setting a new standard and managing expectations.”
For some of the details of what was said then, go back and take a look at two stories I wrote on what Sanders labeled
Charlottesville City Manager Sanders announces upcoming “community interventions” including $5 million for the Salvation Army, October 23, 2025
Sanders briefs Council on other community interventions such as purchase of portable restrooms, November 1, 2025
Many of the items had expensive price tags and Sanders did not seek final approval.
“We didn't have our surplus figure at that time,” Sanders said. “We have since, of course, learned that we had a very healthy surplus.”
That surplus amounted to $22.4 million and Sanders told Council in late January that he wanted to keep that funding on reserve until more information was available about how the second presidency of Donald Trump would affect the role of the federal government.
Sanders gave Council a preview of recommendations for how to use some of that funding before they’ll take a vote on June 2.
“We're looking at community safety, homeless intervention and quality of life items,” Sanders said.
The first category of projects related to infrastructure. Last October, a woman was killed crossing Elliott Avenue after sunset while inside of a poorly lit crosswalk. Sanders said that prompted an effort to review projects that could address safety concerns across the city. Staff in both the Department of Public Works and the Department of Neighborhood Development Services have been working on a list.
“A lot of effort has been put by the transportation planning team to come up with 34 projects that they have identified for me that will be done by the end of this year,” Sanders said.
Several of these projects have already been completed, though there is no list available on the city’s website. Sanders said the list of recommendations will include $500,000 for the urgent infrastructure category.
That list does not contain work to build a second crosswalk on Elliott Avenue as requested by some in a petition last fall. On May 21, Charlottesville police arrested Kevin Cox for allegedly painting a crosswalk at the location in protest. He is charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor for intentional defacement of public property under §18.2-137 of Virginia Code. He will have a hearing in Charlottesville General District Court on May 27.
On May 19, Sanders said other projects are in the works but the 34 projects represent ones that could be accomplished in the short-term.
For more information on this urgent infrastructure initiative, here are three previous stories.
City Council discusses pedestrian safety in wake of pedestrian death on Elliott Avenue, October 12, 2024
Charlottesville to make plans to improve pedestrian safety on Elliott Avenue, November 1, 2024
Charlottesville City Council briefed on “Safer Streets Strategy” projects, January 31, 2025
Sanders will also recommend $250,000 on improvements to bus shelters with five of those in the city and seven of those in Albemarle County. Three of the shelters in Albemarle are funded through development projects.
Sanders also recommends $750,000 towards the planned Meadowcreek Trail which continues to have cost overruns as well as $350,000 towards improvements for the Downtown Mall in conjunction with its 50th anniversary next year.
The next category of projects fell under the Emergency Management umbrella, an area Sanders described as a place where the city has fallen behind.
“This is the first time I'm coming to you asking for emergency management funds,” Sanders said. “This is something that we should have spent some significant money on. I think 2017 should have taught us a lesson to do some things differently and I feel like it's now time for us to deliver on that.”
Sanders wants $100,000 to pay for a generator for the Key Recreation Center, a space designated as a shelter in the case of a major emergency. The Charlottesville Fire Department wants $75,000 to pay for two drones.
He also wants $600,000 to pay for temporary barriers to block city streets during major events. These were recently tested at the Tom Tom Festival.
“We still have some questions about exactly which versions of the barriers that they have available that we should get, but I'm identifying a use for funds to be able to do that,” Sanders said.
Next up Sanders detailed specific items related to addressing the needs of the unhoused. This part of the meeting took place after a work session earlier in the day which I’ll report in a future edition of the newsletter.
“As you heard earlier, a lot of the work that's being done with our providers, we're not yet at a place that we can say that we have an overnight shelter year-round as a low barrier shelter, but that work is still going on,” Sanders said.
In the meantime, Sanders is seeking to use $425,000 for a two-year pilot to hire two city employees who would be sent out to work in the field on direct cases in collaboration with nonprofit groups.
“I think that there is an opportunity for us to maybe work with them in ways that we can manage the situation so that everyone is handled with kid gloves,” Sanders said. “But we can actually move people where we need them to be in less invasive manners and hopefully learn some things and support them as we try to move them along that ladder to self-sufficiency where possible.”
Sanders also wants to acquire three modular housing units that could be used for transitional housing. He showed slides from a company called Pallet, but the city is still exploring options.
