Today’s edition is sponsored by the Ragged Mountain Running and Walking Shop
2026 marks the 250th anniversary of when a number of British colonies declared independence from Great Britain but hostilities continued for some time including what we call the War of 1812. On April 16, 1818, the United States Senate ratified a treaty to limit naval vessels on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, clearing the way to over two centuries of peace. Charlottesville Community Engagement would not exist without a year spent in Canada, a country that confirmed the Rush-Bagot Treaty in 1867 when it confederated.
In this edition:
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A burn ban is in effect in Albemarle County until Sunday afternoon and in Greene County until further notice
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The Charlottesville Planning Commission is told how the next set of clean-ups to the Development Code will process and ask city staff to tell the public the first changes are now in effect
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The Dogwood Vietnam Memorial in McIntire Park turns 60 this year and a rededication ceremony will be held on Friday
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Charlottesville Parks and Recreation has a big day Saturday with the reopening of the recreation pool at Smith Aquatic Fitness Center and McIntire Skate Park turns 8.
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Albemarle Supervisors hold four public hearings related to the FY2027 budget
Imagine a drumroll right here, readers. Hear it in your mind for the next few paragraphs.
The Friends of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library are pleased to report another record-setting book sale! Preliminary results indicate the the group raised over $187,000 during their spring sale!
They want to use this shout-out to give a big thank you to all the donors and customers who made the record breaking Spring 2025 sale possible. The funds will support JMRL programs, library materials, reading programs and more!
Soon it will be time to get ready for the Fall sale. Beginning on April 21, you’ll be able to help replenish stock by dropping off books at the Gordon Avenue Library. But not only books: DVDs, CDs, LPs, puzzles, games, sheet music and ephemera! For more details and hours of operation, visit the Friends of the JMRL Library website.
The group is also looking for volunteers!.
Dry conditions have prompted two localities across the region to place a ban on open-air burning including Albemarle County.
“The burn ban will remain in place until 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2026,” reads an information release from Albemarle’s Fire Marshal.
This announcement comes after the National Weather Service issued an alert early this morning for elevated fire risks.
“The combination of 10 hour fuel moistures around 9 percent, relative humidities around 25 percent, and wind gusts of 20 to 25 mph will lead to an increased risk for the rapid spread of wildfires this afternoon,” reads the alert.
The alert urges people to follow local burn bans like the one in place in Albemarle and the one Greene County put in place the morning of April 15 according to an information release.
“Current conditions create a heightened fire danger that threatens both public safety and our emergency response capabilities,” the release quotes Steve Catalano, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “This burn ban is a proactive step to reduce the risk of wildfires and protect our community.”
Greene County’s ban is effective until further notice.
Albemarle County has a website with guidelines for open-air burning, but the release has this definition of what is currently prohibited.
“Open-air burning is the burning of any matter in such a manner that the products resulting from combustion are emitted directly into the atmosphere without passing through a stack, duct, or chimney,” reads the Albemarle release.
Supervisor Ann Mallek addressed the risk at the April 15 meeting of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors.
“This is the most dangerous time of the year when all the leaves from the fall are now tinder dry,” Mallek said. “All it takes is one cigarette and 50 acres can go up in an instance.
The National Weather Service forecasts elevated risk for fire through Saturday and the alert has additional advice to reduce fire risk.
“Residents and visitors are urged to properly dispose of cigarette butts, matches, and any other flammable items in appropriate containers,” reads the NWS alert. “Additionally, exercise caution if operating any equipment that could create sparks and keep vehicles off of dry grass. Most dry grasses, dead leaves, and other tree litter could easily ignite and spread fire quickly.”
The City of Charlottesville’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services is now reviewing land use applications under an updated set of rules approved by Council earlier this year.
I wrote a story on those changes last week and now report that the Charlottesville Planning Commission got an update on April 14.
“At the end of last month, the new development manual and the development review changes went into effect,” said Matt Alfele, Charlottesville’s development planning manager. “These are all related to last year’s 2025 development code amendments and process updates.”
The 2025 review introduced a framework where any change was placed into one of three tiers with three requiring more work and community engagement. Changes approved by Council were Tier 1 or Tier 2 and dealt with grammatical errors and clarifications.
The 2026 review is going to begin soon and a subcommittee has been put together with work to begin in May. That consists of Planning Commission Chair Carl Schwarz and Planning Commissioner Ross Harness.
Alfele said he will give a presentation to the Charlottesville Area Development Roundtable in May as well. One of the ideas is to clarify that this subcommittee works on clean-up of the code and not on larger policy issues. That will be handled by the long-range planning manager.
“Because we deal with the code, we run into these policy issues so we capture them so they can be placed on the larger work plan for the department,” Alfele said.
Many in the community have asked the City Council to amend the zoning code to extend the Core Neighborhood Overlay District to more of Fifeville, 10th and Page, and Rose Hill to stop projects like The Mark on 7th Street SW in Fifeville and an eleven story building at 843 West Main Street. So far, City Council has not publicly directed for that work to begin.
