”Hydraulic flyover” to be removed from VDOT corridor study

By Sean Tubbs & Brian Wheeler
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The last of three unexpected road proposals for the Charlottesville-Albemarle area included in the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) U.S. 29 corridor study will be dropped from the final report to be completed later this month.  Charlottesville City Council asked at their meeting Monday that the proposal to connect U.S. 29 to the 250 Bypass via a partially elevated roadway near the Kroger at Hydraulic Road be eliminated from consideration. 

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In October, VDOT announced it had removed both the Leonard Sandridge Road extension and the “Eastern Bypass” from the study.  All three proposals have come under criticism from local officials who said they were not consulted about them nor was there data presented to support the recommendations.

Springer displayed several conceptual drawings depicting how the flyover would evolve (Click for larger image)

This design will have the appearance of a ’mixing bowl’ type intersection which we do not believe is appropriate for our community,” reads the letter from Mayor Dave Norris, which is addressed to Butch Davies of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB).

The letter states that 10 City businesses would be affected by the road and interchange, costing the City over $868,000 a year in taxes. Council also told Davies that it feels the real issue with congestion on U.S. 29 is the proliferation of traffic lights north of Charlottesville.

“I can assure you [the interchange] will not be in our final report unless the City chooses to support it,” said Charles Rasnick of VDOT. 

However, the project manager hired to oversee the project had the opportunity to explain the reason why the concept was under consideration. Joe Springer of the Parsons Transportation Group told Council that many of the transportation improvements recommended in Albemarle County’s Places29 Master Plan would not do enough to address congestion on U.S. 29 between Hydraulic Road and the U.S. 250 Bypass.

Springer told Council that the flyover would help open up U.S. 29 to redevelopment in the City between Hydraulic Road and the 250 Bypass (Source: VDOT)

“There is the project to add an additional lane southbound between Hydraulic Road and extending on to the Route 250 bypass on to Barracks Road,” Springer said. “We do believe that is needed but it doesn’t adequately address long-term needs.”

Instead, Springer said the alternate was suggested as a way to remove through-traffic from U.S. 29 for that stretch of highway, allowing the existing U.S. 29 to serve local traffic. He added that the project would depend on the long-term redevelopment of the area.

“We do believe that it would provide some benefits both in terms of land use and in terms of being able to downgrade the existing stretch of U.S. 29 to make it more livable and walkable,” Springer said.

Councilor Julian Taliaferro said he understood that the existing interchange of U.S. 29 and U.S. 250 is a cause of congestion, but that he was troubled by the new concept.

“The issue of the chokepoint has been created by lack of action to build a bypass and to build connector roads in this area,” Taliaferro said. “It seems to me like a rather short-sighted solution to send this through the City.”

Rasnick told Taliaferro that the concept of the new interchange would not work to help relieve congestion unless the Leonard Sandridge Road extension was also considered. However, that concept was removed in October at the request of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.

“Our feeling was that you needed both of them to be working together,” Rasnick said.

Councilor David Brown questioned whether any business owner would be willing to take a risk to develop properties that had an elevated highway above them. Mayor Dave Norris wanted to know how the concept could be included in a draft study with absolutely no input from City officials.

A final report will be released later this month. It will then go before the CTB for approval.

Local election results

In the races covered by Charlottesville Tomorrow during 2009, the following candidates were elected tonight:

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors

• Independent Dennis Rooker (Jack Jouett)
• Republican Rodney Thomas (Rio)
• Republican Duane Snow (Samuel Miller)

Charlottesville City Council

• Democrat Dave Norris
• Democrat Kristin Szakos

Thank you to all of the candidates who participated in our interviews and candidate forums during this important local election.

City planners evaluating how developers might contribute to off-site mitigation efforts; City role in a transfer of development rights program also discussed

By Connie Chang & Sean Tubbs
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Commissioners Bill Emory, Genevieve Keller, Jason Pearson and Dan Rosensweig discuss their priorities before choosing study areas

In their third retreat in the past two months, the Charlottesville Planning Commission has directed staff to study how the City might create something called the Charlottesville Mitigation Exchange (CMX) and to assess how the City might participate in a transfer of development rights (TDR) program with Albemarle County. Staff will also study the potential of protecting the Rivanna River corridor through the City.

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The idea of the Charlottesville Mitigation Exchange was born after the Commission debated whether the City should be required to daylight culverted streams in exchange for a critical slopes waiver for a new fire station on Fontaine Avenue. There is currently no provision in the City’s code that would allow for a developer to be required to make off-site mitigations in exchange for a rezoning, site plan approval, special use permit or critical slopes waiver. Commissioner Kurt Keesecker suggested the CMX could operate as a mechanism for the City to prioritize specific environmental clean-up projects.

Keesecker drafted the following proposal:

“Charlottesville is a city that has seen virtually all of its vacant, non-impacted, privately held land fully developed in the years past. The remaining undeveloped parcels may have a variety of characteristics that would impact the City if they were fully developed to their potential. Mitigation of these impacts within the bounds of the single parcel is becoming increasingly difficult and/or expensive as available parcels become smaller and smaller. At the same time, the City has a variety of properties (both publicly and privately held) that have characteristics that should be preserved but there are no formal agreements or easements that would protect these areas against development in the future… The solution might be the creation of a mitigation exchange that would allow private parties to reach agreements to protect some areas of the City in exchange for the development of other portions of the City, on a site by site, proffer by proffer basis…”

Deputy City Attorney Richard Harris said the proposed CMX would not be legal unless enabling legislation were passed allowing Charlottesville to accept proffers for site plan and special use permits, an authority the City does not have. Additionally, he said proffers are intended to be used to make a rezoning of a particular property more palatable.

