This week in county government; Regional Housing Partnership unveils draft affordable housing plan; New state laws take effect
Engage Louisa is a community newsletter aimed at keeping folks informed about Louisa County government. It’s free, non-partisan, and powered by volunteers. 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 meeting, July 5-10
County offices are closed Monday, July 5, in observance of Independence Day.
Tuesday, July 6
Louisa County Board of Supervisors, Public Meeting Room, 1 Woolfolk Ave., 6 pm. The board will convene in closed session at 5 pm. (agenda packet, livestream)
After a long holiday weekend, the Board of Supervisors will convene its lone July meeting with two resolutions relating to the county’s public safety staff on the agenda as well as a previously delayed discussion about Jaunt funding.
A few agenda highlights:
Considering a salary increase for Sheriff’s Department: The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office is requesting a $492,700 supplemental appropriation from the county’s General Fund to provide raises and address salary compression issues. The resolution under consideration explains that the county “competes with surrounding localities for talented officers to fill vacancies as well as strives to retain its current employees,” adding that “many localities have increased their sheriff’s department salaries higher than Louisa County, making it extremely difficult to hire or retain our employee base.”
County employees received a two percent raise during the FY22 budget process. That process concluded with the budget’s approval and appropriation in May. The FY22 budget took effect with the start of the new fiscal year, July 1. The board is empowered to amend the budget throughout the year.
Louisa Sheriff Donnie Lowe asked the board for another sizable supplemental appropriation in January when he requested and supervisors approved $100,000 for the purchase of a new patrol boat. Lowe told the board that he’d prefer not to ask for money mid-year, outside of the normal appropriations process, but the department needed a new boat in service by summer.
Additional Fire/EMS staff: The board will consider a request for a $275,756 supplemental appropriation to hire three additional Fire/EMS personnel. The appropriation would cover one year of salaries and benefits plus a one-time cost for uniforms.
The proposed resolution notes that the county needs the additional staff to respond to incidents on a 24-hour basis and during peak call times as well as to provide critical water tankers and other response vehicles to the scene of Fire/EMS emergencies.
The county added seven additional Fire/EMS staff in January during FY21. No additional staff was added in the FY22 budget. If approved, the supplemental appropriation would be drawn from the Revenue Recovery Fund, which includes money derived from insurance and out of county residential billing for ambulance service.
Approval of incentive package for new development: In December 2019, the board approved the rezoning of 35.6 acres on the east side of Route 15 (James Madison Highway) at Zion Crossroads for the construction of Crossing Pointe, a mixed-use Planned Unit Development. The developers plan to build 138,000 square feet of commercial property and 321 residential units as well as a regional waste water pump station to serve Crossing Pointe and adjacent parcels.
To incentivize the project, which the county views as economically beneficial, the board agreed to provide the developers, Get Captive LLC and GW & FW Holding LLC, with up to $250,000 in tax rebates. At Tuesday’s meeting, the board will consider approval of a formal “performance agreement” with the companies.
Discussion of Jaunt funding: After removing a discussion about funding for Jaunt from its last meeting agenda, the board plans to entertain the topic Tuesday night. The regional transit service, which is jointly owned by Louisa County and several surrounding localities and primarily funded by public dollars, found itself in hot water recently after an audit flagged extravagant travel and meal expenditures by its former CEO.
Several state agencies are jointly investigating Jaunt and its state and federal funding is frozen. At the board’s last meeting, Cuckoo District Supervisor and Jaunt Board member Willie Gentry said that the frozen funds aren’t expected to impact Jaunt’s daily operations, which are critical to many elderly and disabled residents. He also noted that the organization has acquired a firm to search for a new CEO.
Louisa County appropriated $294,000 to Jaunt for FY22.
Louisa County School Board, Louisa Middle School Forum, 1009 Davis Highway, 7 pm. (agenda) Louisa County School Board meetings are currently unavailable via livestream or archived video. The only way to access the meetings is to attend in person.
The School Board will convene for its July meeting with presentations focused on school construction projects and the division's “Talented and Gifted” program on the agenda as well as routine updates on Covid-19 and the “Journey to Greatness,” among other items.
Wednesday, July 7
Louisa County Electoral Board, County Administration Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., 10 am. (agenda) To listen to the meeting, call 540-967-4565. If you have any questions about the meeting, call the Registrar’s office at 540-967-3427.
The Louisa County Electoral Board’s July meeting agenda includes an update on the search for a new Registrar’s office and a discussion about allowing some elections officers to work part-day shifts.
A few highlights:
Update on search for new Registrar’s office: Registrar Cris Watkins will provide an update on the county’s search for a new home for the cramped Registrar's office, which also serves as a polling place during early voting. Since the Louisa Town Council shot down efforts to move the office to the Henson Building on West Street late last year, the county has struggled to identify other possible accommodations.
Discussion of split shifts for some election officers: On Election Day, poll workers in Louisa County show up at dawn and don’t leave until well after dark. That makes for an extremely long day and might serve as a deterrent for folks who would otherwise take on such duties.
