Cville Tomorrow News

Federal group finds parkway memo insufficient

8/31/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

A federal historic preservation body has determined that there should be more discussion on how historic properties could be compromised from the construction of the Meadowcreek Parkway’s terminus, an interchange at the U.S. 250 Bypass.

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation wrote a letter late last month to the Federal Highway Administration outlining its concerns, saying it was troublesome that the overall outcomes of building the diamond-shaped, above-grade interchange have not been included in a memorandum of agreement about the project.

The memo - whose signatories are the FHWA, the Charlottesville government, the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation - is supposed to outline agreed-upon measures that the highway administration will take to avoid or prevent the negative consequences on historic resources that would spur from the project’s construction.

Runoff rules’ impact likely limited in city

8/30/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Despite possible increased stormwater regulations, which could cause hikes in development costs, Charlottesville officials said they are supportive of reducing runoff pollution and are not concerned that the rules would hinder new projects.

In an effort to reduce the amount of polluted runoff entering the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways, the proposed amendments by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation would force the city to adopt more mandates on top of its existing stormwater programs.

The new regulations would require developers to pay a fee to get a permit, make local governments review new developments during and after construction to see how they are containing stormwater runoff, and enforce fines — which could run up to $25,000 a day — on developers if they violate their permits.

Golf committee’s pitch to save course claims botanical garden not up to par

08/28/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Softballers voiced ardent criticism about the Charlottesville government’s previous idea to eliminate two of their fields on McIntire Park’s western side, fighting against an elimination of valuable playing space.

The tussle over space is now heading in a different direction, as two groups become more vocal in front of city officials about the future of McIntire Park’s eastern side, home of the McIntire Park Municipal Golf Course.

At this point, two groups are ramping up efforts to gain support for what each sees as the best option for that part of the park — whether it be to construct a 40- to 50-acre botanical garden with trails, trees and flowers, or to leave the nine-hole golf course as is.

Firm asking for $700,000 for dredging feasibility study

08/26/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Local officials have long expected a feasibility study on dredging the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir to cost in the ballpark of $275,000, but the firm under consideration for the study is asking for $700,000.

Thomas L. Frederick Jr., the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority’s executive director, said part of the reason that the amount is so much higher is because HDR Engineering of Omaha, Neb., is being asked for a very detailed report.

The figure came as a shock to members of the RWSA’s board of directors, who were told the news at a Tuesday meeting.

County mulls fees for rides by ambulance

08/26/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Being rushed to a hospital could soon come with an added cost for Albemarle County residents.

The county is considering changing an ordinance to allow the local government to charge for emergency transport, officials said Tuesday.

Supervisor Dennis S. Rooker estimated that the fees would generate more than $1 million in revenue annually if all of the local volunteer units were to participate. The county, however, hasn’t tabulated any estimates and hasn’t issued specific proposals.

Home prices fall as under $300k sales soar

08/25/09 * C-ville Weekly [full story]

Though signs of a national recovery remain elusive, the local housing market has seen a slight increase in activity in Albemarle County. In the city, however, the current numbers are still trailing those of a year ago.

 

According to data collected by the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors (CAAR)’s President-elect and Realtor Greg Slater, people who buy properties priced under $300,000 are the overwhelming majority of recent buyers.

The CAAR Mid-Year Market Report, which came out last Thursday, highlights a steep fall in prices. According to the report, home prices have dropped 20 percent or more, resulting in a slight increase in activity and sales. The area median home price dropped $22,900 or 8.5 percent, compared to the first half of last year. Albemarle County’s median prices decreased 9.4 percent, while the City of Charlottesville saw a 6.8 percent decline. 

Massie-Wills historic downtown building for sale

08/25/09 * C-ville Weekly [full story]

Accessing the attic of the Massie-Wills residence means literally climbing the stairs, using both hands to scale the approximately seventy-degree incline. Reaching the top provides a fresh perspective on the historic designation of the house at 215 4th Street NE. The space contains a small library arrayed in bookshelves and boxes along the far wall, as well as loudspeakers, paints and a piece of unfinished artwork propped against the exposed brick. Strands of digital cables hang from a crossbeam, left by an Internet startup that rented the space in the 1990s.

 

Nothing in the attic is nearly as old as the domicile itself, but no other room in the house feels quite as lived-in. Built in 1830 by Harden Massie and then renovated by F. M. Wills around 1870 to add an apartment on the ground floor, the house has changed hands several times. Since owner Pooh Johnson purchased the Massie-Wills house in 1989, the place has headquartered a gift shop, a publisher, an art consortium and a real estate company, meanwhile accommodating tenants from married couples to the college-aged.

Recently, however, Johnson put the property up for sale.

Places29 implementation puts transportation first

08/25/09 * C-ville Weekly [full story]

The redevelopment of the Route 29 corridor has been under discussion for years. Albemarle County has recently released the implementation chapter for Places29 Master Plan that lists the top priorities for transportation improvements and land use management, among others. Yet, these priorities are deemed necessary whether or not the master plan for the Route 29 corridor is adopted. To complicate things, although funding sources for these improvements were decided upon, the actual federal or local funds are nonexistent.

Morgan Butler, with the Southern Environmental Law Center, says the implementation chapter is vital for the future vision of the corridor. “The situation is this: [the chapter] is showing us that transportation improvements are needed along that corridor to finally deal with the hole we dug ourselves into,” he says. But, what Places29 does, he says, is set a land use pattern “that can actually reduce congestion when compared with sprawling development, and moreover, can be used if implemented as the plan set forth.”

According to the chapter, a backlog of transportation, infrastructure and community facilities and services already exists. “Almost all of the improvements in the master plan could be considered ‘back log’ as they either address existing demands or demands that will occur regardless of whether the master plan is approved,” says the county in an e-mail. “Most of these projects have been planned or anticipated for years.”

Mayor meets Obama advisers, aims to attract ‘green’ jobs

08/25/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

After meeting with some of President Barack Obama’s top environmental advisers, Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris hopes to attract “green” jobs to the area by using old manufacturing plants to build renewable energy technology.

 

…

 

One recent example includes Charlottesville and Albemarle receiving a $500,000 grant from the Southeastern Energy Alliance. The grant was given to fund the localities’ proposal to create a program that will lower energy and water costs by retrofitting older buildings and installing renewable technology.

“I think we’ve made a name for ourselves,” Norris said.

Report explores county population questions

08/24/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

A new report — which some have said should not have been funded at all by taxpayer money — warns of the dangers of unchecked population growth in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

The report, commissioned by Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population, states that potential dangers of rampant growth include increased air and water pollution and an overall deterioration of the area’s ecosystems.

“The ultimate goal [was] to try to see if there were population levels where ecosystem services kind of get wiped out to a certain extent,” said Claire A. Jantz, an assistant professor at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, the chief author of the report.