Louisa Town Council to consider proposal for 42 townhomes; Supes set for light meeting; Early voting starts Sept. 20
Louisa Town Council to consider proposal for 42 townhomes; Supes set for light meeting; Early voting starts Sept. 20
Engage Louisa is a nonpartisan newsletter that keeps folks informed about Louisa County government. We believe our community is stronger and our government serves us better when we increase transparency, accessibility, and engagement.
This week in county government: public meetings, Sept. 16 through Sept. 21
For the latest information on county meetings including public meetings of boards, commissions, authorities, work groups, and internal county committees, click here. (Note: Louisa County occasionally schedules internal committee/work group meetings after publication time. Check the county’s website for the most updated information).
Monday, September 16
Louisa County Board of Supervisors, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 6 pm. The board will convene in closed session at 5 pm. (meeting materials, livestream)
Wednesday, September 18
Community Policy Management Team, Executive Boardroom, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 1 pm.
Louisa County Water Authority, 23 Loudin Lane, Louisa, 6 pm.
Board of Zoning Appeals, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 7 pm. (public notice)
Other meetings/events
Tuesday, September 17
Louisa Town Council, Louisa Town Hall, 212 Fredericksburg Ave., Louisa, 6 pm. (agenda packet)
Friday, September 20
First day of early voting for the November 5 election, Louisa County Office of Elections, 103 McDonald Street, Louisa, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. See article below for more information.
Additional information about Louisa County’s upcoming public meetings is available here.
Interested in taking your talents to one of the county’s numerous boards and commissions? Find out more here including which boards have vacancies and how to apply.
Louisa Town Council to consider proposal for 42 townhomes
More townhomes could be coming to the Town of Louisa.
The Louisa Town Council on Tuesday night will hold a public hearing and vote on whether to approve East Coast Excavation’s request for a special use permit (SUP) to build up to 42 townhomes on a commercially zoned parcel at the town’s western edge.
Council was expected to consider the Richmond-based developer’s application last month when it greenlit two large-scale multi-family developments at the eastern end of town but deferred the public hearing at the applicant’s request.
Town Project Manager Paul Snyder said the developer needed more time to address questions raised at the planning commission’s meeting in July when commissioners voted to recommend that council deny the SUP.
According to a conceptual plan, East Coast Excavation proposes to build 42 townhomes clustered in four rows along a pair of private driveways on 5.5 acres directly behind Spring Oak at Louisa, an assisted living community at 440 West Main Street near the Countryside subdivision (tmp 40-23-A1). The complex, dubbed Spring Oak Townhomes, would be accessed by a 50-foot right of way that runs adjacent to the assisted living facility.
At the commission’s public hearing, Kelsey Schlein, a planner with Shimp Engineering, which developed the plan, described the project as a good fit for the property. She said it would help the town meet its housing needs and seemed to conform with its Comprehensive Plan, according to the meeting minutes.
But several commissioners and community members disagreed, raising concerns about the project’s impact on the assisted living facility, especially the additional traffic it would bring to the neighborhood.
John Gibson, an attorney representing Spring Oak at Louisa, raised questions about access to the site and argued that the traffic generated by the townhomes would endanger the facility’s 27 residents, who routinely walk around the property.
Steve Curry, representing East Coast Excavation, countered that a by-right commercial development would also bring traffic and that residents of the assisted living community don’t go outdoors without supervision. He also said the facility’s main doors are always locked.
Other speakers zeroed in on concerns about the overall impact of high-density development including the potential for increased stormwater runoff that could exacerbate flooding in the town. They also said that dense residential growth would stress Louisa County’s public schools and emergency services, according to the meeting minutes.
Schlein said the development shouldn’t have significant impact on the schools because townhome dwellers tend to have fewer children than those living in single-family homes.
On a motion by John Jerl Purcell IV, council’s liaison to the commission, commissioners voted 3-0-1 to recommend that council deny the SUP. Purcell said the property is better suited for commercial development, noting its proximity to the Colonial Gas pipeline. The pipeline runs along the parcel’s western border. Commissioners Cochran Garnett and Carter Cooke joined Purcell in opposing the request while Commissioner Veronica Saxton abstained. Commissioner Maxine Ryan was absent.
