Cville Tomorrow News

City readies $40 million for projects

11/25/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

The Charlottesville government is proposing to spend nearly $39.8 million on its largest projects next fiscal year, more than double the current amount, mainly because of federal and state funding for a new interchange at the U.S. 250 Bypass.

The draft fiscal 2011 Capital Improvement Program shows that the city is getting nearly $22.2 million in federal and state money for the grade-separated interchange that will serve as the endpoint of the controversial Meadowcreek Parkway. The city would also provide $1.5 million in matching funds, according to the proposed allocations.

Projects in the CIP usually cost at least $50,000. But apart from the interchange, the list of pricey projects is relatively slim.

Belmont Bridge fix funds in danger

11/25/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Faced with a revenue drought, state officials have recommended cutting millions of dollars intended to help replace the ailing Belmont Bridge.

City officials have long planned to replace the aging span, which caused a stir in 2006 when it dropped softball-sized chunks of concrete on empty cars below.

“Unfortunately, there’s a lot more needs than we have money right now,” said Lou Hatter, Central Virginia spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Tire producer in Scottsville shutting down

11/25/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

The shutdown of Scottsville’s longtime tire plant will leave 106 residents without a job, according to the town mayor.

Mayor John Snoddy IV released a statement Tuesday on behalf of the town, saying: “It is extremely unfortunate that Hyosung has chosen this time of year to so negatively impact its 106 Scottsville employees; the town’s deepest sympathies go out to those individuals and their families.”

The Hyosung plant will close in January, according to Snoddy.

MCP Interchange needs more ped and bike amenities

11/24/09 * C-Ville Weekly [full story]

On October 29, close to 100 people showed up to a public hearing on the design of the 250 Bypass Interchange for McIntire Road and voiced their opinion.

At the last City Council meeting, City Transportation Planner Jeanette Janiczek reported findings to Council and listed the steps needed for the design to get official approval.

According to staff reports, City Council will have to approve the major design features while allowing city staff to communicate with impacted homeowners. VDOT, then, will begin to collect right-of-ways for the construction of the controversial interchange. After right-of-ways are obtained, City Council will have to advertise bids for construction and finally choose the winning bid.

Future of city budget looking bleak

11/24/09 * C-Ville Weekly [full story]

Less than a week after the City of Charlottesville reported a surplus of $1.7 million, Director of Budget and Performance Management Leslie Beauregard presented the forecast for the next fiscal year. Things are not looking too bright.

According to staff reports, revenues in 2009 were over budget by $254,506, while expenditures were down more than $5 million.

Real estate tax was over budget by more than $73,000, while sales tax was down more than $900,000.

Extended-stay hotel proposed for West Main

11/24/09 * C-Ville Weekly [full story]

Building to contribute to corridor changes

The latest proposal from local architect Bill Atwood is an extended-stay hotel on West Main Street.

On November 17, Atwood presented the project to the city’s Board of Architectural Review (BAR) for an initial discussion.

The hotel will sit where the Studio Art Shop is currently located—also known as Sycamore House—next to Kane Furniture on West Main Street. The Sycamore House was built either in 1935, according to the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission survey, or 1947, according to owner and applicant John Bartelt. The two-story building, whose demolition the BAR approved in a previous meeting, is centrally located in the vital urban corridor that connects the University to Downtown Charlottesville.

Planning Commission endorses wind turbines despite viewshed impacts

11/24/09 * C-Ville Weekly [full story]

For some people, the sight of a small wind turbine merrily turning in the breeze behind a house or business is a beautiful thing. After all, a turbine represents that much less energy that must be produced by, say, burning coal. Yet others may find the structures unsightly, especially in contrast to a bucolic Albemarle view.

Those concerns arose at a November 17 Albemarle County Planning Commission meeting, but ultimately commissioners voted 4-0 in favor of allowing wind turbines in the county. The proposal, which deals with small turbines on residential, farm and commercial property, will go before the Board of Supervisors on December 9.

County staff have been hammering out all the administrative procedures (in some cases, turbines would be allowed by right, while in others, you’d have to go through additional review before putting one up). Turbines would be allowed only with a waiver in Historic Districts and Mountain Overlay Districts. They would be prohibited from supporting lights or cell phone antennae.

New lane proposed for Shadwell exit

11/24/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

To help reduce eastbound traffic congestion that backs up onto Interstate 64, the Virginia Department of Transpor-tation plans to add a left-turn lane at the Shadwell exit ramp for drivers getting onto U.S. 250.

A few supporters of the plan trickled in Monday for a public hearing on the proposal.
Joel Denunzio, a local staff engineer for VDOT, said that though the new lane wouldn’t resolve all the traffic problems in the area, it would improve traffic flow near the exit.

