The Route 29 Solutions Finish Line(s)
By. Neil Williamson, President, Free Enterprise Forum
In a display of confidence and political expediency, then new Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe set an aggressive deadline for the Route29Solutions projects of October 30, 2017 (a week before the 2017 General Election). In addition, the Commonwealth Transportation Board provided significant incentives to the contractors for completing projects ahead of the mandated schedule — it worked.
Rio/US29 GSI – OPEN 7/18/2016
US29 Widening – Scheduled Open June 30, 2017
Berkmar Extended – Schedule Open June 30, 2017
Traffic Signal Synchronization – Scheduled June 30, 2017
Hillsdale Drive Extended – Scheduled October 30, 2017
The Route 29 Solutions Project Delivery Advisory Panel (PDAP) has been working with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the contractors throughout this fast paced design/build program. The PDAP meetings, which are live streamed on the web, always receive project updates as well as information about business assistance programming. The PDAP has initiated several refinements to the project.
In many ways, this set of projects has positively impacted the manner VDOT now delivers projects. The Free Enterprise Forum has been a vocal critic of the Rio Grade Separated Interchange plan and of many aspects of the Project Delivery Advisory Panel. We have also been critical of the methodology of former panel facilitator Philip Shucet. We have been and are supportive and appreciative of the many men and women who have worked so hard to put these important transportation projects ahead of schedule.
We hope our thoughtful, respectful opposition provided the opportunity to “sharpen the saw” and through our tough questions we have helped refine the process. While we still see significant transportation infrastructure needs, we believe our community, and our Commonwealth are better off for this significant transportation investment.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson, President
Bad ‘Housekeeping’
By. Neil Williamson, President
Growing up in the 1970s, the only ‘housekeeper’ I knew was Alice from the Brady Bunch. She was an important part of the family who helped out getting everything accomplished for a busy family with six children. She was well respected by the children, the community and her employers.
Now, in separate, equally disturbing, actions both Albemarle County and Charlottesville are giving Alice a bad name.
Please let me explain.
Under the auspices of literally “Housekeeping” Albemarle
plans, by my count, nearly 30 code revisions. The legal ad for the June 20th Planning Commission Public Hearing (right) was dense, even by Albemarle standards.
While the Free Enterprise Forum applauds some of the changes proposed, we remain concerned that other items are clearly being pushed through for political expediency and are being “hidden in plain sight”.
Yesterday, I literally took out my magnifying glass to read the small print. Policy wonks may read the legal ads this closely but by putting thirty largely unrelated code revisions into Zoning Text Amendment, the opportunity for obfuscation is great.
In a municipal game of “Where’s Waldo” see if you can find the second amend statement in the ad above. If you were able to find it, you would find this innocuous legalese:
Amend Section 18-32.6 to clarify that specifications for recreational facilities comply with Sections 18-4.16-4.16.3;
Reading the text above, Alice (and pretty much everyone else) might think this is just “cleaning up” some legal stuff to make it comply with some other legal stuff. But in reality, these twelve words eliminate special use permits for golf and swim clubs in the rural areas, effectively banning new golf courses in Albemarle County. [correction June 13 10:46 am this language is to clean up the ordinance, a separate SUP (and public engagement plan) will be submitted to eliminate golf courses in the rural area – per e-mail from Albemarle’s Bill Fritz- the Free Enterprise Forum regrets this error – nw] This is just one of the “housekeeping” items buried in the proposed Zoning Text Amendment
Albemarle is not alone in burying changes in “housekeeping” activities. Charlottesville Deputy City Attorney Lisa Robertson took City Council’s charge of a “Legal Review” to mean anything her office wanted to change should be a part of the review.
Luckily, the Charlottesville Area Development Roundtable (CADRe) took a long look at the “Legal Review”. As CADRe stated in their May 23rd letter to the Planning Commission:
In the case where a revision represents a substantive change that we feel is inappropriate for the Legal Review and better served by potential Amendments following the update to the Comprehensive Plan, we have noted as Substantive Change. [emphasis added-nw]
Much more than just “Housekeeping” CADRe’s letter outlined 16 pages of Substantive Changes; including the elimination of non residential uses in residential districts:
Also, what about all the other non-residential uses that are currently permitted in residential districts per the residential matrix? Is there a proposed replacement matrix that maintains these uses?
