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Today’s sponsor: Big builds, small repairs, and everything in between, Nola Builds does it all On October 13, 1892, astronomer E.E. Barnard set up a photographic plate to capture the night sky towards Altair with an exposure time of four hours and 20 minutes. Upon analysis, Barnard spotted a comet, the first time one had been discovered using the technology. The Nashville native would go on to make many more discoveries including the identification of the movement of a star system that is the second closest to our own. This edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement never did get to hop off at the interstellar roundabout at Barnard’s Star. In the print edition: * The Virginia Department of Transportation opens up two surveys to get feedback on specific ways on two “pipeline” studies intended to make conditions on U.S. 29 safer for pedestrians * Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Director Riaan Anthony presents the details of proposed capital projects that come out of the 2025 master plan Audio version of previous stories in the podcast version: * Assistant City Manager Roman provides updates on 2000 Holiday Drive (read the story) * Albemarle staff continue work on transportation plans including two bike lanes in urban areas (read the story) * VDOT updates Albemarle Supervisors on state-funded transportation projects (read the story) * Proffit Road to remain closed for at least three months while VDOT obtains permission to work in railroad right-of-way (read the story) Charlottesville Community Engagement is an ongoing experimental in reader-supported journalism A sponsored message: Panorama Natural Burial At Panorama Natural Burial, we believe caring for the deceased can be simple, meaningful, and deeply connected to the natural world. As a natural burial ground just outside Charlottesville, we offer families an alternative to traditional burial that honors both the people we love and the land that will carry them forward. Whether you are planning ahead, navigating a recent loss, or are just curious about natural burial, we welcome the conversation. We host regular tours and community events throughout the year. At Panorama we are building new ways of understanding death, land, ecology, ritual, memory, and community. We believe that building community around death care helps us all to live fuller lives. We are open to the public daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come visit! VDOT seeks input on alternatives that come from two recent “pipeline” studies The way that transportation projects are developed and built has changed over time as different advances have been made in a variety of fields ranging from engineering to urban design to community engagement. There are a variety of ways transportation projects get funded in Virginia during this era with a lot of decisions made through comparing different candidates with each other to see how well they purport to provide various functions. For ten years, this has been the basic principle behind the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Scale process. But where do the ideas themselves come from? One source is through VDOT’s Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions studies, known as STARS. Two such projects have been underway in Albemarle County and Charlottesville with one focusing on Seminole Trail between Hydraulic Road and Woodbrook Road and the other looking at the Route 29/250 Bypass interchange with Emmet Street. A first round of input on both studies was held in May 2025 and now the consultants working on the project have opened a feedback round for specific alternatives. “The options shown are planning-level concepts, which have not been finalized, and have not yet been funded for construction,” reads an information release sent out today. “Responses received through the public surveys will help VDOT refine recommendations and develop planning-level cost estimates for preferred alternatives.” * STARS US 29 Corridor Study Hydraulic Rd to Woodbrook Rd Alternatives * STARS US 29/250 Bypass Interchange with Emmet St Alternatives Both studies offer the chance to comment on no-build scenarios. Hydraulic / Woodbrook Road The Hydraulic / Woodbrook Road has several different potential projects with details in the study for each. Text comes from the survey. * Fashion Square Drive Thru Cut - Pedestrian Crossing Improvements: This alternative would add a marked crosswalk with a waiting area in the median (refuge area) on the north side of the intersection. This crosswalk will be controlled by audible/visual pedestrian signals (Walk/Don’t Walk with audible messaging for the hearing impaired). The alternative would also change the intersection so drivers coming from the side streets could no longer drive straight across US 29. * Fashion Square Drive Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) - Pedestrian Crossing Improvements: This alternative would add a marked crosswalk diagonally across US 29 with a waiting area in the median. This crosswalk will be controlled by audible/visual pedestrian signals (Walk/Don’t Walk with audible messaging for the hearing impaired). The alternative would change the intersection so drivers coming from the side streets could only turn right onto US 29. Drivers would no longer be able to turn left or drive straight across US 29 from the side streets. * Branchlands Boulevard Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) - Pedestrian Crossing Improvements: This alternative would add a marked crosswalk across US 29 with a waiting area in the median (refuge area). This crosswalk will be controlled by audible/visual pedestrian signals (Walk/Don’t Walk with audible messaging for the hearing impaired). The alternative would also change the intersection so drivers coming from the side streets could only turn right onto US 29. Drivers would no longer be able to turn left or drive straight across US 29 from the side streets. * Greenbrier Drive Intersection Reconfiguration - Pedestrian Crossing Improvements: This alternative would move the crosswalk across US 29 to the south side of the intersection. Left turns from northbound US 29 would be redirected to Westfield Road, which would make room for a large waiting area in the median (refuge area) for pedestrians crossing US 29. This alternative would also widen the sidewalk area at the southwest corner of the intersection, shortening the distance people need to walk across US 29. * Seminole Court Intersection – Operations and Safety Improvements: This alternative would change the Northrop Grumman driveway so vehicles could only enter from US 29 and could no longer exit onto US 29 from that driveway. It would also repaint the lane markings on Seminole Court so the left lane is only for left turns, and the right lane is for turning left, going straight, or turning right. * Hillsdale Drive Shared-Use-Path: This alternative proposes reconfiguring or reconstructing Hillsdale Drive to include a shared-use-path for both bicyclists and pedestrians between Greenbrier Drive and Branchlands Boulevard. * Install a physical barrier on northbound US 29 from the Rio Road underpass to Woodbrook Road: Install a physical barrier on northbound US 29 from the Rio Road underpass to Woodbrook Road with two through lanes on each side of the barrier as shown in the inset of the graphic. * Redirected Route for Vehicles from Rio Road: Today, drivers traveling west on Rio Road take the ramp onto northbound US 29 and cut over to the left lanes to turn left onto Woodbrook Road. With this change, they would stay on Rio Road to cross US 29 and turn right onto Berkmar Drive to reach Woodbrook Road. Drivers could also merge onto US 29 northbound from Rio Road, continue northbound past Woodbrook Drive, and make a U-turn at Gander Drive / Schewells Furniture (this option is not shown in the graphic). * Redirected Route for Vehicles from Northbound US 29: Today, drivers heading north on US 29 go under the Rio Road bridge and cut over to the right lanes to reach businesses on the east side of US 29 or turn right onto Woodbrook Road. With this change, they would instead use the ramps to exit up to the Rio Road intersection, cross through the intersection, and take the ramp back onto northbound US 29 to reach those businesses or to turn right onto Woodbrook Road. US 29/250 Bypass Interchange area * Removal of Northbound to Westbound loop-ramp at US 250 Bypass/ Emmet St Interchange: This concept removes the northbound-to-westbound loop ramp and diverts traffic to the Barracks Road interchange. This is a very low volume ramp with only 32 vehicles in the morning peak hour and 72 vehicles during the evening peak hour in the existing condition. * Removal of Westbound to Southbound left-turn lane at US 250 Bypass/Emmet St Interchange: This alternative would remove the existing left-turn lane from westbound US 250 Bypass onto southbound Emmet Street and would require drivers who currently make this turn to use the Barracks Road interchange instead. This turn is used by relatively few vehicles today—about 70 vehicles during the morning peak hour and 39 vehicles during the evening peak hour. * Hillsdale Drive Extension: This alternative extends Hillsdale Drive south from the roundabout at Hydraulic Road to the US 250 bypass to replace the existing ramps shown being removed in the image above (westbound US 250 Bypass to northbound US 29 Business ramp & the northbound US 29 Business to westbound US 250 Bypass loop ramp). * Intersection Modifications – Restrict through movements and left-turns from Angus Road and Hotel Exit: This alternative would prevent drivers from going straight across or turning left from Angus Road and the hotel entrance. Drivers would still be able to make right turns, and all existing pedestrian crossings would remain. Drivers would also still be able to make left-turns from Emmet Street onto Angus Road or into the hotel. * Reconfigure existing lanes and extend eastbound left-turn storage

