New City Arts wants feedback for a new arts council

Artists and cultural organizations across Virginia benefit from the existence of entities created to serve as a clearinghouse for information on events, funding, and community. However, the Charlottesville area has not had such a body since 2017, when the Piedmont Council for the Arts suddenly closed. “I was in the position for about four months […]

Despite zoning uncertainty, development planning continues

On Friday, August 22, Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Claude Worrell will issue a written opinion on whether he will reconsider a motion of default judgment that threw out the city’s zoning code. On August 13, he hinted he would not, but also gave the city’s attorneys a chance to explain what their defense would be […]

Orangedale residents want city to crack down on illegal fireworks

On the night of July 4, anyone living in the southern portion of Charlottesville’s Fifeville neighborhood was treated to several hours of fireworks. For years, different groups have set up launch points at Forest Hills Park and other key locations. The explosions were still continuing at around 11pm when gunfire broke out on Orangedale Avenue […]

Area home sales remain flat while prices continue to rise

The local real estate market remained relatively flat in April, May, and June, while prices continued to increase. That is reflected in the latest quarterly report from the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors.  There were 1,087 sales in the six localities covered by CAAR in the second quarter of 2025 compared to 1,100 sales the […]

Albemarle’s new economic development plan to get a vote in mid-August

Albemarle County is working on a new strategic plan to guide economic development efforts that will put a priority on defense, intelligence, and biotechnology businesses. This document is being put together at the same time as an update of the county’s Comprehensive Plan.  At a special meeting of the Economic Development Authority on July 22, […]

A look at planned hotel rooms in the Charlottesville area

The number of hotel rooms under construction in the United States is at a five-year low, according to data collected by the company CoStar. The publication Construction Dive reports that the number of rooms being built decreased 11.9 percent year over year in June. While the exact data for Albemarle and Charlottesville is not available, […]

Albemarle Supervisors update regulations on solar panels

Albemarle property owners who want to install solar-energy facilities or battery-storage systems now have an easier pathway to do so. At its July 16 meeting, the Board of Supervisors adopted a new ordinance regulating solar facilities as well as battery-energy storage systems.  Under the new regulations, “accessory” energy facilities are allowed in any zoning district […]

Another affordable apartment complex planned for Seminole Trail

The Albemarle Board of Supervisors adopted the Places29 Master Plan in February 2011 as a vision to guide the transition of commercial spaces into areas where people could live.  “There is no timeframe for the vision,” reads an introduction to the plan. “In fact, it may be decades before the area builds out in fulfillment […]