Planning Commission Meeting   11/9/2021

This is not working.

OK, got it.

I can't see everybody.

That's dumb.

There's everybody.

Oh, I can see everybody now.

That was making me crazy.

I could only see one person.

Hello, everyone.

Do we have?

This is going to be one of those nights where I can't see if everybody's there.

I think everybody's here but Corey.

So we're going to get going.

Okay.

So I will start my obligatory three lines, four lines.

Good evening.

Thank you for joining the Planning Commission meeting on November the 9th, 2021 is 601.

This meeting is being held pursuant to and in compliance with ordinance number 20-A 16.

and ordinance to ensure the continuity of government during the COVID-19 disaster.

Opportunities for the public to access and participate in the electronic meeting will be posted on www.albemarle.org forward slash community forward slash community dash calendar when available.

Madam, would you call the roll?

Ms.

Firehock.

Here.

Here.

Ms.

Moore.

Present.

Mr. Clayborne.

Okay.

And Mr. Carrazana.

Okay.

Carolyn, Mr. Bailey is here.

Daniel.

He's in the fall.

He's in some mountain far, far away.

Thank you.

We have a consent agenda on the other side of your agenda on your next sheet.

Would any commissioner care to pull any of the items on the consent agenda for this evening?

Hearing none, would somebody move?

So moved.

So moved by Eric.

Is it seconded?

Correct.

I thought I said hearing none.

Shall we move to approval?

OK.

Yes, sir.

Ms.

Moore?

Aye.

Ms.

Firehock?

Aye.

Mr. Bailey?

No, he has not.

All right.

Thank you very much.

That means it's passed.

So moving on to our public hearings for this evening, starting with, here's a question.

Let me find Scott.

I'll do separate motions, but they can all have a single public hearing.

Thank you.

Just a moment here.

Good evening.

Thank you.

There are three, those three items mentioned on the Ag 4 agenda for tonight.

One District Review and two Editions.

Before I go into the district review, I'll just mention again, the recent policy change three years on now, but still relevant policy change for district reviews.

Back in November of 2018, the board directed staff to implement a plan to renew districts for a five-year period rather than the usual 10 years and notify landowners in those parcels

excuse me, in linearity of parcels in those districts that are enrolled in open space use valuation, but they have no development rights.

But their parcels may be removed from the district at the next review and to inform them of their options for qualifying otherwise for use value taxation.

So since that time, and as some of you will remember, we have been recommending five-year renewals in any case where there was a district

in which there are parcels that have no development rights and are enrolled in the open space tax category.

Essentially what that means is those parcels have no development potential to be regulated by their membership in the district.

They are not offering a conservation benefit to the county by being in the district, but they are receiving a conservation related tax rate, lower tax rate.

I mentioned that again because this first item is the district review for Glen Oaks.

And this is a five parcel district on the Southeast side of the village of Rivanna, aka Glenmore development area.

And there are five parcels in this district, four of which are in the category of being in the open space tax category.

and having no development rights.

The exception is this parcel 15A1 in the middle.

You see the cross hatch here, which indicates that it's in a conservation easement.

So it's taxed differently because it is under that easement is not really part of the use value tax program.

One quick change here, and I apologize, there was an error in the table in your staff report, which listed all these acres as zero, which is obviously wrong.

There are two 21-acre parcels, a 54-acre parcel, and then a 141-acre parcel, which was 15A2 down here on the river, all of which have no remaining small lot development rights.

So given that it's appropriate for the district to be reviewed for a five-year period, and that's what the Act Four Committee recommended at their meeting in September, was a five-year renewal for this district.

As to what the board will do with this district at the end of that five-year period, we can't really say yet.

It could be that the four parcels that are not

in the district, excuse me, that are in the open space tax category and have no development rights might be removed from the district.

On the other hand, if they were able to find some agricultural use in the meantime that they could qualify and be in different tax category for agricultural forestry, then it's possible they might stay in.

I suppose it's possible that the board might

after that five year period find that this district has no real impact, given that the one parcel is under a conservation easement and the others aren't really providing any conservation benefit and they might eliminate the district.

That's all speculation at this point because we don't know what will happen in the intervening five year period.