In a perfect world the audio versions and the newsletter versions of Charlottesville Community Engagement would come out at the exact same time as part of a well-funded information outlet’s mission to provide information about a small metropolis in flux to benefit the people who live there. Then again in a perfect world, the sole person who does this work would have benefits, a guaranteed amount of money, and the ability to take time off. Until then, a sonic edition to catch up those who use their ears. In this edition: * CRHA briefs Charlottesville City Council on pending purchases, requested policy changes (read the story) * CARTA members briefly discuss the entity’s future (read the story) * CAT Route 7 to go to 15-minute headways in late October (read the story) * Afton Express continues to see ridership increase (read the story) Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. No sponsorships, shout-outs, or anything But there is this note in which I say that Charlottesville Community Engagement is an experimental newsletter which seeks to get out information that might not otherwise be heard, read, spindled, or mutilated. The current ratio of paid subscriptions to free subscriptions via Substack is 0.163554157657 which is a long string of numbers. I would like to get that number to 0.2 but I would also like to find other ways to measure subscriber success. There is a pall over me today because another Substack subscriber disputed a renewal charge. That’s two in a week, and the first one reported a terrible experience with Substack’s customer service humanity-faking software. I feel awful about it. I am hopeful the second, someone I know, just forgot they paid me. But seeing the phrase “fraudulent activity” hit a nerve that seems to be hit a lot these days. I dedicate my entire life to this work, something I know may not be healthy but all of us have different expectations of life. All I want to do is do the work and be able to live a somewhat decent life. And I want that for others, too, which is why I work so hard. I can’t think of any other line of work that would bring me satisfaction, especially in this 21st century of uncertainty and chaos. For now, Substack is the vehicle I use to get this information out to most of you. There is also Information Charlottesville, a Wordpress website on which I have tried to get advertisements. There’s also a way you can make a tax-deductible charitable contribution through the Tiny News Collective. Take a look here! Paid Substack subscribers skip a lot of the shout-outs now and also get access to some behind the scenes stuff where I talk a little about the business and may seek specific help. While I’m fairly good at being a reporter, I need more than experimenting to fix the metaphorical tree-house where I do my work. Back with another edition tomorrow. Production of this podcast today helps me clear my brain. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s sponsor: Big builds, small repairs, and everything in between, Nola Builds does it all A hundred years ago today, fingerprint expert Irving Lindsay Leafe became the chief of police in Charlottesville. He would serve in the position for less than six weeks. Both pieces of information can be traced to the archives of the Charlottesville Daily Progress. What else can be found in the digital archives for September 28, 2026? Let me know what you find out! In this edition: * Updates from the Charlottesville Planning Commission that have not yet been reported in this newsletter and perhaps no other place * Charlottesville City Council reappoints Schwarz and Harness to Planning Commission * Schwarz renamed as chair while Yoder remains vice chair * A brief update on the University of Virginia’s affordable housing initiative * A brief description of the Missing Middle Committee * Planning Commissioner Carp provides an update on the quick build initiative * Area planners tour the Birdwood * No one speaks at the Planning Commission’s public hearing on a Comprehensive Plan updae * A very brief report on the Central Library Want to subscribe to an information outlet that still believes in experimenting and innovating with format? If so, put your email address in the box. Charlottesville PC update: Schwarz re-elected chair, update on UVA Housing projects A slightly less busy week gives us the chance to catch up with items in September that have so far not yet been reported. That includes two meetings that happened on the ninth day of the month at just about the same time. The first is the joint meeting of the Charlottesville City Council and the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority called to order by Mayor Juandiego Wade. There are usually no action items on the agendas of work sessions but Council had to make two appointments to the Charlottesville Planning Commission before that body could meet. The terms of Carl Schwarz and Ross Harness expired on August 31, 2026. Before moving on to business with the CRHA, Council reappointed both to new terms. More from the CRHA in the next newsletter. Schwarz served two terms on the Board of Architectural Review from 2014 to the end of 2021 before being appointed to the Planning Commission beginning September 2022. He continues to serve on the BAR as the representative from the Planning Commission. Harness was appointed to the PC earlier this year to fill a vacancy left with the resignation of Phil d’Oronzio. Harness is a realtor with Long and Foster. The Planning Commission also met on September 9 for a regular meeting and the first act was to elect leadership for the next year. Schwarz had been serving as chair and Danny Yoder had been vice chair. “The nominating committee of Hosea Mitchell and myself met, and we would like to request that Carl Schwarz serve again as chair and Danny Yoder serve again as vice chair,” said Commissioner Lyle Solla-Yates. Two of UVA’s affordable housing sites in holding pattern With new chairs in place, Planning Commissioners gave updates including non-voting member Michael Joy who had updates on the University of Virginia’s plans to contribute land for affordable housing projects. Just before the pandemic, former UVA President Jim Ryan had announced that up to 1,500 units would be built on three sites. UVA selected a group called Preservation of Affordable Housing to develop a two-acre site at the intersection of 10th and Wertland as well as the Piedmont Housing Alliance to build on a 12-acre tract of land off of Fontaine Avenue known as Piedmont. Both are in a holding pattern and Joy said both projects are dealing with fundamental shifts in what he called the affordable housing industry. “These shifts have been creating funding challenges, both nationally and locally, which is impacting affordable housing development,” Joy said. “The timing for this construction is contingent on the financing and the entitlements, and both of which are currently being worked through.” Preservation of Affordable Housing had submitted plans for a six story building at 1000 Wertland Street that would have 180 units with about 16,000 square feet of non-residential space. The city’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services signed off on a development plan but a final site plan will need to be approved. In addition, the project needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the BAR, a body that was not ready to grant one in February 2025. The Piedmont Housing Alliance submitted a rezoning in December 2025 for the Piedmont site for 375 units but has since asked for an indefinite deferral. “Both of these sites are being treated as unique developments and they’ll continue to progress on their own timelines,” Joy said. The third site is at North Fork and UVA has selected Bluestone Land LLC as a development partner. “North Fork is a very different site from the initial two properties in terms of size, scale, project phasing, and affordability mix,” reads the website of the President’s Council on UVA-Community Partnerships. “We anticipate market rate and workforce/middle-income housing in addition to affordable units at this site.” Previous coverage: * University of Virginia resumes housing initiative for up to 1,500 units, April 30, 2021 * UVA announces three sites for affordable housing projects, December 14, 2021 * University of Virginia issues first request for qualifications for affordable housing developer, June 10, 2022 * Nonprofits have been asked to work on UVA housing projects, February 15, 2023 * UVA Foundation seeks firms to build 600 units of mixed-income housing at North Fork, November 26, 2024 * A quick update on the UVA Housing Initiative, July 24, 2026 * UVA still committed to affordable housing initiative launched during Ryan administration, C-Ville Weekly, July 29, 2026 Sponsored message: Panorama Natural Burial At Panorama Natural Burial, we believe caring for the deceased can be simple, meaningful, and deeply connected to the natural world. As a natural burial ground just outside Charlottesville, we offer families an alternative to traditional burial that honors both the people we love and the land that will carry them forward. Whether you are planning ahead, navigating a recent loss, or are just curious about natural burial, we welcome the conversation. We host regular tours and community events throughout the year. At Panorama we are building new ways of understanding death, land, ecology, ritual, memory, and community. We believe