Chairman Jason Pearson said that he liked the idea because it was radical, but he doubted the City would be able to get the General Assembly to grant the necessary enabling authority.

Jim Tolbert, the City’s Director of Neighborhood Development Services, said the creation of a “mitigation checklist” would help educate developers about what improvements are expected for approvals. However, that idea would only apply to individual properties, and not off-site locations.

Commissioner Genevieve Keller said she thought the CMX might be a good tool for controlling land use across the City, and could help protect historical and physical assets that she said make Charlottesville a desirable place to live.
   
Transfer of Development Rights

The Commission also discussed whether the City should participate in a potential TDR system with Albemarle County, where Charlottesville would be one of the receiving areas for County development rights.

The General Assembly has passed legislation allowing Albemarle County to establish a TDR system, but the Board of Supervisors has so far declined to move forward with implementation.

Keesecker pointed out that a TDR system would also require a clearinghouse, or TDR
bank. He suggested that neighborhoods that want less density could potentially sell their development rights to downtown developers who want to add extra floors to buildings.

Tolbert was skeptical that a TDR system would work in Charlottesville, where some zoning districts already allow up to 200 units an acre.  He also said he wasn’t sure Charlottesville residents would automatically support more density.

Commissioner Keller said the time to implement a TDR system would have been before West Main Street was up-zoned to allow more development in 2003. She also said if the City were interested, it could test a TDR system by starting first in neighborhoods with historic protections in place. Keller said a TDR system might make more sense if Charlottesville and Albemarle County were one jurisdiction.

Commissioner Dan Rosensweig, who suggested the idea for study, said he intended the idea to be something for the City to have in place for use in several decades as redevelopment occurs.  Rosensweig participated in a 2008 discussion on TDRs facilitated by the Weldon-Cooper Center for Public Service.

Chairman Jason Pearson. Above his head is the list of potential study areas. Commissioners got two votes and indicated their preferences with the use of red dots

Pearson said in a conversation he had with Albemarle County Planning Commission Chairman Eric Strucko, he learned that development in the County’s growth areas has not been as dense as planned.

“Where the development is occurring, they’re not getting build-out to the maximum densities so nobody is squeezed,” Pearson said. He added he was concerned that adding a TDR system might create an extra barrier for developers.

Keesecker said the TDR system would allow developers looking to add units to have the incentive of purchasing additional rights in order to build taller buildings.

The Commission was less interested in the TDRs, but agreed to keep that possibility open for discussion when they meet with the Albemarle County Planning Commission in December.

“I think this gives [staff] a road map for the types of things we’d like to be working on,” Pearson said. “I don’t think any of us want to just sit around and talk and not get something done… Maybe it does result in much more productive conversations with the development community about the way development happens in Charlottesville.”

Commission passes on “form-based zoning”

Commissioner Genevieve Keller made a request to study whether the City should switch to different system of zoning based on “form-based codes.” Under this system, codes depend more on what the physical structure of a block should look like, as opposed to separating out different types of uses. Currently the City can only regulate design in entrance corridors and historic districts. 

“I think there would be a greater comfort level in the city if people knew what things would look like,” said Genevieve Keller.

Tolbert said when the City’s zoning code was rewritten in 2003, that idea was considered but was taken off the table because it was felt that design reviews would become too lengthy.  He said that certain streets, such as Monticello Avenue through Belmont, could be added to the list of entrance corridors in order to require more design scrutiny.

However, the idea did not receive enough votes to be studied in the coming year.

Other items that staff will work on for the Commission’s consideration include:

• Rewriting of the City’s critical slopes ordinance
• Improving the planning process in the Belmont neighborhood
• Rewriting the “dance hall” section of the City zoning code
• Study of the Cherry Avenue corridor
• Review of the process for prioritizing sidewalk additions
• Review of entrance corridor guidelines
• A request from the Fry’s Spring neighborhood to downzone some residential properties

Tolbert said the dance hall review is to establish clear guidelines on what establishments are allowed to offer music and which ones are not.

“We made a list the other day and came up with 35 places that have music in them,” Tolbert said. “Maybe five of them have been allowed legally. The others have morphed and happened and one definition doesn’t fit all of them.”

TIMELINE FOR PODCAST

• 01:00 – Chair Jason Pearson opens with discussion of location of fire station on Fontaine Avenue
• 08:00 – Planning staff Ebony Walden provides status report on tree canopy initiative
• 15:05 – Planning staff Melissa Celii provides status report on density discussion
• 17:23 – Planning staff Nick Rodgers provides status report on Rivanna River discussion
• 23:15 – Planning manager Missy Creasy discusses revised proposed work plan items
• 27:24 – Pearson discusses slope waiver review language
• 39:45 – Creasy opens discussion of potential work plan items
• 43:50 – Commissioner Kurt Keesecker asks whether Charlottesville Mitigation Exchange (CMX) is legal
• 53:27 – Jim Tolbert discusses transfer of development rights
• 1:07:04 – Pearson discusses form-based codes
• 1:17:10 – Pearson discusses density in relation to transportation of all types
• 1:20:56 – Pearson discusses alignment of the comprehensive plan
• 1:30:15 – Commissioner Dan Rosensweig discusses affordable housing item
• 1:36:00 – Keesecker discusses environment-sensitive development
• 1:47:14 – Commissioners vote on priorities for work plan
• 1:51:00 – Discussion of CMX

Developer offers land to increase size of Forest Hills Park

By Tarpley Ashworth
Monday, November 02, 2009
Charlottesville Tomorrow

Southern Development is donating an acre and a half of land to increase the size of Forest Hills Park in Charlottesville. The land, which is appraised at $90,000, is located between Forest Ridge Road and Antoinette Avenue. The donation, if approved at tonight’s City Council meeting, will increase the park’s size by 20%.

