Nothing special
Charlottesville’s fraught debates over how to address the city’s affordable housing crisis continue. At Monday night’s meeting, in a 3-2 vote, City Council denied a special use permit that would have allowed a modest number of new affordable units to be constructed in Belmont.
The proposed apartment complex at 1000 Monticello Rd. would have contained 11 apartments, with five priced for those making 65 percent or less than the area median income. The land is currently a vacant parking lot.
The permit is required in order to construct new units on the site—as things currently stand, without the permit, the only development allowed by-right would be commercial.
Last month, the city planning commission recommended the project move forward in a 4-3 vote. Those in favor of the proposal argued that some affordable housing was better than none, while those opposed pointed out that half-measures wouldn’t be enough to dig the city out of its housing hole.
Those same philosophical fault lines appeared at the council meeting.
“The five units that are affordable offer a significant subsidy to folks that are trying to get into affordable housing,” said developer Justin Shimp. “It’s very difficult to get affordable housing into developer projects.”
Councilor Michael Payne cited community feedback against the project. “There’s a lot of history here,” he said, referring to a 2019 renovation of the Belmont Apartments, directly next door and owned by the same developer, that had displaced several long-time tenants.
“I think there’s a strong case to be made that there are adverse impacts on the surrounding neighborhood, including displacement of existing residents and businesses,” said Payne, before moving to deny the permit. He was joined by Mayor Nikuyah Walker and Vice-
Mayor Sena Magill, with Councilors Lloyd Snook and Heather Hill in support of the project.
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Quote of the week
“Playing baseball games will help kids have the fun we all missed—and we really missed having fun this past year.”
—Walker Upper Elementary student Abraham Jaspen asking City Council to allow little league baseball to play games again
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In brief
Big shot
Another long-vacant store has finally been put to good use. The Blue Ridge Health District—in partnership with UVA Medical Center—opened a second COVID-19 vaccine clinic inside the former Big Lots in Seminole Square Shopping Center on Sunday. CAT and JAUNT are providing free transportation to the site, which also has ample parking. As the district receives a lot more vaccines over the next few months, the large facility will help to vaccinate people more quickly and efficiently.
Face off
Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania is officially vying for reelection. In a video announcement last week, the prosecutor, who was elected in 2017, touted his progressive track record, including the establishment of a therapeutic docket and a drop in incarceration rates. Platania will face off against public defender Ray Szwabowski in a Democratic primary on June 8. In an interview with C-VILLE in January, Szwabowski said, “It seems like criminal justice reform is happening far too slowly here in Charlottesville.”
Crowded room
Just like the other side of the aisle, the race for the Republican nomination for governor is getting more and more crowded. Millionaire investor Glenn Youngkin threw his hat in the ring last week, describing himself in an announcement video as a conservative businessman from a humble background—with no mention of his Washington-based private equity firm The Carlyle Group, and its $230 billion in assets. Retired Army officer Sergio de la Peña, entrepreneur and former Fox News contributor Pete Snyder, Virginia state Senator Amanda Chase, and state Delegate Kirk Cox are also competing to be the GOP nominee.