that building community around death care helps us all to live fuller lives. We are open to the public daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come visit! Missing Middle working group update Last week, the Stony Point Development Group held a required community meeting for the third phase of Dairy Central, a mixed-use project that is just under the threshold required for City Council to approve a special exception permit for additional height. In other words, this project is by-right under the city’s 2023 zoning code. That Development Code is the third and final component of the Cville Plans Together initiative, a series of projects intended to increase the amount of housing that could be built across the city of Charlottesville. The Affordable Housing Plan was the first and it called for “soft density” across the city which resulted in a Future Land Use Map and a new zoning which allows for many more residential units without City Council’s input. “Soft density” is also known as “missing middle” and the ability is embedded in the Development Code. One example of this in practice can be seen at 1040 St. Clair Avenue in the Locust Grove neighborhood on which a single-family home will be demolished to make way for six units. The 0.213 acre parcel is zoned Residential-A, which allows six units on a lot if half of them are designated affordable. Learn more in this story from August 2026. A final site plan has been approved. A working group of developers, staff, and other interested parties is leading efforts to loosen regulations in order to make it even easier for builders to construct more homes. The Planning Commission got an update on this missing middle work group from Ross Harness who said utilities are a barrier. “It was also noted difficulties that arise from the city having a gravity-fed only sewer system and how sometimes that prevents lots in town from even being reached without having a private pump system that… increases the cost of construction of those properties and long-term maintenance on the private side,” Harness said. Harness said there are many city policies that are preventing more housing units from being constructed such as requiring structures built on sublots needing to be spaced apart. He said the purpose of the group is to identify what developers call constraints. “Next steps for this group are a site visit to some of the parcels that some of the members of the subcommittee have so that we can actually get out there and have a little bit more physical discussion about some of these constraints,” Harness said. The Missing Middle work group is an informal committee, but I asked the city to provide a list of members. This was what was provided on September 10. * Local Builders and Developers: Bob Pineo, A.J. Amigoni, Richard Price, Nicole Scro, Dan Zimmerman, Trent Lawhorn, and Dan Rosensweig * Neighborhood Development Service: Matt Alfele, Carrie Rainey, Dannan O’Connell, Ben Koby, Madelyn Metzler, and Chuck Miller * Public Works: Brennan Duncan, Caleb Smith * Fire: Jason Campbell * Utilities: Cody Tusing, Calvin Chan, Chuck Drennen, and Donald Schrager * City Attorney’s Office: J Vaden Hunt and one other staff member * Planning Commission: Ross Harnes and Betsy Roettger Learn more about the Missing Middle Work Group here and also here on Connect Charlottesville. Quick-builds stuck? In the wake of a pedestrian being k

Sometimes the math doesn’t quite work out and the podcast does not come together the way I would like. That is the case for this edition which should have gone out Saturday morning but I had ambitions that ended up causing more confusion. To get the week of September 28 moving correctly, it is time to finally present the sonic version of some recent stories. For a further explanation of why this is late, you’ll have to listen at least until the second ad break or be a paid subscribers. In this edition: * Council addresses concerns related mass grading for Azalea Springs development (read the story) * Charlottesville asks: Can you go a week without driving? (read the story) * The UVA Buildings and Grounds Committee gets an update on construction projects (read the story) * A look at the sales-tax referendums in Albemarle and Charlottesville (read the story) * This year’s usage of the Ivy Creek Solid Waste and Recycling Center continues to surpass previous years (read the story) * Charlottesville City Council briefed on regional solid waste plan (read the story) Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Sponsored message: Panorama Natural Burial At Panorama Natural Burial, we believe caring for the deceased can be simple, meaningful, and deeply connected to the natural world. As a natural burial ground just outside Charlottesville, we offer families an alternative to traditional burial that honors both the people we love and the land that will carry them forward. Whether you are planning ahead, navigating a recent loss, or are just curious about natural burial, we welcome the conversation. We host regular tours and community events throughout the year. At Panorama we are building new ways of understanding death, land, ecology, ritual, memory, and community. We believe that building community around death care helps us all to live fuller lives. We are open to the public daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come visit! Thoughts on CCE-1130 The sun is about to rise and the sky is pretty. I’m going to go look at that and then get to work on the next newsletter, which will have audio in it. It may come out later today, but it may come out tomorrow. I do not know yet. I also have to write up stories for C-Ville Weekly and I have an idea of what I want to do for both of them, but I also need to sit and have a think. But first, I need to go see the sky. The waning moon is still large and will soon disappear as the light grows. The following image is here to give a cover for this post and has no connection to anything in this newsletter or podcast. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

The podcast edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement marks the end of one week and the beginning of the next, and serves as a way to process and reset. The mission of this newsletter is to bring people stories about local and regional government and the audio version is a good way to hear some of the voices of decision-makers and those who speak up at meetings. Most of you are not listeners of the podcast but this is also a time for you to catch up on some of the stories. The links below go to Information Charlottesville, the archive for most of what goes out in the newsletter. If you learned something from the stories, please share them with other people you think might be interested. In this edition: * Charlottesville is on track to meet a 2021 spending goal for subsidized housing (read the story on C-Ville Weekly) * Lack of administrative capacity slowing Charlottesville’s affordable housing progress (read the story) * Albemarle County Supervisors learned in early August that growth area master plans will no longer be updated in favor of “activity centers” and “multimodal transportation planning” (read the story) * The Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority in late August took another look at a study intended to determine what route expansions should be selected to seek additional funding (read the story) * Albemarle Supervisors want a say in governance of actual transit decisions (read the story) Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Sponsored message: Panorama Natural Burial At Panorama Natural Burial, we believe caring for the deceased can be simple, meaningful, and deeply connected to the natural world. As a natural burial ground just outside Charlottesville, we offer families an alternative to traditional burial that honors both the people we love and the land that will carry them forward. Whether you are planning ahead, navigating a recent loss, or are just curious about natural burial, we welcome the conversation. We host regular tours and community events throughout the year. At Panorama we are building new ways of understanding death, land, ecology, ritual, memory, and community. We believe that building community around death care helps us all to live fuller lives. We are open to the public daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come visit! Thoughts at the end of #1127-A for paid subscribers Fun fact: This is only the third edition of this newsletter to come out on September 19. * In 2022, I did a Week Ahead with previews about what was coming up that week including City Council taking up a special use permit for student housing building on JPA, the rezoning of the second phase of Southwood in Albemarle County, and more. * In 2024, I had stories about temporary detention orders, sustainability efforts at the University of Virginia, and Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders telling Council he did not want to raise any taxes for the next budget. My memory tells me he didn’t but memory is not to be trusted. But I’m not going to look it up now. This is behind the paywall as a thank you note to those who are helping me create an archive of what’s been happening these last few years. With your support, I’ve been able to devote my life to this work. You’re allowing me to pay attention to things and bring you stories that hopefully capture the conversations. The last time I did the calculations, about 16.2 percent of the Substack audience pays something. That’s over 800 people at this point. I would like that number to increase and one way is to offer more content where I can. And less content in some places, too! For the past month, paid subscribers skip the “shout-outs” to give the newsletter a less cluttered look. The sponsored messages remain, but there’s only one display ad per edition. I’ve been considering writing up photo essays of the changing landscape in Charlottesville. However, adding more work to the pile can sometimes cause me to shut down new ideas. But, I noted in the 2022 edition I wrote about what’s now being called “The Adelaide” on JPA. I end this edition sharing some of those pictures and others from a recent walk around Grounds. I’m taking the pictures anyway as I walk around the community and I share them on my personal Facebook. So, as another perk for paid subscribers and to hopefully boost the numbers for these podcast posts, here are some recent photos. For more information on the above project, take a look at cvillepedia. The article is not up to date but a lot of the basics are there. While I helped create it, I have no ownership of the website but spend a lot of time there. Perhaps you might be interested in being an editor? Thoughts on the Verve? Learn more on cvillepedia. This post has bonus content for paid subscribers. Upgrade to get full access which also has the effect of helping me continue this work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