Examples: Houses of worship, temporary outdoor churches, cemetery, Health clinic, private clubs, wireless facilities (antennas, attached facilities, etc.), day care facility, schools (elementary, high school, college) funeral home, library, municipal govt. offices, property management, parking garage/lot, indoor health/sports clubs, parks, utility facilities, utility lines, consumer service business.
If these uses are eliminated from the residential districts this too is a SIGNIFICANT SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE
Regardless of your position on the issues buried in these Zoning Text Amendments, it is difficult for us to understand how one would find these changes as “Housekeeping”. Instead, we see it as an attempt, albeit a legal attempt, to circumvent the normal process and implement significant changes without proper public engagement.
Alice would indeed be disappointed in this shaming of the word “Housekeeping”.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson, President
Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a privately funded public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson County.
Photo Credit: WJBQ.com
Fluvanna Finances $8 Million for ZXR Water Project; Discusses Refinancing School Debt
By. Bryan Rothamel, Field Officer
The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors have a tentatively agreed to finance the Zion Crossroads (ZXR) water project with $8 million of debt. The county was approved to finance up to $8.5 million through the Virginia Resource Authority.
The ZXR project is projected to cost $10.2 million. The county has $4 million in cash savings, most commonly called the fund balance. Supervisors debated how much they would feel comfortable financing between $6 million and $8 million and for how long.
“I would encourage you to go $8 [million],” said county administrator Steve Nichols.
Tony O’Brien
Tony O’Brien (Rivanna District) said, “The more flexibility we have in regards to the fund balance, the better.”
The county was advised by staff to go no more than 25 years on the bonds to avoid financing a project longer than the project’s replacement cycle. The estimated lifespan of the project is 50 years for the water tower, 15 to 20 years for mechanical parts and 70 to 80 years for the pipes.
“You should view this debt as an investment,” said O’Brien.
Don Weaver (Cunningham District) said, “It is definitely an investment.”
Also at the June 7 meeting, supervisors decided it will sit back and watch the market in regards to how to reinvest $58 million worth of bonds. In third quarter 2018, the school bonds will have about a 100-day span where money can be reinvested. The proceeds of the investments would be profit for the county.
“I don’t think you will make less [later] than you are going to make today,” said Patricia Eager (Palmyra District).
The county explored a float agreement where the county would now offer companies an opportunity to invest money when the chance arises in 2018. The companies would pay the county now for the opportunity later.
Another option is to buy state and local government series (SLGS) securities. However, the government regulates when those can be purchased. Currently SLGS securities are not allowed to be purchased but it is expected to open again.
As the opportunity to reinvest the bonds gets closer, the float agreement becomes less advantageous because companies would not be ‘betting’ on the market. Another issue with the float agreement is the county would pay fees which would take away maximum income.
If SLGS window is closed during the reinvestment period, the county could purchase treasury bonds for a similar rate.
“In other words, [by not doing anything now] we are taking a risk?” said Mozell Booker (Fork Union District).
Eager responded, “Not a very big risk.”
The county administration recent discovered a new ‘bed and breakfast’. Staff has discovered 20 to 25 homes are listed on popular sharing economy website airbnb, where owners can rent out spare rooms to strangers.
The state now allows localities to regulate this new type of lodging options. Many localities have had an adversarial relationship with airbnb because many owners are failing to pay lodging (and business) taxes. [Albemarle County is considering a new lodging tax and business tax ordinance this Wednesday]
However Fluvanna has no lodging taxes. County staff asked the supervisors for direction regarding the issue. Weaver found no issue if renting your own home was legal.
“Have you had any issues?” Weaver asked and received a no. “Then leave it alone.”
County attorney Fred Payne said, “I think [the market] is so new, it is still shaking down.”
Staff offered an opportunity to require airbnb hosts to register with the county. “I think it is a very fluid market,” said O’Brien.
