Virginia Statewide Neighborhood Conference

Virginia Statewide Neighborhood Conference:

“The annual Virginia Statewide Neighborhood Conference provides an excellent opportunity for communities from across the Commonwealth to come together and share their knowledge, experience and vision on how to make Virginia’s neighborhoods the neighborhoods of choice. While each neighborhood is unique, all neighborhoods across Virginia face very similar issues and challenges ranging from the basics of organizing to addressing the complicated issues of public safety.

Each year the conference is attended by a diverse group of grass roots neighborhood leaders and youth, non-profit and government staff, and others working in the field of neighborhood development...

We look forward to seeing you at the 15th Annual Virginia Statewide Neighborhood Conference in Lynchburg, Virginia on September 18-19, 2014 and hope you will SAVE THE DATE !”

~ DHCD

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Port Royal establishes town manager position

Town of Port Royal:

“The Town of Port Royal is looking to hire a part-time town manager. Town Council established the position at its April 15 meeting and decided the starting salary would be $600 per month. The position description will be posted at the Port Royal Post Office, though Council members do have a candidate in mind from their own ranks—Vice Mayor Bill Wick.

Wick would have to resign from Council if he formally seeks the position. He’s already been fulfilling some of the potential duties. The town manager’s responsibilities would resemble those of Bowling Green’s town manager.

Typically, a town manager is hired by the locality’s town council and serves as the administrative head of the town government. He or she handles the town’s day-to-day business between council meetings. Port Royal’s mayor has been serving those functions and acting as the main point of contact for the town.”

~ Writes The Caroline Press

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Richmond unveils plans for revamped Farmers Market

City of Richmond:

“The city of Richmond’s plan to transform the 17th Street Farmers Market site was mostly well-received Wednesday night as officials unveiled a new set of images detailing their vision for a more versatile public plaza. The initial plan, presented at a public meeting at Main Street Station, calls for a plaza roughly the size of a football field dotted with kiosks, trees, seating areas, water features, public art and outdoor dining space.

The streets around the market site would be paved over between Main and Franklin streets. The plaza floor would consist of a combination of new pavers and existing cobblestones, officials said. A system of lights and cables would run over the plaza. Though the renderings show a series of lemon-like globes handing from the cables, officials were quick to point out that the yellow balls were mere placeholders, and the cables could hold everything from snowflakes in the winter to hanging bacon for the Richmond Bacon Festival.”

~Writes Graham Moomaw of the Richmond Times-Dispatch

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Click here for a PowerPoint of the project

Stafford airport authority pushes 'smart development'

Stafford County:

“Oakenwold was on the agenda at the Stafford Regional Airport Authority meeting Tuesday morning following the authority’s joint meeting with the Stafford Planning Commission on April 2. ‘The airport is not against development,’ Stafford Regional Airport Authority chairman Henry Scharpenberg said. ‘We’re interested in smart development.’

He felt that the authority’s stance on the issue had been sometimes misinterpreted and sought to set the record straight. The authority will be preparing a set of guidelines for development of the property surrounding the airport which they hope will be a boilerplate for a subcommittee review comprised of Authority and Planning Commission members. Authority member T. Campbell felt it important to stress ‘safety and quality of life’ in formulating the guidelines.

Though the Stafford County Board of Supervisors will eventually ask for a comparison of the impact on revenue between commercial/industrial and residential development, Scharpenberg said, comparing the two was like comparing ‘apples and oranges.’”

~ Writes Jim Lawrence of the Stafford County Sun

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Virginia Releases Comprehensive Plan for Outdoor Recreation, Land Conservation

Governor’s Office:

“Today Governor McAuliffe and First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe announced that the Virginia Outdoors Plan, Virginia’s official guide for the planning of public outdoor recreation and land conservation has been revised and is now available online. The plan, which is updated every five years, is a product of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and highlights the beautiful natural resources and historical attractions Virginia has to offer.

‘Virginia’s parks, natural areas, historic sites and scenic views help define the Commonwealth as a great place to live, work and raise a family, and they play a critical role in supporting Virginia’s second largest industry: tourism.’ Gov. Terry McAuliffe said. ‘The Virginia Outdoors Plan is our five-year guide for protecting and enhancing our natural resources and outdoor recreational assets and this updated plan will help keep our economy growing and our communities thriving.’