On September 12, 1885, Arbroath Football Club defeated Bon Accord Football Club 36 to 0, setting a world-record for the biggest victory in a professional match. The two were playing in the first round of the Scottish Cup. The sport was still relatively new and today and today the winning club plays in the Scottish Championship and matches can be watched outside the United Kingdom for £20 a month. Perhaps they might advertise on Charlottesville Community Engagement? In this audio edition: * Assistant City Manager Sam Roman provides an update on 2000 Holiday Drive (read the story) * Azalea Springs’ neighbors want city to revoke developer’s construction permits (read the story) * The Albemarle Board of Supervisors approves a rezoning to add 165 units at an existing residential complex on Fifth Street Extended (story TK) * Charlottesville School Board members express concern about FY27 budget process at August work session (read the story) Sponsored message: Panorama Natural Burial At Panorama Natural Burial, we believe caring for the deceased can be simple, meaningful, and deeply connected to the natural world. As a natural burial ground just outside Charlottesville, we offer families an alternative to traditional burial that honors both the people we love and the land that will carry them forward. Whether you are planning ahead, navigating a recent loss, or are just curious about natural burial, we welcome the conversation. We host regular tours and community events throughout the year. At Panorama we are building new ways of understanding death, land, ecology, ritual, memory, and community. We believe that building community around death care helps us all to live fuller lives. We are open to the public daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come visit! Thoughts at the end of CCE-1123A Honestly I don’t really have any at the moment. It’s early on a Saturday and there’s no premiership match at 7:30 a.m. There are five at 10 a.m. and then two more at the 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. windows. I’ll spend most of that time watching the matches but also working on something related to the business or perhaps I’ll get a jump on the next week of stories. There’s a lot to organize and a lot of decisions to make. I gather so much raw information but can’t always get to everything. Between now and then I’m going to go a walk. Thank you to paid subscribers and sponsors for allowing me to keep going on this journey. I had thought about posting pictures from some of my recent walks and writing a bit but that feels a bit like work and I see two and a half hours of non-computer time in my future. Yet, I did say somewhere I was going to do it and photos of my recent walks are well worth organizing. We’re alive once and we have resources to capture and share our journeys. So, here’s a trip I took on a day I really needed to get out and some of the world around me. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Do consider a paid subscription today in case a time accident takes place and suddenly I’m whisked back to September 5, 1698, when Tsar Peter I of Russia levied a tax on beards for everyone except the clergy and peasants. This is most likely not going to happen, but this is one possible reason to make a contribution. This Saturday edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement also offers me the opportunity to experiment. This particular version has material that did not appear on the WTJU radio program and is created fresh for the loyal listeners of the podcast. But for the first time in a regular post, paid subscribers get access to a synopsis of a particular project. There’s nothing new in the reporting, but I took the opportunity to write up a summary of the ill-fated West2nd project based on a combination of previous reporting and new research. That part is not in the audio. Stories this week: * Charlottesville follows through with plans to clear encampments along the Rivanna River after 2000 Holiday Drive opens (look at the story) * Albemarle Supervisors presented with metrics on county performance in FY2026 (read story) * Albemarle Supervisors agree to allow County Executive to sign performance agreement for Southwood’s second phase (view story) * Albemarle Supervisors agreed to charge fares for MicroCAT (see story) * Albemarle Supervisors approved rezoning for 18-unit development on three acres in Crozet (story forthcoming on C-Ville Weekly) * Paid subscribers get a written summary of what happened with West2nd, an unbuilt development that would been constructed on a city parking lot They are not all podcasts, but this one is. If you sign up for free, you’ll get that each week as well as a lot of other information. Paid subscribers get a smidge more and support the work financially A sponsored message: Panorama Natural Burial At Panorama Natural Burial, we believe caring for the deceased can be simple, meaningful, and deeply connected to the natural world. As a natural burial ground just outside Charlottesville, we offer families an alternative to traditional burial that honors both the people we love and the land that will carry them forward. Whether you are planning ahead, navigating a recent loss, or are just curious about natural burial, we welcome the conversation. We host regular tours and community events throughout the year. At Panorama we are building new ways of understanding death, land, ecology, ritual, memory, and community. We believe that building community around death care helps us all to live fuller lives. We are open to the public daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come visit! No arrests made in conjunction with Charlottesville removal of people from Rivanna River encampments This story assembles coverage from previous editions of the newsletter This week the City of Charlottesville followed through on a deadline to remove people from encampments along the Rivanna River as soon as an emergency shelter opened at 2000 Holiday Drive to provide an alternative. Charlottesville’s chief building official issued a temporary certificate of occupancy early September 1 after work crews cleared a list of violations that held up issuance the day before. The city closed off the Rivanna Trail at Free Bridge on Tuesday to give space for the clean-up and asked media representatives to stay clear. By the end of the first day, sixteen people had opted to move into the emergency shelter and the camps were declared to be closed. The same night, video footage captured someone setting fire to two of tents still standing at one of the camp sites. Officials are still requesting help. By the end of Wednesday night, ten more people had moved in. The city that day also posted a video with Nathan Smith, the CEO of Central Arizona Shelter Services. That firm is being paid $3.2 million for a year’s worth of running the emergency low-barrier shelter. “Low-barrier shelter means we do everything we can to eliminate all the things that prevent people from accessing shelter,” said Nathan Smith. “For example, people don’t access shelter because they can’t bring their pets.” In the video, Smith takes viewers through the renovated first floor of 2000 Holiday Drive which includes storage space for people’s belongings. “We have 240 bins for what could be up to 120 people,” Smith said. “Not certain 120 people are going to be here. If so, great, everyone can have two bins, but if not, maybe they can have three.” The men’s dorm currently has 37 twin-size beds in a congregate setting but more can be added. Each has a locker underneath. Charging stations are nearby for phones and other devices, but also for health equipment like CPAP machines. There are currently 21 beds in the women’s dorm. There are also four isolation rooms for a variety of purposes such as if guests are sick. Tables have also been set up for guests to play games and to share time with each other. Smith said that many people experiencing homelessness are also feeling isolated. “One of the reasons why people enjoy living in encampment situations is because they have a sense of community,” Smith said. “We want to bring them into a safer space where they’re not worried about getting flooded or the other things that happen with the elements, particularly in the winter.” On Thursday, the city also released images and a video of what appears to be a person dressed in light clothing along a paved portion of the trail. As they walk into the frame of the security camera, they put a hat on their head to shield