Staff research and return to the board with opportunities or regulations.
The next Fluvanna Board of Supervisors meeting is June 21 at 7 p.m.
The Free Enterprise Forum’s coverage of Fluvanna County is provided by a grant from the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS®and by the support of readers like you.
Bryan Rothamel covers Fluvanna County for the Free Enterprise Forum
Photo Credit: Fluvanna County
Sprawl Wars–One Rouge
By. Neil Williamson, President
Reminding me of the old Don Imus bit “Which Doesn’t Belong and Why”, this Thursday evening I will be joining Charlottesville City Councilor Kathy Galvin and Piedmont Environmental Council’s Charlottesville-Albemarle Land Use Officer Jeff Werner on a panel discussing “How Zoning and Land Use Shape The World Around Us”. This FREE event is a non-partisan project of The Democratic Road Forward PAC.
At the outset, I must complement the other panelists both of whom are well respected in their professional and political fields. I have known Werner and Galvin for many years; we disagree strongly about some things, but we have always had interesting, positive conversations/debates. I anticipate Thursday will be equally interesting.
While the Free Enterprise Form is pleased to be invited to the panel, some of the promotion for the event already has me scratching my head. Rather than focusing on the more cerebral zoning and land use, the organizers are touting “URBAN SPRAWL” Here is the blurb from the website:
“Decades of unplanned and carelessly applied zoning gave rise to urban sprawl”, I have to disagree.
Sure the zoning regulations and their enforcement had an impact on neighborhood expansion, but market demand, improved mobility, automobile affordability, as well as the advancement of women in the workplace were significant contributors to sprawling neighborhoods.
Blaming the previous planning is evidence of the arrogant planner’s paradox — if only the community planned better we would be a better community – planning is good but product must have a market or it does not get built. The Free Enterprise Forum does not believe most planners have a wide enough world view when it comes to planning alternatives.
In his paper, Urban Sprawl, Smart Growth, and Deliberative Democracy, David B. Resnik, JD, PhD wrote:
Urban sprawl in the United States has its origins in the flight to the suburbs that began in the 1950s. People wanted to live outside of city centers to avoid traffic, noise, crime, and other problems, and to have homes with more square footage and yard space. As suburban areas developed, cities expanded in geographic size faster than they grew in population. This trend has produced large metropolitan areas with low population densities, interconnected by roads. Residents of sprawling cities tend to live in single-family homes and commute to work, school, or other activities by automobile.
The concept of living in a suburban neighborhood has been a dream for many American families. The advent of affordable automobiles and gasoline provided America the greatest independent mobility in the world. People could choose to live out in the country and still make it into the urban areas to work. Today, environmental groups and academics have successfully attached a negative connotation to the “American Dream” of owning a house with a yard by using the term ‘sprawl’.
“Sprawl features rapid geographic expansion of metropolitan areas in a “leapfrog,” low density pattern, segregation of distinct land uses, heavy dependence on automobile travel with extensive road construction, architectural and social homogeneity, shift of capital investment and economic opportunity from the city center the the periphery, and relatively weak regional planning.”
—Rollins School of Public Heath, Emory University“Sprawl is irresponsible, often poorly-planned development that destroys green space, increases traffic and air pollution, crowds schools, and drives up taxes.” –The Sierra Club
Local and State Governments have joined in the anti-sprawl movement mainly for economic reasons – it is significantly more efficient to deliver government services (Schools, Police, Fire, Etc.) to a densely populated area rather than geographically dispersed.
In a fascinating piece of creative lexicon, the term ‘Smart Growth’ worked its way into the planning sphere in the 1990s. Like ‘Clean Water’ these positive terms, work subliminally to support their own cause i.e.: if you are opposed to ‘smart growth’ you must favor ‘dumb growth’. Recently many of ‘smart growth’ proponents have shifted lexicon to be supportive of “Form Based Zoning”, “Sustainable Cities” and of course Charlottesville’s “Streets that Work”.