We do know, however, that if the district is renewed for a five-year period by the board, we will immediately notify, the Assessor's Office will immediately notify the landowners in these parcels what their options are for avoiding the rollback taxation at the end of the five-year renewal period.

I realize that's a lot of information for a small district, but once I get through this, I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.

We also have two district additions.

One is the Conner property, which is proposed to join the Free Union District in the northwestern part of the county near Boonesville and Nortonville.

And the committee voted 8-0 to recommend approval of this proposed addition.

And finally, there is the Mormon

Blue Run addition, which is 248 acre property with a large area of important soils and

Like the previous one, this one's a little far outside the one mile limit to the original core.

However, it can be added if the board finds land to be agriculturally significant, according to state law, which obviously it is with that large area of important soils.

And this is actually a little bit closer than the previous edition, which is this one out here in the green that was also found to be significant.

Each of these three parcels has five development rates.

and the AFD committee voted eight to zero to recommend approval of this proposed addition.

So those are the three items.

I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.

Are there questions at this time for Scott?

And Corey is here.

OK, so 609.

And we also have Luis is here, too.

Luis, were you at the same time or a little?

Can we use the same time for you, too?

So 609, Carolyn, for the two of them, for our two colleagues.

Are there questions for Scott here before we open it to the public?

Okay, so I just have a, I don't know if this is a criteria question or a philosophical question, Scott, but those areas that are found to have prime agricultural soils, but which are currently tree covered

Is the thinking of the county that somebody might decide that they would be clearing the forest for agriculture?

Well, the districts don't by their regulations impose any requirements to carry out particular land management.

I think the idea is more that they are there to preserve the land for its future ability to engage in those uses, whether or not it's being used that way right now.

Certainly, if it was helpful, we could in the future provide more than just the one ag soil analysis.

We'd have forestry soils data we can also use.

Okay.

It might be something to think about when we work on the comp plan later.

Other questions at this moment before we go to the open hearing?

Seeing no hands up.

Huh, okay.

Then are there additional questions for Scott from us?

I see none.

Let me just sort of, let me add some thinking to where my colleague was going on this.

So as you probably know, I've struggled with this category for a while.

And part of it is because I don't understand how there's a couple of things in here.

I don't understand how individuals can trigger a category

that then obligates the county to do from our description on the website, obligates the county and the Commonwealth not to take actions or make infrastructure investments that will place increased pressure on land owners to convert land in the district to more intense land uses during the term of the district.

So while I'm not opposed to that, I don't understand why there isn't a greater nexus to the county's strategic plan, whether or not it's to preserve a particular area of our land, a particular jurisdiction of landmass of our land, or how this connects to our climate action.

to the county's climate action policies, which have been initiated.

And so it's the whole idea that an individual can trigger themselves into a status without any sort of analysis on whether or not the county thinks that the status is something that they want to endorse.

Well, I know that they endorse it by the fact that it goes through a voting process here and then at the supervisors.

But my sense here before has been that some of this is sort of just pro forma.

That the committee says yes, we say yes, and then our supervisors often follow our recommendation.

Obviously, they don't have to.

And so part of this is this whole idea of drawing more of a connection to what the county wants to do or how the county wants to establish

It's particular strategic initiatives and have various policies and various lands that get changed in categories and support that.

Because I was thinking about this the other day and thinking, this is like an opportunity zone.

So we're creating this opportunity zone for agriculture and for forestry in an area that I don't necessarily know that

that our supervisors are one an opportunity zone for those kind of activities there.

And so that to me, Scott, is something that, however, and Charles, when we wrestle with this, is there a way to include something that's got a

an analysis that's got a deeper connection or that's got an explicit connection to county policies and procedures, strategic policies, because this just seems like, well, if I have enough of a landmass, I can say, yes, I want to opt my property into this and take advantage of all the benefits that come from that, particularly the tax benefits, but not have, know that that's really a

a change in tax revenues that the county supports or that the county was looking forward to or that the county endorses.

And so that's part of my sort of on the spot concern this evening with this kind of policy that if I had 100 acres, I could opt it in.

But who says that my property should be opted in?

And I think that there's enough of a swirl around that that we should be more rigorous or we should attempt to have some rigorous

Well, there's a lot there to respond to.