State code allows for some elections officers to work part-day shifts while poll chiefs and assistant chiefs are required to work the entire day. The board will discuss the code section and Louisa’s current policy.
Voter registration training: Watkins will host an in-person voter registration training for folks interested in conducting registration drives on Wednesday, July 7, at 7 pm in the Extension Meeting Room on the second floor of the County Administration Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave.
The training is mandatory for individuals and organizations requesting 25 or more voter registration applications from the State Department of Elections or a local Registrar’s office, per state code.
People interested in attending the training should call the Registrar’s office at 540-967-3427 to register. The official training can also be completed virtually through the Department of Election’s website.
Thursday, July 8
Louisa County Planning Commission, Public Meeting Room, 1 Woolfolk Ave., 7 pm. (livestream, agenda packet)
The Louisa County Planning Commission will convene for its first meeting since mid-May with one public hearing on the agenda and several discussion items.
Agenda highlights:
Growing the Yanceyville Agricultural and Forestal District: The commission will hear public comment and consider recommending to the Board of Supervisors the addition of 96.7 acres off Mount Airy Road (tax map parcel 70-51) to the Yanceyville Ag/Forestal District (AFD). The property belongs to Joshua 19 LLC, an entity owned by Mineral District Commissioner John Disosway.
The Board of Supervisors has the final say in adding land to the county’s AFDs, in which landowners voluntarily prohibit development on agricultural and forested properties for 10 years. Over the last several months, the county has grown its AFDs by over 10,000 acres.
Proposed addition to the Yanceyville AFD. A discussion about towing yards: Commissioners will discuss defining “towing yard” in county code and determining which zoning districts would allow them with a Conditional Use Permit.
According to a memo from Community Development Director Robert Gardner, several people approached the county with an interest in establishing a towing yard. However, county land use regulations do not define or address “towing yards,” thus they aren’t currently allowed.
Gardner outlined several steps necessary to permit towing yards including defining the term, only allowing them via the CUP process, and determining the zoning districts in which they could be established.
The battle over the stairs at Pleasants’ Landing continues: The Louisa County Board of Zoning Appeals will convene July 21 to once again consider Vallerie Holdings of Virginia LLC’s request for a variance to allow no setback in an area along the shore of Lake Anna where a five-foot setback is required. Prior to the hearing, the Planning Commission will discuss the matter.
The Valleries erected outdoor stairs and a deck on a structure at their business, Pleasants Landing, (tax map parcel 47-(11)-B2 ) in the Jackson Voting District, which violate county setback requirements. The BZA hearing marks the latest twist in the county’s ongoing battle with the Valleries over the stairs and deck. The BZA was set to discuss the matter in May but the absence of two board members prompted the Valleries to request a delay until the entire BZA could be present. Check out The Central Virginian’s coverage here.
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.
Regional Housing Partnership unveils draft affordable housing plan
At its June meeting, the Central Virginia Regional Housing Partnership unveiled its draft affordable housing plan for the six member localities in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District. The plan is a culmination of four years of work by the partnership, which is comprised of housing advocates, local officials, and other stakeholders. The partnership operates as an advisory board to the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. (video, meeting materials)
Titled “Planning and Affordability: A Regional Approach,” the plan lays out both regional and locality-specific strategies to reaching the TJPDC’s overarching goal of ensuring “every resident has access to safe, decent, and affordable housing in the communities of their choice.”
The plan is intended as a policy roadmap to addressing the affordable house gap across Central Virginia. In developing the plan, the partnership worked with local governments, held public meetings, and conducted a survey, among other stakeholder outreach. After a brief discussion of the plan at its June meeting, the board voted to move the draft to the TJPDC for final approval.
Before it reaches that point, however, TJPDC will circulate the draft for feedback from member localities, which include Louisa, Fluvanna, Nelson, Albemarle, and Greene counties and the City of Charlottesville. TJPDC interim Executive Director Christine Jacobs noted that the commission will reach out to local officials in each jurisdiction with hopes of presenting the plan at upcoming Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings.
Fluvanna County Planning Commissioner and RHP board member Gequetta Murray-Key emphasized the importance of outreach to the more rural counties in the region. “People are afraid of affordable housing in rural communities,” she said, noting the need to address that resistance and get buy-in from local stakeholders.
Currently, the region is experiencing continued growth and a highly competitive housing market. These factors impact the affordable housing landscape far beyond urban centers. The plan, which coincides with several localities’ comprehensive plan revisions, offers a range of strategies for expanding affordable housing across the region.
Louisa by the numbers
According to the report, which draws demographic data from the US Census’ 2019 American Communities Survey and other government sources, Louisa’s median household income is $60,975 a year, ranking last among the TJPDC’s member counties but ahead of the City of Charlottesville. The median age is nearly 45 years old, about six years older than the region as whole. Louisa’s median home value is $223,100 and its median sales price is nearly $250,000, while the region has a median home value of over $317,000 and the median sales price is $345,000. The county’s median rent is $937.
