Cville Tomorrow News

Born and razed: Preservationists won't forget Beta House

1/29/09 * The Hook [full story]

William Faulkner was describing the history of the American South when he wrote "The past is never dead. In fact, it's not even past."

But he could have just as easily been talking about preservationists. It's been over a year since the Compton, a.ka. Beta House on Maury Avenue was demolished by the Jefferson Scholars Foundation and VMDO Architects to make way for a new 25,000 square-foot, $21 million headquarters (more than $800 per square foot!). Preservationists, however, appear unwilling to forget.

On December 27, the one year anniversary of the demolition, a group of local preservationists created a "memorial column" made out of salvaged terra cotta roof tiles from the house, which was displayed in the backyard of an individual who wishes to remain anonymous.

Area officials mull whether to pursue transit authority

1/30/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Having had their bid for new taxing power rejected by state lawmakers, Charlottesville and Albemarle officials are considering whether it is still worth forming a regional transit authority.

Lawmakers on Wednesday took up the two pieces of legislation on the matter — one to create a regional transit authority and another to ask voters for permission to raise the sales tax by up to one cent to pay for transit and transportation projects. While the regional transit authority bill flew through, the tax bill was killed in a 6-2 vote by a House Finance subcommittee.

“That was completely expected and yet still disappointing,” Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris said. “Clearly the committee was not willing to trust the voters.”

City’s assessment growth stagnates

1/30/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Real-estate assessment growth is slowing to a near halt in Charlottesville, with the average existing home and commercial property values increasing only 1.69 percent last year after seeing double-digit growth just a few years ago.

The city’s assessment growth peaked in 2006, when there was a 15.34 percent average increase among existing residential and commercial properties.

City figures released Thursday show that existing home values still managed to increase an average of 1.02 percent last year, despite the state of the national housing market. The slight hike means that many residents will not see large changes in their real-estate tax bills, as the rate remains set at 95 cents per $100 of assessed value and is unlikely to change in the upcoming budget.

Albemarle assessed property values drop

1/30/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Overall assessed property values in Albemarle County have declined for the first time in at least a quarter of a century.

Excluding new construction, 2009 property values declined 2.59 percent from 2008 values, according to assessments being mailed to property owners today.

Property values, which were assessed every two years prior to 2008, increased 18.74 percent from 2001 to 2003, then rose 27.21 percent in 2005 and 29.8 percent in 2007 before slowing to a .14 percent increase in 2008. This year, the average slid downward.

Committee blocks bill on local tax

1/29/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

RICHMOND —State lawmakers shot down a proposal Wednesday that would have allowed Charlottesville and Albemarle County to ask voters for permission to increase the local sales tax by up to one percent to pay for local transit and transportation projects.

A subcommittee of the House Finance Committee killed the proposal in a 6-2 vote Wednesday afternoon, scuttling the local governments’ hopes to establish a new revenue stream that would pay for numerous roads projects that are stalled because of dwindling state funding.

“This bill has been defeated. It can’t come back this session,” said the bill’s patron, Del. David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville. “They didn’t even want to give the voters a chance to decide if they’d be willing to pay higher taxes for transportation.”

Rail system needs funding

1/29/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

A bill by Del. David Toscano may be one key to getting improved passenger rail to Charlottesville and other parts of the commonwealth.
Mr. Toscano has proposed allowing passenger rail to share in the Rail Enhancement Fund, a state fund that now assists freight lines with rail improvements.
“The challenge that we have in Virginia is that we have no way of funding inter-city passenger rail,” he said.

“If we want to build up the grid, states are going to have to be involved with whatever entity is going to be responsible for running the rails.”
For the most part, that’s expected to be Amtrak. Northern Virginia has the Virginia Rail Express, but the rest of the state will either have to build its own light-rail systems or work out better collaborations with Amtrak.

Part of the value of the REF is that it is funded by a dedicated revenue source from Virginia’s car rental tax, generating millions of dollars. As calculated by the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, some of the projects partially funded by this source generate public benefits of 15- or 16-to-1.
For instance, one project from 2006 — improvements at the Port of Richmond, at a public benefit ratio of 10-1 — was estimated to save the equivalent of more than 53 million car miles, nearly 41 million truck miles and save nearly 8 million gallons of fuel over 20 years. The recommended level of REF funding was only $140,000.

VDOT to hold series of U.S. 29 meetings

1/29/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a series of public meetings in the coming weeks on the U.S. 29 Corridor Study.
All meetings in Central Virginia will take place from 4 to 7 p.m.

Nelson County residents can attend a meeting on Feb. 5 at Tye River Elementary School in Arrington; a meeting for Charlottesville and Albemarle residents will take place Feb. 9 at the county’s Fifth Street Office Building; and a meeting for Madison and Greene County residents is scheduled for Feb. 11 at the Madison Volunteer Fire Department.

Additional information is available on VDOT’s Web site at http://www.virginiadot.org/route29.

City, county form priorities for transit tax

1/28/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Charlottesville and Albemarle County officials have agreed to fund transit expansion and other transportation projects jointly, but clear areas of interest have emerged in each locality should the ability to levy taxes be granted.

Elected officials from both local governments are urging the General Assembly today to allow for the creation of a regional transit authority, which would oversee the expansion of the local bus system and even out its financial burden between the city and county. The officials also seek the ability to raise the sales tax by a penny at most to raise funds for transit and transportation projects, as state transportation funding continues to dry up in light of the budget crisis.

“There’s not much difference in the way we view the region’s transportation issues,” Albemarle Supervisor Dennis S. Rooker said.

Reservoir report finally completed, but now what?

1/28/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

When a task force finalized its blueprint for the future of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir this week, it punted controversial decisions about dredging back to local officials.

The 25-page report details benefits of dredging the reservoir to remove sediment that has built up for decades. However, the report falls short of recommending dredging, suggesting instead how officials can decide for themselves whether “selective dredging” should be in Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s playbook.

So what’s it mean?

Transit tax bill dies in committee

1/28/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

RICHMOND – State lawmakers today shot down a proposal that would have allowed Charlottesville and Albemarle County to ask voters for the power to raise the local sales tax by up to a cent to pay for local transit and transportation projects.

A subcommittee of the House Finance Committee killed the proposal this afternoon in a 6-2 vote.

“This bill has been defeated. It can’t come back this session,” said Del. David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville.
“They didn’t even want to give the voters a chance to decide if they’re willing to pay higher taxes for transportation.”