East Coast Excavation’s project is one of at least four dense residential or mixed-use developments proposed for the town in the last two years, three of which have gotten a green light from council.
At its August meeting, council approved changes to a pair of multi-family communities—initially okayed in 2022—permitting an increase in the number of dwellings in both proposals.
Council okayed Quigley Properties’ request to build 154 apartments and 13 single-family homes on 22 acres off Jefferson Highway (Route 33) and Pine Ridge Drive on the eastern end of town. Dubbed Timber Oaks, the Planned Unit Development (PUD) will also include 11,200 square feet of commercial space fronting Route 33. Developers initially proposed 60 multi-family dwellings and 56 single-family homes for the property.
Council also greenlit Louisa developers Torrey Williams and Jay Miller’s proposal to build 159 townhomes on 19.79 acres straddling Pine Ridge Drive. The developers originally planned to build 80 apartments and 55 townhomes on 15 acres on the south side of the road.
And, last year, council approved Louisa Heights, LLC’s request to build a PUD on about 21 acres on the other side of 33 along the town’s eastern boundary. Dubbed Laurel Ridge, the project is expected to include 156 dwellings, including apartments and attached single-family homes, according to a project narrative.
In a brief report at last month’s meeting, Snyder, the town’s project manager, told council that another proposal for more apartments is likely on the way. He said the owners of Jouett Square, an apartment complex off Lyde Avenue, plan to request permission to expand the complex by 162 units. The project would also include retail space along Route 208 south of Tractor Supply.
Snyder said he expects to receive a formal application from the developer by the end of September.
Supervisors to consider light agenda
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Monday night will convene for its second September meeting with a light agenda on tap. Check out a meeting preview below.
Board to consider approving funding for two new teachers for LCMS
Supervisors will consider green-lighting a budget request from Louisa County Public Schools (LCPS) to hire more teachers.
As part of the board’s consent agenda, a group of resolutions typically passed in a block vote with no discussion, the board will consider authorizing a $109,528 budget supplement to cover salaries and benefits for two new teachers at Louisa County Middle School (LCMS).
According to the proposed resolution, the funding would be drawn from the school division’s long-term capital reserves.
It’s unclear when the teachers would be hired. The resolution notes that the money would be allocated “upon written request from the Louisa County Public Schools Superintendent or Finance Director at the point during FY2025 that the funding is found to be needed.”
The division’s request for more teachers is aimed at meeting the demands of growing enrollment, Superintendent Doug Straley told the school board at its September 3 meeting. According to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), LCPS’s enrollment rose from 5,173 students in 2022-23 to 5,211 last year. Enrollment for the current school year will be reported September 30.
Per the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Louisa County ranks as the third fastest growing locality in the state over the last three years, growing 7.5 percent. The county has drawn a mix of retirees and young families, according to demographer Hamilton Lombard, with the latter contributing to a rise in school enrollment.
Preliminary public school enrollment projections released by Weldon Cooper in January placed LCPS among 15 school divisions that are expected to see enrollment climb by more than three percent over the next five years with much of that growth driven by new elementary school students.
In addition to hiring new staffers, the county and school division are preparing for more students with significant capital investments.
As part of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, supervisors appropriated more than $62 million for two school construction projects: a 500-seat addition to LCMS and an accompanying alternative education center and a 54,500-square foot career and technical education center (CTE) slated for construction next to Louisa County High School.
The middle school addition will help alleviate crowded conditions in that facility where some classrooms are housed in trailers outside the school building. The 64,000-square foot, two-story facility will include 32 classrooms and a 200-seat cafeteria in the middle school section while the alt ed center will include 14 classrooms. The division also plans to renovate three science classrooms, expand the auxiliary gym and replace the school’s chiller, part of the HVAC system
Harrisonburg-based Nielsen Builders, Inc. broke ground on the addition earlier this summer. It’s expected to be complete by December 2025.
