Information Charlottesville

Good morning and welcome to a rainy-day version of the experimental newscast, dedicated to bringing you information about state and local government since January 1. Thanks for joining us again as we work out what we’re trying to do here. Today’s edition is brought to you by HairSmith and Co, a fine place to take care of your appearance, located at 1208 East Market Street in the Coterie Suites. I recently had my best haircut of the last ten years there, and can attest to the quality that comes with every cut. Thank you, HairSmith and Co! And now, on with the news.

A bill that would prohibit new fossil-fuel power plants in Virginia was passed out of the House Commerce and Labor Committee, according to a report from the Capital News Service. House Bill 1635 was introduced by Delegate Sam Rasoul of Roanoke with Delegate Elizabeth Guzman serving as co-patron. Here’s some sound from the meeting yesterday beginning with committee chair Terry Kilgore.

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The legislation would also commit Virginia to a plan that would require energy suppliers to only use “clean energy resources” after the year 2036.

One Republican joined eight Democrats in voting for the bill, while two Democrats joined five Republicans in voting no. Six other Republicans did not vote on the bill. A vote by the full House of Delegates has not yet been scheduled.

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If you live in southeast Virginia, you may be been moved this into a House of Delegates new district. The Virginia Public Access Project today released a visualization tool which depicts the results of a recent 4th District Court of Appeals decision to redraw 26 state House districts. However, VPAP also reports in their newsletter today that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a Republican appeal of the decision this spring.

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The Bedford Town Council has added its voice to a growing call for Amtrak service to stop in that community, according to a story in the Lynchburg News and Advance. This month, both Council and the Bedford County Board of Supervisors adopted resolutions calling for a $9.8 million grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation for a new train station. A passenger train has traveled through Roanoke every day since service to Roanoke was established in 2017, and train activists say a stop in Bedford would boost economic development.  Franklin County is also interested in the idea because it could help bring more people to Smith Mountain Lake. A study commissioned in 2017 by a grassroots group demonstrated such a stop would add 12,000 new riders to Amtrak’s service in Virginia.

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A developer in Afton has told the Nelson County Times he will build six cabins on a portion of his property off of Route 151. Earlier this month, the Nelson County Board of Supervisors turned down a request for a special use permit for that use. The cabins are part of the Afton Depot development, which is across the street from Silverback Distillery. The company Rockfish Valley Events eventually wants to build a nanobrewery, farm winery and tasting room as part of the entire project. The Times reports that the Nelson County Planning Commission was set to take up a permit for a restaurant at their meeting this week.

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Today is the first meeting of the Regional Housing Partnership, an advisory panel that will “focus on housing production, diversity, accessibility, cost, location, design, and increasing stability for the region’s residents.” Members include elected officials from throughout the Thomas Jefferson Planning District, which includes Albemarle, Charlottesville, Nelson, Green and Fluvanna counties. The idea behind the partnership is to address the need for more affordable housing on a regional basis. The meeting begins at 9:00 am at the Water Street Center on Water Street.

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This next story from Louisa County is written by citizen journalist Tammy Purcell.

The Louisa County Board of Supervisors continued to wrestle with its vision for the locality’s future Tuesday night, listening to dozens of citizens share their concerns about the county’s proposal to develop a sprawling industrial park just off Interstate 64.  In a 4-3 decision, the board voted to purchase more than 700 acres near Shannon Hill in hopes of bringing both jobs and revenue to the county. The proposed industrial park met widespread opposition when it became public last summer. The original proposal spanned some 1600 acres, spilling far beyond the county’s designated growth area.  The board eventually downsized the project but many residents still expressed concerns about its threat to Louisa’s rural character. Thanks to citizen journalist Tammy Purcell for that story.