In a surprise move, Gov. Abigail Spanberger struck down collective bargaining legislation passed by the Democratically controlled General Assembly on May 14. The governor sent the amended bill back to the legislature on April 13. The House of Delegates returned the bill as originally passed to the governor’s desk on April 23, forcing Spanberger to […]
John McGuire lay there, unable to get up, watching his arm move without him, and slow, and stop. In 2006, the former Navy SEAL was a self-employed fitness coach. Then, while jumping on a trampoline, he fell. According to McGuire, his C4 vertebra punctured his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the neck down. At the […]
Perhaps one reason that planning is not very popular is the sheer amount of jargon required to understand the rules of what can be built and where. Albemarle County is making an attempt to change that with what planning staff call a “zoning modernization” to bring building rules in line with the recently adopted Comprehensive […]
In these divisive times, there’s one thing everyone agrees on: Traffic here is terrible. With road improvement projects going on all the time—especially now, in construction season—why does it seem our roads aren’t keeping up with traffic? Because, in fact, they aren’t. Charles Proctor, planning manager for Virginia Department of Transportation-Culpeper District (which includes Charlottesville, […]
In a 4-3 ruling, the Supreme Court of Virginia sided with the Tazewell County Circuit Court on May 8, tossing out voter-approved maps ahead of the 2026 midterm election. With the decision, Charlottesville will remain in the 5th Congressional District. Both the majority opinion and dissent grapple with the definition of “election” as it pertains […]
Legal woes continue to mount for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced a civil investigation into the nonprofit on May 11, four days after it pleaded not guilty on all counts filed by the Department of Justice. The DOJ alleges that SPLC engaged in wire fraud, false statements, and conspiracy […]
In the afternoon sun along the Rivanna River Trail, Joshua Ballou paced the edges of the burnt-black patch of public land that used to be his home. The Charlottesville Fire Department responded to the blaze that destroyed Ballou’s shelter late on May 9, at the encampment adjacent to the trail. The fire burned just northeast […]
In the latest test of Charlottesville’s new zoning code, City Council voted 3-2 on May 4 to allow developers of a private seven-story student housing project to make minor changes to two historic buildings on Seventh Street SW. “We need more housing,” said Mayor Juandiego Wade during the Council meeting. “This project is the best […]
In a community with as much wealth as Albemarle, providing new housing units at an affordable price can be challenging. Nonprofit developers use many tools to subsidize costs, such as selling tax credits for money that can be used for construction. In February 2024, Albemarle County supervisors created an Affordable Rental Housing Incentive Program to […]
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information since its original publication. Two weeks after Common House Charlottesville suddenly shut its doors, the social club’s Richmond landlords handed the coworking, dining, and event venue another eviction notice. In an April 28 press release, the owners of 303 W. Broad St., a 1914 brick […]