The person who has been the long-range planner now has a different job in city government. Ose Akinlotan is now Charlottesville’s assistant director of communications and public engagement.
The Planning Commission also heard from NDS Director Kellie Brown who said the city will soon be putting out a request for proposals for a consultant to review the city’s stormwater regulations. That’s part of an overall “Environmental Policy and Regulatory Review” funded by a $1.5 million transfer from city’s capital improvement program contingency fund.
“We will be looking to use that to update the city’s stormwater management regulations and developing associated technical reports and toolkits,” Brown said. “And the review team will include staff from multiple city departments to provide a cross functional review and consider alignment with overall comprehensive plan goals.”
Another forthcoming study is on a mobility plan. The Planning Commission has an update on that in late March as I reported.
For more background on the 2025 Development Code clean-up process, here are several stories from the last year. My thanks to paid subscribers and donors for their support.
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Charlottesville Planning Commission briefed on forthcoming updates to zoning code, June 13, 2025
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City Council briefed on Neighborhood Development Services work plan, forthcoming zoning changes, June 20, 2025
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City Council agrees to minor zoning code changes, while some want major reform, C-Ville Weekly, February 25, 2026
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Charlottesville City Council weighs in on student housing changes, January 26, 2026
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Charlottesville PC looks ahead to next set of zoning changes, February 27, 2026
Sixty years ago on April 20, the very first memorial in the United States of America to soldiers killed in the Vietnam War was dedicated in Charlottesville’s McIntire Park.
On April 17 at 11 a.m., the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation will once again have a rededication ceremony.
“The gate by the skate park will be open so one can drive in around the high ground and park just up hill from the memorial,” said Supervisor Ann Mallek at the April 15 Board meeting. “It’s a very important time for families and grandchildren to be there.”
The foundation is fundraising for a new parking area and pedestrian bridge across the John Warner Parkway that would provide closer access to the memorial. The area was relocated during the roadway’s construction and as part of changes to the eastern half of McIntire Park.
This is an active time for Charlottesville Parks and Recreation as crews look toward the opening of outdoor pools and spray grounds in May.
But this weekend, the department will reopen one of two indoor pools at their facility at the Charlottesville Middle School campus.
“The recreation pool at Smith Aquatic & Fitness Center will reopen on Saturday, April 18,” reads an information release. “The pool had been closed due to mechanical issues which have been repaired.”
That happened in early March as I reported at the time. The issue was the failure of a boiler used to heat the pools. Repair costs were estimated at between $40,000 and $50,000.
Later on Saturday, the city will mark the 8th anniversary of the McIntire Skate Park in its current location. Ramps and other equipment had previously been installed closer to the Charlottesville Area Rescue Square but were moved as part of the construction of the John Warner Parkway.
A party will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
“McIntire Skate Park will host a community birthday celebration featuring street and bowls best tricks, live music, vendors, art activities, and potential new skate features,” reads an information release. “The event blends skating, creativity, and community gathering.”
There will be live performances from Luchadora and The Falsies, arts and crafts, and a birthday cake.
With a $190,000, three-year grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry to preserve existing, mature trees in two low-canopy neighborhoods, ReLeaf Cville had provided free tree care to 100 trees and 56 homeowners this winter in the Fifeville and 10th and Page neighborhood.
They’ve been assisted by three arborists companies (Charlottesville Tree Service, Davey Tree Experts and Van Yahres Tree Company) in the provision of expert care.
While planting young trees is vital for our future, preserving our existing mature trees is the fastest way to protect Charlottesville from the rising heat as the climate changes.
Help ReLeaf Cville protect the shade we already have by preserving more trees. Learn more about their preservation initiatives and support their work at their website!
When Albemarle County Supervisors vote on a budget for FY2027 on April 22, the revenue and spending plan will not include additional funds from a 15 cent increase on the personal property tax rate. That money would have gone to the Albemarle Housing Investment Fund.
On March 18, a majority on the Board voted to advertise that rate for public hearing, but there were not four votes to proceed after a series of public hearings held on April 15.
Here is the presentation for all four public hearings.
Fee increase vote deferred to April 22
The first public hearing covered an increase in the feeds paid by anyone applying for a permit that needs review from the Community Development Department.
“The bottom line here is there is a proposed change of a 15 percent increase to fees that would be implemented on January 1, 2027,” said Andy Bowman, Albemarle’s assistant chief financial officer. “So this would not go into effect at the start of the fiscal year. Customarily there’s been some delay when community development fee changes go into place and so this is prepared for January.”
Bowman said this would generate about $266,000 in additional revenue. The last time the fees were updated was in FY2022 and these changes were recommendations of the Berkley Group.
“Tonight’s hearing on the community development fees is not about a change in the philosophy of terms of who pays for what more,” Bowman said.” “It’s more about just updating for the cost of business that has not taken place in several years.”