This is the 10th plan to be produced since the 1965 publication of ‘Virginia’s Common Wealth,’ the first comprehensive study of Virginia’s outdoor recreation facilities and resources. It is the first to be completely paperless, and its publication marks the debut of VOP Mapper, a user-friendly online tool for mapping outdoor recreation resources and conserved lands.”

~ Office of the Governor: Rachel Thomas

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Click here to view the plan

Construction Tour of Tysons Tower Office Building at Tysons Corner Center

APA Virginia, Northern Virginia Section:

The NoVa Section is excited to offer an insight into one of Tysons Corner’s largest redevelopment projects. The session will include an overview of Phase 1 of the Tysons Corner Center’s extensive rezoning approval and the permitting and construction processes currently being undertaken for Phase 1, including its landmark ‘Tysons Tower’ office building.  The presentation will be followed by a tour of the Tysons Tower office building construction project. 

Tysons Corner Center’s Phase 1 redevelopment was planned for the arrival of the Metrorail’s Silver Line to Tysons Corner.  It will be served by the ‘Tysons Corner’ Metrorail Station. The presentation and tour will take place at the Tysons Corner Center, Tysons Corner.

There are limited spaces available for this event – please RSVP promptly. Detailed directions will be provided to those registered to attend.

RSVP to bwales@cooley.com by noon on April 11th.

Event Info:

Construction Tour of Tysons Tower Office Building at Tysons Corner Center

Tuesday, April 15th

9:00 am - 10:30 am – Light breakfast will be provided

Possible 1.5 CM Credit

CSPDC Region Home to 5 of Safest Cities in Virginia

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“The CSPDC region is home to five of the top 30 Safest Cities according to the latest Safewise Report. Based on FBI Crime Report data from 2012 and an analysis of violent and property crimes in cities with a population over 3,000, the report attempts to help answer the question ‘What is the chance of crime happening to me or my loved ones?’

With the Town of Broadway coming in at #1, Lexington at #8, Bridgewater at #12, Harrisonburg at #23, and Staunton at #25, we think it's ‘safe’ to call the Central Shenandoah region one of the safest regions in the State!”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Click here for the report

Cavalier Hotel named Va. landmark, aims for U.S. status

Virginia Beach:

“History was made at the Cavalier Hotel. Now, it's officially historic. Once a bustling resort in the Roaring '20s, the regal Oceanfront hotel has captured state landmark status and is on its way to national recognition. The hotel has to meet state approval before it can be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, which lists sites worthy of preservation. Recent additions have included the Astrodome in Houston and the George M. Lightfoot House in Washington.

The state status provides an income tax break for those who renovate historic buildings. The federal government accepts up to 20 percent of eligible costs to rehabilitate a building listed on the national registry. The Cavalier Hotel is already on track to receive a 25 percent tax credit from the state.”

~Writes Stacy Parker of The Virginian-Pilot

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Stafford planners endorse lower proffers

Stafford County:

“New proffer guidelines that lower the amount of money developers would pay Stafford County are on their way to the Board of Supervisors for review. The county Planning Commission approved the revised guidelines last Wednesday. The action by the planners is a recommendation, and supervisors have the final word…

The Planning Commission met on the guidelines on Feb. 26 but deferred action to Wednesday’s meeting in order for the commission and the Fredericksburg Area Builders Association to hash out the details about how the proffers are calculated and other technical issues. The new guidelines also clear up some mathematical errors in the Feb. 26 proposal.

During the two-week deferral, the two groups discovered errors and had to recalculate and reduce the maximum proposed proffer cash guidelines.”

~ Reports Jessica Koers of The Free Lance–Star

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Virginia Enterprise Zones: 2015 Designation How-to-Apply Workshops

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development:

“Competitive applications will be accepted by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to fill five Virginia Enterprise Zone (VEZ) designations that are due to expire at the end of this year. Applications must be submitted via DHCD's Centralized Application Management System (CAMS) and are due June 30, 2014. Successful applicants will be designated effective Jan. 1, 2015. The application process is open to all cities and counties, however, the program is targeted towards economically-distressed localities. Towns seeking designation must be included within the boundaries of applying counties.