One of the premier new urbanist evangelists is Andrés Duany, whose firm DPZ was hired by Charlottesville last year to develop their Form Based Code. Duany has co-authored five books: Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream, The New Civic Art, “The Smart Growth Manual”, “Garden Cities” and “Landscape Urbanism and Its Discontents”.
The Free Enterprise Forum believes there is a market for Form Based Codes and New Urbanism; but there is also a market for old urbanism and suburbanism. Just as we were supportive of Albemarle’s neighborhood model as ONE model not THE model, we believe zoning should not be crafted to prevent the last bad thing from happening again it should be built to allow the next great place to be built. Neither sprawl or the automobile should be seen as planners’ enemy.
In his seminal book The Vanishing Automobile and Other Myths, Randal O’Toole wrote:
Sprawl is one of those invented problems. Low-density suburbanization–which is what people usually mean when they say “sprawl”–not only is not responsible for most of the problems that its critics charge, it is the solution to many of the problems that sprawl opponents claim they want to solve.
The war on sprawl is really a war on American lifestyles. It combines a war on the suburbs that house half of all Americans with a war on the automobiles that carry Americans four out of every five miles they travel. Yet the suburbs provide an ideal medium between rural open spaces and crowded cities while occupying just 2 percent of the nation’s land. Meanwhile, for most urban-length trips, the automobile is the fastest, most convenient, and most economical form of personal transportation ever devised.
Americans live in a wide range of possible lifestyles. A fourth of all U.S. residents live in rural areas away from any cities or towns. Another 10 percent live in small towns that are far from major urban areas. While 65 percent of Americans live in urbanized areas of 50,000 people or more, just a third of those live in the central cities such as New York, Seattle, or Dallas. Urbanized lifestyles range from low-density suburbs through medium-density edge cities to high-density city centers. All of these are valid lifestyle choices and they work for the people who live there.
To be clear, any land use regulation worth of the name is a restriction of property rights. Interestingly, those same regulations provide a level of protection for the property rights (and property values) of others. The question is how intensely you regulate.
- Should local government determine where you should put your dumpster?
- Should local government determine what color red should be in the Red Lobster sign?
- Should local government mandate expansive sidewalks, bike lanes and street trees?
- Should local government encourage economic development by reducing regulation?
- How much power should neighbors have directing development nearby?
- How does zoning impact neighborhood ethnic and income diversity? Should it?
These are the type of questions I hope we get to discuss on Thursday night. The answers will shape how our community chooses to prosper and grow, or not.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson
Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a privately funded public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson County.
VDOT’s Green Route 29 Expressway
FORUM WATCH EDITORIAL
By. Neil Williamson, President
“You have to show people the ramps, you have to show people the expressway you’re building,” Henry Weinschenk said.- Charlottesville Tomorrow May 2010
Henry was right — the Expressway is coming. It was likely a dozen years ago, and countless ‘stakeholder’ meetings ago when I first heard the term “US29 Expressway”; today as I review the documents and plans, I see the expressway being an accepted reality.
Today, even as the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) is calling out highways that separate communities, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) consultant planners are prepared to take US29 over (or under) Hydraulic Road and perhaps top it with a green feature, a cap park.
One of the biggest challenges to “planning” the future is current reality. As VDOT consultants draw conceptual maps, each has a small disclaimer:
ILLUSTRATIVE AND FOR CONCEPTUAL PURPOSES ONLY INTENDED TO ILLUSTRATE BROAD CONCEPTS AND ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO REPRESENT POTENTIAL FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SCENARIOS [ALL CAPS IN ORIGINAL – nw]
While I understand that none of the three concepts presented so far are the likely outcome of the transportation planning piece of this study, the direction is of critical import.
Despite this important caveat, significant changes to the future of Hydraulic and the areas around it are being discussed and not all of the ideas are gaining traction with panel members or the community.
The concept of urban interstates was very big in the 1960s. Today, many of these same roads are now charged with hindering community cohesion and promoting gentrification. The very highways that were originally constructed to promote mobility and connect communities to each other are being targeted as fracturing communities.
