The population of the Charlottesville area grew by 11.4% since 2000, adding 20,000 residents, the Progress reports. The area included in this is Charlottesville, Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson. Urban areas in the state have been growing the fastest, while rural areas have seen population declines. (The Progress inexplicably labels Danville and Petersburg as “rural,” despite Danville having a larger population and size than Charlottesville, and Petersburg having nearly the same size population and being twice the size of C’ville.)
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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“…according to estimates released Monday by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.” Weldon Cooper grossly over-estimated the City’s population change during the period from 1990 to 2000. If I remember correctly, they were about 12% off, estimating about 35,000 residents to the actual 40,000 approximately.
I don’t think this area is prepared for the large amounts of people moving here. The issues of water supply and traffic have been discussed many times. What about health care? Just to give one example of how population growth is an issue: UVA’s emergency room has not kept up with the population growth in our area. One day last week, it was operating at 321% capacity, and on most days the patient load is overwhelming and often there are not enough open beds in the main hospital so that admitted patients board in the ER for very long periods of time.
In what other ways does the population growth strain local resources?
Patience –
That’s really interesting…I had no idea, and would have guessed that if anything, the one thing we’d have plenty of is health care providers – largely because of the UVa Medical Center. I’d guess the same thing about lawyers.
I definitely agree about insufficient infrastructure WRT roads and water. Though I’ve mocked them for years, I’m starting to come around to the view of those who take the ‘don’t build it’ approach to limiting future influx – as in, no water, no house; no road, no house. I think we need to start to force a lot of development ‘externalities’ back into the pricing of new development – developers must be responsible for ALL the costs imposed by their new developments.
Thanks for the perspective!
What about allowing developers to build a new house if he tears down and existing one?
Like most things, the truth of this article is not just what has happened since 2000 but what IS happening now.
http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics/PRESS/pressreleaseTotPop08.php
The link show that the county grew at just under 1%.
2006= 92,693 – 2007= 93601 = 908
Anybody that wants to compare our County’s growth to any other economically health area of Virginia would be hard pressed to find somewhere with a lower growth rate. Unless folks here what us to go to zero or put up the barriers.
C-ville Eye,
If someone tears down an existing house, then they should be able to build one new replacement house. The exception to that rule is whether the site will support the square footage and other minimum building requirements of the new home. For example, some easements have limits on the size home that should be built. Likewise, if expanding the home would put it in a protected stream buffer or onto critical slope where it wasn’t before then it shouldn’t be allowed, unless it would be impossible to build the home otherwise.