I understand that.

And probably the first key point is that there is in chapter three of the county code, which governs these districts, a set of criteria on what should

or should not be added to one of the districts, either in creating a new district or use the same criteria for adding other parcels to an existing district later.

So if you're interested, I'll pop this up on the screen in a moment.

So as far as the decision-making process, it does fall entirely on the county.

The board is supposed to make a decision on

I understand, but let me just push a little bit more.

some definition in this one thing where it says qualifications that state districts must have at least 200 acres in one or more contiguous parcels.

And that's the one piece that as we've looked at this envelope, I think we need to have either some examples in our FAQs or have something in the FAQ or have something in the ordinance text that talks about how it may be that a parcel is more than a month

is that they're called agricultural and forest districts which implies, as you said, that there's some sort of opportunity district or some sort of different zone as for what's permitted or what can happen.

That's not how they work.

where they work by limiting subdivision and a little bit of commercial activity.

They don't fund or assist or boost agriculture or forestry.

They keep the land out of residential use temporarily so that it's available for agriculture and forestry, which are identified as important.

But they're not opportunity zones.

They're not different zoning.

It's simply a voluntary form of limiting residential development in the rural areas.

virtually all they do other than the things that rarely come up like limiting special use permits, but more frequently limiting the state's ability to take land for road improvements when it's dedicated to agriculture like this.

95% of what these districts do is limit residential subdivision.

And they would be more accurately named as

I agree with that and I understand that and I think as we move forward, Charles, if there's an opportunity there to bring some clarity to that because I think it's a misnomer.

It is not actually promoting that particular sector or those two sectors in our community, even though we align ourselves, a portion of us aligns ourselves with this rural image of who we are

as a county, but yet that's not what these two statuses do.

And so my sense is that if our supervisors say that this is really a place for us to do restrictive zoning, which in fact, this is what it is, and you know, that is what it is, then I think we should be more honest about that as we move forward and not sort of hold on to some legacy of ag and forest development when that's not what this is.

And I think I appreciate greatly what Scott has just said.

And particularly when we look at the information that we get, the one thing is on there, acres and development rights.

So you measure what you're trying to control.

And when I read these things, we're controlling the lack of development in these particular areas, which may be what our supervisors want to do.

I just think we should be clear about it.

We must get Rick.

Take yourself off.

Yeah, I think you've hit on a central point here that perhaps a better terminology to be applied for these properties is referred to this as a temporary non-development zone.

And that's something that all of us, I think, can clearly understand, the public can understand.

And that's more consistent with the conversation that the board had three, four years ago when it began to address the fact that there were properties in ag forestry that had no development rights whatsoever.

and that concern as to really why were these properties being parked there.

for a period of time.

And I think with a clearer description, then it makes this program also for the public much easier to understand.

Now, the state code may refer to them as egg forestry districts, but we can call them locally, whatever we want, consistent with the state code, AKA temporary

non-development zone.

And that's something that I think everybody can get behind.

So I appreciate your comments, because I think they were really pertinent.

Other comments?

Karen, I saw you put something in the chat.

And then I think we should definitely hear from Tim, because I've already spoken.

But enabling legislation from the state that allows this use of our

from regulations is to promote agriculture and forestry.

And I brought this up on this commission before.

So I don't feel like some of these parcels are in keeping with the spirit of the state enabling legislation that we're utilizing.

So I guess that's partly my view for this.

The idea was to

Yes, preserve these soils for the future, but I think that they should be engaged in or have some potential to be engaged in actual agricultural practices because it's really intended to, you know, part of it is to have critical mass so that, you know, you can have markets.

If you're going to be engaged in logging activities that you have enough parcels that could be logged close together to make it economically viable, that you have enough

You know, farmers in the area to make it viable to have feed stores and other supplies, slaughtering plants, whatever.

It's intended to protect certain uses.

And I feel like we're using it in a different way in the county.

Please do.

I think good points have been made by all, Scott, through all of you.

Let's face it, these were really set up originally, I think before the open space category got added into it, when they were ag and forestry to be a form of land banking.

With the idea that you were giving a land owner a benefit if they were actually doing agriculture or forestry,

you were giving them a tax abatement or there was a potential for a tax abatement for not developing that land.