CNU’s recent report Freeways Without Futures is the fifth in a series of reports suggesting the destruction of such intercity interstates. The report states:
But some highways on this list are here to stay—and even expand. State highway engineers still love straight, wide roads, and this inertia cannot be underestimated. At the very least, some state DOTs are becoming more sensitive to impacted communities. Lately, “cap parks” have emerged as compromise solutions that restitch neighborhoods bifurcated by highways by literally covering up their air and noise impacts. Denver’s much-protracted fight over I-70 came to a decisive moment last week, when the Federal Highway Administration approved Colorado’s plans to lower the highway below grade, widen lanes from six to ten, and put a grassy “cap” over a small section of it. It will adjoin a local schoolyard. The I-70 saga offers one illustration of the challenges in such highway facelifts: Many residents love the prospect of a grassy cap park, while others fear that hiding the highway beneath it could draw in a tide of gentrification and displacement. (Emphasis added – NW)
But what does this have to do with Charlottesville?
Last week, the Route 29 Solutions Hydraulic Planning Advisory Panel (colloquially known as the HPAP) heard three different Framework Concepts for the US29 Hydraulic Intersection. Two of the three concepts embrace some measure of the cap park concept.
US29 Over Hydraulic Concept:
In the meeting, many panel members expressed concern with creating such significant ‘public space’ under the highway. This option likely had the least amount of support.
Alternative B where US29 goes Under Hydraulic Road:
Some panel members were intrigued by this concept especially the pedestrian orientation of the upper plaza. There were some concerns raised but this concept will likely move forward for more refinement.
In Alternative C the “Park” bridge most closely resembles CNU’s grassy cap concept.
The “Park” bridge/tunnel is designed to connect Seminole Square Shopping Center and The Shops at Stonefield and eliminating direct access from these important job creating properties.
Reminding readers of the consultant caveat above, one part of this concept map included the creation of a large public park where Sperry Marine currently sits. While appreciative of the planners’ open mindedness, one must wonder what the 500+ Sperry employees think of their office becoming a park. Albemarle County economic development folks would be wise to be proactive in these discussions. Once maps are part of the public record people get antsy.
It is also of interest that last week’s presentation did not include any images of an at grade intersection with more limited turning movements that had been discussed in the previous meetings.
The Free Enterprise Forum does not have a preferred vision for this intersection but we would echo the voice of one HPAP member who, in a previous meeting, asked “What if, in 30 years, the community decided to build a bypass, will this significant infrastructure investment still be worthwhile?”
Significant philosophical questions remain on the table:
- If we are putting an expressway through our Main Street, should we camouflage it? How?
- How will the neighborhoods react to a designed litany of roundabouts and through traffic?
- How will this infrastructure investment impact property values and redevelopment possibilities?
- What is in the best long term interest of our community?
- If community needs and transportation needs are in conflict – which wins?
As usual, we have more questions than answers.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson, President
Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a privately funded public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson County.
Photo Credits: VDOT Route 29 Solutions
VDOT Updates Greene Supervisors
By. Brent Wilson, Field Officer
Charlottesville Residency Administrator, Joel DeNunzio, from Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), came to the Greene County Supervisors meeting for three official reasons on Tuesday, May 23rd .
The first two issues were mandated public hearings for the proposed Secondary Six Year Plan for Fiscal Year 2018 through 2023 and the Secondary System Construction Budget for Fiscal Year 2018.
Joel DeNunzio
Funding for both plans come from state and federal revenue such as gas tax and sales tax. Distribution of funds is based on population and lane/miles of roadway in a locality. Funding allocations are made for unpaved roads with at least 50 trips per day. Secondary roadways, both paved and unpaved, are considered and there are 151 miles of unpaved roadways in Greene County.
The first project which is currently under construction is Route 607 / Matthew Mills Road east of Route 29. This project is to widen to roadway and improve the intersection on the northbound lane of Route 29 turning onto Route 607. The next project to be done this year is Route 630 / Rosebrook Road. By year, below are the additional roadways scheduled:
- 2018 Route 624 / Beazely Road
- 2019 Route 638 / Turkey Ridge Road
- 2020 Route 603 / Bingham Mountain Road
- 2020 Route 628 / Simmons Gap Road
- New 2022 Route 677 / Ice House Road
Supervisor Jim Frydl (Midway) asked DeNunzio if the Supervisors could make changes to the order of projects and was told that they could. Supervisor Bill Martin pointed out to DeNunzio that Ice House Road has 290 trips per day and they may want to change its priority.