their identity. The person briefly leaves the trail and walks to one of the tents still standing alongside discarded items. They use some sort of a mechanism to start a flame and walk away when it ignites. The person that moves further down the trail and appears to walk away. They turn back to catch another tent on fire. This flame burns more quickly and continues to grow as the video ends. The city asks anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers line at 434-977-4000. Take a look at the video here. City Councilor Jen Fleisher updated the members of the Thomas Planning District Commission on the closure of the encampments at the group’s meeting on September 3. “We’ve moved everyone out into shelter or alternative housing,” Fleisher said. “And that was an effort that involved multiple departments and agencies, as well as nonprofits and community volunteers. We’ve met with 26 guests, well, 27 guests as of this afternoon. Doors are open.” Fleisher said Central Arizona Shelter Services is being paid to run the site for the next year while plans continue to be developed to convert 2000 Holiday Drive into a permanent emergency shelter. Fleisher also said the cleanup of the trail will continue through Saturday and damages are being repaired. When asked about the fire, Fleisher said the fire happened after the last three residents of the encampment left on Wednesday night. So far no lawsuits have been filed against the city, but Fleisher confirmed there many people on site observing activities during the removal period. “While they were with us all day, no one communicated with us any concerns, and I haven’t seen any reports yet,” Fleisher said. People staying there are getting two meals, a place to shower, and access to case managers. “That’s the goal, to make this a stepping stone into transitional housing, then permanent supportive housing, and do so by really getting back on or first time connected to that case management, the support needed,” Fleisher said. On Friday, the city’s Communications and Public Engagement office did another in-house video with City Manager Sam Sanders. He said that even though the shelter is operating under a temporary permit, the intent is for it to never close. “We’re gonna make improvements to the space while we continue to serve in that location. I see it as a one-stop homeless services center,” Sanders said. “That’s what I would like it to be. That is what we’re hoping that our partners can come together and produce and that we can find as many providers who are willing to come to that location.” Sanders said the city will also be investing in transitional housing as a next step for many after a congregate emergency shelter. He thanked all involved with the swift opening of 2000 Holiday Drive. “We started this conversation in mid-July, and here we are in early September with the facility open that I never envisioned could be possible this quickly after buying the building last year,” Sanders said. “And our community partners, the assessment team members, all the folks who have really, really rallied around the idea that An emergency response is what was needed for what was happening at the Rivanna River.” The topic is likely to come up in some form at City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, September 8. One item in the packet is Sanders’ written report which contains a mention that he met with the executive director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission on September 1 to “to discuss opportunities to align funding priorities to support a regional response to homelessness using currently allocated opportunities to engage all regional parties in the discussion.” What will that look like? Stay tuned to Charlottesville Community Engagement. Background context on why one Downtown Charlottesville project didn’t work out This week, the formerly daily newspaper called the Charlottesville Daily Progress printed an article about the demise of West2nd that appears to have been based on previous reporting in this newsletter. It’s likely behind a paywall, but somehow I was able to click through. West2nd is a failed development by Woodard Properties that began life as Market Plaza. The article prompted a polemic on Reddit from someone demanding that the Board of Architectural Review be disbanded due to their role in the pr

On September 1, the City of Charlottesville is expected to begin clearing out people who have been living in encampments along the Rivanna River and charging anyone who tries to stay with trespassing. September 1 is also the same day that Central Arizona Shelter Services is contractually obligated to begin operating an emergency low-barrier facility at 2000 Holiday Drive. In this edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement, you’ll hear some of the story of how we got to this point from prior stories that appeared in the newsletter and podcast since September 2023 concluding with an update of where things are before what the city calls a “transition” is expected to occur. If you’ve never heard one of these podcasts before, this is a good one that includes three years of coverage on this one topic. The goal of this newsletter is to help remind people of recent conversations in an attempt to expand our collective attention span. We as a species face so many complex issues and stories like this are intended to capture some of the details. At the very least, take a look at all of the stories some of which are sampled in this sonic edition. Previous coverage over the years: * Chief Kochis refutes charges of police brutality in Market Street Park, October 3, 2023 * Sanders outlines work plan, homeless intervention strategy, October 9, 2023 * City Manager Sanders provides update on Charlottesville’s efforts to assist the unhoused, September 12, 2024 * Charlottesville City Manager Sanders announces upcoming “community interventions” including $5 million for the Salvation Army, October 23, 2024 * Charlottesville City Manager Sanders announces upcoming “community interventions” including $5 million for the Salvation Army, October 23, 2024 * Sanders briefs Council on other community interventions such as purchase of portable restrooms, November 1, 2024 * Sanders addresses low-barrier shelter before Council approves $3 million for other Salvation Army project, December 20, 2024 * City Council ends consideration of anti-camping ordinance after pushback from homeless advocates, September 5, 2025 * Sanders provides an update on efforts to address homeless population of Charlottesville, September 19, 2025 * Council holds first reading on use of $7.95 million in surplus funds, October 10, 2025 * Council agrees to reallocate funding intended to run low-barrier shelter, February 10, 2025 * Charlottesville City Council briefed on low-barrier shelter by groups that provide the programming, March 27, 2026 * City Council presented with The State of Homelessness 2026 by four nonprofit groups working on the issue, May 12, 2026 * Salvation Army launches fundraising campaign for Center for Hope, May 15, 2026 * Many details remain to be worked out for how three groups will work together at Charlottesville’s future low-barrier shelter, May 15, 2026 * Sanders gives first progress report on operations plan for 2000 Holiday Drive, May 22, 2026 * Albemarle Supervisor Pruitt provides short briefing on low-barrier shelter plan, May 29, 2026 * Work continues to develop operations plan for low-barrier shelter and service center for unhoused, July 10, 2026 * Charlottesville Mayor Wade announces steps to be taken at Free Bridge encampment, July 12, 2026 * Charlottesville speakers provide multiple perspectives on how to help those without a home, July 24, 2026 * Charlottesville to pay outside groups up to $4 million to manage emergency shelter and help to clear encampments, August 4, 2026 * Sanders: 2000 Holiday Drive is just part of the city’s response to homelessness, August 7, 2026 * Council allocates $3 million more to Salvation Army’s Center for Hope, August 19, 2026 * Charlottesville continues to prepare to move people from Rivanna River encampment while some residents call for a halt, August 21, 2026 * Webinar participants introduced to Central Arizona Shelter Services, August 25, 2026 * Sanders says no to McGuire’s request to delay opening of 2000 Holiday Drive, August 25, 2026 * Charlottesville formally awards contract for 2000 Holiday Drive to Central Arizona Shelter Services, August 29, 2026 Thoughts on CCE-1115A: The idea for an archive edition began Wednesday when I realized I did not have enough fresh audio for a new show. This week has been spent outside the usual study with more family obligation than usual. Somehow, though, this edition took more work than producing four or five segments! I think it was worth it to have gone through all of this, but now I need to get on to a day’s worth of travel. Please let me know if you heard it all the way through or if you heard an error. I’m not sure I’ll be able to correct it because there’s a lot of work to get to this upcoming week. Please also share the link with others. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