The 1.5 acres is adjacent to a new condominium complex currently under construction off of Rock Creek Road. The land is not visible from Forest Ridge Road, but it is adjacent to a trail which connects the park to the Johnson Village neighborhood.

The City’s Environmental Administrator, Kristel Riddervold, has recommended accepting the donation. Since the land will remain forested, the City will increase the amount of protected forested areas and riparian buffers within its borders.

According to Brian Daly, Charlottesville’s Acting Parks and Recreation Director, discussions about the donation began between the two parties when Southern indicated it would develop its land off Forest Ridge Road. The developer initially proposed constructing a playground on the land, but the City had a better idea.

“From there, it evolved into a discussion of land donation,” said Daly. “We approached them with this idea and they agreed to it.”

The only condition Southern has placed on the donation is that the City pay 50% of the cost for a recordable plat showing the boundaries of the land. The City has already paid their share of $550 for the survey. The City Assessor has estimated that $1,707 will be lost annually in tax revenue from the land transferring from private to public hands.

Construction of the sprayground at Forest Hills Park (Source: City of Charlottesville)

Forest Hills Park is currently undergoing a $1.2 million renovation which will replace the existing wading pool with a new “sprayground,” update picnic facilities, repave sidewalks, and add a new pavilion to the green space.

“The project is right on schedule,” said Daly. “They’ve laid the foundation for the sprayground, poured the sidewalks, and picnic shelters are now standing. And we’re actually slightly under budget.”

The resolution which authorizes this land donation is part of the consent agenda at tonight’s meeting.

City holds design public hearing for Meadowcreek Parkway interchange

By Sean Tubbs
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Sunday, November 1, 2009

Opponents of an interchange that would connect the Meadowcreek Parkway to the Route 250 Bypass and McIntire Road outnumbered supporters at a public hearing held Thursday night. The meeting was the first public hearing on this particular $32.5 million interchange design, which will elevate Route 250 over McIntire Road and the Parkway.

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(Click for a larger image)

The design, which has been developed by the firm RK&K, will utilize a pair of traffic signals on McIntire Road and the Parkway to control access to the bypass. The majority of funding for the project comes from an earmark made by former Senator John Warner (R-VA). The public hearing was facilitated by Becky Clay Christensen, who asked citizens to limit their comments to the design of the interchange, and not the parkway project as a whole.

Supporters of the project included Tim Hulbert of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, Bob Hodous, and Charlottesville resident Tobias Stengl. He said he supported the project because it will relieve traffic on Park Street. Charlottesville resident Scott Bandy said the design was not perfect, but he supports the project moving forward.

However, the majority of the 40 people who spoke were opposed to the interchange as well as the Meadowcreek Parkway.

Michael Wolin of the Southern Environmental Law Center said his organization could not support the interchange and called for City Council to approve it only if the parkway is closed to traffic on weekends. Park Street resident A.E. Dick Howard said the project would fit better in Northern Virginia. John Cruickshank of the Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club called the interchange a “monstrosity.”

“This interchange will be as high as a telephone pole, as long as the downtown mall, and will pave over much of the beautiful landscape of McIntire Park,” Cruickshank said.

Former City Council candidate Peter Kleeman said the project would increase the length of time it takes for the Charlottesville Albemarle Rescue Squad (CARS) to respond to calls.

Colette Hall of the North Downtown Residents Association points out the reasons she opposes the interchange

Many of the opponents speaking at the hearing live or work in the immediate vicinity of the interchange. The headmaster of the Covenant School, Ron Sykes, said he is concerned the project will require the removal of many trees on school property, and will limit access to the school. Daniel Bluestone said the design “is nothing short of appalling” because pedestrian and bike paths have been removed in order to cut costs.

Several people took issue with the way the design was rendered for the public hearing. Rich Collins of Sensible Transportation Alternatives to the Meadowcreek Parkway (STAMP) called the depictions “auto-centric pornography” which does not truly represent the impact the interchange will have.  Landscape architect Breck Gastinger pointed out that the drawings depicted mature trees along the median, which will not grow to that size for many years.

Even some supporters of the project were not happy with the design. Anton Largiader of Charlottesville said he would have preferred the roundabout alternative that was recommended by the project’s steering committee.

Many opponents of the project were concerned that the road was being built for the primary benefit of Albemarle County. John Pfaltz blamed City Council for not doing enough to push Albemarle County to build an eastern connector. Charlottesville resident Mark Cabot said growth on Pantops is driving the need for the interchange, and that it is not fair for a road to be built through the heart of Charlottesville when Albemarle County will not support either a western or eastern bypass.

Several former City Councilors were on hand to express their opinion about a project that some helped to get off the drawing board. Former Mayor Virginia Daugherty said she still supports the project, and prefers the traffic signal to the oval roundabout that was recommended by the project’s steering committee because it will be easier for pedestrians to cross. She told the opponents that the parkway is a two-lane street, and that the parkland that will be removed will be replaced.

However, fellow former Mayors Nancy O’Brien and Francis Fife spoke out against the project. Former City Councilor John Conover, who served on the steering committee, said that the project has gotten worse over time as pedestrian paths have been removed the project to save costs.

Citizens have the opportunity to submit written comments through the project’s website through November 9.

A summary of the public comments will be presented to City Council at a November 16 meeting. A memorandum of understanding regarding the mitigations that will have to be performed in order to satisfy federal regulations has not yet been signed.  Other steps remaining include approval by the Commonwealth Transportation Board as well as the final federal regulatory approvals.  If those are granted, the Virginia Department of Transportation will begin purchasing right of way, with an advertisement for construction bids estimated for early 2011. The project is expected to be completed by late 2013.

