One thing that I do for clients is fuel analysis and cost of travel. For those who choose to live in say, Buckingham and commute to Charlottesville, they may be better suited living closer and paying a bit more for a house rather than paying less for a house and paying much more for fuel. This site (via Digg) is going to make that analysis a touch easier.
Browsing Category Transportation
State oversight over local development?
Listening to friends and clients, it is a rare (and usually misinformed) person who thinks that growth management has been responsibly implemented – locally and throughout the Commonwealth.The WP has an interesting article today that neatly summarizes the issues we face as we move forward.It comes down to trust. To a man woman person, not one to whom I have spoken believes that the politicians, the builders, the NIMBYs (add your pejorative here) is trustworthy enough to look beyond their own selfish, short-sighted self interests. In a vacuum, each is right.Commonwealth Commonsense has a good analysis today, from whom I have cribbed this snippet of the pertinent legislation: Note: if you don’t read the legislation, it’s hard to determine whether you’re “for” or “against” it.Provides that prior to adoption of any comprehensive plan or amendment the locality shall submit such plan or amendment to the Department of Transportation for review and comment. The Department shall provide written comment on the proposed plan or amendment within 90 days of receipt thereof. Also, upon submission to a locality of an application for rezoning, the locality shall submit such application to the Department of Transportation within 10 business days of receipt thereof…. Within 45 days of its receipt of such application, the Department shall either (i) provide written comment on the rezoning application, or (ii) schedule a meeting, to be held within 60 days of its receipt of the application, with the local planning commission or other agent and the applicant to discuss potential modifications to the application to address any concerns or deficiencies.Whom do you trust to do the “right thing?”… then I come back from a home inspection to this news: There will be a Special Session of the General Assembly to discuss/act on/remedy/pander about Transportation 27 September to 30 September. (Thanks to Waldo for the tip)I’m hoping that anything that comes of the Special Session will be reflected in the General Assembly RSS Feed (and of course throughout the VA blog world).For further reading, visit Charlottesville Tomorrow’s post and podcast on local transportation priorities.
Whom should we tax?
Maybe we should tax those who have moved to the area in the past five years…. fix those roads!Bacon’s Rebellion responded to the RTD’s transportation poll last week. The Daily Progress speaks this week (HT: CvilleTomorrow) about said poll and advocates specifically for a gas tax. Growth affects everybody – those who live here, those who move here, those whose livelihoods depend on the real estate market … Until we can trust our government to do what is right, no progress will be made. Should we continue to allow our regional transportation needs to stagnate and deteriorate, our region (and Commonwealth) will slide in terms of our hallowed rankings and simply as a nice place to live. The longer we wait to build vital infrastructure, the more this infrastructure will ultimately cost to build…. Those who delay are demonstrating negligence towards their constituents.
Regional transit authority inches forward
Charlottesville Tomorrow has the report and podcast of the MPO’s creation of a Regional Transit Authority…. By “regional,” they mean “Charlottesville” and “Albemarle” and not “UVA.”… They are the only ones who can build a damn road. Why aren’t they at the table?Julia Monteith, Senior Land Use Planner, representing the University of Virginia … indicates the University is taking a wait and see approach since past attempts to have a regional authority have not moved forwardYou can’t blame them. To be a true regional system, it would have to include the other members of the MSA. Look at where the workers come from – 6,000 from Fluvanna…. 2,100 from Waynesboro area.But hey, it’s a start.
Paying for Infrastructure
A couple of items:From the WP:”I think we’re finally coming to a place where growth is sustaining growth,” Fitch said, explaining that housing developers seem increasingly willing to pitch in to compensate for the stress on infrastructure caused by new residents. Centex’s contribution would amount to nearly $74,000 per unit, more than double what Fauquier County usually receives from a developer.But development specialists say the unusually large promise of cash highlights a disturbing trend in Virginia’s booming housing market. Developers eager to plant new homes in exurban locales are building roads, establishing parks and offering money — all in an effort to appease increasingly resistant communities. The result, the specialists say, is more expensive homes.Regarding the Annadale development in Orange:Recently, Silver dropped the density to 290 units and raised the proffers to $25,000 per home to make the project more favorable to the supervisors. It worked.Albemarle’s proffers have traditionally been far less.
Friday Links – 07-14-2006
As the week winds down for most (I am gearing up to continue showing throughout the weekend), these are a few stories worth reading, each of which relates in some way to the CharlAlbemarle region’s real estate market.Ardell at RCG has two outstanding posts -Negotiating Fees with the Buyer ClientIf wishes were horses, beggars would ride – a call for civilizing the process of the real estate transaction.Thinking Entrepreneurially about TransitCoolTown Studios has this:53% of 24-34 year olds would choose to live in transit-rich, walkable neighborhoods, less than 25% of middle-aged Americans are interested in living in dense areas. Source: CNU- Demand for housing within walking distance of transit will more than double by 2025. Properties within a 5-10 minute walk to a train stop are selling for 20-25% more than comparable properties further away, and going up. Source: Center for Transit-Oriented DevelopmentWhat’s a government to do when their massive annual raises stagnate?Bankrate.com under fireOnline home valuations are useful, but …The desk-top appraisal said the home would be worth $400,000, but the drive-by and on-site visit lowered it significantly, to the $305,000 to $320,000 ballpark, which Mr. Hagar said would be the most accurate for our purposes.Have a good weekend!
Sunday reading
Affordable housing and the World CupWe must see affordable housing not as charity but as investment in our nation’s future, in its capacity to assimilate and uplift and transform. Are “New Villages” next? Sounds like a rehashing of New Urbanism to me. Without efficient and affordable transit, this will remain a pie in the sky dream for our region.The Eastern Connector moves along – at a pace matched only by a wounded snail. More on this (and other) road at CvilleTomorrow.Might a similar ‘graph be written about the Central Virginia market?In some cases, short-term investors are lowering prices, worried about facing rising mortgage costs if they can’t flip properties quickly. … “The slowdown is occurring as developers put a growing volume of new units on the market.” …Environmentalism is hot.