In any given year, leap or otherwise, August 22 is almost but not quite two-thirds of the way through the year. For this year, the exact tally is 64.1 percent. In 2028 that number will dip slightly to 63.9 percent. One unwritten style note of Charlottesville Community Engagement is that the percentage sign is to be avoided. A perhaps gaudy style note is to use these podcast editions to inform newer readers (and listeners) of previous editions from this day. The archive is free for all to review because the point of this entire endeavor is to connect people to things they may want to know. * August 22, 2023: Piedmont Housing Alliance selected to develop Piedmont site at UVA; SELC files suit to keep Virginia in RGGI (CCE-568, a podcast version as well!) * August 22, 2024: Two-thirds of the Albemarle Electoral Board express concerns about ranked choice voting (CCE-722, after the decision was made to not make a podcast every time) These podcast editions also serve as a way to put out a “week in review” with links to the stories covered. This time around, two of the stories debut in audio form first before their publication in print. This audio version also went over the radio airwaves on WTJU at 6 a.m. If you weren’t up then, take a listen and see what you can learn if you open up your ears a bit. In this edition: * Charlottesville continues to prepare to move people from Rivanna River encampment while some residents call for a halt (read the story) * Council allocates $3 million more to Salvation Army’s Center for Hope (read the story) * A representative of the Central Arizona Shelter Services gives more details about the organization (print story coming on Monday) * Albemarle County Supervisors review planning department’s work plan (read the story) * Charlottesville City Council agrees to hand over a narrow stretch of land to a local developer (print story coming on Wednesday) * A very brief preview of the Week Ahead that comes out tomorrow (self-explanatory) A sponsored message: Panorama Natural Burial At Panorama Natural Burial, we believe caring for the deceased can be simple, meaningful, and deeply connected to the natural world. As a natural burial ground just outside Charlottesville, we offer families an alternative to traditional burial that honors both the people we love and the land that will carry them forward. Whether you are planning ahead, navigating a recent loss, or are just curious about natural burial, we welcome the conversation. We host regular tours and community events throughout the year. At Panorama we are building new ways of understanding death, land, ecology, ritual, memory, and community. We believe that building community around death care helps us all to live fuller lives. We are open to the public daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come visit! Notes on CCE-1111A Now that title sounds like a Federation starship’s designation. The numbers are part of a structure I’ve put in place over time to help me know what I wrote when. I looked back at the two previous August 22 editions and my only thought is whether there may be a WAN version from August 22. Thanks to a spreadsheet I keep, there is! * Week Ahead for July 4, 2022: Fluvanna to ponder new name for Palmyra district; Louisa to further discuss library name-change, how to celebrate America’s 250th in four years I really want to keep doing this. I seldom stop and look back, but this new habit of tying podcasts to earlier versions of the newsletter helps me do so. Can the editors of other information outlets do the same thing? I’m here to document and hundreds of you are paying me to do so. To what end? For me, I want to keep writing these stories. For one story today, I did about two hours of research into City Council minutes and my own reporting to try to fill in context. All of this material is out there for people to review, but how can anyone figure it out? That’s where Charlottesville Community Engagement hopes to come in. I encourage everyone reading to click on source materials yourself and see what I’m reporting from. Photo gallery of flood pictures This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s sponsor: Panorama Natural Burial is reimagining death care through natural burial, land conservation, and community The opening of the Beijing Olympics, a president announces a resignation, and a certain incident took place on a Chicago bridge. These are just some of the things that have happened on other editions of August 8 throughout recent time. There has only been one regular edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement in the six years since publication began so when you’re done here go back and time travel. In this edition: * Charlottesville to hire outside groups to manage emergency shelter and encampment clearance (read the story) * Voices speak out against upcoming ending of Rivanna River encampments (read the story) * Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders explains how 2000 Holiday Drive is just part of the city’s response to homelessness (read the story) * Albemarle EDA to support classes to assist wine industry learn new techniques after difficult spring (read the story) * More people using Ivy Solid Waste and Recycling Center (read the story) Behind the scenes of #1104-A Once again, the time it takes to put together the audio podcast ends up being much longer than it should be. Throughout the week as I am writing stories, I keep track of them in a spreadsheet. One of the columns indicates whether the story has a sound element to it. Not all stories come from meetings, but those that do are fodder for both the WTJU radio show as well as this podcast version. For 650 editions or so, the newsletter and the podcast for one and the same. The reason there’s an anecdote at the moment is to serve as something the listener would hear to get used to my voice. It’s a way I personalize the newsletter and try to offer something more than just the information. I learn so much in the course of doing that research and I’ve kept writing them because doing so wakes up my brain and gets me ready for the work of finishing the newsletter. There are currently no plans to reunify the newsletter and the podcast because the audience interested in the sonic product is much smaller. I can imagine a time when there’s a partnership with a radio station or other production company to produce this work. Right now I’m very to be working with WTJU and glad the radio version was named Best News Program this year by the Alliance for Community Media. If you’ve never heard one of these before, this is a good place to start. The segments are much longer than you’re going to hear anywhere else, and I think that’s incredibly important to have an alternative. This particular edition is a 30 minute summary of one of the most difficult issues of our time. It hits differently when you hear people’s voices. Now, time to produce it so I can get on with the rest of the week. Thank you for reading or listening. And now the cut-and-paste bit intended to get your help in getting more eyes on the stories: * I post stories over at BlueSky but don’t really do much else than that at this point. Here’s the account for Information Charlottesville. * You can also subscribe to get Information Charlottesville postings via email Wordpress. This is where I confess I don’t entirely know the link for this. Might be a pop-up? * Town Crier Productions has a Facebook page but I’m really not sure if it’s worth keeping as the site doesn’t really seem to like Substack material. Or Wordpress material. In six years of doing this, I’ve never had a post “go viral” and I think it’s all throttled. I don’t pay them any money anymore * And then there’s Instagram which gets a couple of likes every now and then though I am really bad at images! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

For some reason, there has only been one other August 1 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement and that was back in 2024 with a recount underway in the Fifth District Republican Primary. This is a podcast edition that provides audio versions of stories and thus does not count toward a total number of produced newsletters. That number is 1,374 which comes from 375 Week Ahead versions and 1,099 general ones. There have been 2,210 days since #1. Somewhere here in may be a relevant statistic, but the best I can come up with is 0.62. But what does it mean? In this edition: * Charlottesville City Council votes to move forward with a sales tax referendum this November (read the story) * Charlottesville City Council allocates funding from speed cameras to cover the cost of providing the service (read the story) * Albemarle Supervisors approve policy to streamline installation of solar roofs (read the story) * Albemarle supervisors seek tighter regulation of concentrated agricultural feed operations (read the story on C-Ville Weekly) * Charlottesville City Council briefed on efforts to lower speed limits, prepare new mobility plan (read the story) A sponsored message: Panorama Natural Burial At Panorama Natural Burial, we believe caring for the deceased can be simple, meaningful, and deeply connected to the natural world. As a natural burial ground just outside Charlottesville, we offer families an alternative to traditional burial that honors both the people we love and the land that will carry them forward. Whether you are planning ahead, navigating a recent loss, or are just curious about natural burial, we welcome the conversation. We host regular tours and community events throughout the year. At Panorama we are building new ways of understanding death, land, ecology, ritual, memory, and community. We believe that building community around death care helps us all to live fuller lives. We are open to the public daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come visit! A shout-out for Town Crier Productions: Not entirely cut and paste from last week! It is Saturday and the final thing for me to do to end one week and begin another is to post this edition. The right move would be to produce the podcast version as soon as the WTJU version is completed, but that usually happens at a time when I want to stop working on a Friday. After six years, I have found ways to directly cover the cost of producing the written newsletter and the