Monthly Archive for October, 2005

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Pavilion Not Subject to Noise Ordinance

Published by Waldo Jaquith on October 19, 2005 in Music. 13 Comments

In this week’s Hook, Courteney Stuart writes about the Charlottesville Pavilion, in which she mentions that the amphitheater isn’t subject to the noise ordinance:

Belmont residents complained at a September city council meeting about “windows rattling” during many– if not all– Pavilion shows, and called for the City to enforce the noise ordinance. That law limits noise in the downtown business district to less than 75 decibels between the hours of 10pm and 6am. In residential neighborhoods, nighttime noise must not exceed 55 decibels.

Because the Pavilion falls outside both the Downtown Business district and residential areas, the ordinance does not apply.

If the Pavilion isn’t able to reign in their noise pollution, I suspect we’re going to see demand for a noise ordinance with teeth. Though I can’t claim to know much about the entertainment business, I do know that most venues around the nation that Dave Matthews Band plays at have a rigidly-enforced 11pm curfew; in some places, if they go over, they have to pay a per-minute fine. That might start looking pretty good here.

Council Eliminates Window Stickers

Published by Waldo Jaquith on October 18, 2005 in Politics and Taxes. 1 Comment

Last night, City Council made it official — no more personal property tax decals in windshields, as proposed. That was quick.

BoS Races Roundup

Published by Waldo Jaquith on October 18, 2005 in Development, Politics and Transportation. 1 Comment

As November 8 draws closer, there’s more and more action in Albemarle’s Board of Supervisors races, as well as those in the surrounding counties.

In an overview of the races, Kate Andrews and Megan Rowe write in today’s Progress that every race in Central Virginia is about how to handle growth. In Greene, Orange, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson and, of course, Albemarle, candidates are debating how to best handle the influx of new residents and all of the issues that are brought about by or exacerbated by this. While it’s been an issue in past races, this is the first time it’s been a major issue. It’ll likely be the defining issue of area elections for years to come.

And the Daily Progress’ Jessica Kitchin looks at the three Rio candidates in Albemarle. Rio is the only district that’s really competitive, since the seat has been vacated by David Bowerman, leaving Republican Gary Grant, Democrat David Slutzky, and independent Thomas Jakubowski all vying for election. (Jakubowski is, to my surprise, the only blogging BoS candidate. The blog hasn’t been updated in months, but it’s a nice effort.) Kitchin explains each candidate’s position on growth and transportation needs, which they presented at last night’s forum at Woodbrook Elementary. Impressively, the Progress provides a link to the podcast of the event provided by the Charlottesville Podcasting Network.

Finally, the newly-created Charlottesville Tomorrow is providing a summary of candidate information, including, helpfully, transcripts of some of the debates. Don’t miss the biography provided by BoS candidate Christian Schoenwald, a candidate who says he’s too busy to provide information about himself to mere websites. He must be planning on winning by a landslide to shun such coverage.

Rooker/Schoenwald BoS Debate

Published by Waldo Jaquith on October 13, 2005 in Politics. 8 Comments

Both candidates for the Board of Supervisors in the Jack Jouett district, incumbent independent Dennis Rooker and Republican challenger Christian Schoenwald, debated at a forum held at Jack Jouett Middle School on Monday night. Topics addressed included rural protection, the business community, the neighborhood development model, growth areas, property tax assessments, transportation, and development. Happily, the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors sponsored the recording of the event for the Charlottesville Podcasting Network. It’s available on the CPN website, and is 1:23 long. If you live in the Jack Jouett district, you’ve got no excuse for not listening. Do friends in the district a favor and e-mail them a link to the debate, so they can cast an informed vote.

BoS Approves Belvedere

Published by Waldo Jaquith on October 13, 2005 in Development and Politics. 9 Comments

The Board of Supervisors has approved “Belvedere,” a 207-acre, 775-unit development because, frankly, there’s really just not enough traffic on Rio as it is. It’s on the 29 side of Rio, midway between CATEC and Fashion Square Mall (Google Map), adjacent to Dunlora. Stonehaus Development has been trying to get the rezoning approved since 2003, but was repeatedly turned down for their lack of affordable housing and failure to comply with VDOT road standards, along with eight other problems. Those concerns have apparently been addressed to the satisfaction of the BoS. The site plan (PDF) shows a basic suburban development — cul-de-sacs, no meaningful mixed use, all streets curved to mask the fact that all the houses look the same. More information is on Stonehaus’ website.

I look forward to seeing how the BoS and Stonehaus define “affordable.” If I were a betting man, I’d wager that I’m not likely to be able to afford one.

Jessica Kitchin has the story in today’s Daily Progress.

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