October 31, 2024: Community feedback wanted on proposed boundary lines for Charlottesville’s elementary schools
Plus: City increase rebate for toilets and do you want to perform at the Grand Illumination?
Today’s edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement isn’t wearing much of a costume because there isn’t time for such things. The appropriate holiday for identity shenanigans is April 1, and there may have been brief journeys into alternate versions. Today, however, shall be played straight because things are scary enough at the moment. I’m Sean Tubbs, trick and treat.
In today’s installment:
Charlottesville City Schools wants community feedback on proposed boundaries for elementary schools when fifth grade classes move out of Buford
A commercial real estate company provides a snapshot of the retail and office market for the third quarter
Charlottesville opens up the application window for one of four funding streams for affordable housing
The city has increased the amount it will pay for rebates to encourage people to replace their toilets
Do you have what it takes to become a holiday sensation at the Grand Illumination in early December?
First-shout: ACHS taking orders for book profiling local artist Frances Brand
Frances Brand lived from 1901 to 1990 and in her later life she undertook a series of portraits of individuals from Charlottesville and Albemarle County that would become her Gallery of Firsts.
Brand was a U.S. Army major, a civil rights activist, a world traveler, a devoted churchgoer, and an accomplished artist, among other things. Some remember her as a colorful eccentric who loved to dress in purple, while others knew her as a committed and lifelong social activist.
Behind each of Brand’s portraits of these 20th-century pioneers is a special story. To collect some of them, the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society has created a book that features 51 portraits from the full collection of currently known Firsts portraits and share some of the compelling stories about those depicted.
ACHS is taking pre-sale orders now for shipping in November. To place your order, visit the ACHS store.
Charlottesville City Schools seeking input on proposed options for new elementary zones
Construction continues to expand the size of Buford Middle School to accommodate sixth-grade students as part of a reconfiguration. This week the walls are being put on the gymnasium building.
As part of the reconfiguration, fifth grade classes will return to the city’s six elementary schools for the first time in nearly 60 around 35 years. To make that work, the zones for each school will need to be adjusted to take that into account as well as other demographic changes that may occur.
Charlottesville City Schools have hired the firm Woolpert to help conduct community engagement on how the lines should be drawn. (learn more)
“This is a data and community driven process that not only takes into account division goals, but also community feedback,” said the firm’s Karen Jackson. “We value all stakeholder feedback, whether it's from the board, administration or community, and we'll use it to craft a recommendation that both the division and the community can stand behind.”
Key considerations in the work involve maximizing the number of students who can walk to a school, maximizing bus efficiency, and keeping neighborhoods intact. Another is to maintain and increase diversity of student populations.
A committee has come up with four proposals for the public to review and a survey is under way through December 1. A series of meetings were held this week and two virtual meetings will be held next Wednesday at 12 p.m (register) and 6 p.m. (register).
Jackson said even people without children in city schools are asked to give feedback.
“Once we receive feedback about the options, we'll then go back to the drawing board to make revisions,” Jackson said. “Based on the feedback, we'll work with the committee to make those revisions and produce a recommendation. Once a recommendation has been determined, we will then bring that to the community for a public hearing.”
That presentation will come before the School Board early next year. Implementation would take place in August 2026 when reconfiguration is finally implemented.
People are asked to watch the video before filling out the survey.
Charlottesville offering $150 rebates for toilet replacement
For over 20 years, the City of Charlottesville has offered rebates to people to replace their toilets with those that use less water in a bid to reduce consumption. The city has recently expanded the program.
“The rebate amount has been increased for up to $150 and eligibility has been expanded to cover old toilets that use 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) or more,” reads an announcement sent out on October 25
The release claims that there have been over 7,400 rebates issued and over 787 million gallons of water have not been used as a result. An audit by the WaterNow Alliance revealed that there have been fewer requests for the rebates.
“This program review identified that Charlottesville still has a stock of water-inefficient toilets, that the community is not sufficiently aware of the toilet rebate program, and that the program is not supportive of all community members,” the announcement continues.
The program is only open to Charlottesville residents and new toilets must carry the WaterSense label as endorsed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These use 1.28 gpf or less. There’s an online tool that can be used to locate places where these are available.
For more information and to submit a request for a refund, follow this link.
City opens up portal for Charlottesville Area Housing Fund submissions
We are in an era where the City of Charlottesville has dramatically increased the amount of local funding that goes to pay for construction and maintenance of housing units that are to be reserved for households below certain income levels.
“This budget includes $8.9 million in FY2025, and over $48 million in the five-year capital program for several affordable housing initiatives, including the continued funding of $1.5 million per year for competitive application to the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund (CAHF),” reads page 13 of the budget for FY25.
The Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund was first established in 2007 and at least $50 million has been used for various projects. In 2022, the city conducted the first ever audit of how the money has been spent as I reported at the time.
The city has now opened up the window for applications for the next round of funding through the CAHF, which is just one of four sources of money for housing projects.