Information Charlottesville. I have absolutely no direct revenue from producing the audio version as the work for WTJU is free. I do the work because it’s enjoyable. And I could just put the radio version in the podcast feed. I choose not to because of the sponsor above. In the last few months I’ve been experimenting with charging for advertising across multiple products. I’m happy to send the media kit to anyone upon request so you can see the details. I’ve also had at least one paid subscriber ask me if I could put all the shout-outs at the end. I cannot do that. If I’m to continue this newsletter I must diversify my revenue. I want to provide an affordable way for entities to reach an audience that I am still trying to understand myself. In any case, thank you for reading! And now the cut-and-paste bit intended to get your help in getting more eyes on the stories: * I post stories over at BlueSky but don’t really do much else than that at this point. Here’s the account for Information Charlottesville. * You can also subscribe to get Information Charlottesville postings via email Wordpress. This is where I confess I don’t entirely know the link for this. Might be a pop-up? * Town Crier Productions has a Facebook page but I’m really not sure if it’s worth keeping as the site doesn’t really seem to like Substack material. Or Wordpress material. In six years of doing this, I’ve never had a post “go viral” and I think it’s all throttled. I don’t pay them any money anymore * And then there’s Instagram which gets a couple of likes every now and then though I am really bad at images! Thanks for reading Charlottesville Community Engagement ! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

On July 25, 1788, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, a fact we know because the composer kept intricate records. I can tell you that so far there have only been two other July 25 editions of Charlottesville Community Engagement and they were in 2023 and 2024. What were you doing on any of those three days? In this week’s stories: * Charlottesville City Council will not take another vote on design review of The Mark (read the story) * Charlottesville speakers provide multiple perspectives on how to help those without a home (learn more) * City of Charlottesville develops brochure in advance of encampment “transition” (read the story) * Albemarle County Supervisors learn about human services needs in the community (story posting Monday!) * Albemarle Supervisors get update on transportation projects (learn more) A sponsored message: Panorama Natural Burial At Panorama Natural Burial, we believe caring for the deceased can be simple, meaningful, and deeply connected to the natural world. As a natural burial ground just outside Charlottesville, we offer families an alternative to traditional burial that honors both the people we love and the land that will carry them forward. Whether you are planning ahead, navigating a recent loss, or are just curious about natural burial, we welcome the conversation. We host regular tours and community events throughout the year. At Panorama we are building new ways of understanding death, land, ecology, ritual, memory, and community. We believe that building community around death care helps us all to live fuller lives. We are open to the public daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come visit! A house shout-out for Town Crier Productions at the end of 1096-A The posting of the podcast marks the end of one week and the beginning of another. These days it takes me a lot longer to do the very simple task of restripping the WTJU version with fresh audio. Fridays are usually very intense production days and it is my true hope to eventually have someone to assist with putting it all together. All of this work is the result of one person with a vision for how to put it all together. When I look back in my archives, I see that this is what I wanted to do with the Charlottesville Podcasting Network back in 2005 but all of the tools were not in place yet to make it work. We’re now six years into the experiment of Town Crier Productions which has allowed me to document a lot of events and decisions and details in this newsletter. This week we crossed the threshold of 5,000 subscribers in Substack, with about 820 of them paying into this newsletter. I’m going to write more notes to those paying because I need help thinking through some of the next steps of the business plan. An issue with being on Substack is that most people who find this newsletter through the algorithm don’t have a connection to the area so they disappear fairly quickly. Aside from a few Facebook boosts, I’ve never done any targeted marketing to attract new people since the beginning when I emailed as many people as possible an update of what I was doing. So this shout-out concludes with me once again giving you the opportunity to sign-up through various social media platforms. * I post stories over at BlueSky but don’t really do much else than that at this point. Here’s the account for Information Charlottesville. * You can also subscribe to get Information Charlottesville postings via email Wordpress. This is where I confess I don’t entirely know the link for this. Might be a pop-up? * Town Crier Productions has a Facebook page but I’m really not sure if it’s worth keeping as the site doesn’t really seem to like Substack material. Or Wordpress material. In six years of doing this, I’ve never had a post “go viral” and I think it’s all throttled. I don’t pay them any money anymore * And then there’s Instagram which gets a couple of likes. I’d like to have better images but that is another skill set I don’t have. Okay. I have procrastinated a lot by writing this. Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

The rhythm of being an independent journalist who strives to cover a lot of ground sometimes is affected by alternate beats. The last two Saturdays have not been favorable to produce a new audio edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement so archive editions went out. But now it is time for the July 18, 2026 edition. I’m Sean Tubbs. This week’s return to the usual studio means more ability to focus so there are stories from all six localities on the same topic. Then there are some two stories from the week before I am only just getting around to completing. This work is made possible by paid subscribers and the ratio is just below one in five at the moment. I’m grateful for those with means to support the time and research that goes into this public service. In this edition: * Fluvanna Supervisors are the first in the region to initiate a process for a ballot question(read the story) * Louisa County Supervisors pull sales tax referendum resolution from agenda (read the story) * Greene Supervisors support sales tax referendum requested by Greene School Board (read the story) * Nelson Supervisors also vote to proceed with the referendum for school construction (read the story) * Albemarle County Supervisors vote to move forward and this story won’t be printed until Monday so hear it here first! * Charlottesville City Council discusses the finer points of how to use revenue from a sales tax increase to finance school construction (read the story) * Albemarle Supervisors make brief announcements on Biscuit Run Trail, drought watch, and federal housing bill (read the story) * Albemarle and Charlottesville transportation planners identify next locations for further study (read the story) * Charlottesville City Council reviews process for funding nonprofit agencies (read the story) New here? Go ahead and sign if you want to learn more about what’s happening in local and regional government around Charlottesville First sponsored message: Panorama Natural Burial At Panorama Natural Burial, we believe caring for the deceased can be simple, meaningful, and deeply connected to the natural world. As a natural burial ground just outside Charlottesville, we offer families an alternative to traditional burial that honors both the people we love and the land that will carry them forward. Whether you are planning ahead, navigating a recent loss, or are just curious about natural burial, we welcome the conversation. We host regular tours and community events throughout the year. At Panorama we are building new ways of understanding death, land, ecology, ritual, memory, and community. We believe that building community around death care helps us all to live fuller lives. We are open to the public daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come visit! Second message: An improvised bit about the state of shout-outs and the like Will the words written here match what I say in the audio version? I don’t know. I’ve not done the narration yet. In addition to paid subscriptions, I diversify revenue coming in through a lot of different forms of advertising, underwriting, sponsorship and so on. The Piedmont Environmental Council has been sponsoring the Week Ahead since the beginning, for instance. In the early days, some people opted for a $25 month tier or more on Patreon which got them a shout-out. Many of the shout-outs you see come from just that, though that’s no longer being offered. Others came through combinations like having a paid Substack subscription and Patreon member. That worked for a while but I’ve simplified. Several have taken me up on an advertising package that offers placements at the top of the newsletter, in the two “shout-out” slots, and in visual ads on Information Charlottesville. I only send this out on request at this point because I’m at a point where I am trying to figure out things like inventory and scheduling and trying to ascertain audience. Are people really reading? In any