Pop singles scene: Dan + Shay’s wide-eyed love songs and laid-back ballads have earned the country-pop duo multiple Grammys and billions of streams, not to mention collaborations with celebs like Kelly Clarkson and Justin Bieber. Now they’re on the road for The (Arena) Tour. Alt-rock trio The Band CAMINO opens the show, and adds a jolt of angsty emo to Dan + Shay’s twangy romance.
Friday 9/10, $37.50-126, 7:30pm. John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. johnpauljonesarena.com
Texas tuned: Guy Clark (left) was known as a songwriter’s songwriter. The legendary musician-luthier’s songs have been covered by a range of Nashville heavies, from Jerry Jeff Walker and Ricky Skaggs to Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson. The new documentary Without Getting Killed or Caught delves into Clark’s journey as a musician, which he navigated with his wife Susanna and close friend singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. Filmmakers Tamara Saviano and Staunton native Paul Whitfield will host a post-screening Q&A session.
Friday 9/10, $12-13.50, 7pm. Violet Crown Cinema, 200 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. violetcrown.com.
Puppet love: In Jane Yolen’s original fairy tale “Dawn-Strider,” a jealous giant named Night-Crawler captures the sun from the sky before learning an important lesson about love. Nettle Shirts Puppet Works brings the story to life in a family-friendly outdoor show featuring a two-stories-tall version of Night-Crawler that takes four people to operate. Rain cancels.
Through 9/19, Free, 5:30pm. Streetside, 915 King St. Shows are scheduled for September 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, and 19.
Ball together
All eyes were on Tonsler Park Sunday night for the Banks Collage Basketball Association Championship. Some fans set up lawn chairs around the court, and others leaned on the fence. Kids played on the playground while parents cheered on their teams. Some people drank beer, others bought sno-cones.
The Charlottesville-based summer and winter basketball league draws high-level amateur players from all over the commonwealth. The championship is the culmination of months of play in Tonsler Park. This year, Team Legends, coached by George Rivera and Eugene Davis, faced off against the defending BCBA champions Team Takeover, coached by Antoine Johnson and Justin Shiflett. Takeover held the lead for the majority of the game, until a turnover early in the second half led to a Legends layup from John “Prototype” Fitch, who then was fouled and went to the line for a one-and-one. Prototype performed under pressure and tied the game, but not long after, a Takeover layup by Demario “Logo” Mattox put them decidedly in the lead, where they stayed for a final score of 55-45.
Mailing it in
For years, residents have complained about slow mail delivery in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. After receiving hundreds of messages from constituents about the delays, U.S. Senator Mark Warner visited the Charlottesville Post Office on Route 29 last week, demanding the office address its mail carrier shortage and poor management. Warner and Senator Tim Kaine also sent a letter to U.S. Postal Service Virginia District Manager Gerald Roane urging him to fix these issues.
“I’ve been getting a higher volume of complaints about mail delivery in Charlottesville by far than anywhere else in the commonwealth,” said Warner, according to NBC29. “If you don’t have 14 of your carriers and you need 85, you’ve got to do a better job of hiring folks.”
But according to one local resident with intimate knowledge of the Charlottesville Post Office, office management needs to make it worth working there.
“The treatment of carriers is demanding and dehumanizing. They are treated so badly,” says the source. “Their work is also incredibly hard and draining. They are driving in unairconditioned trucks, and walking in the heat and cold.”
Multiple mail carriers didn’t want to speak to the press about the situation, for fear of retribution from bosses.
Due to the staff shortages, the stretched-thin carriers have no choice but to work overtime to finish their deliveries, often working in the wee hours of the morning or late in the evening. Some work as many as 72 hours per week, the source claims.
“People are quitting,” says the source. “They’re not showing up to work, calling in sick, finding other employment.”
The Charlottesville Post Office is now holding three job fairs every week, in addition to advertising jobs through mail and online. The starting pay is $18.01 an hour for city carriers, and $19.06 an hour for rural carriers.
Warner said he will return to Charlottesville in three months to make sure the mail delays are solved.
“This is about righting wrongs. We all deserve a criminal justice system that is fair, equal, and gets it right—no matter who you are or what you look like.”