And I think a comment in Albemarle County, there are two things.

And I certainly agree with Karen's point of the discussion that needs to be had.

I think that when I reflect having served both on the Ag and Forest School Commission and the Planning Commission,

It seems that where the rub has come in in Albemarle County is when there has been a large lot subdivision of property of formerly agriculture forestry property for development and the 21 acre minimum lot size after the first five parcels.

They have been marketed in the last decade or two as

an opportunity to own a larger parcel of exurban land with a tax abatement attached to it because of the fact that it could fit into that category.

That is what the supervisor, and Rick correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that was what the supervisors were particularly concerned about when they said when we visit the opens, we need to revisit

the open space categories that have no development rights remaining.

So the supervisors have attempted to deal with that.

But I do believe that there is a benefit to a land bank formation that's based on the soil quality types for both agriculture and forestry.

Do remember that we had a time in our

country's history where truck farms were in that 20 to 40 acre size, maybe even less.

But I think about the ones, the famous ones around Buffalo, New York, even in the 1840s, for instance.

And then all of the cities around the country.

And we may well find ourselves to a point where it can be advantageous to have a small farm business again.

So, but

whether someone should be able to, what an owner should be able to take away as tax credits if there are no development rights is really an interesting question.

And that's the one that continues to be the bugaboo in all of this, I think.

There is the opportunity, the option of doing the open space category was optional in the county, actually,

Andy, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe actually the forestry and agriculture categories are both optional.

And there are some counties in Southwest Virginia that have neither, that have none of the three.

There's some that have just agriculture, but not forestry, some that have forestry, but not agriculture.

So it would be worth in the comprehensive time, as Karen has pointed out, I think to have a thoughtful discussion that can actually be an educational component

for our citizenry to talk about actually that there are benefits as well as this one set of negatives.

And is there a way then to define what those negatives are and to try to correct them if that's the desire of the commission and the Board of Supervisors?

A couple of quick things I'll just point out.

I don't know if you all have time tonight for me to put this up on the screen and go through them, but I would encourage you to look at chapter three of the county code, which is not part of the zoning ordinance.

It's a totally separate chapter that just governs these districts.

It lists early on in the ordinance or in the chapter

The many purposes of these districts as defined by the state and the county, which range from protecting agricultural markets and productive land to protecting a wide range of ecological resources.

Also, a little farther down in that section, there are the criteria for how we

handle the additions, and we do tend to boil that information down to the basics for presentation, but there is a set of criteria that was actually recently revised by the board in a reconfication that Mr. Kamner carried out to clarify what the decision points are for whether or not something should be added to a district.

And again, the name is Agricultural and Forestry Districts.

They have a wide variety of purposes, but they achieve that through

prohibiting development to a more intensive use.

And there's definitions of what that means and the things that are exempted from that prohibition.

But that's the tool is it's not boosting agriculture or requiring any particular use.

It's just prohibiting development to a more intensive use.

Thank you.

That's helpful.

I think thank you for the reference and the pointing towards that particular chapter.

Does anyone else want to come in on this?

Scott, would you put the motions back up?

Sure.

Is there a motion?

Is there someone who wishes to move the first one?

First one.

Yeah, I move to recommend renewal of the Glen Oaks District for a five-year period.

You're gonna have to speak, because I'm sort of paging through you.

I don't have my usual setup tonight.

I'm not as, I don't have, I don't have, oops, I just lost it.

Just stand a second.

Who was that, please?

Tim.

Tim, thank you.

Would you call, is there any discussion on this, please?

Yes, Mr. Bailey?

Ms.

Firehock?

Aye.

Aye.

Ms.

Moore?

Aye.

Mr. Clayborne?

Aye.

Thank you very much.

Do I hear anyone who is interested in moving this?

Yeah.

Sorry.

Sean, I found the mute button there.

Yeah, I move to recommend approval of AFD 2021-00007, Conner Free Union Edition.

I'll second.

Second.

Second by Jenny.

Is there further discussion?

Ms.

Moore?

Aye.

Ms.

I think I've lost my connection.

Ms.

Firehock?

Okay, thank you.

Aye.

Mr. Bailey?

Who would like to move this forward?

So moved.

