In one of Charlottesville’s warmest neighborhoods, John Hunter’s yard feels like a cool oasis. An array of waist-high shrubs and groundcover fills the property, while a billowy corkscrew willow, a hardy black walnut, and several juvenile trees cast shade over the space. Come summer, the plants go a long way toward helping Hunter and his […]
In one of Charlottesville’s warmest neighborhoods, John Hunter’s yard feels like a cool oasis. An array of waist-high shrubs and groundcover fills the property, while a billowy corkscrew willow, a hardy black walnut, and several juvenile trees cast shade over the space. Come summer, the plants go a long way toward helping Hunter and his […]
The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors adopted a $644 million FY26 budget on May 7. The budget is balanced with a 4-cent increase to the real property tax rate, and a restoration of the pre-pandemic personal property tax rate. New rates go into effect on July 1, for an overall real property tax rate of […]
Charlottesville has seen many periods of growth since its founding in 1762, and new development rules adopted in late 2023 point the way to a more dense future. Along the way, city leaders have made decisions about whether some buildings should be preserved, assigning the Board of Architectural Review—the governing body that makes such decisions—a […]
The U.S. Department of Education rescinded its recommendation that Charlottesville City Schools acquire the site of the former Federal Executive Institute. In a May 9 email to CCS, the DOE said it will instead recommend the U.S. General Services Administration move forward with the University of Virginia’s bid for the property. “Upon further review of […]
The Commonwealth of Virginia purchased nearly 1,200 acres of land at Biscuit Run in late 2009 in order to create a new state park, but funding to build the various components did not materialize. In 2018, Albemarle County entered into a 99-year lease with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation to open the space […]
When an investment firm purchased the former Cavalier Crossing apartment complex on Fifth Street Extended last year, affordable housing advocates were horrified that the intent was to convert the 144 existing units to market rate. Now Bonaventure has filed plans with Albemarle to rezone the property to allow construction of 165 new units and comply […]
It’s primary season in Virginia, and here’s what is—and notably isn’t—on the ballot June 17. Virginia and New Jersey’s off-year elections are historically treated as bellwethers, taking the temperature of public opinion one year after presidential elections. Despite the hoopla, there’s no gubernatorial primary in Virginia this June, with Abigail Spanberger and Lt. Gov. Winsome […]
The Charlottesville City School Board has officially rezoned its elementary schools for the first time in more than 50 years. While the months-long process was the source of heated debate earlier this year, the new school zones were adopted unanimously at the May 1 board meeting. Neighborhoods affected by the redistricting include the area west […]
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a permit request for the Southgate extension of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline on April 30. According to the notice, the natural gas pipeline is “subject to special emergency permitting procedures to address an energy supply situation” under a January executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The […]
The Albemarle Board of Supervisors will adopt a new budget on May 7 that is based on increases in the tax rate for real property and personal property. On April 29, Republican Scott Smith rode his bike to the steps of the county office building and compared himself to Paul Revere with a warning. “Right […]