—Governor Ralph Northam, granting a posthumous pardon to seven young Black men from Martinsville who were given unfair trials and executed for the alleged rape of a white woman in 1951
In brief
McAuliffe scoffs at lawsuit
The Republican Party of Virginia filed a lawsuit last week, alleging that Democratic candidate for governor Terry McAuliffe had failed to properly fill out his campaign paperwork and arguing that the former governor shouldn’t be allowed on the ballot this fall. The Associated Press reports that several state election law experts expect the lawsuit to fail.
Polls show Youngkin trailing
Christopher Newport’s Wason Center polled 800 likely voters and found Terry McAuliffe with a 50 percent to 41 percent edge over GOP candidate Glenn Youngkin. Democratic lieutenant governor and attorney general candidates lead by similar margins. Earlier in August, Roanoke College polled 558 likely voters and found McAuliffe with a 46-38 edge.
Hospital mandates vax
UVA Health enacted a vaccine mandate for its employees last week, meaning the 2,000 employees who had so far not gotten the shot will need to get vaccinated or hit the road. The hospital system made the move in light of rising case counts in the region, and also after the FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine for full use.
Falling for it: Just like local alt-weeklies, local alt-radio stations are fans of the well-crafted pun. Which is why WTJU’s Freefall Music Festival is exactly what it sounds like: concerts throughout the fall, completely free! The series kicks off with a Labor Day weekend cookout. Munch on hot dogs and chug local brews as WTJU DJs spin vinyl from the station’s collection. The live music begins with New Orleans honky-tonk outfit Zuzu’s Hot Five, then eases into Susie and the Pistols’ (above) mix of Americana and R&B before Ebony Groove closes out the night with some go-go. To top it off, there’s a chance to break a world record —the station needs 321 participants to create the world’s largest human music note.
Saturday 9/4, Free, 3pm. IX Art Park, 522 Second St SE, ixartpark.org.
The foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains rise quickly as you drive west from Charlottesville. Snake into those hills a little bit and you’ll find Waynesboro and Staunton, where a wealth of history and wonderfully preserved architecture surrounds several craft beverage producers worth seeking out.
If you’re getting an early start, head over to Crucible Coffee Roasters, located in the Staunton Wharf Area Historic District. Owners Brandon Bishop and Kean Ivey have converted a former auto garage into their coffee roastery and cafe. Bishop and Ivey have been friends since they attended Miller School together, and each brings coffee industry experience to the partnership. Both Bishop and Ivey are originally from small mountain towns, and they opened in Staunton because it’s a place where they knew they could build relationships with regular customers. Crucible has also sought out local partnerships and provides espresso service at nearby Reunion Bakery.
Just a few steps away, you’ll find the tasting room of Ox-Eye Vineyards. The vineyards themselves are in the Shenandoah Valley, an area becoming known in the Virginia wine industry for cooler temperatures, lower rainfall, and limestone soils. At their highest point, Ox-Eye’s vineyards reach 1,830 feet with east-southeast facing slopes, allowing sun exposure during the day while preserving cooler temps at night. Owners John and Susan Kiers specifically chose this site in order to focus on German and Austrian grapes, which are less common locally. Ox-Eye is well regarded for its riesling, which is among the best expressions of the grape in Virginia. The vineyard’s 100 percent estate-grown wines are also noteworthy for varieties such as grüner veltliner, traminette, pinot noir, and lemburger (also known as blaufränkisch).
For excellent beer, head to Basic City Beer Co. in Waynesboro. Historically, Basic City was an industrial town focused on steel making, located next to Waynesboro at the crossroads of two railroads. Present day Waynesboro is the result of a merger of the two cities, but in the old times, the Waynesboro side of the river was dry, and Basic City was the place to get a beer. The brewery was founded in 2015 by the Lanman brothers and is housed in a former industrial complex once home to metalcrafters. The renovated space speaks to this history, and features indoor and outdoor seating, a large selection of taps at the bar, and food service. While the success of the brewery led to a second location in Richmond in 2018, this is a truly local producer that takes its name and inspiration from its Waynesboro roots.
And if you get bored of central Virginia, blast off to the red planet. Or, at least, check out Ciders from Mars, which opened a tasting room, production space, and laboratory in downtown Staunton this May. Co-owners Nikki West and Jeremy Wimpey are focused on sourcing local apples for cider and other local fruits for co-ferments. Prior to opening, they established an apple orchard in western Augusta County to grow apple varieties specifically suited for cider making, and West, a geochemist by training, did coursework at the Cider Institute of North America. In her role as cidermaker, West’s background in science is part of the brand identity, emphasized by the 100ml laboratory beakers used to serve tasting flights. West also clearly sees cider as an artistic endeavor and seeks synergy between science and art. Ultimately, the goal for the downtown Staunton space is that it becomes not just a place for their cider, but a community space to experience local music and art.
Tips for tippin’ it back
Crucible Coffee Roasters
The true rewards of buying from an area roaster is coffee that is extremely fresh. In addition to seasonal selections of single-origin producers, Crucible offers four house blends that cater to different tastes. Before the Dawn is a combination of Central and South American washed and natural beans. It’s a bold, darker roast full of chocolate and smoke flavors. ($10/12oz) cruciblecoffee.com
Ox-Eye Vineyards
Riesling is the star at Ox-Eye. The 2019 Riesling ($18/750ml) is high-toned, off dry, with lemon-lime citrus flavors and hints of honeysuckle. The 2019 Scale House Reserve Riesling ($22/750ml) has more weight and texture, with flavors of white peaches and nectarines and a long citrus acidity on the finish. Both are excellent examples of what riesling can be in Virginia when grown in cooler-climate vineyards. oxeyevineyards.com
Basic City Beer
A full range of styles is available on tap and there are also cans for purchase. The Thresh ($9.99/6-pack), is an excellent version of traditional hefeweizen that is smooth and easy drinking with forward banana and clove flavors. Also recommended, the Motown Maibock ($10.99/6-pack), a German-style lager traditionally released in spring. Basic City uses the increasingly popular New Zealand Pacifica hop in its version, lending floral and orange citrus aroma to a bready, malty body that’s slightly reminiscent of graham crackers. basiccitybeer.com
Ciders from Mars
The highly recommended Pathfinder ($16/750ml) is one of two flagship blends at Ciders from Mars. It balances a bright fruit acidity with just a hint of residual sugar. The result is crowd-pleasing and easy drinking without being overly sweet. You’ll find a bottle disappears much more quickly than expected. cidersfrommars.com
September shows
Atlas Coffee 2206 Fontaine Ave. A selection of photographs by Katie Hickson.
BozART Located in Hot Cakes, Barracks Road Shopping Center. “Local-scapes,” landscapes in oil by Julia Kindred.
The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative 209 Monticello Rd. “Eyes on Sen Soley” showcases works by Haitian art collective Sen Soley.
The Center at Belvedere 540 Belvedere Blvd. In the Auditorium Exhibit Gallery, “Awakening to the Beauty of Pastels,” works by local group the Piedmont Pastelists. On the second floor, “Renewal: Finding Our Way Back,” oil paintings by Randy Baskerville.
Chroma Projects Inside Vault Virginia, Third St. SE. Rosamund Casey’s “Working Below Sea Level,” and Bill Atwood’s “Some Abstractions.” Opens September 3.
Crozet Artisan Depot 5791 Three Notch’d Rd. “2021 Collection,” Ninika Gordon’s handmade sterling silver, gold, and gemstone jewelry.
C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery 118 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “Beyond the Garden,” ceramic fairy figurines by Kim Clarke.
Eastwood Farm and Winery 2531 Scottsville Rd. “Oil and Water” paintings by Ryan Arnold. Opens September 3.
The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA 155 Rugby Rd. “Skyscraper Gothic” investigates the role of European gothic architecture in 20th-century America through art.
The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection 400 Worrell Dr. “Boo-malli Prints and Paper” showcases art by the Aboriginal Australian art cooperative Boomalli, and “Breathe With Me: A Wandering Sculpture Trail” features pieces by students of sculptor Bill Bennett.
Les Yeux du Monde 841 Wolf Trap Rd. Recent works from collaborative team The Printmakers Left.
Loving Cup Vineyard and Winery 3340 Sutherland Rd. Lea Bodea’s abstract visualizations on paper.
McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. In the Smith Gallery, “What I Sea,” acrylic, graphite, and colored-pencil works from Erica Lohan; on the first floor, “Mysticism vs Cynicism,” paintings and sculpture by David Currier; on the first and second floors, “Black and White,” works by McGuffey Art Center members. Opens September 3.
Northside Library 705 Rio Rd. W. Natalie Kohler’s paintings using sustainably harvested pigments.
The Ruffin Gallery 179 Culbreth Rd. “Wild Whimsey,” Emily Moores’ hand-cut and ornately layered installations.
Second Street Gallery 115 Second St. SE. “Teeny Tiny Trifecta 4,” work measuring 9×9 inches or smaller from 124 Virginia artists. In the Dové Gallery, LaRissa Rogers’ “On Belonging: The Space In Between,” which uses soil samples and archival imagery to explore culture, identity, and colonization. Opens September 3.
Quirk Gallery 499 W. Main St. Kristen Peyton’s painting series “Ordinary Time.”
Studio IX 969 Second St. SE. “A Whisper in the Night,” paper-cut and woven works by Sri Kodakalla.
Unitarian-Universalist Church 717 Rugby Rd. Online exhibit of paintings by Sara Gondwe.
Visible Records 1740 Broadway St. “Tiajue Tocha (let’s go home)” showcases works exploring brickmaking by the Mexican art collective Rasquache.
The Stage at WTJU 2244 Ivy Road. WTJU, The Bridge PAI, and UVA Music partner for “We Hope This Art Finds You Well,” an exhibition and community arts time capsule in response to the pandemic. Opens September 11.
This Saturday, the Virginia Cavaliers will return to a full-capacity Scott Stadium for the first time in almost two years. The team will face considerable opposition if it wants to repeat its ACC Coastal Division-winning 2019 performance: Most preseason polls have UVA finishing fifth of eight teams in the Coastal, trailing UNC, Miami, Pitt, and Virginia Tech. UNC and Miami in particular boast strong, star-packed rosters.
But for the Wahoo faithful, there’s plenty of reason to believe. The Cavs handled the tumult of the pandemic remarkably well in 2020, winning four of their last five games to finish the season at 5-5. And heading into 2021, the roster has quite a few players who were a part of the memorable 2019 season, which saw Bryce Perkins lead the Cavaliers to their first ACC Championship appearance in program history.
On offense
UVA will shine on offense this season. The 2020 unit averaged 30.7 points per game, the first time UVA has averaged more than 30 points per game in the ACC. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong, the 6’2″, 215-pound redshirt junior from Shelby, Ohio, will lead the charge. Armstrong threw for 2,117 yards and 18 touchdowns, and was the Cavaliers’ leading rusher with 552 yards in 2020. He also threw 11 interceptions, more than competitors like UNC’s Sam Howell (seven) and Miami’s D’Eriq King (five).
Armstrong is one of seven returning quarterbacks in the country with a ProFootballFocus rating over 90. With spring and summer training curtailed by COVID in 2020, he struggled to find rapport with his offense, especially in the early part of the season. After a full season as the starter and a full offseason of work, Armstrong should be better than ever come fall.
The secret to UVA’s success this year will be keeping the team’s signal caller healthy and out of harm’s way—which is where the Cavaliers’ offensive line comes in. The OL has six key linemen returning: Olusegun Oluwatimi, Ryan Nelson, Chris Glaser, Ryan Swoboda, Bobby Haskins, and Joe Bissinger. Although the starting five have yet to be announced, it’s safe to say that Armstrong has experienced men protecting him.
A good quarterback is nothing without quality receivers and running backs, and luckily Armstrong has plenty. Senior Keytaon Thompson, who serves as a back-up quarterback and wide receiver, returns for the Hoos after rushing 39 times for 234 yards and three touchdowns, and catching seven passes for 98 yards and three TDs. Senior wide receiver Billy Kemp IV is a solid option for Armstrong as well, after rushing 644 yards and securing one touchdown in 2020. Kemp will also be the team’s starting punt returner. Big man Lavel Davis, Jr. made waves last season with 20 receptions for 515 yards and five touchdowns before tearing his ACL. Davis was originally slated to return in November, but in a recent press conference Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall teased a potential earlier return. Dontayvion Wicks, who was out last season due to injury, and Ra’Shaun Henry, who racked up 206 yards and four touchdowns in 2020, are valuable options for Armstrong as well.