TIMELINE FOR PODCAST:

• 01:00 - Hearing opened by Angela Tucker, Development Services Manager for Charlottesville
• 04:30 - Becky Clay Christensen
• 12:50 - Michael Wolin with the Southern Environmental Law Center
• 15:45 - Timothy Hulbert of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce
• 17:15 - Bob Hodous 
• 20:00 - Former City Council candidate Peter Kleeman
• 22:30 - Ron Sykes, headmaster of the Covenant School
• 24:20 - Rich Collins of Sensible Transportation Alternatives to the Meadowcreek Parkway
• 27:10 - Charlottesville resident Anton Largiader
• 30:21 - John Cruickshank of the Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club
• 33:15 - Charlottesville resident Scott Bandy
• 34:45 - Mary Howard of Preservation Virginia
• 38:10 - Charlottesville resident A.E. Dick Howard
• 40:45 - Charlottesville resident Lilian Clarke
• 42:00 - Charlottesville resident Galen Stengl
• 43:20 - Karen Shepherd, Executive Director of MACAA
• 45:45 - Charlottesville resident Tobias Stengl
• 48:30 - Charlottesville resident Catherine Rey
• 50:00 - City Council candidate Bob Fenwick -
• 52:50 - CARS President Larry Claytor 
• 55:10 - Former City Councilor John Conover
• 58:00 - Colette Hall of the North Downtown Neighborhood Association
• 1:01:00 - Charlottesville resident Kelton Flynn
• 1:02:00 - Charlottesville resident Virginia Germino
• 1:02:45 - Charlottesville resident Laura Ryden
• 1:06:00 - Charlottesville resident Pat Napoleon
• 1:07:00 - Charlottesville resident John Pfaltz
• 1:10:00 - Charlottesville resident Daniel Bluestone
• 1:13:00 - Charlottesvile resident Stratton Salidis
• 1:16:00 - Charlottesville resident Ernie Reed
• 1:19:00 - Charlottesville resident Matthew Trowbridge
• 1:22:30 - Charlottesville resident Mark Cabot
• 1:25:45 - Charlottesville resident Betty Mooney
• 1:28:45 - Charlottesville resident Breck Gastinger
• 1:31:15 - Former Mayor Virginia Daugherty
• 1:33:00 - Charlottesville resident David Stackhouse
• 1:35:40 - Jim Moore, chair of the McIntire Park Golf Committee
• 1:39:00 - Charlottesville resident Ted Jones
• 1:41:40 - Charlottesville resident Dede Smith
• 1:43:00 - Former Mayor Nancy O'Brien 
• 1:46:00 - Former Mayor Francis Fife
• 1:47:15 - Charlottesville resident Barbara Smith
• 1:50:00 - Closing comments from Becky Clay Christensen
• 1:50:45 - Closing comments from Angela Tucker

RWSA approves dredging study, modified Meadowcreek Interceptor work

By Sean Tubbs
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Thursday, October 29, 2009

At their meeting on October 27, 2009, the Board of Directors of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) approved a contract for a dredging feasibility study of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, agreed to a modified work order for the Meadowcreek Interceptor, and directed staff to work with Schnabel Engineering on a proposal to develop a cost estimate for raising the existing dam at Ragged Mountain Reservoir by 13 feet.

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RWSA approves dredging feasibility study

After months of discussion between the “four boards”, the RWSA has approved a $343,778 contract with HDR Engineering to perform a series of dredging feasibility studies at the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. The studies will provide a range of cost estimates for restoring the reservoir to its original capacity and disposing the spoils.

The full study was requested by City Council in order to determine if dredging would be a cost-effective way of providing some additional water capacity, and Council agreed to pay for studies that dealt directly with dredging for that reason. Members of the Albemarle County Service Authority did not feel the information was necessary to move the adopted water supply plan forward, and thus were unwilling to pay for the full suite of studies. Full restorative dredging, and maintenance of that condition over the 50-year period of the community water supply plan, does not by itself provide enough new water storage capacity to meet needs identified in the 2006 plan. 

HDR was selected as a finalist for the project in August, but the price for their services was initially much higher than City Council had expected. Earlier this month, they agreed to a “standard” study that will provide less detail. Council also removed a study that would have examined the sediment to determine if it had any “beneficial re-use.”

RWSA Executive Director Tom Frederick

RWSA Executive Director Tom Frederick has warned both Council and the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors that without the more detailed study, HDR may not be able to come up with a full cost estimate. Another item that was removed by Council was a public meeting that would be held while the study is being conducted so citizens can ask questions of HDR consultants. Gary Fern, who sits on the RWSA Board because of his position as Executive Director of the Albemarle County Service Authority, offered to contribute an additional $8,880 to ensure the second public meeting will be held. 

 “We’d hate to have all that data and then not be able to express it to the public,” Fern said. 

Frederick said a decision on whether to conduct the beneficial reuse study anyway could be made after that meeting. HDR would hold a second public meeting when their study is complete.

One item in the study is a new bathymetric analysis of the reservoir, which will be paid for by the RWSA from its watershed fund. The RWSA will write the check to HDR and will be reimbursed by the City of Charlottesville for the portions of the study that it has requested. The ACSA will pay the $8,880 for the additional public meeting.

According to City Public Works Director Judy Mueller, The City’s share of the study is nearly $256,000 and includes a pre-dredge survey, a characterization of the sediment, an analysis of dredging alternatives, an analysis of potential dewatering sites, and the final public meeting.

