Monthly Archives: December 2022

Albemarle Schools present $318 million capital request

Posted on by Leave a comment

Albemarle County Public Schools want to build two new elementary schools and buy land for a third as part of a $318 million five-year request to the Board of Supervisors. 

The two bodies met in a long range planning work session Wednesday to discuss how to pay for school infrastructure needs. The goal was to give the School Board an opportunity to explain specifically what they need and to strategize for how to pay for it. Andy Bowman, the chief of the county’s Office of Management and Budget, was clear to state what the meeting was not. (view the presentation)

“This isn’t a budget discussion,” Bowman said. “We’ll hold those in February, March, and so on. So while we’ll have some numbers and charts and graphs today that I’ll be sharing, it’s not going to feel as much of a budget work session as it will be in a few months from now.” 

Read more

Miller School seeks potential expansion to 500 students

Posted on by Leave a comment

Another Starbucks planned for Hollymead

The Miller School in western Albemarle will turn 150 in 2028 and currently has 230 students in grades 8 through 12. The school currently is not in compliance with the zoning ordinance that came along decades after is was originally founded. Now the boarding school has applied for a special use permit to expand to add kindergarten through seventh grade. 

“At first, this looks like a strategic partnership with Seven Rivers Day School who will occupy the Haden-Hart building on campus,” reads the narrative written by the firm Line + Grade. 

A second phase of expansion would seek to increase the total population to 500 students by creating two new dormitories, building a new gymnasium, and making other renovations. 

“It is the intent of the Miller School that when this master plan is realized, the student population will generally correspond with less than 200 boarding students and up to 300 day students,” the narrative continues. (SP20220032)

Read more

Charlottesville Climate Action Plan to be added to the Comprehensive Plan

Posted on by Leave a comment

City awards contracts for Preston / Harris study, new fuel tank for city fleet

When they meet on December 13, the Charlottesville Planning Commission will vote to recommend the re-adoption of the Comprehensive Plan in part to address a legal issue that may have occurred when the current version of the document was originally approved on November 15, 2021. 

In late August, Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Claude Worrell dismissed three of four counts on a lawsuit calling for the Comprehensive Plan to be overturned, but said he would hear arguments on a claim that the public notice was not sufficient. The readoption will render those claims moot because a new public hearing will be held on December 13. (read my story)

But the notice is not the only change that will be made before the public. Charlottesville’s Climate Action Plan will also be added to the document but in slightly revised version not yet seen by Council. (Review the November 22, 2022 Climate Action Plan)

“It is a community-wide plan that has been developed based on the key sources and sectors of greenhouse gas emissions and contains a framework of actions that can be implemented by and throughout the community,” reads a December 8 press release. 

Read more