The Cavaliers have three play-making running backs available to start: senior Wayne Taulapapa, sophomore Mike Hollins, and senior Ronnie Walker, Jr. Taulapapa returns for the Hoos after rushing for 395 yards in 2020. He’ll look to add to his 17 career touchdowns. Hollins opted out of the 2020 season but secured three touchdowns in 2019. Walker ran for 66 yards in four games after transferring from Indiana halfway through last year.
At tight end, Armstrong has an exciting new target to aim for: Jelani Woods, a 6’7″, 275 lb transfer from Oklahoma State. When he arrived at UVA, Woods selected the number 0 for his jersey, because, Woods says, 0 is the number of people who can stop him. Now that’s the right attitude.
On defense
The secondary will make or break the season for UVA. In 2020, the defense struggled, in part due to injury, giving up an average of 442.9 yards per game (10th in the ACC), 6.4 yards per play (14th in the ACC), and 29.6 points per game (ninth in ACC). The defensive backfield allowed 304 passing yards per game, which ranked last in the ACC and 123rd out of 127 FBS teams.
On the bright side, last season’s Hoos finished fourth in the ACC in rushing yards allowed per game, sixth in sacks with 32, and sixth in interceptions with 11. These aren’t extraordinary numbers, but at least the team has a foundation to build on entering the season.
Nick Jackson is the linebacker to watch. As an inside linebacker, he earned a spot on the all-ACC Third Team in 2020 after leading the Hoos with 105 tackles on the inside (ranked sixth nationally) and averaged 10.5 tackles per game (second in the ACC). Jackson was named to the preseason watchlist for the Butkus Award, which goes to the best linebacker in the country.
Senior safeties Joey Blount and De’Vante Cross are ready to rectify the mistakes of last season. Blount, an all-ACC performer in 2019, missed time in 2020 due to an injury but still managed one interception, one forced fumble, and a sack. Cross started all 10 games in 2020 and finished the season with 29 tackles, two interceptions, one sack, and six passes defended.
Senior cornerback Nick Grant is aided by the addition of grad transfer Anthony Johnson. Grant had 31 total tackles (25 solo), one forced fumble, and two interceptions in 2020. In 2019, Johnson had 27 total tackles, six points defended, three forced fumbles, and one interception at Louisville.
The defensive line is filled with experienced returning starters: Mandy Alonso, Adeeb Atariwa, Aaron Faumui, and Jahmeer Carter, plus freshman Bryce Carter, UVA’s highest-ranked recruit for 2021.
ON the competition
The Cav’s opening game against William & Mary should get the team off the mark with a win. After that, things quickly get more difficult: UVA has September road games against the season’s two highest-ranked ACC opponents, UNC and Miami. Both programs boast star quarterbacks: UNC starting passer Sam Howell is on the watchlist for the Heisman, and dynamite Miami quarterback D’Eriq King returns for the Hurricanes after tearing his meniscus and ACL.
The Hoos have a dismal record on the road in recent years. They went 2-3 on the road in 2019 and 0-4 in 2020. Even so, UVA has beaten UNC for the past four years, including last season with Howell under center.
Miami, however, is a different story. UVA has lost to Miami on the road three times in the past four years. The Cavs beat Miami in 2018, when the Hoos and Hurricanes met at Scott Stadium, where UVA was able to pull off a three-point victory. Despite a stacked offensive roster, the Cavaliers may need a miracle to win at Miami on September 30.
Later in the season, UVA can look forward to a tough home game against highly ranked Notre Dame, and a tricky matchup against Pitt in Pittsburgh on November 20. Then on November 27, Virginia Tech comes to town, and UVA will attempt to win the Commonwealth Cup for just the second time in the last 18 seasons.
It’s the million dollar question, isn’t it: Will UVA beat Tech? The Hokies shouldn’t be any great shakes this season, coming off a three-year run where the team accumulated a 19-18 record. Quarterback Braxton Burmeister had an injury-riddled, inconsistent season last year before leading Tech to victory over UVA in the annual November matchup. The Hokies lost their best offensive lineman and running back to the NFL, but added a transfer from Clemson along the defensive line.
