The six-member Albemarle Board of Supervisors will meet at 1 p.m. today in Lane Auditorium of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. (meeting info) (agenda)
After the Pledge of Allegiance and the moment of silence, there will be two proclamations. One will recognize September as National Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month and the second recognized Claudette Borgersen as a certified municipal clerk.
The first item is a resolution officially authorizing the issuance of bonds for a variety of different purposes including the purchase of land for the Rivanna Station Futures initiative. The total being requested is $118 million including $60 million for the Rivanna land purchase. (staff report)
The second item is on potential changes to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Scale process intended to streamline staff time and to tweak the formulas used to determine what projects qualify for funding.
The material on Supervisors’ agenda has no advanced materials. The Commonwealth Transportation Board has not finished its review of the process but this is a story to follow going forward in a community where one locality has yet to complete a single Smart Scale project and another has completed several.
The third item is the Board of Supervisors’ review of the four “toolkits” that are being used by Albemarle County staff to update the county’s Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission reviewed this at their meeting on August 8 and I’ve managed to write up two portions of that discussion and hope to get the third and fourth done by Wednesday.
- Albemarle Planning Commission reviews “Activity Centers” in AC44 discussion
- Albemarle Planning Commission weighs in on criteria to expand development area
The other two are Interstate Interchanges and Crossroads Communities.
Finally, the Chair of the Albemarle School Board will present the quarterly report to the Board of Supervisors. This report highlights several environmental initiatives and provides updates on Center II.
“Center II is expected to accommodate 400 students by 2026,” reads the report. “While the center will in part help alleviate some overcrowding, it could also contribute to providing a substitute for programs at the Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center.”
This will be located at the Lambs Lane Campus.
“Early plans by Quinn Evans Architects include open co-working spaces, a café and an outdoor project space,” reads the report. “The firm says it will begin the bidding process by September of 2024.”
There’s also an update on the construction of a new elementary school to be included in the southern feeder pattern with an estimated completion time of the fall of 2026. VMDO Architects have been hired to produce a design.
“The school, which will be constructed near Mountain View Elementary School, will alleviate capacity issues at Mountain View in a fast-growing part of the county,” the report continues.
A redistricting study is also soon to get underway.
In the evening session, there will be a public hearing on amendments and appropriations related to the FY2024 budget. (staff report)
- $5,572,357 will be transferred to the Housing Fund Reserve
- $60 million from anticipated bond proceeds will be transferred in anticipation of the purchase of land near Rivanna Station
- $3 million from the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program will be transferred through the county to the University of Virginia Foundation to complete design of a pad ready site at the North Fork Discovery Park.
The second public hearing will be on a rezoning for 0.32 acres of land at Maple Grove Church in the Rivanna District from R-1 to R-4. (staff report)
The third public hearing is on a request that the Virginia Department of Transportation through-truck restriction on Plank Road. The agency recently upgraded a bridge over the Mechum’s River which allowed a weight limit to be lifted. That has alarmed many in the community who are concerned that the upgrade infrastructure will overwhelm the rural village of Batesville. So far, there’s a sign posted that advises trucks to not use routes suggested by GPS. (item materials)
There are several items on the consent agenda:
- There are several updates to the county’s personnel policy. (staff report)
- There is a resolution to approve the refund of overpaid taxes to three entities. (staff report)
- The Mutual Aid Agreement for Fire and Rescue Services between Albemarle County and Charlottesville is up for renewal. (staff report)
- The county is making three applications through VDOT’s revenue-sharing program. Which ones? Learn more from either the staff report or the article I wrote.
- There’s a resolution to begin a traffic calming project on Park Ridge Drive in Crozet between Eastern Avenue and Raven Stone Road. (staff report)
- How much money does Albemarle County have after the books for FY23 have been closed out? That information is not yet in the Preliminary Year-End Report but it likely will be by Wednesday. (staff report)
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