The hearing was next open to the public with one person addressing the board. Mr. Murray addressed the Supervisors requesting paving of .4 of a mile of South River Road east of Route 230. This is the end of South River Road where four families live and a fifth is moving into. Mr. Murray refreshed the Supervisors memory that he had appeared in May, 2016 when VDOT was in attendance asking for the same section of roadway to be paved and he has never received an answer.
DeNunzio answered that he would have to review his information to see if it qualifies or if it has already been approved to be worked on and to answer the request. DeNunzio indicated that there could be funds available after the Ice House Road project if the Supervisors want to use those funds for South River Road.
Frydl was concerned about holding up other projects while waiting on an answer for South River Road. DeNunzio told the supervisors that he would have an answer by the next Board meeting and that nothing would be impacted in that time frame. Given that answer the Board voted to defer action until the June 13th meeting.
Later in the meeting, DeNunzio gave VDOT’s quarterly update. Bids have been received on upgrading guardrails on Route 33 with a target cost of $1.1 million. If there is a qualified bid the work with be done from August, 2017 to June, 2018. The bridge replacement on Route 230 near the Madison County line over the Conway River has just switched to work the west side of the roadway. This project is scheduled to be completed by November, 2017. 
Martin thanked DeNunzio for VDOT cleaning up the intersection of Route 33 and Route 33 Bypass. Martin asked what VDOT is planning to do with the lot. DeNunzio indicated there is a procedure for the original owner to buy the property back. Martin indicated that the parcel would be ideal for either a safety function or a commercial operation.
Brent Wilson is the Greene County Field Officer for the Free Enterprise Forum a privately funded public policy organization. The Free Enterprise Forum Field Officer program is funded by a generous grant from the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS® (CAAR) and by readers like you. To support this important work please donate online at www.freeenterpriseforum.org
Greene Defers Doggone Zoning Changes
By.Brent Wilson, Field Officer
While attempting to follow the direction of the Greene County Board of Supervisors to review the zoning code, the Planning Commission determined they needed additional information, public engagement and increased transparency before moving forward.
Last fall (August 23, 2016) the Greene County Board of Supervisors asked the Planning Commission to review several zoning ordinances in 2017. The memo states that they are to be “reviewed for purposes of correction, modification and elaboration”. At the May 17th meeting of the Planning Commission reviewed how Commercial Kennels, Animal Shelters and Animal Kennels are regulated.
County Zoning Administrator Bart Svoboda outlined the proposed revisions such as reducing the number of dogs in a commercial kennel from a maximum of 10 down to a maximum of 5 and animal kennels would be limited to less than 5. This would not apply to personal pets. Staff did not provide a justification offered as to why the reduction was being sought.
The Planning Commission discussed the proposed revisions to the ordinances – Commissioner Frank Morris asked Svoboda if breeding puppies would be covered by this change as a business. Svoboda indicated that doing so as a hobby would not be included under the zoning ordinances being discussed. He also suggested that there may be a need for a public work session on the proposed changes. (it should be noted that only three of the five commissioners were in attendance – Chairman Jay Willer, Morris, and William Saunders – a quorum of three).
The session then moved to comments from the public of which there were seven speakers. Several speakers were concerned about restricting property rights by reducing number of dogs allowed. Several other speakers were concerned that this change might place restrictions on hunting dogs. Another speaker expressed concern that he only learned about the proposed ordinance revision the night before the Planning Commission meeting.
Willer explained that notices of the Planning Commission meetings are published in the Greene County Record and also appear on the county’s website. Saunders expressed his appreciation to the turnout on the issue.
Morris suggested that a public workshop to gather information before deciding on revisions to the zoning ordinances. He asked Svoboda how much a Special Use Permit cost and was told each permit cost $500.