Louisa is home to 13,871 households. About 80 percent are homeowners while 20 percent rent. Of the renters who make 80 percent or less of the area’s median income, 360 households are cost-burdened, paying more than 30 percent of their income toward housing while 250 are severely cost-burdened, dedicating more than 50 percent of their income to housing. Of homeowners who make 80 percent or less of AMI, 890 households are severely cost-burdened and 13 live in substandard housing. The plan estimates that 38 households in the county are “unstably housed,” defined as experiencing homelessness/in need of housing.
Strategies for addressing the affordable housing gap
While the report takes into account Louisa County’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan update, it does not reflect revisions to the locality’s zoning code, which were adopted in February.
The plan lays out a list of short, medium, and long-range suggestions under the umbrellas of capital investment, programming and policy. With respect to addressing housing instability in the county, the plan suggests dedicating funds to HUD’s Continuum of Care program, which partners with nonprofits and local governments to address homelessness, applying for funding from other federal programs, and investing in community organizations to increase their capacity to make available affordable rental units to those experiencing homelessness and rehabilitate homes so residents don’t fall into homelessness. The plan also suggests incentivizing landlords to accept low-income renters, among other initiatives.
In an effort to address the needs of cost-burdened or severely cost-burdened renters and homeowners, the plan suggests that the county take a range of approaches including conducting a market study to identify gaps in housing supply, partnering with local and regional organizations to promote homebuyer education and financial literacy programs, and inventorying county-owned properties where affordable housing could be built or structures could be renovated.
In addition, the plan suggests that the county waive or reduce development fees to incentivize the inclusion of affordable units, encourage mixed-use and mixed-income communities, create an Accessory Dwelling Unit implementation guide and toolkit to promote the mutual affordability of ADUs to homeowners and renters, and create a grant program targeted to ADU creation. The plan also encourages the development of “missing middle dwellings” such as two-family units, single-family attached dwellings, and manufactured and modular homes.
As it did in the section addressing housing instability, the plan suggests increased investment in local organizations that rehab homes to preserve the aging housing supply, reducing bureaucratic barriers in permit and approval processes for new developments, as is consistent with revisions to the Comprehensive Plan, and encouraging more citizen involvement in development and land use decisions, among other ideas.
To address some bureaucratic barriers, the board recently approved a revision to the zoning code aimed at streamlining the development process in growth areas. The board created growth overlay districts, which encompass most areas ripe for industrial and mixed use-development. The districts reduce setbacks and allow for additional land uses by right while introducing new architectural and landscape requirements.
The county has invested lightly in local organizations working to increase and maintain affordable housing. During the FY22 budget cycle, the county appropriated just over $25,000 to the Fluvanna/Louisa Housing Foundation, which runs the county’s Housing Choice Voucher program, rehabilitates housing, builds affordable housing units, and offers educational programming and financial assistance to qualified first-time homebuyers. The county also provides the foundation with office space and computer support. Supervisors allotted $6,000 to the Piedmont Housing Alliance, which counsels residents regarding their housing needs and provides affordable housing and financing resources.
Perhaps the most significant development in addressing Louisa’s affordable housing needs came earlier this year when, at the urging of supervisors, Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger submitted a $775,000 request for federal funding for Ferncliff Place, a mixed income community that Louisa County hopes to build in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville.
The development would be built on a roughly 13-acre county-owned parcel near the corner of Route 250 and Mallory Road (tmp 67-2-D) in the Patrick Henry Voting District and include about 80 residential units, 25 of which would be reserved for households making 25 to 60 percent of AMI. The units would be built for ownership not rental.
The proposed development has drawn the ire of some neighbors who expressed concern about the potential destruction of wetlands, cost to taxpayers, and increased traffic and noise in the area, among other issues. The county’s approval process is currently on hold as it awaits word on federal funding.
New state laws take effect
During the 2021 regular and special sessions, Virginia’s General Assembly passed over 600 laws, from legalizing the possession of small amounts of cannabis to doubling the fine for littering. Many of these laws took effect July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
Check out the roundups and resources below for more information about some of the Commonwealth’s most high-profile and impactful new laws:
It’s a new era for cannabis in the Commonwealth. Adults, 21 years old and over, are now permitted to possess an ounce or less of cannabis in Virginia. Adult use of cannabis is permitted in private residents and folks can grow up to four cannabis plants at their home.
The General Assembly passed lengthy and complex legislation that includes these provisions and takes the first steps toward setting up a commercial cannabis market in the state—sales won’t begin until 2024—and addressing equity, public health, and public safety concerns. To help Virginians understand the new law, parts of which must pass the General Assembly again next year, the state created this website.
The Virginia Public Access Project offers a user-friendly rundown of about two dozen new state laws, from a ban on “skill games” at gas stations and convenience stores to the abolition of the death penalty.
Check out the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s roundup of new state laws.
Justice Forward Virginia, an organization that advocates for reforms to the state’s criminal legal system, summarizes some of the key criminal justice reform legislation now in effect.
WHSV provides a quick rundown of changes to the state’s voting laws, some of which make permanent policies adopted during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic like drop-off locations and pre-paid postage for absentee ballots.
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.
Find agendas and minutes from previous 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.