So moved by Corey.

Is there a second?

Could we clarify what the motion is?

There are two motions up on the screen.

Oh, sure.

Second.

Second by Rick.

Is there any discussion?

Yes, Mr. Bailey.

Mr. Keller.

Mr. Firehock?

Aye.

Ms.

Moore?

Aye.

Thank you.

So, Scott, you've heard, I think hopefully what you've seen is a robust, what you've heard and heard was a

A robust discussion around this and I think looking for some clarity as we go forward.

Glad to do that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Have a good rest of your evening and thank you.

Moving on to our next item.

Yes, and I just want to acknowledge that the applicant is trying to make her way in to this meeting, so hopefully she'll be able to join in some time.

But I will go ahead and start with my portion of the presentation tonight.

Well, good evening, commissioners.

My name is Mariah Gleason.

I'm a senior planner in the planning division of Albemarle County, or of community development, excuse me, of Albemarle County.

Tonight, I'm going to be presenting for your consideration SP 2021-00012 Education Transformation Center.

The subject property for this proposal is located approximately one mile north of the intersection of Hydraulic Road, Earliesville Road, and Rio Road West at 2001 Earliesville Road on tax map parcel 45-31D.

The subject property is located in the rural area.

Parcels surrounding the property are similarly zoned rural area and generally contain residential development.

The South Fork River

and Rivanna River Reservoir.

That's the property to the south and east.

The property itself contains an approximately 9,960 square foot building that was constructed in the 1980s for religious assembly uses.

The property is also surrounded by wooded areas.

Wooded areas are most dense along the north, east and south property edges.

Lightly wooded areas in addition to Earliesville Road and topographic variations provide separation between the property and the residential parcel to the west.

The application before you tonight, use a portion of the existing building for private school uses.

The private school would have a maximum enrollment of 24 students.

School would operate Monday through Friday during normal school hours.

No night or weekend activities are proposed with the use

Since the nature of this proposal is as a supplemental education program, students would be transported to and from the site by their home schools or school districts by way of car or van.

This encourages group travel options, limits the volume of traffic associated with the use, and reduces parking needs on the subject property.

During the review of this proposal, no outstanding concerns were identified by staff or members of the public, in which case I'll keep the presentation brief.

Staff found a number of factors favorable to the proposal, including that the proposed use will support education systems and students in and around Albemarle County and that the proposed use will not create substantial detriment to adjacent properties.

No unfavorable factors were identified.

To preserve the factors that were found favorable, staff recommends the following four conditions.

Should it please the Planning Commission to know the applicant has indicated that they are agreeable to these conditions.

So with that, I'll conclude staff's presentation.

The Commission has a staff report.

Thank you very much.

Other questions for Mariah at this point, folks?

And please speak up if you do.

Hearing none, could we hear from the applicant?

Yes, I'm here.

Okay, give me a second to transfer over.

I'll share my screen.

And welcome to our meeting, ma'am, this evening.

Thank you for having me.

I appreciate it.

Education Transformation Center is what we call a short-term high impact.

Educational alternatives are not here for or with us for extended period of time as in years.

And so during that time, we're trying to make sure that it is very focused and return it so that they can return back to their home high school.

Education Transformation Center is an alternative education program for teens who are at risk of academic failure, dropping out of school, having some type of negative impact with the justice system, frequent detentions, and a number of in and out of school suspensions.

Our model for our students

that you're not responsible for your beginning, but you are responsible for your ending.

They're not responsible for the family environment that may be inappropriate, the conditions that are in the situation, things that they're seeing that are not appropriate.

They have no choice in that, but they do have a choice on what their future looks like.

They are responsible for the ending.

Our mission statement, we endeavor to increase

create an atmosphere of relaxed alertness.

That is where there is a combination of high challenges, high expectations, and a low threat threatening community and a state of mind that combines confidence, competence, and intrinsic motivation.

Now, the objectives for us is that we, of course, reduce high school dropouts.

eliminate and sometimes often reduce referrals and detentions, eliminate or reduce antisocial behaviors, teach healthy decision-making, provide measurable outcomes, provide participants with educational options for reaching their personal goals and passion.