As part of this process, DHCD will be holding three how-to-apply workshops. These workshops will walk attendees through the application procedures and requirements. If your locality is interested in applying for a VEZ designation, it is strongly recommended that you attend one of the workshops”

~DHCD

Click here for more information about Enterprise Zones

Click here to register for the workshop

Court ruling in land dispute could threaten bike trails

U.S. Supreme Court:

“The Supreme Court's ruling in an obscure Wyoming land dispute Monday could result in the loss of thousands of miles of bicycle trails or cost the government millions of dollars in compensation. The justices ruled 8-1 that government easements used for railroad beds over public and private land in the West expired once the railroads went out of business, and the land must revert to its owners.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said the case was decided based on an 1875 act of Congress and a 1942 Supreme Court decision involving Great Northern Railway. That ruling confirmed that the government merely had received easements without any long-term land rights, he said. The establishment in 1983 of the federal ‘rails to trails’ program didn't change the court's interpretation for easements that expired earlier. ‘We're going to stick with that today,’ Roberts said from the bench.

The decision could jeopardize the ‘rails to trails’ program, responsible for creating more than 1,400 bike and nature trails, many of them built along railroad rights-of-way.”

~Writes Richard Wolfe of USA Today

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Riverfront Park Project

City Fredericksburg:

“The City of Fredericksburg has initiated efforts to design and construct the new Riverfront Park, which will be a significant new public space in downtown Fredericksburg. In 2011, the City of Fredericksburg acquired the former Masonic Lodge riverfront property at 609 Sophia Street. This acquisition increased the amount of contiguous City-owned land along the riverfront and creates new opportunities for a beautiful outdoor amenity and attraction along the banks of the Rappahannock River. The City has established a Riverfront Task Force to guide the design process from an initial park vision to preliminary design options to final concept design…

The public is invited to attend two public open houses in March 2014 and late April/early May 2014 to learn about the status of the design process, brainstorm ideas for the park, and provide input on initial Riverfront Park design concepts. It is anticipated that a Final Concept Design will be completed by August 2014.”

~City of Fredericksburg

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Work Beginning on Ashby Pond Trail

Fairfax County:

“It’s full speed ahead for the construction of the Ashby Pond Park Trail. Work was set to begin Monday, March 3, with construction expected to last approximately 90 days, until May 31. The park will be closed during construction and, weather permitting, should be open again in June.

The Fairfax City Council on Jan. 14 approved the funding and contract to construct a trail around Ashby Pond’s circumference. The work also includes improving the parking space for two cars and developing an ADA-accessible route from the road and parking space to the pond.

The City bought this parkland in 2004 and, since then, the Council and Parks and Recreation Department have wanted to make it more usable for passive recreation. They asked the community what would be the best plan for this property, and this project will enable residents to better enjoy everything this park has to offer.”

~Writes Bonnie Hobbs of The Connection

Click here for the link

HB 209 on the Senate Floor

General Assembly:

“HB 209 is on the Senate floor for approval. The bill, which was opposed by local governments, stipulates that localities can only require preliminary subdivision plats for tentative approval for plats involving 50 or more lots.”

~ David Blount, TJPDC Legislative Liaison

Six Neighborhood Improvement Projects Could Secure Funding

Arlington County:

“The Arlington County Board could approve another round of neighborhood improvement projects at its meeting this Saturday. Six projects are slated to receive $3.5 million in funding in the fourth and final round of appropriations from 2012′s $11 million Neighborhood Conservation Bond. The projects are:

• Street improvements to the 5700 block of 2nd Street S. and the 100 block of S. Kensington Street in Glencarlyn. Cost: $724,042. Expected completion date: June 2016.
• A trail connector from the 4800 block of 7th Street S. to the W&OD trail in Barcroft. Cost: $135,317. Expected completion date: October 2015.
• Pedestrian safety improvements to 19th Road N. between Woodstock Street and Upton Street in Waverly Hills. Cost: $753,845. Expected completion date: May 2016.
• Street improvements to S. Lang Street between Arlington Ridge Road and 28th Street in Arlington Ridge. Cost: $713,003. Expected completion date: October 2015.
• Streetlights and trail improvements on N. Ohio Street between 22nd Street and Washington Blvd in Highland Park Overlee Knolls. Cost: $380,369. Expected completion date: July 2015.
• Park improvements to Woodlawn Park in Waycroft-Woodlawn. Cost: 795,000. Expected completion date: None given.

