Unprecedented activism galvanizes Charlottesville

Charlottesville is no stranger to protests. The city’s Free Speech Wall is a testament to the First Amendment and a frequent gathering spot for citizens exercising their right to assemble. That said, we’ve never seen anything like this. Since the election of Donald Trump as president, at least seven new groups have sprung up, and […]

SOLD: Ice rink goes for $5.7 million

Taliaferro Junction, LLC and Jaffray Woodriff announced their purchase of Main Street Arena on March 2, but it’s not quite time to say so long to skating—the new owners reached an agreement with the seller that will allow all ice skating programs to operate undisturbed this spring and through its final season this fall. Construction […]

Getting personal with Heather Hill

City Council candidate Age: 39 Resident since: 2003 (with two years away after getting her MBA) She describes herself as a wife and mother of three, a neighbor, an engaged community leader, an engineer, a business person and, now, a candidate for Charlottesville’s governing body. With her navy and lime-green Nikes laced up, Heather Hill […]

Now Is a Great Time to Buy a Farm or Estate

By Celeste M. Smucker – People love country living for all kinds of reasons, and if you are in the market, now is a great time to buy no matter if you want acreage for farming or are dreaming of living in an historic estate property.  While agents are hopeful about a stronger market this […]

Open Houses Can Be a Valuable Selling Strategy

By Marilyn Pribus- “An open house can be a valuable tool,” declares Debi Dotson, a REALTOR® with BHG  Real Estate III. “A lot of people are pre-viewing 30-50 days before they really start looking for a property or getting a REALTOR®.” Why Do People Visit an Open House? While the majority of properties for sale […]

In brief: Supervisors in the running, a town hall no-show and more

Fixer uppers In Charlottesville and Albemarle County, 33.3 and 9.7 percent of our bridges, respectively, are structurally deficient, according to information published by the Washington Post. That’s higher than the national average of 9.4 percent and, hopefully, a priority for the president of the United States who campaigned on a trillion dollar infrastructure plan. According […]

Feds hear pipeline comment behind closed doors

About 160 people attended a February 22 public comment session at Nelson County High School to voice their opinions to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which will eventually approve or deny plans for the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. If approved, construction on the $5 billion and nearly 600-mile natural gas pipeline could begin by the […]

A new type of zoning worries residents

A new form of proposed zoning has some in the city on edge, worried that it could be used to force out poorer residents. Nearly 200 people attended an information session last week at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center to learn about form-based code, a different type of zoning ordinance that focuses on a […]

Priority matter: Bellamy removal case continued

It was no secret that today’s hearing on a petition to remove Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy from office was going to be continued, but that didn’t prevent more than four dozen people from showing up in Charlottesville Circuit Court, most of them Bellamy supporters. The petition with 527 signatures gathered by right-wing activist Jason Kessler was filed […]

2017 Spring Real Estate Market Expected to be Brisk

By Celeste M. Smucker Local REALTORS® and national economic forecasts predict a healthy 2017 real estate market. Senior Economist Joe Kirchner at Realtor.com predicts the 2017 market will be characterized by increases in both homes sales and prices, though at slower rates than experienced in the last two years.  A possible damper on sales is […]