The division is in the process of designing the CTE center, which will allow the division to expand its thriving vocational and workforce development programs while also freeing up space at the high school. The center will go out for bid in February and is expected to be finished by the first half of 2027, according to Straley.
Beyond those facilities, the county’s long-term Capital Improvement Plan includes $36 million for “elementary schools,” set for potential allocation between 2030 and 2034. Neither the school board nor the board of supervisors have had detailed public discussions about adding a fifth elementary school or expanding any of the existing schools.
FEMS Department set to implement innovative app aimed at lowering deaths from cardiac arrest
Pending approval by the board of supervisors, the Louisa County Fire and EMS Department is poised to launch an innovative program that it hopes will decrease deaths from cardiac arrest.
Supervisors will consider appropriating $5,535 to enable the department to implement PulsePoint, a mobile application that “empowers citizens to provide life-saving assistance to victims of sudden cardiac arrest,” according to the proposed resolution.
In practice, the app would notify trained individuals when there’s a call for assistance with a cardiac emergency at a public place in their area, enabling them to administer CPR or other aid before EMS personnel arrive.
The app would also provide real-time information about emergency situations, per the resolution.
In a letter to the board of supervisors, the leadership of the county’s Management Oversight Group (MOG), which advises local government on Fire and EMS operations, says the app would offer several significant benefits including providing additional community support to first responders, raising awareness about the importance of CPR training and increasing the likelihood of early intervention from bystanders, which could lead to positive outcomes for patients.
“Given these compelling benefits, we strongly believe that the PulsePoint project represents an invaluable opportunity to enhance public safety in Louisa County,” the MOG leaders write.
The Louisa County Volunteer Rescue Squad received a $10,000 grant from Rappahannock Electric Cooperative to purchase the PulsePoint software and the rescue squad has agreed to pay $8,000 in maintenance costs to operate the program for a year.
Per the proposed resolution, the county would use the $5,535 appropriation to interface the app with its Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and provide additional maintenance. The resolution would authorize the department to implement the program for a two-year trial period.
Board to consider FEMS grant application
Supervisors will consider approval of the Fire and EMS Department’s plan to apply for a $21,000 Rescue Squad Assistance Fund grant for the purchase of two drug box systems. The grant requires a 50/50 local match.
In the past, hospitals have managed pharmaceuticals administered by emergency service providers. But the State Board of Pharmacy last May adopted a new policy tasking local FEMS departments with handling their own drug boxes.
The board at its September 3 meeting allocated $56,385 to equip the FEMS Department with specialized software and the necessary supplies for one central drug box.
The grant funding combined with the local match would allow the department to purchase two more boxes as well as medication kits. The money would also cover the anticipated cost of medication usage for a year. One of the boxes would be located at the eastern end of the county and the other at the western end.
Board to hear presentations from VDOT, Region 10 and Chamber of Commerce
Supervisors will hear three presentations on Monday night.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will deliver its quarterly report, briefing the board on completed, ongoing and upcoming road maintenance and improvement projects, speed studies and sign placement, among other items.
In addition, the Louisa County Chamber of Commerce and the Region 10 Community Service Board will update supervisors on their work.
Early voting for November 5 election starts Friday, September 20
Louisa County residents eager to vote in this fall’s high-stakes presidential and congressional elections don’t have to wait much longer.
Virginia’s 45-day early voting period kicks off this week.
Starting Friday, September 20, voters can cast their ballots at the Louisa County Office of Elections, 103 McDonald Street in the Town of Louisa, just across the street from the Louisa County Office Building.
The elections office will be open for early voting weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm through Friday, November 1 as well as Saturday, October 26 and November 2 from 9 am to 5 pm. The office will have extended hours on Wednesday, October 23 and October 30, remaining open until 7:00 pm. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. Polling locations across Louisa County are open from 6 am to 7 pm. Voters can also apply to vote by mail. (See below for more information about voting).
This year, Louisa County voters will cast ballots in a trio of high-profile federal elections: president/vice president, US Senate and the 5th Congressional District race.
