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Venable neighbors,
Every week, the city's various boards, commissions, and advisory groups meet to discuss matters that affect our community. These meetings are open to the public and you are encouraged to participate in them or just listen in. For example, the May meeting of the Board of Architectural Review includes on its agenda a discussion of a proposed Historic Conservation District rezoning for a small section of the Venable neighborhood. Please check the City of Charlottesville webpage at http://www.charlottesville.org/ to see the "Community" link that provides current information on public meetings through the City Meetings and Events Calendar. And don't hesitate to contact your Venable Neighborhood Association board if you have any questions. Best regards, Rachel Lloyd, VNA Pres.
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Innovation and Regulation:
A panel discussion on implementing the City’s vision from the 2013 Comprehensive Plan at the City Council Chambers. Please see the project website for invitations, news and updates: http://gowestmain.com/ - - - Informational meeting hosted by the Sigma Chi fraternity located on Preston Place - was held on Tuesday, March 4th, 2014 from 6:30-8:00PM at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church located at 717 Rugby Road. The meeting is intended to provide the neighborhood with information about Sigma Chi's plans to renovate and improve their Chapter House. The meeting is an open-house style format, so neighbors should feel free to stop by whenever it is convenient for them during that time. Sigma Chi will provide light refreshments and have several representatives of the Chapter on hand to discuss their plans and answer questions. If anyone has questions, please feel free to contact Michael S. Kreamer, President, PSI Chapter msk7fv@virginia.edu or Michael Guthrie, Board of Directors, House Corporation, PSI Chapter Chaptermichael@mrg7175.com. - - - You are invited to participate in the City's West Main project! The project team is eager to receive citizen input on this important initiative that touches our neighborhood. Mark your calendars for some exciting events this week. Please see the project website for invitations, news and updates: http://gowestmain.com/ - - - Also, the Charlottesville Marathon will be passing through the Venable neighborhood in early April. See the marathon website for additional information: http://www.charlottesvillemarathon.com Affordable Housing Policy Review, Formulation & Best Practices Subcommittee of the Housing Advisory Committee at the Conference Room, Neighborhood Development Services - more information on Venable Neighborhood Facebook page
The first phase of the planning process will kick-off on May 27th with a 4 day street design workshop that will establish a vision to better accommodate and prioritize the multiple users of Charlottesville’s streets and we hope you will be able to share your insight throughout the process. The public is invited to attend a kickoff meeting on Tuesday, May 27th at 5:30 pm to learn about the process and hear a presentation from Ian Lockwood on the topic of Livable Streets. Drop in times are scheduled on Thursday, May 29th from 11:00 am -1:00 pm and from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm for public to review progress. Revised drawings based on public input will be available for review and comment on May 30th at a final presentation from 4:30-5:30 pm at City Space.
Many of you have been following the progress of a proposed development in the Venable neighborhood called Meadowbrook Flats. This proposed development plans for new buildings and parking within the Meadowbrook Shopping Center.
Many of you have been concerned about the negative impacts to our neighborhood of additional traffic and poorly designed buildings and landscapes that may accompany this development. If you would like to find out additional information, please visit the website http://meadowbrookflats.weebly.com Also, the Planning Commission will review this project next week on Tuesday the 14th in Council Chambers, City Hall. Members of the public will be allowed to sign up for a speaking slot starting at 5:30pm. We encourage everyone to attend and let the commission know how you feel about the project. Even if you do not wish to speak, your presence makes a difference! The proposed Meadowbrook Flats residential development at Barracks Road and Emmet Street is still alive. The plans have evolved slightly since the spring.
The current version:
The informal group of neighbors (from the Meadowbrook Hills/Rugby area and from Venable) that has been monitoring the project still believes that it has basic flaws that will hurt our immediate area, our house values, traffic flow, and the larger city. This message outlines our concerns and it provides you with some information about how you can register your own views as the City reviews this plan. The Meadowbrook Flats development (aka 1138 Emmet Street) will be on the agenda of the Charlottesville City Planning Commission, Tuesday, September 10. Much of the project is “by right,” but the Planning Commission must consider two specific issues: does the project comply with the Entrance Corridor Guidelines, and should it receive a waiver from the Critical Slope Ordinance? We encourage you to attend the meeting. You can also offer your views in e mail to the Planning Commission, to City Council, or to the Neighborhood Planner in charge of reviewing this project (Brian Haluska). Contact information for all these folks appears at the end of this message. Please write those city personnel with your views. Public Comments will make a big difference. The Coordinating Committee tracking the Meadowbrook Flats project has developed some talking points that residents can reference when speaking or writing about their concerns. It is recommended that not all of the points be included in each communication. Each resident should express in his/her own words those points which they find most important.
