October 2, 2024: Afton Scientific to invest $200 million to expand in Albemarle adding at least 200 jobs
Plus: The Charlottesville Planning Commission discusses the seven-month-old Development Code
If February 2 every year is Groundhog Day, what other mammalian observances might be developed? What might be an animalian holiday be for October 2 of each year? Perhaps something to mark the migration of birds? The forthcoming hibernation of bears? Whatever it is that squirrels do? This is Charlottesville Community Engagement and absolutely none of that will be discussed in this edition. I’m Sean Tubbs, and this is indeed a wild, wild life.
On today’s program:
The federal government has approved a major disaster declaration request for several counties in southwest Virginia and Virginia Tech remains under a boil water advisory
Governor Youngkin was in Albemarle this morning for the announcement of a $200 million expansion of Afton Scientific
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority has officially lifted a drought watch
An early morning fire in Albemarle County is being investigated
Early voting turnout in Virginia so far this year is lower than in 2020
The Charlottesville Planning Commission reviews how the Development Code has been implemented so far
First shout-out: JackFest coming up on October 20
Looking for a free fall event for your family that will help raise money for cancer treatments for patients at UVA’s Children’s Hospital? Mark your calendar for October 20 and JackFest at Foxfield in Albemarle County. That will be from noon to 4 p.m. at Foxfield.
The free event is named for Jack Callahan, a boy who beat back metastatic cancer after a 13-month course of intensive treatments in 2019 and 2020. JackFest raises funds for Ronald McDonald House to support families who need assistance while other treatments are underway as well as. Events include:
Kids’ running races and family relays including a Superhero Dash, Kids’ Mighty 1-Mile Run, Cross Country races and a Child-Parent Relay Race
Family activities such as an inflatable obstacle course, bounce house, and slides; a petting zoo, and a truck touch with emergency vehicles
Adult and kid food options - including food trucks - and local beer & wine
While the event is free, people can sign up for the races and the Team Fundraising Challenge at the JackFest website at www.jackfest.net.
Biden administration approves FEMA disaster declaration for Virginia
More recovery assistance from the United States government is now available for parts of southwestern Virginia affected by Hurricane Helene late last week.
President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster for selected areas that allow individuals in six counties and one city to apply for funds to rebuild. This covers Giles, Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wythe counties as well as the city of Galax.
“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” reads an announcement sent out this afternoon.
In addition, the declaration of a major disaster in other localities allows for local governments and certain nonprofit groups to apply for funds on a cost-sharing basis. In addition to the above localities, jurisdictions range from Bedford County to the east to Wise County in the west.
“Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621- 3362 or by using the FEMA App,” the announcement continues.
Governor Glenn Youngkin took a moment at an event in Albemarle to ask those in attendance to think about those who have been affected by the disaster.
“Any way that we can support Virginians who are recovering from the tremendous damage done from Hurricane Helene would be greatly appreciated,” Youngkin said. “There are workforces being deployed all over the Commonwealth.”
Youngkin urged anyone willing to donate financially to channel efforts through the United Way of Southwest Virginia. (visit the website here)
Meanwhile, utilities in much of southwest Virginia remain impaired after heavy flooding. For instance, Virginia Tech is under a boil water directive until further notice as the Montgomery County Public Service Authority Waterworks continues to stabilize operations.
“All water supply lines must be flushed, meaning existing water in the lines will be emptied through a variety of outlets to include fire hydrants and flushing valves,” reads a status update on the Virginia Tech website. “Then, the Water Authority and its members have to complete two rounds of testing on the water supply systems.”
The notice is not expected to be lifted until the weekend. Virginia Tech is distributing bottled water to students in residence halls.
Afton Scientific to invest $200 million in expansion of Avon Court
An Albemarle County company that manufactures a wide range of pharmaceuticals announced today it will expand its operations on Avon Court using resources from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“Afton Scientific started in our community 30 years ago and we couldn't be more proud of this business, of this industry being in our community today,” said Albemarle County Executive Jeffrey Richardson.
Governor Glenn Youngkin was on hand this morning to announce more of the details of the announcement.