The only speaker at this public hearing was Neil Williamson of the Free Enterprise Forum, an advocacy organization that represents the development community. He felt the justification for the higher rates had not been demonstrated.
“Tonight you’re considering a significant rate increase, not based on a comprehensive rate study, but based on a recommendation in a previously submitted rate report that rate fees should be reviewed regularly,” Williamson said.
Williamson also called for the repeal of a four percent “technology surcharge” applicants now have to pay.
Supervisor Sally Duncan of the Jack Jouett District called for a delay in implementing the fees.
“These fees in particular get passed down to people who are buying housing [and] Increases the cost of housing,” Duncan said.
The Board voted unanimously on a motion to defer action until April 22.
Next came the public hearing on the real property tax rate which would remain the same at $0.894 per $100 of assessed value. Because real property assessments increased by 6.2 percent, the county brought in additional revenue and the “lowered” tax rate would have been $0.842 per $100 of assessed value.
Rob Myers was the first speaker at this public hearing and he called for the county to lower the rate because many other bills are also increasing.
“Last year I had a total projected tax increase of 11.3 percent,” Myers said. “For the last two years, 28.1 percent. Dominion Energy just hit me with over 20 percent this year. [Albemarle County Service Authority, double digit increase. I’ve been retired for almost 14 years. This is not sustainable. I mean you can’t squeeze so much blood out of this turnip or turnips like me.”
The two other speakers had similar thoughts. One of them spoke first at the public hearing on the personal property tax increase. Phil Riese is the chair of the Albemarle County Republican Committee who urged Supervisors to not move forward.
“Albemarle already has one of the highest car tax rates in Virginia,” Riese said. “It is ranked 19th out of 133 localities. Last year, the board raised the car tax by 32 cents. If this increase is approved, that’s a 47 cent increase in just two years. This is not a small adjustment.”
Michael Monaco of the group Livable Cville urged Supervisors to proceed with the rate increase.
“I see that the county received about 7.3 million in requests from the Affordable Housing Fund this year,” Monaco said. With this tax rate increase, we would have enough to meet that need next year.”
This year the county distributed $4 million from the fund as I reported for C-Ville Weekly.
Finally the public hearing for the FY2027 budget was held and several people spoke. For the sake of time, I’ll move on to Board discussion of the personal property tax rate.
From the start, Supervisor Bea LaPisto Kirtley said she would not support it.
Supervisor Fred Missel had been the one who floated the idea of the 15 cent increase at the March 18 work session. However, he said could not cast a yes vote.
“Where I’ve come down on this after getting a lot of input from the public, which I greatly appreciate, and learning more about the challenges that we’re facing and also, you know, recent impacts on gas costs, fuel costs, etc. I am no longer in favor of supporting a 15 cent personal property, machinery and tools tax increase,” Missel said.
Missel said he would support finding other ways to increase money for the Albemarle Housing Investment Fund such as using money set aside for other reserves.
Supervisor Mike Pruitt said the local government needs to step into provide money for the production of housing for nonprofits because the market is not serving the overall community needs.
“I see that as on the level of fire and rescue, I see that as on the level of providing transit,” Pruitt said. “I see that on the level of having asystem of zoning regulations, because it’s something that is not otherwise provided in this county anymore if we are not doing something about it. I don’t like paying more on my car tax, but I think it’s the way we have to get there. Or another tax.”
Duncan said she supported the increase.
Mallek said she did not.
“I’m not in favor of the 15 cent increase in the personal property tax because it will crush the people who have the least ability to manage it,” Mallek said.
Supervisor Ned Gallaway said he does not think he would have imagined increasing the personal property rate to pay for housing a few years ago but he does now.
“I’m starting to see that horizon to get there and I’m saying that we need to invest in the affordable housing investment fund,” Gallaway said. “I know what those dollars go for, and I think it’s a high enough need and priority for me that I will remain in support of the car tax for all of the monies to go to that fund.”
A three to three vote is a deadlock. There was a lengthy discussion about how to provide additional funds and that discussion will be written up before the Board’s final vote on April 22.
Other stories to read for further education:
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Governor signs incentive bill for AstraZeneca facility in area, Mark Gad, CBS19 News, April 14, 2026
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Spanberger signs off on $191 million in grant funding for AstraZeneca plant, Avery Davis, WVIR 29News, April 14, 2026
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Spanberger’s April 13 deadline passed — here’s an overview of legislation she acted upon, Grace Little, Cavalier Daily, April 15, 2026
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Uptick in continued Va. General Assembly legislation reflects varied motivations, Capital News Service (via Virginia Mercury), April 15, 2026
I went fairly fast through the Albemarle public hearing and I do have follow-ups to ask about exactly how much funding went to the fund. I still have about 30 minutes of the Board meeting to go through but I got the information out.
So there’s that.
Anyway, now I have to leave house, so I forgo any notes except a reminder that I do this for l living and paid subscriptions or charitable contributions go a long way. Here’s the link for more information on charitable contributions.
And let’s end with some Amiga mods!