Svoboda suggested that the revisions be indefinitely deferred until the Planning staff can further research on how other counties such as Rockingham County handle this issue. He estimated that it would take until the end of the summer to research and gather facts to be ready for a work session. The Planning Commission voted to unanimously to defer the ordinance revisions, to hold one or two public work sessions and then make decisions on how to change the proposed ordinance, if at all.
Brent Wilson is the Greene County Field Officer for the Free Enterprise Forum a privately funded public policy organization. The Free Enterprise Forum Field Officer program is funded by a generous grant from the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS® (CAAR) and by readers like you. To support this important work please donate online at www.freeenterpriseforum.org
Photo Credit: doglib.com
Greene Supervisors Recognize Ethyle Giuseppe
By. Brent Wilson, Field Officer
As a part of their regular business meetings, the Greene County Board of Supervisors highlight citizens that have made a difference in the community. At the May 9th meeting Mrs. Ethyle Giuseppe was the Greene citizen selected to be recognized. Giuseppe’s selection attracted about 20 citizens to attend the meeting to help recognize her.
Ethyle Giuseppe and PVCC President Frank Friedman in 2012
Supervisor Jim Frydl (Midway) presented Giuseppe a plaque recognizing her lifelong and tireless efforts in the community and her church. Frydl asked if anyone from the audience would like to address Giuseppe. Greene County Schools Superintendent Andrea Whitmarsh thanked Giuseppe for her significant contribution to the community – mainly for the youth of the county. She specifically mentioned the High School gymnasium scoreboards, the ball field at the park, the greenhouse for the agricultural students, the historical society and especially the Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) facility above the library.
Whitmarsh told the supervisors that many of the students at William Monroe High School (WMHS) take college level classes while still in high school. Thanks to this facility, this year 20 seniors will receive both a high school diploma and an Associate Degree from PVCC.
To reinforce the impact of the Giuseppe Center on WMHS students, Angelina Santus, WMHS Director of counseling also spoke along with three students. Santus told Giuseppe that she sees the impact of the PVCC campus on the students at WMHS every day.
WMHS Senior Kristin Shifflett thanked Giuseppe for having the PVCC facility in Stanardsville. This year she will receive her associates degree and will have 60 credit hours transfer to James Madison University when she reports for the 2017 fall semester.
All of the supervisors thanked Giuseppe and her deceased husband for their generous giving to the community. Giuseppe thanked the supervisors for her recognition and she also thanked those that came out tonight to celebrate.
At that point, the supervisors asked that anyone representing an organization that has been impacted by the Giuseppe’s come up and have their photograph take with Mrs. Giuseppe. A tough act to follow for the next citizen who will be recognized!
Brent Wilson is the Greene County Field Officer for the Free Enterprise Forum a privately funded public policy organization. The Free Enterprise Forum Field Officer program is funded by a generous grant from the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS® (CAAR) and by readers like you. To support this important work please donate online at www.freeenterpriseforum.org
Charlottesville Mistaken & Mistimed Mandate
Adapted from comments to the Charlottesville Planning Commission May 9, 2017
By. Neil Williamson, President
The Free Enterprise Forum often speaks of unintended consequences of proposed legislation. We believe staff’s current recommendation regarding regulations around forgiving developer fees heads Charlottesville in the wrong direction.
Please let me explain.
In 2003, fourteen years ago, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development said:
Most housing professionals agree that concentrating assisted-housing for low- and very low-income Americans in dense, urban areas is not an effective use of scarce affordable housing resources. Over the past decade, professionals in the affordable housing industry have turned increasingly to mixed-income housing as an alternative to traditional assisted-housing initiatives. Mixed-income housing is an attractive option because, in addition to creating housing units for occupancy by low-income households, it also contributes to the diversity and stability of American communities.
There have been numerous successful mixed-income developments nationwide. State and local governments have developed incentive programs and initiatives to promote mixed-income housing. In the past decade, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has provided support for public housing authorities to de-concentrate traditional public housing in favor of the development of mixed-income housing. In addition, HUD funding from the HOME Investment Partnerships Program can also be a valuable resource for states and local jurisdictions to finance mixed-income housing initiatives, or to develop, design and implement new mixed-income housing programs that address local housing needs. HOME funds are specifically designed to be flexible in order to meet local housing needs.