The RWSA’s share of the study is nearly $79,000 and includes a bathymetric study, an assessment of whether there are any federally protected wetlands in the reservoir, as well as the final report.

State regulators want answers on dam replacement

RWSA officials have been requested to appear at a November 19 meeting of the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board to answer questions about efforts to replace or repair the existing dam at Ragged Mountain Reservoir.  A final decision about how to proceed with the dam is not expected to be made until the spring of 2010. That is when Schnabel Engineering, the firm hired to replace Gannett Fleming in designing the new dam at the reservoir, is expected to complete its work on a preliminary design and cost estimate. 

The Lower Dam at the reservoir is currently operating under a conditional permit from the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Dam Safety division. The permit expires at end of this month. Frederick said the permit might possibly be extended as long as the RWSA continues to show progress towards complying with state regulations.

Frederick said that the RWSA continues to assume that the Lower Dam will be replaced by a larger one just downstream as called for in the 2006 community water supply plan. However, City Council has also directed Frederick to ask the dam’s new designers to model a scenario in which Lower Dam would be raised by 13 feet.  In order to do so, Schnabel will need to perform underwater tests to investigate the strength of the bedrock on which the existing structure rests. Frederick told the RWSA Board that Schnabel’s initial guess was that it would not be cheaper to build on the existing dam because of the complications that could arise when building on 100-year-old technology.

Albemarle Supervisor Sally Thomas (Samuel Miller) asked if Schnabel would study how the Ragged Mountain Reservoir would be treated during construction. Would the pool have to be lowered, reducing the amount of water available to the community? Would the City and County have to enact mandatory usage restrictions in order to reduce demand? Frederick said he did not have those answers handy, but Schnabel’s proposal for the study will come back before the RWSA Board for a vote at the next meeting in November.

RWSA Chief Engineer Jennifer Whitaker said there are questions about the strength of the dam’s cement core. She also said to build anything on top of the existing dam, construction crews would need to remove an earthen buttress that was built around the dam in the 1930’s to address earlier safety concerns.

“There are legitimate concerns that you could not [remove the buttress] while the water was up against the dam,” Whitaker said. “You’d run the risk of tipping it over.”

Whitaker said before building on top of the dam, Schnabel will need to determine how the existing dam would be incorporated into the new structure, and how the two different types of materials would bond together. She also said a higher pool of water would exert a higher pressure on the base of the dam.

During the public comment period, Richard Lloyd of the group Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan said he thought concerns about the safety of the dam were being exaggerated.

“I don’t get it. That dam is a hundred years old. It has withstood hurricanes, it withstood Camille,” Lloyd said.

Board votes to approve modified work order for Meadowcreek sewer replacement

Click for a larger map of the interceptor's alignment

The RWSA board voted 5-0 with one abstention to place a section of the Meadowcreek sewer interceptor replacement project under the jurisdiction of the Virginia Department of Transportation. Built in the 1950’s by the City and sold to the RWSA in the 1970’s, the Authority is in the final stages of planning a replacement sewer line. Frederick said the existing pipe is deteriorating, a situation made worse after storms when it is infiltrated by runoff.

Part of the pathway for the interceptor lies on the same right of way being used to construct the Meadowcreek Parkway. Frederick said in the initial planning for the project, it was assumed the sewer line would be laid before the roadway is built. However, due to a delay over negotiations with property owners in the City for easements to build the interceptor, the road project has moved ahead of the interceptor.  

At issue is 410 linear feet on City-owned land in Albemarle County where the RWSA needs an easement in order to proceed, as well as 2,130 linear feet on VDOT property.  Faulconer Construction, the company building the Meadowcreek Parkway in the County, has so far delayed their work on this section of land.

Frederick suggested that the Board approve a motion to remove this portion from the rest of the interceptor project so the project as a whole can go to bid. The work on the 2,540 linear feet would be performed by Faulconer as part of their contract with VDOT. However, City Council must approve the easement on its land before the contractor can work on that section of the project.  The earliest Council can take up the easements is on November 16, 2009, but they need to have two readings of the matter before it can be passed.

City Councilor Holly Edwards

City Councilor Holly Edwards abstained from the vote because she said had concerns about the design. While on Council, Edwards has consistently voted against the Meadowcreek Parkway.

Thomas asked if Edwards abstention meant that she would not recommend Council approve the easements. Edwards said she would not make that decision until it came time for City Council to vote.

The modified bid will be released on November 5. VDOT will be paid nearly $2 million for the work.

Other news from the meeting:

Frederick asks Board and Council to call on Richmond to appropriate an additional $175 million to the state’s Water Quality Improvement Fund. He said unless the next General Assembly comes up with the funding, the RWSA may receive only two-thirds of the state money it was expecting to upgrade the Moores Creek Wastewater Treatment plant. That means the agency may have to find an additional $3.1 million to pay for the project.

