A question running through the work of Town Crier Productions is what level of planning and coordination there is between the two local governments and one state institution that are able to make sovereign decisions on land use matters.
A fourth organization is the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission which staffs the federally mandated Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization. Elected officials from the city and the county take binding votes on applications on transportation projects that would receive state and federal funding.
One of those projects is something called a “displaced left turn” at the intersection of Fontaine Avenue and U.S. 29 that was submitted for funding in the fourth round of Virginia’s Smart Scale process. The project qualified for funding and the request of $12,374,620 was granted. (review the application)
The University of Virginia is not a voting member of the MPO Policy Board, but is a major player in the closed-door Land Use and Environmental Committee which replaced the public Planning and Coordination Committee. In February of last year, the Virginia Department of Transportation presented LUEPC with plans for how to implement this project.
In March, the firm VHB presented their review of VDOT’s plans at a LUEPC. A member of the Charlottesville Planning Commission spoke about these at that body’s April meeting, prompting changes to LUEPC to ask that participants not report what happened. Read my story from April 13 to learn more about UVA’s concerns.
As 2024 begins, a decision point about the future of this project will be before the MPO Policy Board in February. Before then, the MPO’s advisory committees will discuss the matter beginning with the MPO Technical Committee on January 23, 2024 at 10 a.m. This meeting was postponed from January 16.
VDOT has worked with the firms ATCS and Michael Baker International on potential revisions.
Alternatives include:
- Move forward as planned, despite concerns from both UVA and the city of Charlottesville.
- Cancel the project and return the funding and reapply in the future for a more expensive diverging-diamond
- Pursue a different design, which would likely mean rescoring the project under updated Smart Scale criteria
Some questions for anyone to consider:
- Why is there only one way in and out of the Fontaine Research Park?
- Are there any other viable alternatives to get into the park? Would the concept of the Sunset-Fontaine Connector provide additional pathways?
- If UVA was a private developer subject to Albemarle County land use rules, would they have been required to build a second way in and out of a research park slated to expand significantly in the next ten years?
- Should UVA have a vote on the MPO Policy Board rather than a non-voting participant?
The MPO Tech Committee will also get updates on the long-range transportation plan, the sixth round of Smart Scale, and more items.
Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment comes from the January 15, 2024 Week Ahead. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.