In practice, I have seen Charlottesville intentionally moving toward more mixed income neighborhoods as a tapestry of price points for the communities being developed.
Why then would staff recommend the following:
To ensure the affordable units are actually provided in new developments, staff recommends no Certificates of Occupancy be issued until the City confirms the affordable units have been developed and the developer has entered into an agreement with the City that these units will remain affordable for a specified period of time.
While this may look good on paper, the reality is that by DEMANDING the developer build the affordable units prior to receiving certificates of occupancy for the market rate units virtually guarantees the affordable units will not be mixed with market rate rather will be concentrated in one portion of the project. Further, by positioning the affordable units first in the pipeline this well intentioned requirement would create significant financing challenges for the development project as a whole.
If the Planning Commission is committed to mixed income communities that are truly mixed, the Free Enterprise Forum requests that you strike this language and move forward with the concept of development fee forgiveness as a small step to address the larger housing affordability crisis in our region.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson, President
Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a privately funded public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson County.
Photo Credit: http://theadvocates.org/tag/liberator-online-2
Greene Supervisors Set 2018 Tax Rates
By. Brent Wilson, Field Officer
The good news for Greene County residents is on April 25th, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved keeping their personal property tax rate steady for 2018 at $.775/$100.
The bad news is the tax bill is going up. According to County documents, due to increased assessments and other revenue, the county’s total budget is increasing by 5.22% ($61.267,707). The assessment increase alone creates “an effective tax increase” of $.055 per $100.
Supervisors Chair Michelle Flynn (Ruckersville) asked County Administrator John Barkley to review the process up to this point and she explained that approval of the budget will be on the agenda for the May 23rd meeting. Barkley started by thanking all of the counties departments, staff, managers and especially Finance Director Tracy Morris , Economic and Tourism Director Alan Yost and Planning Director/Zoning Administrator Bart Svoboda for their work on the budget.
Barkley outlined the process from the first meeting on March 7th, a workshop with the School Board, another workshop and the advertisement on the March 26th of the proposed rates. Funding for core services are being provided for, a solid foundation for the county’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to go forward has been established and the county is investing in cross-training of staff.
Barkley did address how the county will partially be funding the increased budget – property assessments have increased approximately 5% which will generate over $1.4 million of additional tax revenue to the county. In addition, drawing down of the Reserve Fund (currently at over $14 million) by $4,158,981 will balance the proposed budget.
This being a public hearing four residents addressed the supervisors.
School Board Chairperson Leah Paladino (Midway) thanked the board for working with the School Board through the joint work sessions during a period that has several significant increased expenditures before addressing additional staffing needs.
School Board Chair Leah Paladino
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) Increase $326,000
Health Insurance $548,000
2% Raise $481,570
Greene County Schools Superintendent Dr. Andrea Whitmarsh spoke in support of a request made during the meeting by the Jefferson Madison Regional Library to add 4 hours each week. Whitmarsh stated that many areas of the county are without internet service and the expanded hours will help students have internet access to help with their school work.
Bob and Joann Burkholder also spoke, both in support of the water impoundment project stating that work should continue.
All five supervisors expressed support of maintaining the tax rate and highlighted various areas that the county will benefit from the budget to be approved next month. Supervisor Dale Herring (At-Large) explained that 17 departments budgeted reductions while 13 departments requested no increase in their budget and that the increase in the budget is being driven by costs of the regional jail, health insurance and VRS costs being pushed to the county. The Board unanimously approved keeping the tax rate the same and the detailed budget will be reviewed at the May 23rd meeting.
Brent Wilson is the Greene County Field Officer for the Free Enterprise Forum a privately funded public policy organization. The Free Enterprise Forum Field Officer program is funded by a generous grant from the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS® (CAAR) and by readers like you. To support this important work please donate online at www.freeenterpriseforum.org
