I could make at least two arguments: 1 – The City Council has once again demonstrated their collective inability to stick to a plan that was hammered out over many years and was a good plan. 2 – Congratulations to City Council for being flexible, relatively nimble and for listening to the people This much is known – we need water, and it’s not an infinite supply and Charlottesville and Albemarle aren’t alone – Fluvanna and Louisa have been talking about water for some time .. … And the dam supporters had some pretty big guns: the Chamber of Commerce, the aforementioned former Supervisor, the League of Women Voters, and the Nature Conservancy, the enviro-group credited with devising the dam/pipeline plan. … Charlottesville Tomorrow : Charlottesville City Council has unanimously approved a revised community water supply plan proposal that emphasizes phased construction of a new or refurbished Ragged Mountain Dam (with an initial water level height increase of 13 feet and a larger foundation that would support up to a 42 foot increase in water level), extensive and ongoing dredging of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, a new pipeline connecting Ragged Mountain to South Fork, and aggressive water conservation efforts.
Browsing Category Politics
Transportation Costs and Housing Affordability
If Walkscore put walkability on the real estate map (it’s getting better all the time, by the way), the new online tool Abogo might do the same for transportation affordability. … Seeing this number in black and white may help diffuse the old drive-til-you-qualify myth – that you can find more house for the money the further from the city you move. Living in lower densities may pose less up-front costs per square foot, but the ongoing cost of getting to where you need to go on a regular basis is real and likely much higher. … The numbers look high to me , and my transportation numbers are going to be higher than the average user (I do drive pretty much for a living).
A (Congressionally Mandated) Faster Short Sale Decision on the Horizon?
For context, in the Charlottesville MSA – Charlottesville, Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson, right now, there are 2513 active residential listings. 72 are marked as Short Sales.
…‘(4) SHORT SALE- The term ‘short sale’ means the sale of the dwelling or residential real property that is subject to the mortgage, deed or trust, or other security interest that secures a residential mortgage loan that–
… ‘(B) requires authorization by the securitization vehicle or other investment vehicle or holder of the mortgage loan, or the servicer acting on behalf of such a vehicle or holder.’.
…(b) Applicability- The amendment made by subsection (a) of this section shall apply to any written request for a short sale made after the date of the enactment of this Act.
UVA is Getting Bigger – And We All Get a Clue
The University of Virginia Foundation has been given the greenlight to expand its research park on Fontaine Avenue.
…To get a feel for where UVA’s growth is going, spend some time perusing their 2008 Grounds Plan . The best sentence in the Charlottesville Tomorrow story succinctly pinpoints why the Charlottesville-Albemarle region chooses not to build roads .
…The most recent rezoning does not answer conclusively the future of the proposed Sunset-Fontaine Connector but does offer clues to how parts of it might be funded.
Funding and Intent Are Two Different Things
Two clichés come to mind: – where there’s a will, there’s a way – perfection is the enemy of progress People move to the Charlottesville-Albemarle region because we don’t have Northern Virginia traffic and congestion; it’s one of the reasons Charlottesville is one of the 10 most livable college towns . … The transportation section of Albemarle County’s Places29 Master Plan has been slimmed down to include only projects that have a reasonable chance of being constructed within its first five years. … I don’t know whether I’ve ever seen the business community campaigning against growth while the Piedmont Environmental Council and Southern Environmental Law Center are campaigning for growth : Carter Myers, a former member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board who owns several car dealerships on U.S. 29, said grade-separated interchanges would threaten Albemarle County’s bottom line. … But Jeff Werner of the Piedmont Environmental Council said the interchanges would provide a way for motorists to cross U.S. 29 without stopping, a necessary step in alleviating traffic congestion.
Can Crozet have Three Centers?
Downtown Crozet needs to do something to combat the challenges put forth by: – The 250 West Corridor – Anytime Fitness, Harris Teeter, medical and dental offices, restaurants, office space … residential housing … – Old Trail Village – ACAC Fitness, Trailside Coffee, restaurants, Augusta Medical facility, Advanced Center for Physical Therapy (awesome place – they helped me rehab my ankle after a soccer injury) … residential housing in Old Trail Village .
…A group that oversees planning in Crozet has endorsed a new concept to redevelop a lumber yard on the Square into a walkable and livable community similar to Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. 

…“This is a very small scale, a version of that, but what it does create is the ability to have a gathering space and some place where people love to go [in] Crozet.†
… “From [research and development] business to office space, restaurants, retail [and] some housing,†Roell said, “it will provide a variety of opportunities for people to locate their businesses, live, work, play and entertain each other.â€
Blast From the Past – Why Charlottesville and Albemarle Can’t Build Roads
Browsing through the archives, I found this comment , which could have been written fifteen years ago, four years ago or this morning:
My biggest issues with the county and city are the relentless studies and meetings to conclude what an average driver in Charlottesville could tell you. I mean I understand the point of a few studies to make sure money is being spent right, but for god sakes at some point you need to start laying pavement. … Now the county is spending tons of money on studies to figure out if 29 needs to be widened to Greene and if 250 needs to be widened to Fluvanna.