TIMELINE FOR PODCAST:

• 01:00 - RWSA Chair Mike Gaffney opens meeting
• 01:30 - Executive Director's report from Tom Frederick
• 05:00 - Frederick comments on the request from DCR to update them on the dam progress
• 11:30 - Frederick says any additional requests for studies need to be made now
• 12:30 - County Executive Bob Tucker directs Frederick to submit WQIF request to TJPDC Legislative Liaison David Blount
• 13:15 - City Councilor Holly Edwards asks what information Schnabel needs
• 15:15 - Thomas asks if Schnabel's conceptual design for building on existing dam would look at different heights other than 13 feet
• 20:30 - RWSA Chief Engineer Jennifer Whitaker describes the challenges Schnabel will face
• 25:45 - Public comment from Richard Lloyd of Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan
• 29:00 - Public comment from City Council Candidate Bob Fenwick (I)
• 31:45 - Public comment from Dede Smith of Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan
• 35:30 - Public comment from Albemarle County resident Susan Bacik
• 37:00 - Public comment from Betty Mooney of Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan
• 43:15 - Public comment from Liz Palmer of the Albemarle County Service Authority
• 46:45 - Dede Smith makes a correction to her comment
• 47:00 - Responses to public comment
• 50:00 - Thomas makes a comment about her role in efforts to create a sustainable water plan
• 52:00 - Edwards asks for clarification on whether bathymetric study is required and if RWSA will pay for it
• 55:20 - Edwards asks why Sugar Hollow Reservoir is down
• 59:30 - RWSA takes up engineering services contract with HDR for dredging feasibility study
• 1:11:00 - Edwards explains why Council made its decision to cut costsF 
• 1:14:00 - Gary Fern of the ACSA offers to pay for second meeting
• 1:16:00 - Frederick answers question from Edwards about how studies will be paid for
• 1:19:00 - Fern makes the motion
• 1:22:00 - Frederick begins his update of the Meadowcreek Interceptor study
• 1:37:00 - Thomas reports on DEQ's new Total Maximum Daily Load requirements
• 1:39:30 - Frederick expresses his opposition to the new requirements

City candidates emphasize citizen input; local government accountability

By Connie Chang & Brian Wheeler
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Friday, October 23, 2009

With less than 2 weeks left until Election Day, citizens had one last opportunity to hear Charlottesville City Council candidates come together to discuss their views on local issues.  All five candidates relayed messages of the need for a more accountable local government, preservation and acquisition of green space, and methods to assist those in the lowest-economic bracket in the City.

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Bob Fenwick (I), Paul Long (I), Moderator Jack Brown

At the Wednesday night forum hosted by the Alliance of Neighborhoods in City Council Chambers, Democrats Dave Norris and Kristin Szakos and independents Bob Fenwick, Paul Long, and Andrew Williams, responded to questions provided in advance as well as to inquiries from the audience. The Alliance of Neighborhoods was created in 2008 in order to protect the quality of life for Charlottesville and Albemarle County neighborhoods, which was a theme that resonated throughout the forum.

One of the prepared questions asked candidates to respond with measures they would take to improve traffic conditions and safety on Charlottesville roads. All of the candidates agreed that implementing traffic calming measures can help lessen problems associated with automobiles already on the road, but that more emphasis should be made on encouraging pedestrian and transit use. Many felt that expanding the current transit system to include more routes with more frequent service should be a transportation commitment made by the City.

Long, who has been a long-time advocate of alternative forms of transportation, said that there should be an “equal commitment to transportation” as with other issues Council must consider.

Candidates also agreed on the need to preserve green space throughout Charlottesville. With current state law, the City of Charlottesville does not possess the authority to require developers to protect green space with new projects. However, incumbent Dave Norris (D) noted that for the first time in many years, the City currently has funding to purchase green space and has worked to expand its tree planting program.

Dave Norris (D), Kristin Szakos (D), Andrew Williams (I)

The forum called into question the capacity of local government to address citizen concerns. Several agreed that citizens need an “ally” in the City who they can depend on to listen to their requests and follow-through with results.

“The ability and willingness to listen should radiate through the department,” said Andrew Williams, the race’s independent write-in candidate.

The Alliance asked candidates whether they would eliminate or change the structure of the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority and the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, both entities are jointly administered by Charlottesville and Albemarle County. No candidate called for the elimination of the water authority and only Norris said the City’s participation in the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority should be reexamined in the next year.

“Both of these organizations have hard working and competent employees…but the leadership is dysfunctional,” said Fenwick who cited the community water supply plan and the lawsuit against Peter van der Linde as examples.

“I think we need to make sure these folks work for us,” said Szakos.  “One way to do that is to be more proactive in who we chose to put on those boards and commissions.”

On these particular boards, there is only one voting member who is not there by virtue of their job in local government or as an elected official.  That seat is currently held by citizen Michael Gaffney who was jointly reappointed by City Council and the Board of Supervisors in December 2008.

Norris also commended citizens for stepping up and questioning on-going work of the RWSA and RSWA.  He said the addition of elected officials on both boards earlier this year would lead to more accountability.

Another audience question prompted the candidates to discuss their priorities in assisting the City’s poor. Fenwick identified jobs, education and neighborhood associations as the main elements to reaching this goal.

“The key to a strong city is strong neighborhoods,” said Fenwick.

Other candidates agreed that the City must work hard to close the achievement gap and affordable housing gap for its citizens by providing a broader range of job opportunities and investing in technical and vocational training.

“We need to come together with businesses and non-profits to figure out how to get a community that doesn’t fail our kids,” said Szakos.

The candidate forum was moderated by Jack Brown, a member of the Executive Board of the Alliance of Neighborhoods, and was attended by about 30 people.  The forum was broadcast live on public access television.