“Afton is making a giant statement in its future,” Youngkin said. “Announcing an investment of over $200 million and a commitment to add at least 200 high paying great jobs to this extraordinary site will trailblaze both a future and an opportunity that is unparalleled,” Youngkin said.
The company’s technology can fill pills and other drug delivery mechanisms in an aseptic manner which means without risk of cross contamination.
Earlier this year, the company received a “majority investment” from Arlington Capital Partners which will allow it to invest in new equipment as well as an expansion of their physical space on Avon Court.
“This company really does almost perfectly reflect all of those attributes that I believe makes Virginia so successful,” Youngkin said. “ And therefore, the company has adopted, I think, the appropriate motto, your success is our success. And that is reflective of a belief in partnership, a belief in winning together, a belief that, in fact, we don't win unless everybody wins.”
As part of the expansion, Youngkin approved a grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to help Albemarle County work with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Afton Scientific will utilize the VEDP’s Talent Accelerator Program to help hire skilled workers.
Richardson said the biotechnology sector is one of Albemarle’s key industries and is one that can allow for economic development to occur while managing the county’s growth.
“Quality of life and strategic growth is a part of our strategic plan,” Richardson said. “That means that we do measured growth, we are sustainable and we focus on high quality, quality creation jobs.”
Scottsville Samuel Miller District Supervisor Jim Andrews said the announcement is an example of how Albemarle has been been intentional about how it approaches economic development.
“The success here showcases how truly we become a vertex in Virginia's research triangle, which promotes biotech innovation, supporting local companies with outside investment,” said Andrews, who is also this year’s chair of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors.
Caren Merrick is Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce and Trade and said she’s been traveling to Charlottesville more often due to the activity in the biotech sector.
“We are doubling down on what the life sciences community is doing here in Charlottesville,” Merrick said. “In fact, in Charlottesville, just in the last year, we had more than $400 million of federal research grants. We've also had more than $ 90 million in equity investments in our startups.
At the end of his comments, Governor Youngkin presented a Virginia flag to Tom Thorpe, the founder and CEO of Afton Scientific. He said the expansion project will take further work to go through Albemarle County’s land use process.
“There's a lot of work to get this potentially 400,000 square foot facility working,” Thorpe said.
Afton Scientific paid $3 million in March 2008 for their existing location at 2020 Avon Court just south of the Charlottesville border. On August 24, the company bought a 6.78 acre site for $4.25 million.
“It was owned by Coran Capshaw, and we approached him earlier in the year saying we really want to think about expanding our property,” Capshaw said.
Thorpe said Capshaw’s Riverbend Development had ideas for what it wanted to build on the site.
“And Coran said what do you plan on doing with it? We want to expand and make some of our manufacturing, to make sterile medicines, put in clean rooms and create really, really great jobs. And he goes, well, that's something I'm really interested in. That's a worthy purpose that I would set aside our interests and sell you guys the property to see that opportunity for the central Virginia workforce.”
For those interested in tracking economic development in Albemarle County, the closed-door negotiations for this initiative have gone by the name Project Olympian.
RWSA lifts drought watch
Over nine inches of rain fell in Albemarle County in September, prompting the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority to officially lift an advisory requesting voluntary water conservation measures.
“The Rivanna Regional Drought Response Committee recommended lifting the drought watch after local reservoirs and streams returned to normal levels,” reads a press release sent out this afternoon.
The RWSA Board of Directors voted to impose the drought watch on June 27, 2024.
All of the reservoirs managed by the RWSA are full with water spilling over. However, the release still asks residential and business customers to be efficient in their water use.
Delegate Katrina Callsen visited the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir yesterday to get a tour.
“This rain means our water and waste treatment plants are handling significantly higher loads,” Callsen wrote on her Facebook page yesterday. “The careful work of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority is vital to keep our water clean and safe and to allow our area to grow and develop with resiliency.”
The RWSA Board of Directors next meets on October 22, 2024.
Albemarle Fire Rescue investigating suspicious fire
Investigators in Albemarle County’s Fire Marshal’s office are seeking information about an early morning fire in the 200 block of Wahoo Way. Career and volunteer fire personnel responded to a fire alarm around 4:25 a.m. this morning.