case, yes, they are, and that makes me work harder to keep it going and that includes offering additional ways to support. * Charitable gifts can be made to the Tiny News Collective and those are being directed to hiring additional people to assist me in the near future. * Patreon still exists as a way to contribute to the business, but this may in the future become something more artistic if I get up the courage to try to make music for an audience. It will be weird all the same. * Share stories on social media! Add a comment and share your thoughts as you do! The whole point of this is to spread information and discussion. Thank you to all of the advertisers and sponsors and readers and more! An experimental to read only paid subscriptions I’m toying with the idea of making the epilogue something only paid subscribers can read. Or a portion of it each time. Perhaps “behind the scenes” stuff should be for those who have decided to take a stake in it by paying? I’m not sure. Substack only started offering this up this time. And I’m not sure if I have any real “bonus” content here except to say that sometimes the soundbites in the audio version have extra phrases in them. This is because I try to not run quotes run too long. I can also say I am so glad to finally get this edition done. Two weeks ago I had to turn in the WTJU version a day early and I didn’t have time to record new stories. I also figured July 4 was a good day for an archive. The next week I was out of town and not in a place where it was easy to record audio. I’m grateful to be back in a place where all of my stuff is and where I can fix issues as they come up. Anyway, I’m grateful you’re paying into this. I hope you’ll keep doing so. If you do have concerns about the subscription or what to switch to a different form of support, drop me a line. Hooray! This edition is done! This post has a very small amount of bonus content for paid subscribers. Behind the scenes stuff. Upgrade to get full access and to support the work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

This edition and its copy comes straight from the radio version that aired on WTJU this morning Good morning and welcome to Charlottesville Community Engagement for July 11, 2026. I’m Sean Tubbs, a writer and producer who covers local and regional government in the area in and around the University of Virginia. That includes Albemarle and Charlottesville, two communities in a nation wrestling with how to solve problems that often seem intractable. I’m traveling this week and so this is an archive edition that captures two recent discussions about trying to get a low barrier shelter for the unhoused built at 2000 Holiday Drive. This is a document of a process still in motion created to remind people that solutions can take a long time in a complicated world. This kind of journalism is intended to remind people of who said what and when. Source material: * Charlottesville City Council briefed on low-barrier shelter by groups that provide the programming, March 27, 2026 * City Council presented with The State of Homelessness 2026 by four nonprofit groups working on the issue, May 12, 2026 * Many details remain to be worked out for how three groups will work together at Charlottesville’s future low-barrier shelter, May 15, 2026 * Work continues to develop operations plan for low-barrier shelter and service center for unhoused, July 10, 2026 New here? Sign up for the free newsletter, but please know that paid subscriptions keep it going! First public service announcement: The Good Foundation event today The GOOD Foundation invites community members to a FREE Urban Farming Workshop, Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Carver Recreation Center, 233 4th Street NW, Charlottesville. Master Gardener Sheila Jackson will teach you how to grow container vegetables and herbs in small spaces, and everyone receives a starter plant to take home. The workshop is part of The GOOD Foundation’s Black Farmers Initiative. For more information, contact Jackie Martin at [email protected] or 434-202-8034. Second public service announcement: Piedmont Master Gardeners The Piedmont Master Gardeners will present “More Trees, PLEASE!”, a free Garden Basics class open to all, on Saturday, July 18th at 2 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1118 Preston Avenue. It will focus on suitable trees for home landscapes, emphasizing appropriate placement of native species, and highlights the benefits of trees to our environment and well-being. Register at Piedmont Master Gardeners dot ORG to reserve your place in the class. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

For the second week in a row, I’m reusing the same production file that was used on WTJU. If I was awake and alert, it would maybe take 15 minutes to record new audio. However, this June 27 feels like the kind of day where such a direct task would take about two hours. I’m ready to get ready for the next set of stories. If you are a new reader, I got my professional start at WVTF Public Radio in Roanoke, Virginia, as an intern. I was in my final year at Virginia Tech and I wanted to keep going with journalism. At some point not too long after, I made a deliberate choice to focus at the local level. Every edition of this newsletter was a podcast for the first 650 editions or so. That changes in the spring of 2024 when I agreed to do a version of the podcast for WTJU. This airs Saturdays on WTJU at 6 a.m. In any case, take a listen! And I’ve included the text of the WTJU public service announcements. In this edition: * Most of Virginia continues to be under drought warning (read the story) * Charlottesville Planning Commission hears calls for reform at listening session on next round of zoning changes (read the story) * Council agrees to another extension of agreement with CRHA for additional housing vouchers (read the story) * Albemarle County prepares for new legislation including new biosolids testing requirements (read the story) * Albemarle Amateur Radio Club holding Field Day this weekend (read the story) * One archive story: Councilors push back on proposal to replace trash stickers with monthly trash fee charge more for trash collection (read the story from March 2025) Public Service Announcement #1 C4K is now recruiting mentors for its Fall 2026 Cohort starting in late August. Be the trusted guide who helps a young person turn curiosity into capability. Work side-by-side with youth members on STEM projects of their choosing, like coding, robotics, design, or digital storytelling. No experience is necessary to collaborate, encourage, and expand possibilities for youth in our community. Visit the C4K website to learn more! Public Service Announcement #2 Head to UVA’s Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library on Saturday, July 4th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Revolutionary Printing, a family-friendly UVA250 celebration of the materials, crafts, and stories of the founding era. Print a copy of the Declaration of Independence, view paper- and ink-making demonstrations, or add your “John Hancock” to a giant copy of the Declaration. Hear music of the American Revolution, make a printer’s hat, screen print a keepsake, view special exhibitions, or create a custom silhouette, beadwork, or sewing sampler. Event parking is free in UVA’s Central Grounds Garage. For more information, visit this website. Some nonsensical thoughts at the end of CCE-1079A Technically this one is W26-23 and not CCE-1079A because I did not produce a separate version. That’s twice in a row. I would prefer to do an original version as well, but I must admit I appreciate the illusion of a break. I assure any reader who made it to this part that I do not spend all of my hours working on this newsletter. I take a lot of breaks throughout the day, though almost none of that time is spent doing yardwork. Now that my eldest cat is no longer with us, the house is slowly being reclaimed from all of the spots damaged by incontinence. On this Saturday, what will I do? I do not know the answer though I am going to try to get the March 2026 property transactions out of the way. I’m very slow on those now and as a result I can’t put them behind a paywall. Or at least, it wouldn’t feel right. I do work seven days a week because I enjoy the research that goes into this newsletter. I see stories everywhere and the challenge is continuing to create an engine that allows me to produce as many as possible. It is my hope to find others willing to put in the work. There are almost two weeks until the 6 year anniversary of the newsletter. I am soul-searching a bit at the moment to determine the future. Should I try to see more of the world while I am still relatively young? What would it be like to live somewhere else? Yet, even thinking that thought triggers alarm as I really do want to continue trying to describe the minutiae of this community as it stumbles its way into the future. I’m so looking forward to hitting send and allowing myself to go into free association for the rest of the day. One of the ways I sharpen my research skills when they’ll dulled by morning fog is to go to cvillepedia and make some edits at random. I do not own the website but I have been associated with it since its public unveiling in 2009. The Jefferson Madison Regional Library is now the owner, but they do not program it. Who will program it in the future? Who will tell the stories of our community? I don’t have a way to look into the future except for continuing to do my part to document what I can. I hope to inspire others to do so and hopeful that in the future I’ll be better able to articulate what it is I’m doing. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe