This sounds very cool – Professional builders in Raleigh and Greensboro, N.C.have created a way to help Habitat affiliates like ours build more homes with low-income families.It is called a “Builders Blitzâ€. The program was very successful in those cities, bringing local builders together to collaborate in building 60 homes in three years. It has gained such momentum that Habitat International is coordinating a national effort to build 1,000 homes across America with a nation-wide Builders Blitz the week of June 5-9, 2006.These homes will be in addition to the usual Habitat homes built by volunteer groups.We want to be part of it locally to add to the homes we are already building.More information can be found at Charlottesville’s Habitat site, their quarterly (pdf) newsletter here and Habitat’s site.
Browsing Category Regional
Morning water roundup
WINAOpponents of a James River pipeline held a rally Thursday afternoon in Scottsville. Daily Progress“One of our biggest concerns is that developers would tap into the pipeline on its way up to Charlottesville and affect the whole southern part of the county,†(the Mayor) said.The DP also has a Special Report on the water issues.Scottsville’s anti-pipeline site.
2004-2005 Stats
For those of you who like data, check out the PDF file in the extended area below.
Realtor meeting this morning with Harrison Rue
This morning’s monthly meeting of Realtors was interesting and informative.Harrison Rue, Director of the Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development spoke about some of the most important projects have identified, notably the Hillsdale Connector and the Meadowcreek Parkway.
Water shortage in Louisa
DailyProgress.com | Louisa officials looking to solve water shortage:Although Fluvanna and Louisa counties have agreed to the basic outline of an $18 million project to pipe water from the James River to Zion Crossroads, it is still in the early permit process and Louisa leaders are meanwhile eyeing other ways to hydrate the area.The potential for dramatic water shortages is not localized to the Charlottesville/Albemarle area – it extends at least to the entire Central Virginia region, as evidenced by this story. Interestingly, one of the issues that Louisa/Fluvanna are considering is the James River pipeline.One of the focal points of this particular story is the Spring Creek development that is currently under development near the 64 Interchange in Louisa. This is a massive development that is the first foray into our market by Ryan Homes.
CAAR endorses David Toscano
The Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS has decided to endorse David Toscano for the 57th District race. Of the three Democratic candidates running for office, they believed him to be the strongest candidate for office for the following reasons – He has a solid history of public service to the Charlottesville area as a member of City Council He supports the Meadowcreek Parkway He is open-minded and has a demonstrated history of bringing together a wide range of opinions to find the best solution He supports local control of local issues He is a demonstrated champion of quality education systems He understands the needs of businesses and wants to improve economic opportunities He wants to use market incentives to build better communities while protecting private property rights He provides Charlottesville with the quality of character that we deserve to represent us in Richmond I serve as chair of the CAAR Government Affairs Committee and found the process by which we arrived at this decision fascinating, with varying points of view. In the end, we felt that his willingness to listen to all points of view was one of this strongest characteristics.
NGIC may add employees
NGIC woes– and maybe grows:The DoD recommends moving intelligence analysis tasks– potentially 1,337 jobs– from Bolling Air Force Base in DC to NGIC’s new, tucked-away Rivanna Station facility two miles north of the Charlottesville airport. That also fits nicely with defense strategies to relocate key functions out of the Washington area….Chamber of Commerce head Tim Hulbert is pleased with the possibility of more federal jobs, but finds it “highly optimistic” that 1,300 would come here. “One hundred would be great,” he says.He calls NGIC (pronounced “n-jic”) “a good solid employer” and says the federal government usually pays at market rate or above.