TIMELINE FOR PODCAST

01:00 - Introduction from Jack Brown, member of the Executive Board of the Alliance of Neighborhoods
03:00 - Opening statement by Andrew Williams (I)
04:31 - Opening statement by Kristin Szakos (D)
07:14 - Opening statement by Bob Fenwick (I)
10:35 - Opening statement by Dave Norris (D)
12:59 - Opening statement by Paul Long (I)
16:30 - Prepared Question 1: Countless surveys, formal or informal, over the past decade show traffic as the top problem confronting every city neighborhood -- too many cars and too much speeding.  But we have seen little effective action by city police, the planners, or NDS.  Quite the reverse.  What specific actions do you propose to address the problem?
25:54 - Prepared Question 2: Lately, Charlottesville has been placing an emphasis on our urban tree canopy.  Almost all can agree that our green surroundings are a matter of civic pride, and a draw to tourists and potential residents.  Would you support requiring developers to actively plant street trees and other significant vegetation-- even if it means that they might have to slightly reduce the size of their project to allow for this?
33:25 - Prepared Question 3: Almost every neighborhood organization has experienced the following scenario: They go before Council and/or the Planning Commission requesting assistance for a problem affecting their neighborhood.  These issues run the gamut from traffic relief to sidewalks to zoning conflicts.  Frequently, they are told that leaders or city staff will look into the problem and revisit the situation within a proscribed number of months, or meetings will be set up asking for neighborhood input.  But more often than not, the request either falls through the cracks, or the neighborhood's wishes are ignored, resulting in a carrot & stick scenario.  What would you propose to stop this frustrating and time-consuming cycle?
43:58 - Prepared Question 4: Many people in the city feel that both the RWSA and RSWA, including our appointed representatives on these Boards, are failing to represent the wishes of many residents.  In light of all that's happened over the past few years, should we do away with the Authority model entirely, or would you propose changes to the existing model?  What would those changes be?
53:40 - Prepared Question 5: What specific areas (e.g. institutions, joint services) could and should be administered jointly with Albermarle County?  For example, would you support joint City/County "Charter Schools" that can draw from the best of both school systems?  Should first responder services be merged, and if so, how and when?
1:06:36 - Audience Question 1: What is the number one thing you would do to help those on the lowest-economic rung?
1:12:27 - Audience Question 2: Are there city management issues that give you cause for concern? What are they? What do you plan to do about them?
1:17:57 - Audience Question 3: The city assessor has indicated that city assessments are down this year. Would you be more inclined to increase taxes or reduce services to make up for this shortfall?
1:23:40 - Audience Question 4: What will you do to offset the destruction of our natural resources by actions that the city may take?
1:29:45 - Audience Question 5: Do you favor requiring all landlords to conduct regular quality maintenance?
1:33:31 - Audience Question 6: Why say that the YMCA will be next to Charlottesville High School when it will really be in McIntire Park which we're trying to save?
1:37:15 - Audience Question 7: Why should City Council continue to support the Meadowcreek Parkway when the County has not lived up to its part of the agreement by for example, building the Sunset-Fontaine connector?
1:41:22 - Audience Question 8: We do not yet have a state-approved 30-50 water plan required by law by 2011. Will you pledge to get decade by decade calculations of the amount of water needed as required by the state plan before signing any agreement with the County to move forward with a new dam?
1:45:13 - Audience Question 9: Why did City Council allow the RWSA and RSWA to "fly under the radar?" Isn't it the responsibility of City Council to make sure that proper maintenance is done for the reservoir? Why wasn't dredging done? Is City Council paying attention?
1:51:46 - Closing statement by Paul Long
1:52:56 - Closing statement by Bob Fenwick
1:54:17 - Closing statement by Andrew Williams
1:56:06 - Closing statement by Kristin Szakos
1:57:00 - Closing statement by Dave Norris
1:58:18 - Closing remarks by Jack Brown

Competing interchange plans under review for Hydraulic and U.S. 29

By Sean Tubbs & Brian Wheeler
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Thursday, October 22, 2009

Less than a month after the Virginia Department of Transportation unveiled its plans for the U.S. 29 corridor, a local solution to the traffic congestion at U.S. 29 and Hydraulic Road has resurfaced before planners in Albemarle County.  At their meeting Tuesday night, engineering plans for a grade-separated interchange were reviewed by the Planning Commission as part of the process to establish right-of-way boundaries around the future Albemarle Place development.

Download the plan developed by the Cox Company

Cox Company design for a grade separated interchange at Hydraulic and U.S. 29 (Click for a higher resolution image)

One corner of the Hydraulic Road intersection is in the county at the current location of a 7-Eleven store.  The other three corners are all in the City of Charlottesville.  When the county approved the mixed-use Albemarle Place development in 2003, it required the Cox Company to submit a design for the interchange in order to identify viable building locations in the development area behind the 7-Eleven store. 

VDOT and Albemarle County have been reviewing the interchange design plans since late 2006. In an interview, Jack Kelsey, the county’s transportation engineer, said more design work would be required prior to construction.

“This has not been accepted as a final design, but for the purposes of adopting an official map, it provides the necessary information,” said Kelsey.

The Planning Commission recommended adoption of an “official map” that shows which parcels of land the county would need to ask be reserved in order to prepare for construction of a grade-separated interchange. No similar process is currently underway to reserve right-of-way in the city.

David Benish, Albemarle County’s Chief of Planning, said approval of the map does not indicate approval of the interchange itself.

“It’s just to establish the amount of land which may be necessary for such an improvement,” Benish said.

The interchange, which was designed by the Cox Company, is known as a “single point urban interchange.” During construction, U.S. 29 would be lowered by about 25 feet allowing for Hydraulic Road to be rebuilt overhead at its existing elevation. According to the Places29 Master Plan, the cost estimate for the project is around $40 million in today’s dollars,.

This design is consistent with what is envisioned in the Places29 Master Plan,” said Kelsey.

The plan has also convinced VDOT and the County that at least three lanes of through traffic would be kept open in each direction during construction, a condition required by VDOT according to Mark Graham, the county’s director of community development.  However, Graham said in an interview that the compromise made to achieve that goal was that the Hydraulic Road crossover would have to be closed during construction.