Please act now to register your view. This is our city and we need to speak out. You can send your concerns to Brian Haluska, City Planner at haluska@charlottesville.org (434) 970-3186 or to: Charlottesville City Planning Commission. NOTE: To contact these individuals please call the Department of Neighborhood Development Services at (434) 970-3182. Keller, Genevieve, Chair genevieve.keller@gmail.com Green, Lisa lgreencville@gmail.com Keesecker, Kurt kurt@brw-architects.com Osteen, Michael jmosteen@tecinc.com Rosensweig, Dan, Vice Chair dan.rosensweig@comcast.net Santoski, John jsantoski1@gmail.com Sienitsky, Natasha natashsky@gmail.com NON-VOTING: Neuman, David Office of the Architect UVA, The Rotunda neuman@virginia.edu Charlottesville City Council NOTE: To reach any member of the City Council, you can send an e-mail to the Clerk of Council, at council@charlottesville.org. or mail a letter to P.O. Box 911, City Hall, Charlottesville, VA, 22902, or call (434) 970-3113. You may also contact the individual City Council members directly (See below). Mayor Satyendra Singh Huja 1502 Holly Road Charlottesville, VA 22901 977-5094 (H) email: huja1@comcast.net Vice Mayor Kristin Szakos 434-987-1042 email: k.szakos@embarqmail.com Kathy Galvin 712 Lyons Avenue Charlottesville, VA 22902 979-2890 (H) email: kgalvin@charlottesville.org Dave Norris 632 Stonehenge Ave. Charlottesville, VA 22902 242-5165 (c) email: cvilledave@gmail.com Dede Smith 2652 Jefferson Park Circle Charlottesville, VA 22903 296-0074 (h) e-mail : dsmith@charlottesville.org The Meadowbrook Flats development:
In May, Pinnacle Construction filed plans with the city for a two-phase development in the area currently occupied by the Meadowbrook Shopping Center - near the corner of Barracks Road and Emmet Streets. After objections raised by city planners, staff, and neighbors, the Phase 2 plan was withdrawn. The apartment building of Phase 1 (72 apartments) remains under review with the city planning department. It is unclear at this date as to exactly when the planning commission will review the plans for Meadowbrook Flats. However, this will be a key moment for public input. You can write to the commission before its meeting and/or attend that hearing and offer public comment. We will let everyone know when we have that date and time. A committee (undersigned) has been monitoring the evolution of this project. For a detailed update of the plans, the planning review process, our objections, and your chances to offer your views please go to - http://meadowbrookflats.weebly.com/updates.html Jack Brown – jkb6d@virginia.edu Max Chevalier - chevalier.maxt@gmail.com Rachel Harmon – rah6d@virginia.edu Tim Heaphy - timothy.heaphy@gmail.com Tricia Humphreys - tricia@cstone.net Dena Imlay - arlimlay@comcast.net Rachel Lloyd - rwelloyd@yahoo.com Jay Scott - jhs7h@yahoo.com Kurt Woerpel - kurtw@cpa.com Unitarian Church Property Update We have been very active on 803 Rugby over the past month. Last week several of us, along with our counsel, Hefty & Wiley (Richmond) met with Read Brodhead, the Zoning Administrator, and Richard Harris, Assistant City Attorney. Three issues were clarified during that meeting: 1) because the church is permitted to have accessory parking in an R-1U district, the existing lot is a permitted use; 2) the present lot may be non-conforming because it does not meet applicable code standards; 3) the memo of March 29 by the Zoning Administrator was not a formal interpretation of the City Code, but rather an internal departmental communication. The result is that we have withdrawn our appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), which was scheduled to be heard on July 18. The Zoning Administrator will now continue his investigation of whether the current lot is a conforming use or not, and we have reserved our right to appeal whatever final determination he makes on this issue. Michael BeVier Phone: 434-979-1189 |
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