No curfew

Tents popped up in Market Street Park last week after City Manager Sam Sanders lifted an 11pm curfew, a move he made in response to allegations of police misconduct and discrimination against the city’s unhoused Black population. At a September 28 press conference, Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis said the allegations were not accurate, and […]

Zoning in

After hearing feedback from supporters and opponents at its September 14 public hearing, the Charlottesville Planning Commission held a September 19 work session to consider the draft zoning ordinance. The commission, which hopes to adopt a new zoning ordinance by the end of the year, continues to consider changes to key elements of the law, […]

Plan of attack

After years of effort, the Charlottesville Planning Commission finally entered the formal review process for the draft zoning ordinance. Though the city has emphasized community involvement throughout the project, the September 14 public hearing to discuss the draft lasted more than five hours. City leadership hopes to adopt the zoning ordinance by the end of […]

Following suit

On September 12, Albemarle County Public Schools representatives were in court to defend against allegations its anti-racism policies are discriminatory.   Previously dismissed with prejudice in April 2022, the case, Ibañez v. Albemarle County School Board, went before the Court of Appeals of Virginia in the chambers of the Virginia Supreme Court for oral arguments […]

Community building

After getting a recommendation from the Planning Commission, Woodard Properties’ proposed Cherry Avenue development went before the Charlottesville City Council on September 5. The proposal includes affordable housing, space for local nonprofits, and was created with input from the Fifeville Neighborhood Association.   Located at the site of the former Estes IGA grocery store across […]

Toward a brighter world

When Neal Piper’s 3-year-old son Noah was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in 2019, the family’s world shrunk. “Shortly after his birthday … he started choking on his saliva and his food,” says Piper. After a swallow study, balloon surgery, and an MRI, an oncologist told Piper and his wife Valeria that the “MRI […]

Get schooled

Election day is still a couple months away, but one of the most talked-about races is in Albemarle County, where voters will decide between Allison Spillman and Meg Bryce in the county school board’s at-large race. With the two candidates running on distinctly different platforms, and controversy mounting about Bryce’s political and personal connections, this […]

Powering down

With the start of the school year, Charlottesville City middle and high school students are adjusting not only to new classes, but to a new cell phone policy too. Students must have their phones “Off and Away the Entire Day”—something previously only applicable to CCS elementary students—and will eventually be required to seal phones in […]

Kickstart

After almost 16 years of practice and planning, 34-year-old former Marine Matt Ganyard will make his NCAA debut as a kicker for the University of Virginia, despite never playing a game of organized football in his life.   A lifelong athlete, Ganyard’s football dreams started on the high school soccer pitch. “I realized probably around […]

On solid ground

To commemorate the first wave of residents moving in to new buildings, the Kindlewood Advisory Committee, Piedmont Housing Alliance, and National Housing Trust hosted community members and stakeholders at the redevelopment site on August 19.   Following a procession from the Second Street SE entrance to the new parking lot near the intersection of Sixth […]