“The first fire suppression apparatus arrived on scene 8 minutes after dispatch to discover two fire alarms activated and smoke showing in one apartment unit,” reads an information release sent out this afternoon.
The fire was extinguished by 4:52 am.
No one was in the building at the time, though the release does not state which one. Wahoo Way is the name of the roadway that serves Cavalier Crossings, an apartment complex recently purchased in May by a company that is investing in in a property first constructed over 20 years ago. (read my story from September 3, 2020)
“The cause of the fire appears suspicious in nature and is currently under investigation by the Albemarle County Fire Marshal's Office,” the release continues.
Those who may know something are asked to contact the Fire Marshal’s office at 434-296-5833.
Second-shout out: Design Develop
In today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out, architectural firm Design Develop is offering a new service aimed at the development community that the rest of us might want to know about , too — 3D point cloud scanning! This technique 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. This really comes in handy when working with historic structures, as the firm knows from its experience in Baltimore and Charlottesville. Read their blog post for more information!
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 Develop’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, contact them 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!
Early voting turnout in Virginia lower so far in 2024
After eleven days since early voting began, turnout in Virginia is lower than in 2020. As of Monday, 346,477 people cast ballots across the Commonwealth compared to 462,198 during the same period four years ago.
So far in Albemarle, 5,027 people have cast their ballots this year. That compares to 11,542 at this point in 2020.
In Charlottesville, 2,308 people have voted as of Monday night. That compares to 3,927 in 2020.
The trend remains the same for Fluvanna County where 2,738 votes have been cast. The amount by this time in 2020 was 2,818. There have been 866 vores in Nelson County so far compared to 1,261 through the last time October 1 was the 275th day of the year.
Voting in Greene County is slightly ahead with 1,395 through October 1, 2024, five more than the same period in 2020.
Meanwhile early voting in Louisa County in 2024 is ahead of 2020 with 2,632 ballots cast through Monday evening. The figure four years ago was 2,493.
There are 34 days until the traditional Election Day. Early voting in Virginia concludes on November 3.
Registered to vote? The deadline to do so in Virginia is October 15 and the deadline to ask for a ballot by mail is October 25.
Charlottesville Planning Commission reviews the new zoning code at seven months in
This time last year, the Charlottesville Planning Commission was continuing to deliberate a new zoning code for the city intended to make it easier for developers to build more units without seeking permission from City Council.
In late September, the group gathered in a City Hall conference room to get a debrief on how the new Development Code has been working since it went into effect on February 19 of this year.
The first question came from the Planning Commission’s newest member.
“I'm curious to see how things are going,” said Danny Yoder, a resident of the 10th and Page neighborhood. “Are things being permitted? Is what we hoped we would see actually materializing?”
Missy Creasy, the Deputy Director of Neighborhood Development Services, said that Planning Commission Chair recently signed the first official creation of a “sublot” which is defined in the code as “a parcel of land, existing with other sublots on a single lot, intended for the purpose of the transfer of ownership or possession or for development.”
These sublots are allowed are only allowed in residential districts and are one of many new innovations in a zoning code that’s only seven and a half months old.
Creasy said there have been at least 40 formal pre-application meetings with developers pursuing projects under the new code and these are held on Wednesday meetings.
“We've regularly filled them up,” Creasy said “We've had lots of less formal, those are on the schedule kinds of things. That doesn't count, you know, some one off conversation or somebody stopping in. So we've had quite a few of those as well.”
Creasy said developers who were working under one set of constraints are now learning what new constraints will be under the Development Code.
“Someone will bring in kind of a small, obscure lot and want to put a whole bunch of things on it, Creasy said. “And then the realities of what it would take from an infrastructure standpoint have caused a little bit of hesitation on a few, but a number of them have also worked through those. And we're slowly getting applications formally being turned in.”
Those realities include fire access, water and sewer availability, and whether the application provides what the city expects in terms of sidewalks and other aspects of the public realm.
The new Development Code came with a new portal that people can use to look up applications. Creasy said a plan is to upgrade this and create an interactive map to help people find out what buildings are being proposed and where.
