Drop it: Belmont residents call it quits on petition against church rezoning

Last fall, a band of city residents stirred up controversy when they filed a petition against City Council, demanding that it overturn its decision to allow a Methodist church in Belmont to build a 15-unit apartment complex, with four to six units set aside for adults with developmental disabilities After a lot of backlash on […]

In brief: Public housing progress, Trump rally trouble, and more

Do-over Multiple public housing developments in Charlottesville are one step closer to getting a badly needed makeover. At its Monday meeting, City Council unanimously approved two ordinances regarding the redevelopment of Crescent Halls, South First Street, and Friendship Court. The Piedmont Housing Alliance will take the lead on the first phase of Friendship Court’s redevelopment, […]

Guns down: City gun control ordinance draws fire

In June, the Virginia General Assembly passed a slew of gun control bills, including one that allows cities and counties to prohibit guns on public property. Localities across the state, like Newport News and Alexandria, have since enacted such a ban—and last week, Charlottesville followed suit. Beginning October 1, guns will be prohibited in parks, […]

In brief: Flint Hill gets A-OK, Freitas lands primary, and more

Second chance City Council approves Flint Hill development After nearly an hour of discussion, and midway through a meeting that lasted until 2:30am, City Council voted July 20 to move forward with the Flint Hill housing development, a set of new homes to be constructed in Fry’s Spring. Last year, council rejected an initial proposal […]

The fight continues: Downtown rally amplifies voices of Black women despite threats

It’s been nearly two months since the murder of George Floyd, but protests against police violence continue around the country, including here in Charlottesville. Over a hundred protesters took to the streets July 17 to amplify Black women’s voices and struggles, and demand justice for those who’ve been killed by police, including Breonna Taylor and […]

In brief: Drive-up dentist, neighborly love, and more

Open wide Parking lots have become the scene of all kinds of new activity in our virus-crippled world. Students are sitting in their cars to access school Wi-Fi. Religious congregations are meeting without getting out of their vehicles. And here in town, the Charlottesville Free Clinic is offering parking lot dental services for its patients: […]

Busted budget: Schools, housing initiatives among programs affected by coronavirus crash

  The City of Charlottesville was almost all the way through the always-laborious yearly budget process when the coronavirus crisis derailed its plans. City Council held an online meeting Monday night—its first meeting in a month—to discuss the city’s deeply uncertain finances. The most recent projections, delivered by City Manager Tarron Richardson, suggest $8.5 million […]

Fond (and not so) farewells, statue drama, and more

Priorities Weeks after self-appointed Confederate monument defenders began monitoring downtown parks, city police arrested two Charlottesville residents for allegedly vandalizing the Stonewall Jackson statue in Court Square in the wee hours of the morning of December 19. Nic McCarthy-Rivera and former C-VILLE writer Jesse Tobias Beard have been charged with misdemeanor trespassing and felony vandalism. […]

This week, 12/3

On Monday night, City Council took another step in its plan to tear down Guadalajara and Lucky 7 and build an $8.5 million, 300-car parking garage on Market Street, just a few blocks from an existing parking garage . The move is part of a larger project to keep the county courts downtown, in which […]