The official map has to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors before the end of this year or the requirement that the developer reserve right-of-way would expire. Proffers signed at the time of the rezoning also require the developer, now Edens & Avant,  to “diligently pursue approval of the plans in the City.”

(Click for larger image)

However, VDOT’s corridor-wide study of U.S. 29, released last month, recommended a much different approach for moving traffic on and off the U.S. 29/250 Bypass. Their study proposes an elevated road starting north of the Hydraulic intersection and passing over the Kroger grocery store and other city businesses. This “flyover concept” known as the 250-Hydraulic Connector remains in the study’s recommendations, despite the removal late last week of two other local proposals, the Leonard Sandridge Road extension and the so-called “eastern bypass” along Albemarle’s border with Louisa County.

"Given the fact that the corridor study eliminates the grade-separated interchange and replaces it with a flyover concept, that changes the dynamic there,” said Jim Tolbert, Charlottesville’s Director of Neighborhood Development Services.

Tolbert called the Cox design nothing more than a concept, and said the city continues to have concerns that too many of its businesses would be impacted by the construction. No funding has been dedicated to the interchange nor is any expected to be available in the immediate future from the state transportation budget.

In May, City Council overruled the recommendation of the city’s planning commission to put the Hydraulic interchange back in the region’s long-range transportation plan.  Council indicated its priority was for the Hydraulic Road interchange be built only after one is constructed in Albemarle at the intersection of  Rio Road and U.S. 29. 

The Board of Supervisors will consider the right-of-way map at their meeting on December 2nd. Next Tuesday, the Albemarle County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the Places29 Master Plan at 6:00 PM in Lane Auditorium at the County Office Building.

2009 voter guides now available in interactive online format

The Charlottesville Tomorrow - Daily Progress 2009 Voter Guides are now available in an interactive page-flipping format.  Special thanks to Catstone Press for making this special contribution to our local election coverage offerings.  Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Click to view the 2009 City & County Voter Guides in an interactive window.

Note: You can still download individual PDFs too:

City Voter Guide | County Voter Guide

UVA Hospital Plan calls for new construction, greenspace enhancements

By Tarpley Ashworth
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The University of Virginia has shared plans with the City of Charlottesville showing how it intends to transform its medical center complex into more of a “campus atmosphere” that enhances the experience of patients, visitors, and staff.

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David Neuman, the Architect for the University of Virginia, presented an update on the Health System Area Plan to the Charlottesville Planning Commission on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. The plan includes infrastructure, design, and landscaping objectives for the hospital campus and the areas that surround it.

Health System Proposals (Source: UVA Medical Center)

Construction is booming throughout the medical center complex, with two substantial building projects completed within the past year and three additional projects slated for completion by 2011. Of the projects currently underway, the Claude Moore Medical Education Building will be completed first and ready for occupation by 2010. The Emily Couric Cancer Center and the 72-bed hospital tower expansion will be completed in 2011. A pocket park was also dedicated recently at the edge of hospital property across from Stacy Hall.The existing covered pedestrian walkway which traverses over Jefferson Park Avenue (JPA) and connects the hospital’s main building to the West Complex is also scheduled to be extended. After its completion, the pedestrian bridge will reach further East, connecting the West Complex directly with the East Parking Garage and the North Parking Garage that’s currently under construction off of West Main Street.

Green Space Improvements: Major Entrances (Source: UVA Medical Center)

The hospital has also proposed several additional projects, including a Health Sciences Library expansion, a new research center, a new education building between the Couric Center and the East Parking Garage, a new clinical building, and new headquarters for the UVA Children’s Hospital.

All of these projects are within the existing boundaries of hospital property. Neuman said that this infill development is a goal of future expansion so the hospital can maintain a connected character while not stretching across the City.

“That’s a very sustainable approach. We can focus on doing better with the existing area,” said Neuman.

The plan also calls for enhancements to the three road approaches to the hospital. Two of these, the JPA/West Main Street gateway and the JPA/Lane Road gateway, are already being improved with construction of additional sidewalks and the planting of trees and other vegetation.

The third entryway at Crispell Avenue and Roosevelt Brown Boulevard will be the “most dramatic” improvement, according to Neuman. The plan envisions the undeveloped land on either side of the roads transforming into a tree-lined thoroughfare.

“This project will be to the order of several hundred trees,” said Neuman.

Green Space Improvements: Pedestrian Linkages (Source: UVA Medical Center)

Finally, the plan proposes greenspace enhancements throughout the area. Small pedestrian malls, complete with benches, streetlamps and grass, are recommended for areas around Jordan Hall and Lancaster Street (formerly known as 15th Street SW). The Jordan Hall pedestrian mall is proposed for an existing slab of concrete behind the building, while the Lancaster pedestrian mall is proposed in the space of the existing street. Lancaster Street has been closed for construction of the Claude Moore Medical Education Building for more than a year.

Additionally, a terrace of trees and shrubs are proposed for the side of McKim Hall and improvements to the sidewalks on Hospital Drive, which runs from University Avenue to Varsity Hall. Neuman also foresees a greenspace connector from the School of Nursing to the nearly-complete South Lawn Project crossing Brandon Avenue.

Members of the Planning Commission provided nothing but praise.

“As someone who lives near the medical center and makes my way on foot… to the Corner or Central Grounds, the vision you described to transform the medical center into a campus is really inspiring,” said Chairman Jason Pearson.

Vice-Chairman Genevieve Keller thought the greenspace enhancements were of particular importance.

“What struck me [in the presentation] is that there will be many parks. This will be important not just to the people who work there, but also for the people who are there for treatments,” said Keller. “So often I see people from southwest Virginia and they are stuck in Charlottesville for six weeks to get radiation [treatment]. I think this will provide such respite and it will be great.”