Charlottesville–Right Now with Coy Barefoot

Brian Wheeler, Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow, joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now every Tuesday to talk about growth and development in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

• Brian explains why Gannett Fleming’s cost estimate for the new dam at Ragged Mountain Reservoir has increased from $37 million to approximately $70 million. Click here for the report from the RWSA
• Brian responds to comments from Betty Mooney of Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan, who has called for the resignation of the RWSA Board of Directors
• Harris Teeter in Crozet is building up fast, reflecting the tremendous growth going on in Crozet
• The Charlottesville Day School seeks to expand their operations with a new facility in the rural areas. The Albemarle County Planning Commission was not too receptive.
• Transfer of Development Rights discussions continue in Albemarle County

 

 Standard Podcast [28:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow joins Coy Barefoot every Tuesday to talk about growth and development issues in our region. This week on the show:

• A quick conversation on field hockey and other sports (C-Ville Weekly)
• More on the City Council’s recent retreat in Staunton as Brian reflects on what it means to be a public official.
• An update on the Regional Transit Authority
• An update on Albemarle Place (Daily Progress), which in part is waiting on additional sewer capacity
• South Fork Rivanna Reservoir Task Force continues to meet with the next meeting scheduled for September 29
• Albemarle County faces $4.1 million budget shortfall

 

 Standard Podcast [30:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow joins Coy Barefoot every Tuesday on WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” to talk about the latest in growth and development issues in Albemarle County and Charlottesville. This week on the show:

• Brian recently took a tour of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir with the South Fork Stewardship Task Force. Click through to the Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center for a 21-minute slideshow.
• Albemarle County Service Authority prepares to build new North Fork Pump Station - but how much capacity is needed?
• One scenario for future development involves adoption of a TDR program
• Could a pedestrian bridge be built over the Rivanna River to help people commute on foot or on bike to jobs in Pantops? Transportation activist Randy Salzman thinks so.
• Developers seek permission for 102-unit residential complex between Free Bridge Lane and Route 20 (Charlottesville Tomorrow story forthcoming)
• BAR finalizes size for bricks to be used in $7.5 million downtown mall renovation

 

 Standard Podcast [32:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Brian Wheeler, Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow, joins Coy Barefoot every Tuesday for an update on growth and development issues in greater Charlottesville. On the July 8th edition of the show:

• Albemarle County Board of Supervisors set to discuss land use taxation on July 9, 2008. The Board will consider a proposal to revalidate the program. Staff are recommending against an option to restrict the program to parcels that only qualify for the program’s open space classification.
• St. Anne’s Belfield (STAB) sought approval from the Planning Commission to relocate their middle school from its Ivy Road location to its lower campus off Faulconer Drive.  STAB plans to construct new academic buildings and sports fields on the existing lower campus to support an increase of students from about 300 today to a maximum of 550 for pre-school through 8th grade.
• Board of Supervisors gets update from RWSA and ACSA officials.
  
• Forest Lakes Town Hall meeting held to address safety concerns involving US 29
• Council votes to conduct performance and efficiency review, similar to one that will be conducted by the Board of Supervisors

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (99)

On the July 1, 2008 edition of WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” Coy Barefoot speaks with Brian Wheeler, the Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow. The topics include:

• The latest in the water wars- Brian talks about the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) decision to solicit qualifications from companies with dredging expertise, and the creation of a task force to examine dredging the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir.
• New hospital facility approved- The Albemarle Planning Commission approved a new UVA Long Term Acute Care Hospital on Route 250 West. Brian and Coy discuss the possible traffic implications.
• Downtown Mall renovations- Brian explained the process that resulted in the current Downtown Mall renovation plan as put forward by City Council. About 200 city residents attended a meeting to give input on the plan on June 30, 2008.
• New Meadowcreek Parkway funding gap- The cost of Albemarle County’s portion of the Meadowcreek Parkway has gone up by $5 million, due to higher fuel and construction costs. That puts Albemarle County’s total cost at $30.6 million, up from an estimated $10 million in fiscal year 2000.
• City government efficiency study- City staff have recommended to City Council that they hire a group to do an efficiency study of city government. Council decided to adopt the recommendation.
• North 29 changes- Brian details some of the changes affecting the area of Route 29 North near Kegler’s where new developments Northtown Center and Rivanna Plaza will be built.
• Berkmar Business Park- Brian previews the Albemarle Board of Supervisors discussion on the proposed Berkmar Business Park that the Planning Commission recommended be denied.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (31)

On the June 19 edition of WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” Jay James, filling in for Coy Barefoot, speaks with Brian Wheeler, the Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow. The topics include:

• The great water debate- Brian explains the basics of the controversy over the water supply plan. Betty Mooney from Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan called in to express her concerns about the current course of action and the fact that, in her opinion, the dredging option has not been fully explored.
• The Downtown Mall renovation- The city is moving forward on a $7.5 million renovation of the bricks on the Charlottesville Downtown Mall. The newest iteration of the plan would start the process in January, and finish by the end of April. The proposed fountains and Sister City Plaza have been removed from the plan.
• Deferred maintenance- “Howard” called in to say that he sees a pattern of deferred maintenance in local government, both with the water infrastructure and with the Downtown Mall bricks. Brian responded that there are definitely examples of lack of maintenance, but that doesn’t mean that local government isn’t now trying to look ahead.

 

 Standard Podcast [
Warning: parse_url(/barefoot/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress_backend.php?action=getduration&filename=http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/wina/rn_wheeler_080619.mp3) [function.parse-url]: Unable to parse url in /home/.juilee/seantubbs/cvillepublicmedia.org/barefoot/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress.php on line 151
27:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (181)

On the June 10 edition of WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” Coy Barefoot speaks with Brian Wheeler, the Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow. The topics include:

• Meadowcreek Parkway- City Council has identified their preferred interchange design for the intersection of the proposed parkway and the Route 250 Bypass; Brian and Coy discuss the government strategy of treating each portion of the parkway as a separate project, potentially in order to avoid review of the project as a whole.
• Rivanna Station Military Base- The military is proposing the construction of a DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) facility that will accompany the expansion of the National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC). The Joint Use Intelligence Analysis Facility (JUIAF) would involve the expanded NGIC, the DIA facility, and civilian support offices built by local developer Wendell Wood.
• Light Rail transportation to Washington DC- The State of Virginia is looking into competing proposals for rail transportation from Charlottesville to Washington DC. According to Kevin Page, Chief of Rail Transportation for Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), said that the largest obstacle at the moment is the lack of funding.
• County Board of Supervisors to vote on dredging and conservation- The Board of Supervisors will vote on a resolution to explore dredging and increase water conservation efforts that will bring the Board’s intent in line with the City Council’s.
• Albemarle County Board of Supervisors considering change to minutes- County staff currently publish verbatim minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings, but the Board is set to discuss the possibility of publishing “action minutes”, a greatly condensed version, in order to save money.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (215)

On the June 3 edition of WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” Coy Barefoot speaks with Brian Wheeler, the Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow. The topics include:

• New water supply developments- The RSWA today received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorizing the construction of the new dam re-approved at the last City Council meeting.
• New bank on Route 29- Chevy Chase will be constructing a new branch on the corner of Emmett Street and Barracks Road
• New shopping center discussion delayed- Planning Commission discussion on proposed Northtown Center deferred until June 17
• Eastern Connector Update- The Eastern Connector Steering Committee has decided to recommend as their preferred alignment a four lane road through Pen Park connecting Rio Road to Route 20.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (249)

On the May 27 edition of WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” Coy Barefoot speaks with Brian Wheeler, the Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow. The topics include:

• Higher gas prices affect those whose children are on traveling athletic teams, and how older gas pumps can’t charge more than $3.999 a gallon.
• Local planning body holds transportation summit - how can where you live affect how much you’ll pay in gasoline costs? How will our roads and rails be planned accordingly?
• Water supply conversation continues - City Council to vote June 2 on water plan
• Fredericksburg area seeing enabling authority for regional transportation authority - Charlottesville MPO hears details
• Hillsdale Drive funding delayed
• Camelot wastewater facility running out of capacity
• New development across from Lowe’s on 29 North?

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (204)

Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow joins Coy Barefoot every Tuesday to talk about local growth and development issues. To recap, Charlottesville Tomorrow is a non-partisan group that records various meetings in and around town to provide an ongoing archive of how and when decisions are made.

This week on the show, Brian and Coy discuss:

• Committee to recommend three options for Eastern Connector
• City School Board expected to make a decision on land for Meadowcreek Parkway
• Hawes Spencer of the Hook asks questions about the Community Water Supply Plan
• A preview of the April 28 County Planning Commission meeting
• Pie Day has been set for May 16, 2008. That’s when Brian and Sean Tubbs will traverse the County in search of pie. Albemarle County is the fifth largest locality in Virginia, and the trip is a chance for Sean to learn more

Charlottesville Tomorrow provides an e-mail bulletin every week so you can stay informed with what’s happening. Sign up today!

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (292)