“The goal is to figure out how do we do this in a way that we can ensure that wraparound services are met at each one of those doors,” Sanders said.
The cost for this would be $375,000 but the ones from Pallet would not include plumbing so a portable toilet would need to be nearby.
The final category was under the heading of Quality of Life. Sanders is suggesting $235,000 for mall lighting improvements, $280,000 to identify a long term solution for a public restroom, and $260,000 to create the position of “mall manager.”
“What we are hoping to do is to establish a mall manager so there's a dedicated person who is responsible for all things on the Mall,” Sanders said.
Sanders also wants to allocate $1.2 million over two years for a pilot project to clean the Mall each day.
“We need to make sure that we are caring for this amenity on a daily basis all day long into the evening, because people are using it that much,” Sanders said.
Accessibility issues also fall under the category of Quality of Life. Sanders is recommending funding to purchase software to assist the ANCHOR mental-health intervention team as well as other programs to assist with efforts to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act Transition plan.
In all, Sanders will seek $5.4 million in surplus funds for these projects, and hinted there may be others added between now and June 2.
City Councilor Michael Payne was skeptical about both the clean team project as well as the two-year pilot of hiring employees to assist with unhoused individuals.
“I still have a lot of questions around spending that amount of money on the clean team on the Downtown Mall,” Payne said.” Does that really pass a cost benefit analysis of solving what the real issues on the Mall are or, or is it more spending that amount of money to try to make people feel more comfortable?”
Payne suggested he would rather the $425,000 go toward more permanent supportive housing.
Sanders said the clean team is not intended to remove people from the Mall but to provide additional cleaning support to augment what Parks and Recreation staff currently do. He added Council has already committed funds to a low-barrier shelter.
“It is not here only because of the state that we're in with the partners that we're working with to give them time to determine what an operating plan could look like,” Sanders said. “I will still be coming back to you looking at investing further, if it is necessary, based on those proposals.”
Council has committed up to $500,000 over five years to help the Salvation Army recoup lost revenue from their thrift store on Cherry Avenue if that site does become the low-barrier shelter. He said if another site winds up being the donation, that half-million would be transferred to the new idea.
Reading material:
Albemarle County study reveals residential growth comes at a cost, Jacob Phillips, WVIR NBC29, May 21, 2025
Algae bloom at Walnut Creek Park, closed for swimming, Gabby Womack, WVIR NBC29, May 21, 2025
Fluvanna school board pushes back against new SOL, textbook mandates, Heather Michon, Fluvanna Review, May 22, 2025
Let’s get this #869 over with
Only two stories today. This morning I spent a couple of hours posting stories to Information Charlottesville. I’ve had a lot in recent weeks that I’ve not posted there. My strategy is to update the stories when I can with additional information. A major purpose of Information Charlottesville is to serve as an archive site. It’s difficult to find stories in the Substack newsletter.
Only two stories today. In a minute I’m going to head to CitySpace for a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting. I worked in CitySpace for eight and a half years and treasured being a community journalist working in a community space. I loved being able to look out over the Downtown Mall and feel I was in the center of it all.
And then a new executive director took over and his contempt for the space was clear.
“Why would I want to work in a place where I have to look at artwork from some kids?” he asked rhetorically.
I decided to leave at that time, a decision that was the right one so the organization could go off in their direction and I could go off in mine.
And now I’m about to go sit in a space where I have so many memories. Sometimes at night when everyone was gone I would pick up my guitar and make up songs, the way I do to preserve and promote my sanity. I’ve not been in CitySpace for six years and I will admit I’m a bit apprehensive.
I loved the work I did at that organization and know my contributions are no longer really part of what they do now. My stories are still there, but uncategorized. Despite spending 11 years there, I have not been asked to be part of their 20th anniversary celebration. And that’s fine. I wish them well and believe there’s too much celebration of things. I’d rather just get to work. I am not important. I exist to get to work and I’m grateful I get to do this.
Thank you to those who have helped fuel this direction of mine. I know there are still many who were so glad when I left journalism. Inertia and stubbornness brought me back.
Now a remix of an LCD Soundsystem track.
This edition is a perfect example of the importance of your work, Sean. Where else can anyone find out how the city is planning to use its windfall from the prior year? And anyone who dismisses the presence of children’s art around the Mall, or the importance of keeping the Mall a clean and vibrant place has no business working here!
Thanks for all your hard work, Sean!