With any luck, a jam-packed Scott Stadium crowd will cheer the Hoos as they topple their arch rivals in November. We can dream, can’t we?
Home sweet home
The Cavaliers are 16-2 at home over the last three seasons. They’re 6-13 when playing away from Charlottesville during the same stretch. That home-field advantage should continue this season, as Scott Stadium will be open to its full 61,500-seat capacity to start the season.
Old friends
UVA Class of 2019 star quarterback Bryce Perkins has impressed in this year’s NFL preseason—Perkins threw for more than 450 yards and three touchdowns over the course of the Los Angeles Rams’ three preseason games. The Arizona native went undrafted in 2019 and spent 2020 on the Rams’ practice squad, but now looks set to enter the season as L.A.’s third-string passer.
Environmental activists celebrated last summer when Dominion Energy announced it was canceling the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which would have brought natural gas 600 miles from West Virginia to North Carolina, crossing right through central Virginia and disrupting a historically Black community in rural Buckingham County. Activists have since turned their focus to the many other environmental issues across the state, from the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline in western Virginia to rising sea levels in Hampton Roads.
Last week, state legislators learned more about the importance of addressing such issues through an equity lens at the first-ever Virginia Environmental Justice Retreat, hosted by the Climate Equity Work Group. Founded in 2019, the organization—composed of representatives from activist groups Appalachian Voices, New Virginia Majority, Progress Virginia, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, and Virginia Organizing—advocates for environmental reforms with a strong focus on racial and economic justice in Virginia.
The two-day virtual retreat featured a dozen speakers, including activists, lawyers, scientists, and more. Thirteen legislators were in attendance, including state Senator Creigh Deeds, who represents Charlottesville and part of Albemarle County.
“Our goal was to meet with, convene with, co-learn, collaborate, and have shared dialogue with our state leaders who have been clearly supportive on these issues in the General Assembly, [and] in their districts,” says Tyneshia Griffin, environmental policy research analyst for New Virginia Majority, a progressive legislation advocacy group. “We really wanted to come together with them, and go a little bit deeper on these issues, so we work from the same foundation and values.”
“This was a way [legislators] could take a bird’s eye view of their work, and why it’s so important they center climate and environmental justice,” adds Faith Harris, co-director of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, which encourages religious communities to adopt sustainable living practices. “They can accomplish most of their environmental goals by centering climate and environmental justice.”
The retreat focused on the equity issues that come with transitioning to renewable energy, like wind and solar, and the communities often left behind, such as coal miners.
“There needs to be thought and expertise given to how we make that move without bringing harm to those communities that have been based in the fossil fuel industry,” says Harris. “How do we retrain people, recreate services, and rebuild communities based on the loss of the fossil fuel industry?”
Speakers also highlighted a new environmental-justice mapping tool, commissioned by the Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative, which identifies communities in Virginia that face a disproportionate pollution burden, and therefore could require strategic investment and resources. According to the tool, parts of Charlottesville have a high pollution burden, including Ridge Street, Cherry Avenue, and Greenbrier Drive.
“It was great to learn there are tools that can actually map out communities,” says state Delegate Sam Rasoul, who also attended the retreat. “There are related policies that will hopefully be able to be crafted with all of that in mind. As we’re developing the communities of the future, we need to ensure we have these tools at our disposal.”
“Any environmental plan must be environmentally just, in a sense that it must be socially just, and racially and economically uplift communities,” he adds. “We must have these conversations in an intersectional way.”
Throughout the retreat, speakers emphasized how environmental issues around the state intersect with ongoing efforts to improve equity in the state. For instance, the transition to electric cars must coincide with a drastic improvement in public transportation, particularly for low-wealth communities that cannot yet afford electric cars.
“In trying to think through what their priorities ought to be, [politicians] hear these as separate issues,” says Harris. “What we’re trying to do is help them see from a larger framework that they’re all connected.”
The Climate Equity Work Group hopes to host the retreat annually, and feature more speakers and legislators next year.
“I hope that we will be able to take what we learned and really integrate it into our policies,” says Rasoul. “It’s not just enough to advocate for renewable energy—we have to be more holistic in our approach and make sure that environmental and intersectional justice is front and center.”
“I took away a sense of hope about what’s possible for Virginia, and ultimately for our planet,” says Harris. “What we do here has a long reaching impact.”