Creasy worked for the city the last time Council voted in a new zoning code back in 2003. She said that time it took around ten years for some aspects to come into fruition such as taller buildings on West Main Street.
During the Planning Commission’s deliberations, Commissioner Rory Stolzenberg was a major proponent of a new zoning code that would create a Charlottesville with more building area. He noted that there has only been one application seeking to build on one of the mixed-uses zones and that project has been proposed to have nine units, one below the threshold to trigger the city’s affordability requirements.
“I'm definitely not in like, freak out mode about it yet, but I am starting to get a little concerned,” Stolzenberg said.
As an example, Stolzenberg cited a project at 915 East High Street which is in the Node Mixed Use 10 zoning district. As I reported for C-Ville Weekly late last year, the developers are seeking to build a five-story building with 192 units. They can do so because the project is still eligible to be built under the old zoning which does not include a requirement that ten percent of units be rented or sold below market levels.
“The new ordinance lets them build twice as tall but they don't want to, presumably largely because of that inclusionary zoning requirement,” Stolzenberg said.
Creasy said the city’s Office of Community Solutions and the Office of Economic Development are studying tax abatement programs for developers who do choose to pursue projects that require affordable units.
Michael Joy, the University of Virginia’s non-voting representative on the Planning Commission, said that much of what will be built in the next two years will be under the old zoning such as the Verve Charlottesville and 2117 Ivy Road.
“I think the challenge is in the next couple of years, some of the biggest, most high profile developments don't reflect the new zoning,” Joy said. “So there's going to be a lot of confusion for people.”
Joy suggested the city keep the public up to date by highlighting some of what’s being built. As an aside, writing about the zoning is one of the primary purposes of Charlottesville Community Engagement. Stay tuned!
The Planning Commission next meets on October 8.
Reading material for #739
Q&A: How Soon Will You Feel the Impact of the Port Workers’ Strike?, Andrew Ramspacher, UVA Today, October 1, 2024
Delayed work on pedestrian bridge slated to begin Wednesday, CBS19 News, October 1, 2024
As Helene passes, central Virginia assesses the damage, Jessie Higgins and Anastasiia Carrier, Charlottesville Tomorrow, October 1, 2024
A hotel seems more likely at Artful Lodger shopping center, Sean Tubbs, C-Ville Weekly, October 2, 2024
The time for #739 has been lifted
Time for a little behind the scenes. I do most of my reporting remotely, relying on audio feed of meetings. When the pandemic hit, I learned to get very efficient about recording every single one I could back in a time when all of them were online.
The work to keep all of that organized has helped me build up a structure that allows me to keep growing my efficiency. The trip to Chicago in particular has supercharged me as I contemplate what the future of this work is.
Today I went to Afton Scientific for the event and it’s so refreshing to actually see people and attend an event. And if I stop and think about where I was four years ago, I’m glad I’ve stuck with the work. Go back and look and listen!
It was also great to see so many members of the press there. I may even produce a version for C-Ville Weekly as there’s a lot in the area of 2020 Avon Court worth investigating.
I’m doing this work to continue a career where I’ve documented so much of what has happened in the past 20 years or so. I’m building a business and one day I’ll expand, though maybe not $200 million worth of expansion!
To that goal, I’m being transparent about the shout-outs. The first one today for JackFest is enabled by a $200 a year Substack subscriber. The second one today is a $25 a month Patreon contribution, and that one is definitely an under-charge! I’m writing this out to force myself to figure out how to find more revenue.
In theory, a $200 year subscription through Substack will bring in a $200 match through Ting. That’s part of a generous sponsorship that’s been in place now since April 2021. There is a need for information about how a community grows. There’s also a need for information about what remains stagnant. This is the work I want to do, and I have many partners helping to keep me going.
This is an incredibly generous sponsorship, and if you sign up for service and you are within Ting’s service area, enter the promo code COMMUNITY you’re going to get:
Free installation
A second month for free
A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall
Jim Andrews represents Samuel Milker, not Scottsville.
Correction: This post originally identified the wrong magisterial district for Supervisor Jim Andrews. Andrews represents the Samuel Miller District. I regret the error.