There’s currently a left-turn lane and a right-turn lane at the exit ramp. In addition to traffic light upgrades, a second left-turn lane would likely be complete by the end of 2010, for a total estimated cost of $2.15 million, which would be funded with federal stimulus dollars, according to VDOT officials.

“It’s the fastest, cheapest, most effective thing we can do right now,” Denunzio said at the VDOT hearing.

After $7.5 million facelift, Jefferson Theater to rock on Friday

11/24/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

About the only thing Moe, Curly, Larry, Harry Houdini and The Sons of Bill have in common is the Jefferson Theater on the Downtown Mall.

The Sons of Bill, a local band with a national following, and Alabama boy Jason Isbell and his band The 400 Unit kick off the Jefferson Theater’s inaugural performance Friday after nearly $7.5 million and three years of renovations designed to bring the theater’s future more in line with its past.

“We’re taking it back to the original purpose of the theater, which was live performances rather than films,” Kirby Hutto, of Red Light Management, told a tour group Monday as carpenters, electricians and laborers hammered, glued, measured and sawed. “It’s going to be really cool when it’s done.”

Building on Jefferson: UVA moves forward with the past

11/22/09 * The Hook [full story]

When visiting dignitaries tour The Lawn at UVA, says Richard Guy Wilson, Chair of the University’s Architectural History Department, they are often struck by how “wrong” everything looks. Indeed, as Wilson points out, the Lawn’s Pavilions are a clash of architectural styles that are perhaps more noticeable to those unfamiliar with Thomas Jefferson’s brand of genius.

“Sorry, I have to say. This is the way it is,” says Wilson. “Jefferson knew the rules of architecture, but he broke the rules.”

And he broke them, Wilson explains, to create an architectural experience for students that would teach them as much as their professors did.

Charlottesville looks for green boost

11/23/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Area officials have made strides this year in establishing energy efficiency programs, and many are hopeful that the efforts will provide the Charlottesville region with a much-desired economic boost.

The Local Energy Alliance Program will coordinate area energy efficiency initiatives and oversee a revolving loan program that will help homeowners purchase weatherization upgrades and renewable energy technology. The program, which officials have said is a priority to get up and running, aims to make 500 homes more energy efficient in 2010 and another 1,500 homes in 2011.

Overall, its goal is to make between a third and half of all buildings in Charlottesville and Albemarle County between 20 percent and 40 percent more energy efficient within five to seven years.

Agency to bring $64 million in salaries to region

11/22/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

When the Defense Intelligence Agency brings an estimated 800 employees to Rivanna Station in September, it will join the nearly $110 million defense-related industry already headquartered in Central Virginia.

The DIA is relocating much of its intelligence analysis function to the Albemarle County facility now occupied by the National Ground Intelligence Center. The move will improve communications and cooperation between the agencies, officials said.

Area business leaders have heralded the new jobs as good for the area.

Hotel lawsuit won’t include fraud claim

11/21/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

The lawsuit brought by the owner of the incomplete Landmark Hotel against former developer Lee Danielson has been reduced to a breach of contract case.

Charlottesville Circuit Judge Edward L. Hogshire upheld a demurrer Friday filed by Danielson’s attorney, removing the fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims against Danielson and his Hotel Charlottesville LLC.

However, the change might not be permanent. Minor Family Hotels LLC and owner Halsey Minor could bring those issues back if they make sufficient allegations, said Danielson’s attorney, C. Connor Crook. Minor’s attorney has 21 days to amend the complaint against Danielson and his company.

State’s $3.5 billion shortfall likely to impact localities

11/20/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

 Local governments aren’t likely to escape the pain when the General Assembly attempts to eliminate an estimated $3.5 billion hole in the next two-year budget.

That estimate does not include the losses faced by local school districts to replace federal stimulus money that will dwindle next year and then disappear entirely in the second year of the budget.

With more than half the state budget going to local governments for public education and other mandated services, “we may not be able to leave off cutting [local aid] today as we have tried to do in the past,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles J. Colgan, D-Prince William.

19th-century city church reborn as a house-like Haven for needy

11/20/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

An undertaking that is transforming a 19th-century Charlottesville church into a day shelter for the homeless is nearly completed.

“It does look great, doesn’t it?” said Janet Matthews, project director for the soon-to-open Haven at First and Market.

The project was estimated to cost $5 million and was pioneered by film director and University of Virginia graduate Tom Shadyac. Shadyac purchased the property at the corner of West Market and North First streets in 2006 after spending much of the previous year in the area filming “Evan Almighty,” and vowed to turn it into a place where the homeless and working poor could obtain much-needed services to help them get on their feet.