Greetings to the James Exchange. I am Nancy Gill your host.
It is my goal to bring pertinent information on issues facing Scottsville and the Rural Ring. Decisions Town Council makes affects the surrounding communities, whether it be through business offerings or housing.
Area business owners rely on Scottsville.
Surrounding communities rely on Scottsville.
The town has made strides in recent years with Food Lion, expanded services from ACE Hardware, we have an award winning brewery, restaurant options, numerous small businesses both uptown and downtown, and a professional police department. The question is can the town do more to support the growing needs of those who live in and around Scottsville.
The debate on Town Council appears to be centered around apartments vs an industrial park. Various arguments have been made as to which scenario best benefits our town and businesses. No one has a crystal ball.
Council needs to concentrate on what is before them. Not what may occur.
As with everything, there are pros and cons, and this is what Council now has to sort through. Not everything is a given, yet, there has not been a company that is willing to give back to the extent they are offering. This is what Council needs to take time with, to understand all the ramifications involved with this project. It isn’t going to be an easy task, but as elected officials, it is their duty to look at everything, weigh all the possibilities along with the negatives. They need to decide if the positives outweigh the negatives or vice versa.
And, they need to think of the future of Scottsville, not just their two to four years the residents have hired them to oversee budget, public safety, maintenance, and other areas under their jurisdiction.
This is a time for them to give careful consideration to everything before them. They should not rush the process. They owe it to the residents who elected them to do their very best in making a decision that will define the future of the town for generations to come.
The Planning Commissioners put a lot of thought into their work and recommended the Echelon Resources application to Council on a three to one favorable vote.
Make Virginia Home Plan
This past November Governor Youngkin announced his “Make Virginia Home” plan. It goes to the core of the lack of affordable or “workplace” housing. Does Scottsville want to be a part of our Governor’s plan to build a healthy economy through affordable housing? Has Council even reviewed this plan?
A quick glance through his plan shows this:
Increasing the supply of land for housing
Remove regulatory barriers to housing development
Align housing development with economic growth
1. Scottsville has ample undeveloped land for housing, which Southern Development in under contract with Virginia Land to purchase.
2. Regulatory barriers to housing development are within our zoning ordinances which even with recent updates are still outdated.
3. Align housing development with economic growth.
Currently, the Town’s bills are paid by our businesses, restaurants and banks through a variety of taxes levied upon them. Yet, our residents do not add to the town’s bottom line unless they shop and eat at our restaurants on a consistent basis.
As I have reported in a previous podcast, all of Virginia Land holdings are under contract with Southern Development. As my listeners are aware, this includes the tire plant and the 40 +/- acres associated with it. It was covered in this podcast:
The owner of record of the tire plant property is Virginia Land or Lower Bird LLC. They are listed as such on the application. The applicant or agent is Echelon Resources which is common practice with real estate ventures. It has been insinuated that there is something afoot here. There isn’t. Both Southern Development and Echelon Resources have been straight forward in their dealings with Scottsville.
I understand that some would argue that Echelon Resources has not been straight forward in light the proffer submitted on December 9, 2022 that sent Council into a free fall on their December 12 meeting. This move by Echelon Resources bought time to conduct a series of four community sessions. Of the six elected Councilors only one attended a session.
In last Monday’s (January 9) Scottsville’s Town Council work session, our elected officials, for the first time, discussed as a group the Echelon Resources rezoning/sup application before them.
So, what is before them?
Echelon Resources Rezoning/SUP Application
Planning Commission Presentation
Conditions for the Special Use Permit
• Concept Matching. That the site plan shall conform generally to the concept plan shown in the application.
• Mixed Income. Respecting the documented affordable housing needs in the Town
Comprehensive Plan and the Thomas Jefferson Regional Housing Plan, and the proven success of federal incentive programs, the developer shall apply for the 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credit with a good-faith effort. (See additional information below).
• Dark Sky. The scenic, environmental, and health benefits of a dark night sky being documented in Town, County, and regional environmental plans, the outdoor lighting fixtures emitting more than 3000 lumens used on the exterior and in public spaces shall have the Seal of Approval from the International Dark Sky Association.
• Biodiversity. As biodiversity and the local natural heritage are important to the quality of life in town, the landscaping features in the development shall contain only plants indicated in the Albemarle County document Piedmont Native Plants.
• Mixed Use. Respecting the adopted economic development goals in the Town and
County strategies, the Commercial zoned site shall reserve not less than 5,000 square feet of shell space for non-residential uses. For such non-residential space, the Town’s parking requirements shall be waived. Such reserved space restriction shall expire on December 31, 2027.
Voluntary Proffers for the Rezoning
1. Applicant will contribute $200,000 to the Town, to be used for construction of a sidewalk along Bird Street and/or to expand the Town’s future trail network. Such payment shall be made upon the issuance of building permits for the project or on July 1, 2024, whichever is later.
2. Applicant will provide at least three electric vehicle charging stations.
3. Applicant will provide covered bicycle parking with at least 20 electrical outlets for charging bicycles.
4. Applicant proffers to maintain, for at least 10 years, that at least 20% of the apartment units shall have a monthly affordable rent to households earning 60% of the Area Median Income published by HUD for the Charlottesville MSA.
Two additional programs that Echelon Resources is applying for.
1. Albemarle County’s Enable Grant Application for a TIF
Echelon Resources has submitted the above mentioned application to Albemarle County. Should this application be approved, Echelon Resources states any tax refunds resulting from this will go directly to the town. This could mean $250,000 per year for ten years. The $250,000 is equivalent to raising the Town’s property tax from $.00 to $.35.
2. LITCH 4% program—HUD pricing:
If this is approved 100% of the apartments will be priced according to HUD and not whatever the current market price is.
Current breakdown of apartment mix and rents as of December 2022:
Both of these applications will be reviewed and acted only should the property be rezoned.
If Council votes in favor of this project, Echelon Resources will have to provide a stormwater control plan which isn’t in place now. According to Jeremy Lynn of the Albemarle Service Authority, they will have to have a fire suppression line put in along Bird Street which includes fire hydrants.
There is much more than what I am reporting on that Council will be considering. Regardless on how the vote goes, history will show whether the right decision was made or not.
As always, if you have a story, a song, an event, or an issue, perhaps it is time for a conversation.
Tire Plant Public Hearing: Take Two