At the top of the ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, will square off for the right to occupy the White House for the next four years. Four other presidential candidates made Virginia’s ballot: Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee; Chase Oliver, the Libertarian Party nominee; and Claudia De la Cruz and Cornel West, both of whom are listed as independents.
Democrats and Republicans will also battle for control of the US Senate and House of Representatives.
Thirty-three seats are up for grabs in the narrowly divided senate. In Virginia, two-term incumbent Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Richmond, will face Republican Hung Cao, a Navy veteran from Loudoun County.
Kaine, who served as Virginia’s governor from 2006 to 2010 and mayor of Richmond before that, easily won his second term six years ago, beating Republican Corey Stewart by 16 points.
All 435 seats are on the ballot in the House, a chamber currently controlled by a slim Republican majority. Locally, voters will cast ballots in the 5th Congressional District where Republican John McGuire, a former Navy SEAL from Goochland, faces Democrat Gloria Witt, an Amherst resident and retired executive at a nuclear energy company.
McGuire knocked off two-term incumbent Bob Good in a bitter Republican primary for the right to represent his party in November’s election. He’s a solid favorite to win the conservative district, which stretches from Louisa, Albemarle and western Hanover at its northern edge to the North Carolina border.
Virginia voters will also decide whether to amend the state's constitution to extend a tax exemption that’s currently available to the surviving spouses of soldiers killed in action to surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty.
A "yes" vote would allow the surviving spouse of a soldier who died in the line of duty to claim the same real property tax exemption on their principal place of residence that’s currently only available to the surviving spouses of soldiers killed in action.
At the local level, voters in the Town of Louisa will fill three of five seats on town council. Incumbents Jessi Lassiter and Sylvia Rigsby are seeking their third and second term, respectively, while Daniel Crawford and Roger Henry round out the field. Crawford lost a bid for council two years ago when two seats were up for grabs, finishing third in a four-candidate field. The race marks Henry’s first run for town office.
The Town of Mineral will hold a special election to fill two of its six council seats. Former Council Members C. Blair Nipper and Rebecca “Becky” McGehee will again vie for a seat. Current Council Member David Hempstead, who was appointed to fill a vacancy earlier this year, is also in the race.
For more voter resources, check out Virginia Mercury’s voter guide here. Check out the League of Women Voters’ Vote 411 here. Check out the Virginia Department of Elections’ Voter Pocket Guide here.
Voter information
Election Day
Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Vote at your precinct’s polling location, 6 am to 7 pm.
Find your polling location here.
Click here for Virginia’s voter ID requirements.
Early Voting
The 45-day in-person early voting period begins Friday, Sept. 20 and runs through Saturday, November 2.
Office of Elections, 103 McDonald Street, Louisa
Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (excluding Monday, October 14 when county offices are closed in observance of a federal holiday).
Saturdays: October 26 and November 2, 9 am to 5 pm.
Late evenings: Wednesday, October 23 and October 30, 8:30 am to 7 pm.
Note: Saturday, November 2 is the last day for in-person early voting.
Vote by mail
Request an absentee ballot by Friday, October 25 at 5 pm. Click here for an application.
Absentee ballots can be returned by mail or dropped in a secure drop box at the Louisa County Office of Elections, 103 McDonald Street, Louisa.
Note: Early and absentee voting are open to all Virginia voters.
Sample Ballots
At publication time, sample ballots weren’t yet available on Louisa County’s website. When they’re posted, you’ll find them here.
Voter Registration
The deadline to register to vote by regular ballot in the November 5 General Election is Tuesday, October 15. However, Virginia has Same Day Voter Registration including on Election Day. Voters who register to vote after the Oct. 15 deadline and vote the same day will cast a provisional ballot. Click here to register to vote or check your registration status. Click here to learn more about Same Day Voter Registration.
Questions about voting? Call the Louisa County Office of Elections at 540-967-3427 or click here.
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.
Find agendas and minutes from previous Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings as well as archived recordings here.
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County School Board.
Click here for minutes and agendas for School Board meetings. Click here for archived video.
Click here to access past editions of Engage Louisa.