May 6, 2025: Youngkin vetoes funding for low-barrier shelter in Charlottesville, walking path for Biscuit Run Park
Plus: An earthquake happened this afternoon in the Central Virginia Seismic Zone
As more editions of Charlottesville Community Engagement are produced, they are all produced in an era where journalism is in flux. But, hasn’t that always been the case? We’re now up to May 6, 2025, and the first edition of The New York Herald went out on this day in 1835 and would last until 1924. Today is also the 124th anniversary of the first edition of the Gorkhapatra, the oldest newspaper still publishing in Nepal. I’m Sean Tubbs, and here are several more stories that may be of interest.
In today’s installment:
A three magnitude earthquake struck this afternoon just south of Dillwyn and was felt all around the community
There will be no funding in the state budget for a low-barrier emergency shelter in Charlottesville or a walking trail at Biscuit Run Park after Governor Youngkin used a line item veto on the state budget
A request for traffic calming on Lankford Avenue tees up a status report on “urgent infrastructure” projects
First-shout out: When Driving Is Not An Option webinar on May 12
A third of people living in the United States do not have a driver’s license and must navigate a mobility system designed almost exclusively for drivers. Does it have to be that way?
On Monday May 12th from 6:30 pm to -7:30 pm, Livable Cville will hold a conversation with Anna Zivarts, author of the excellent book When Driving Is Not An Option. Charlottesville City Councilor Natalie Oschrin will also make an appearance.
When Driving is Not an Option shines a light on the reality for non-drivers and explains how improving our transportation system with nondrivers in mind will create a better quality of life for everyone. Zivarts is a low-vision mom, disability advocate, and non-driver. In this webinar, she’ll
explain how healthier, more climate-friendly communities can be the result of what happened when the needs of involuntary nondrivers are viewed as essential to how we design our transportation systems and our communities.
Councilor Oschrin will share about how these ideas apply to the Charlottesville area. There will be an opportunity for Q&A at the end. You can sign up here for this free event.
Earthquake strikes this afternoon just south of Dillwyn
A three magnitude earthquake struck Virginia today just after one p.m. with an epicenter eight kilometers south of Dillwyn.
A low rumble could be felt for at least 20 seconds before the quake ended. Many people appear to have felt the quake according to a map on the United States Geological Service.
“The area where the earthquake occurred is within the Central Virginia Seismic Zone, an area of low magnitude, but persistent seismicity,” said Anne Carter Witt, a geohazards geologist with the Virginia Department of Energy. “The earthquake was recently upgraded to a M3.0, but it was significantly smaller than the 2011 Mineral earthquake which was a M5.8.”
That earthquake caused about $90 million in local damages and was significant enough to cause Tyler Hammel to write a ten-year retrospective back in 2021.
There was no damage reported in Albemarle from today’s less-intense earthquake and the county does not have a specific plan for what to do if a stronger one strikes.
“We would follow our normal emergency response plans for this incident similar to any other potentially escalating situation,” said Abbey Stumpf, the county’s director of communications and public engagement. “We do not have a specific earthquake appendix to the Emergency Action Plan. We would follow an all-hazards/natural disaster approach to any necessary response.”
Witt wrote in an email that the terrain of central Virginia is made up of rocks that transmit energy during earthquakes which is why so many people felt today’s shake.
“The rocks in central Virginia are very hard and mostly composed of crystalline metamorphic and igneous rocks, so they transmit seismic waves very well,” Witt said. “Kind of like ringing a bell.”
Witt provided several resources for anyone who wants to learn more.
Did you feel it? Leave a comment! I’ll leave my experience below.
Final actions taken on legislation from 2025 General Assembly including veto of funding for Charlottesville low-barrier emergency shelter
There are no more bills pending in the 2025 General Assembly. Governor Glenn Youngkin has taken final action on remaining legislation and finalized the state budget. According to the Legislation Information System, 727 bills were approved, 1,458 bills failed, and Youngkin vetoed 198 pieces of legislation.
On May 2, Youngkin also approved the budget bill and made final changes through the use of the line item veto.
“I have signed House Bill 1600, amending the appropriations made last year for the 2024-2026 biennium, with 37 item vetoes,” reads the beginning of his written explanation.
Youngkin had recommended 205 changes the final draft budget that passed the General Assembly, but only 33 were approved. He had wanted more surplus funding put aside for a “rainy-day” fund.
“I am optimistic about Virginia’s longer-term prospects for Fiscal Year 2027 and Fiscal Year 2028, and beyond, but there are some short-term risks as President Trump resets both fiscal spending in Washington and trade policies that require us to be prudent and not spend all of the projected surplus before we bank it,” Youngkin wrote.
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission got an update on May 1 from David Blount, the entity’s legislative liaison.
“He was really trying to find more money to put aside in reserve, I think, in anticipation of what may be happening at the federal level and, and how that might impact state revenues,” Blount said.
A total of about $900 million has been set-aside for future spending that might be necessary to offset federal cuts. Here are some of the budget items that Youngkin cut with the final stroke of his pen:
Item 102.V would have seen $15 million in funding for a First-Time Homebuyer Program. Youngkin said that would duplicate programs elsewhere and pointed out that the legislation that would have created the program failed to pass the General Assembly.
Item 102.S would have seen $20 million funding for a Rental Assistance Program that Youngkin said failed to pass the General Assembly.
Item 102.T would have seen $1.5 million in funding for a Low-Barrier Emergency Shelter for the City of Charlottesville. Youngkin had suggested half the amount than the General Assembly wanted but the “the General Assembly procedurally passed by this reasonable proposal” so he vetoed the whole thing.
Item 102.W would have seen $13 million in funding for affordable housing trusts. Youngkin would have approved a lower amount, but because the amount was adopted procedurally he vetoed all of the funding.
Item 103.BB would have added $2.5 million to the Urban Public-Private Redevelopment fund.
There were many other programs that received no funding because the General Assembly did not accept his proposals for reductions. These include funding for the Clean Energy Innovation Bank, a marketing campaign for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, a tourism marketing campaign for the Virginia Tourism Authority, and new funding for geriatric and dementia services.
Another local item is worth highlighting. Senator Creigh Deeds had requested $1.4 million in funds to assist with the construction of a walking trail to connect Biscuit Run Park to the future Monacan Indian Nation Tribute Park. Youngkin vetoed it and I’ll flesh that out in a future story.
Blount updated the TJPDC Board of Commissioner on other legislation Governor Youngkin vetoed such one to allow localities to hold a referendum on the levy of a one percent sales tax increase for school construction.
“This was the second year in a row that the General Assembly passed the legislation and sent it to the Governor,” Blount said. “This is the second year in a row that the legislation was vetoed.”
Blount also drew attention to a legislative study authorized by the General Assembly that could eventually see a change to when Virginians vote.
“It's going to be taking a look at elections and whether state elections, local elections, some or all of them should be aligned with the election timeline for federal elections, which I think is very intriguing to think about,” Blount said. “Should they recommend something ultimately that would require a change in the Virginia Constitution, which then has its own other process that lasts a couple of years.”
Take a look at HJ443 and SJ253 for more information.
Second shout-out: Alliance Française de Charlottesville
The Alliance Française de Charlottesville promotes the French language and francophone culture through educational and cultural programs. Visit the Alliance Française website to learn more about group classes, private lessons, cultural events, and social activities for both kids and adults.
Residents call for Council to take action on speeding on Lankford
The community matters section of a City Council meeting provides the opportunity for people to directly address elected officials. Two people stood before Council on May 5 to point out there is a speeding problem on one city street.
“Lankford Avenue is a residential neighborhood where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour,” said Kettie Rupnik of Lankford Avenue. “Of the 12 homes that are on the upper part of Lankford, there are 18 children that live with these 12 homes from ages six months to 11 years in addition to seniors within our neighborhood.”
The City of Charlottesville has conducted speed studies which officially determined there was no problem. Rupnik and others continue to disagree. She said she and others have not yet seen the results of a new version.
“I’m concerned those speed studies are not representative of the actual speeding problem that occurs on our streets,” Rupnik said.
Rupnik called for traffic calming measures to be installed and asked Councilors to watch video evidence she provided of a car speeding past at 50 miles an hour while she and her children were feet away.
Deputy City Manager James Freas addressed the issue and said city staff have been working on an “urgent infrastructure list” to make improvements in the near term.
“One of the projects on that list is in Lankford Avenue to install a speed cushion or speed table,” Freas said. “See how it works. Drive fire trucks over it. Make sure that we’re comfortable with the tool but the idea is that once we’ve done that we would move forward in installing a permanent solution.”
Council was briefed on these initiatives at their meeting on January 21, 2025. For more information, go back and read the story I wrote. Since then there have been several installations such as on the slip lanes in the northern quadrants of the intersection of Preston Avenue and McIntire Road. Yield signs were replaced with stop signs.
There’s not yet any place on the city’s website to get progress updates on the work.
“We are still working on refining the final list of projects associated with this effort, but the Department of Public Works saw an opportunity to address some items from the list while it was in draft form, using materials that were already available on hand,” reads an April 29 email from transportation planning manager Ben Chambers.
Chambers said that the final list will go before Council in the near future with a request to use surplus money to make more changes.
“We are also going to have an ongoing online survey for each project location, with temporary signage placed at each project location that provides a link and QR code to the survey,” Chambers said. “This is going to help us inform the community about the changes that are occurring, and also allow us to collect feedback on what is working and what isn’t.”
Meanwhile, other changes have been made such as a narrowing of the intersection of Forest Hills Avenue and Forest Ridge Road using plastic tubes.
Vice Mayor Pinkston asked if the Lankford speed table could be moved up, but Freas said he could give no definitive answer other than by the end of year.
“It will depend on our ability to get the materials delivered,” Pinkston said.
City Manager Sam Sanders said Council will be asked to appropriate funding at the next meeting on May 19.
Errata for #859
The shout-out for the Rivanna River Fest yesterday included the wrong graphic for the wrong year. The event is May 10.
The segment on new motions in White v. Charlottesville incorrectly stated the wrong next step for the lawsuit against the city’s zoning. The next step is summary judgment. I updated this when posted to Information Charlottesville. Take a look here.
Reading material for #859
Charlottesville rezones elementary schools for first time in 50 years, Emily Hemphill, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), May 5, 2025
CAAR releases report for first quarter of 2025, CBS19 News, May 5, 2025
Overturned tractor-trailer causes Albemarle County intersection to close, Nia McMillan, WRIC, May 5, 2025
House bill would rescind $3.1B from transportation equity grants, Dave Zukowski, Smart Cities Dive, May 5, 2025
Housekeeping for #859
I thought for a moment about taking the day completely off from production because I have so many things I need to do for the business. Chief among them is that I need to figure out a way to streamline how people who want to support the work can do so.
We’re coming close to the fifth anniversary of this newsletter which started before I figured out how I was going to pay for it. Since then, the audience has grown significantly because I am able to bring people information that other information outlets are not producing.
I did spend about an hour updating the section of Information Charlottesville that lays out how people can support the work. I won’t repeat that here but ask that you go there and take a look. Any feedback? I’m not able to hire people to recommend what I should do. I’m an ad hoc person, similar to my Reddit name!
But anyway, I’m glad to do this work. This morning began with me trying to figure out how to respond to critique from a story I wrote for C-Ville Weekly that frankly doesn’t hold up and needed more reporting to make work. That happens. Journalism is an industry where it’s possible to make mistakes. But gosh, I’m not sharing that link!
I do hope if you like this newsletter and get something from it, you will consider taking a look at that new page. Since last year I’ve been asking people why they pay me, and I’m using those responses to build the case for the future. Communities need information about what’s happening and I take money from strangers to try to write for as many people as possible. I cannot get to everything, but I know how to find the gravity and read a pulse.
Anyway. Here’s a song John Dwyer called that I’m going to put here.
Yes! I felt it in Batesville!