The latest version of the Future Land Use Map, a much-debated document that will guide Charlottesville’s development as the city begins to rewrite its zoning code, is out for review. The map is intended to steer Charlottesville toward a future with more affordable places to live.
“We believe this draft continues to support the goal of increasing housing options and affordability throughout the city, by supporting multifamily residential at a variety of scales, on all residential parcels,” said Jennifer Koch of the firm Rhodeside & Harwell (RHI).
Others aren’t so sure, including at least one member of the Planning Commission.
“We were promised a process that would be intentional about centering the voices of those who haven’t historically been considered in land use decision making,” said Rory Stolzenberg in a comment on Twitter this past Sunday. “Now it appears that [Cville Plans Together] is specifically prioritizing our wealthiest landowners.”
In late 2019, the city hired RHI to restart a review of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. The first step of that process was to enact an affordable housing plan, which City Council did in March. One high-level priority in the plan is “to address the legacy of exclusionary zoning and constrained housing supply in Charlottesville.”
In order to meet that goal, RHI drafted a land use map, showing where zoning could change in the city to allow more density. In late March, the Planning Commission saw the first version of the map, and a majority of commissioners asked for higher by-right density across the city, particularly in neighborhoods that are currently predominated by single family homes.
RHI took those comments into consideration and released a second map in late April. At that point, some residents of singe-family neighborhoods expressed concerns that their land was being designated for “medium-intensity residential” with as many as 12 units allowed per lot. Several “neighborhood mixed-use nodes,” spots where commercial buildings could be added to residential neighborhoods, were spread around the city, which also drew the ire of some homeowners.
A group called Citizens for Responsible Planning formed to oppose the changes. At the same time, the Charlottesville Low-Income Housing Coalition led a campaign to push for higher densities.
The latest map scales back many of the more ambitious proposals in from the April version. In the April map, the Lewis Mountain neighborhood had been designated as medium-intensity. In the newest iteration, that has mostly changed back to general residential. Similar scope reductions were made in the Barracks/Rugby and North Downtown neighborhoods.
The text definition for “general residential” has changed as well, reducing theoretical building height from 3.5 stories to 2.5. However, four units would be allowed on each lot if the fourth one was kept below market value. The first two maps limited that to three.
A person speaking for Citizens for Responsible Planning said in an email that the latest version is an improvement over the May version. The spokesperson did not want to be identified, but the group’s physical address is the law firm Flora Pettit.
“We are happy to see some of the more obviously inappropriate Mixed-Use Nodes have been nixed, a few Medium Intensity Residential zones have been pared back, emphasis on actual affordable housing production has been increased, and verbiage has been added to suggest multifamily buildings should be ‘house-sized,’ consider the context of surrounding neighborhoods and respect more reasonable height limits,” reads the email.
Another group, Livable Cville, has formed to advocate for increased density across the city. Its letter to the Planning Commission asks for the restoration of the second map so that more triplexes and quadplexes can be built across the city.
“It appears the revised [map] you are considering this week will likely significantly limit Charlottesville’s ability to meet its goal of providing additional multifamily housing without furthering displacement,” reads the letter. “In some cases, the latest draft makes it harder to build new homes than the status quo.”
Other changes in the map reflect rezoning applications that are making their way through the process. Piedmont Housing Alliance is seeking to build 145 units on a section of Park Street, north of the U.S. 250 bypass. That land is currently designated as low-intensity residential but the new map has increased that to “high-intensity residential.”
The latest draft also includes a proposed overlay for “sensitive communities” in areas with households believed to be prone to displacement. The city’s Housing Advisory Committee argues that the new plan should limit new high-density developments in communities like 10th and Page and Fifeville.
“Retaining existing homes and residents, and supporting homeownership and generational wealth-building, is important throughout the city, but there are sensitive areas that may require additional affordability requirements, incentives, or other tools to support these goals,” reads a portion of RHI’s presentation to the Planning Commission.
The Planning Commission discussed the land use map at a meeting on Tuesday night that took place too late for this edition. Cville Plans Together will host a public steering committee meeting over Zoom on Wednesday, September 1. Watch this space for updates on the Comprehensive Plan process in the coming weeks.