The end zone
A group of Charlottesville homeowners filed suit on January 16 to stop implementation of the city’s new zoning ordinance next month.
In the court filing, local law firm Flora Petit asserts that the zoning ordinance is invalid because it exceeds the powers afforded to the city by the Virginia General Assembly, fails to give “reasonable consideration” to infrastructure impacts, and harms the plaintiffs. The suit also accuses City Council of “misleading” the public about “the scope of the changes” brought by the ordinance.
Several of the complainants assert that they purchased properties due to their locations in “low-density neighborhoods,” and argue they would be harmed by an increase in tax assessments.
The plaintiffs in the suit are nine Charlottesville residents who predominantly live in the Barracks-Rugby neighborhood, all with home assessments over $750,000, according to reporting by The Daily Progress.
The zoning ordinance was passed unanimously by Charlottesville City Council in December as part of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. While proponents of the ordinance argue it would improve access to affordable housing by increasing density, opponents cite concerns including upzoning, potential traffic, and infrastructure impacts.
The suit could put a stop to not only the zoning ordinance, but the entire Comprehensive Plan.
Road work ahead
Work will begin January 29 on a Hydraulic Road improvement project slated to last through fall of next year.
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, the project will make several improvements to traffic flow and safety in the area. Changes include constructing a pedestrian bridge over Route 29, building a signalized pedestrian crossing and reworking traffic patterns at the intersection of Route 29 and Hydraulic Road, and changing the intersection of Hillsdale and Hydraulic Road into a roundabout.
Previous plans to adapt the intersection of Route 29 and Angus Road into a Continuous Green-T configuration were scrapped following a May 2022 public hearing.
Construction will take place overnight between 9pm and 6am and start with median and drainage work. Drivers should look out for workers in and around the roadway during the construction window and potential lane, shoulder, and turn lane closures.
In brief
Crash course
An 82-year-old driver smashed into the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles customer service center on Abbey Road on the morning of January 22, leaving a large hole where some corner windows once stood. Albemarle County Police and Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene and reportedly treated a DMV customer for minor injuries, according to CBS19. Police have charged the driver with reckless driving in a parking lot. The customer service center reopened the following day.
Statue survey
The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center has launched a new Public Parks Survey to gather community feedback as it enters the next phase of its Swords Into Plowshares project. The survey is intended to help JSAAHC gain a better understanding of Charlottesville residents’ knowledge and use of local parks and their history. This, in turn, will guide the selection of potential sites for a new work of public art created from the melted bronze of the Robert E. Lee statue. The survey can be found via jeffschoolheritagecenter.org, under a link titled Take the Swords Into Plowshares Survey.
Reid’s on the rocks
Reid’s Super Save Market may not be going out of business, but it sure seems to look like it. A January 21 report from The Daily Progress claims the decades-old family run grocery store is “in trouble,” citing empty shelves, dwindling staff numbers, and declining traffic. But community members have expressed concern over the state of Reid’s since last October, when several shelves sat unstocked for weeks, prompting the store to put up a sign that reassured customers it was not closing down. A GoFundMe has been created to help keep the store open, raising over $10,000 so far.