The projects were chosen based on a priority scale and approved for recommendation by the NCAC in December.”

~Writes Arlington Now

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Rotting Norfolk properties coming back to life

City of Norfolk:

“A go-go bar, a Hell’s Angels clubhouse and decaying, empty buildings aren’t what the city envisioned for the Granby Street corridor from downtown to Park Place. But that’s almost what it was stuck with because of illegal financial maneuvers between two former top executives at Bank of the Commonwealth and so-called ‘friends of the bank,’ who received millions in loans for those buildings, only to leave most of them rotting. The buildings have now been freed up and are being redeveloped – another boost for a corridor that’s been a focus of Norfolk’s revitalization efforts over the past few decades.”

~Writes Tim McGlone of The Virginia Pilot

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Strasburg to plan industrial park future

Town of Strasburg:

“Strasburg needs to plan the future of its newly acquired industrial park, seen by officials as a boon for the town. Strasburg's annexation of the North Shenandoah Industrial and Business Park from Shenandoah County took effect at the end of December. The 306 acres spans an area north of town known as the ‘Golden Triangle,’ surrounded by Interstate 81, U.S. 11 and Va. 55.

But town officials still have work to do before they can market the park to potential users and begin to reap the benefits. Economic Development and Planning Manager Kimberly Murray said Friday that she and other town officials expect to lay out the development of the park in the coming months.”

~Writes Alex Bridges of the NV Daily

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The Clinch River Valley Initiative

Southwest Virginia:

“The Clinch River Valley Initiative (CRVI) is a pioneering effort to build local economies in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia, focusing on the Clinch River Valley—one of the most biodiverse river systems in North America. Working at a watershed scale with several local partners, this collaborative grassroots effort has developed significant momentum with applicability for communities in Appalachia and beyond.

Utilizing a consensus-based approach, project partners are articulating and prioritizing goals for connecting downtown revitalization, outdoor recreation, water quality, entrepreneurship and environmental education along the Clinch River, and have developed an action plan to realize the prioritized goals (which may be found on the CRVI website). Strategies are being identified to connect downtown revitalization with outdoor recreation along the Clinch River Valley. Utilizing a regional planning approach, the project connects to cultural and natural heritage efforts including Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway, ‘Round the Mountain, Crooked Road, and other artisan networks and local efforts. Finally, the effort builds upon the unique cultural and ecological assets of the Clinch River to distinguish and create new possibilities in the communities along the Clinch as distinctive cultural and ecological areas, particularly around environmental education and entrepreneurship opportunities.”

~ Christine Gyovai, Clinch River Valley Initiative

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Locals See Continued Growth in Arlington’s Future

Arlington County:

“The last two decades in Arlington have been defined by massive, rapid growth in both the residential and business sectors, and leaders in the community are predicting more of the same over the next 10 years. At Tuesday’s ARLive event, ARLnow.com asked several members of the Arlington community, from residents to business leaders to politicians, what they thought the future would hold. No one believes Arlington will take any steps back from its recent growth — despite a commercial vacancy rate of about 20 percent – and no one mentioned controversial projects like the Columbia Pike streetcar or the planned Long Bridge Park aquatics center.

County Board candidates John Vihstadt, a Republican- and Green-endorsed independent, and Democrat Alan Howze, were in attendance and professed their optimism for the county they hope to lead.”

~Writes Ethan Rothstein of Arlington Now

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Richmond Council votes to support funding for Shockoe slavery sites

City of Richmond:

“The Richmond City Council voted unanimously Monday night to signal its commitment to putting up $5 million in local funding to commemorate slave-history sites in Shockoe Bottom regardless of whether a baseball stadium is built nearby. Mayor Dwight C. Jones also introduced a modified version of the resolution seeking support for his larger redevelopment plan for the Bottom. The language in the new resolution, which was introduced in time for consideration at the council’s Feb. 24 meeting, seeks council support for ‘further negotiations’ in connection with the plan rather than asking approval for the project itself.

The expedited resolution on the funding for slavery projects, co-patroned by all nine council members, was intended to indicate the city’s willingness to meet the conditions for $11 million in proposed state funding for the projects. That funding, proposed by then-Gov. Bob McDonnell, is currently under consideration by the General Assembly.”

~Writes Graham Moomaw of the Richmond Times-Dispatch

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