“The CAHF provides financial support for projects that promote the development, preservation, and creation of affordable housing, supporting the City’s goals of increasing housing stability and affordability for low- and moderate-income residents,” reads the announcement for the funding.
The Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund committee goes through the applications to make recommendations but final decisions are with City Council.
Four projects were funded through the CAHF in the last cycle and approved on March 18.
Albemarle Housing Improvement Program was recommended to receive $117,196 for their Charlottesville Critical Rehabilitation Program
Community Services Housing was recommended to receive $74,054 for rehabilitation repairs to their existing properties
Habitat for Humanity was recommended to receive $393,750 for a home ownership program known as Habitat Core 2024
The Piedmont Housing Alliance was slated to receive $250,000 toward development of their project at 501 Cherry Avenue
Second shout-out: Charlottesville Community Bikes
In today’s second subscriber supported shout-out, Charlottesville Community Bikes strives to provide wheels to anyone who needs a ride. That includes:
There’s a Kid’s Bike program for people under the age of 12 (learn more)
Several social services organizations refer people to Charlottesville Community Bikes for access to reliable transportation (learn more)
There are mobile repair clinics held all around the area with the next one coming up November 5 at 6th Street with PHAR and The Free Book Bus (learn more)
There’s also a workforce development program that “blends mentorship and comprehensive training in bicycle mechanics” (learn more)
Do you have some wheels you’re no longer using? Community Bikes accepts all bike and bike-related donations, but at the moment, they are especially slim on adult mountain bikes and need kids' bikes of all sizes.
To learn more, visit their website and consider a donation to keep them rolling!
City seeks performers to appear at holiday tree lighting
The Grand Illumination is the name given to the lighting of the Christmas tree that the City of Charlottesville installs each year outside City Hall. There’s a big party with all sorts of performers and the city is looking for people who want spread some holiday cheer.
“Whether you’re a solo act or part of a group, this is your chance to show off your festive talent in front of the Charlottesville community,” reads an announcement sent out earlier this month.
People who would like the chance are asked to send their name, contact information, and at least one performance video to the email address cvillegrand@charlottesville.gov.
For more information about the event, visit the Grand Illumination website.
Podcast listeners may get to experience my unofficial entry in the next edition which will be out Friday or Saturday.
Next week the city will announce a contest to name the tree that will be installed for the holidays season. The contest will utilized ranked choice voting as a way to demonstrate the process in advance of next year’s primary elections for local and state races.
Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer present market report
A real estate company highly active in Virginia has produced their latest quarterly report on the commercial market in Charlottesville. Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer notes that the vacancy rate is trending downward and the average asking price per square foot is at $29.47, down over this time last year.
“Mediterranean restaurant Cava recently opened a new $35 million production and packing facility in Augusta’s Mill Place Commerce Park,” reads the report on office space. “Construction is also underway at University of Virginia’s $168 million Virginia Guesthouse hotel and conference center, which will total 224,000 square feet.”
The report notes that there are no active construction projects for office space. Leases for office space already built have increased 4.2 percent over the same time in 2023. One notable lease is the law firm Woods Rogers leasing 9,241 square feet in Apex Plaza.
The retail vacancy rate is 2.6 percent and the average asking price for rent is $23.49 per square foot.
For more information on other markets in Virginia, visit Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer’s website.
Reading material for #753
Nelson County man acquitted of voter fraud; he said he only wanted to test security, Lisa Provence, Cardinal News, October 29, 2024
Beloved Community C-Ville leads visitors through virtual tour Charlottesville’s Black history, Tamica Jean-Charles, Charlottesville Tomorrow, October 30, 2024
New research uncovers more than 300 names of people enslaved in Albemarle County between 1830 and 1865, Erin O’Hare, Charlottesville Tomorrow, October 31, 2024
New solar ordinances set tough restrictions on utility-scale development, Heather Michon, Fluvanna Review, October 31, 2024
AC Hotel coming to downtown Charlottesville, Jason Armesto, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), October 31, 2024
End of October, end of #753
Five segments today and I stopped work on the sixth when I realized it was going to take a while. This is somewhat of a lighter day, but it’s also the first time in a while I’ve posted five days in a row.
Is that a good thing? Would it be better to publish less and focus on providing more quality?
Perhaps. But this is an experiment in building a way to get information out to people and my boss tells me that this is the way we’re going to do it. The boss, of course, being the spreadsheet I update that keeps track of all of the stories.
I’m grateful for all of the paid subscriptions that keep me happy, as is my imaginary boss. I’m still in the early days of this work as I figure out how to keep organizing. One in five are paying, a ratio that’s held up since the beginning. I know readers are interested in the information I’m able to provide.
I’d like to thank Ting again for their very generous sponsorship. Ting’s support since April 2021 has been instrumental in me helping get this work off of the ground. All of the revenue that comes in commits me to working harder and to be more efficient with each passing day.
And if you do pay through Substack, Ting will match your initial payment.
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
The segment on Charlottesville schools has been corrected to reflect that fifth grade was removed from elementary schools in the late 1980's and not in the 1960's. I regret the error.