And we have a six-week curriculum, and this is how it's set up.

but I can tell you thus far everything has been based on individual IEPs or just with the students we try to meet them where they are to get them to reach the goal and remember our goal is always to return them back to the high school.

The difference between traditional alternative education and education transformation center

is that we do want them back.

We want them to be able to understand their purpose and that they have a daily education plan that they work on.

And that our goal is that we need to be in high school with the traditional high school students, the pep rallies, football games, and alike, because I'm not sure if you're aware, but generally speaking, when they're in alternative education, they cannot participate.

in the traditional high school activities.

And we've found that most of these students are extremely bright, just need some direction.

Our program is set up on life skills, passion identification.

And I want to stress that part of it is that we want them to understand that you're on this earth for a purpose.

You have a goal that you should, while you're here, let us help you find that.

Let me pause you for just a second.

Just so that you know, we're not seeing a presentation.

OK, I didn't know.

Hold on.

I shared my screen.

Let me try it again.

That's fine.

I mean, that's fine.

You might want to continue the way you are.

But if you were under the impression that we were seeing images, we were not.

OK, then I will leave it alone.

OK.

So our model

for Education Transformation Center is an integrative and alternative education model that is designed to eliminate the stigma of utilizing mental health services.

It's a seamless practice of clinical learning models fosters emotional self-refacing where the student can

start to eliminate their own wildly essential lifestyles.

ETC provides a therapeutic environment where students participate in the psycho-educational and counseling groups.

And this is all in combination with their academic activities.

And of course, our outcome for us is that we return them back to the high school where, again,

that's where they're supposed to be and that's where they need to be.

And how do we know that things work and what we are offering and what we try to provide?

How do we know if it works until, unless we can return them back to their high school?

And so that's pretty much what we have.

And again, it's something that's much needed and because we are not, I'm saying we're better than any other alternative school,

is that we're smaller and we can take time and that we can really work with the student more on an individual level.

And curriculum wise, we have our own curriculum, but what we've done in the past is that we've actually had the students take their courses, that coursework that they're missing.

We asked them to, and we work with their teachers and their counselors at their home high school.

to get all their assignments and so that when they return back to the school, they're up to date.

Otherwise, if we don't do that, we're going to be repeating the cycle.

They'll go back and not be where they should be.

And therefore, we don't want that to happen.

I'm going to ask if there are people, if any of the commissioners didn't have questions for you, man, before we open it up to the public to see if there's anyone there.

Commissioners.

Just a quick question.

I think this is really appreciated and I remember your presentation previously.

I'm curious, I know that you've mentioned about being smaller, but

Where did the number 24 students come from?

I'm just curious from, you know, it's nearly a 10,000 square foot building.

I think you're providing a really interesting benefit to the county and the schools and just think about how many different schools we have.

What does 24 mean?

And it's a six week program.

And how does that kind of relate to helping out these types of students and, you know,

I can explain it.

Ms.

I think when it was coming in, we had asked that there be some measure of enrollment and maximum student count.

I'm not sure what led to the 24, but

number exactly, but I will say that it was one of the factors that led into some of the factors that we found favorable just in terms of the extent and size and traffic and safety related issues that staff looked at.

Well, it's all about the septic system and the water supply.

for us during the course of the day, in addition to the church that meets there.

And so they may have events and stuff during the day.

Generally speaking, we would be the only ones there.

But when they look at the 200 that they can hold, plus that, then it just gave us the number 24 that would be the appropriate amount for that facility and the water septic system and all that.

involved in that process.

Yeah, thank you.

Mr. Clayborne?

Good afternoon, Ms.

Carr.

Thank you for the presentation.

I don't know the layout of the building, so I was just curious for the classrooms.

I think I read they were on the bottom level.

Just curious, are they accessible from the exterior, or do you have to go through the front door?

It's accessible from the exterior.

If there's a door that leads directly into the lower level,

If we have no problems with that, that's handicap accessible.

Now we will have our office or two up on the second floor, but that's basically where the counseling sessions will take place.

According to the federal guidelines, we must have our files in an area that the file cabinet itself is locked and plus the door itself must be locked.

That's helpful.

Thank you.

OK, seeing no one with their hand up or unmuting themselves, we'll go to the public hearing if there is one, if there are people in the public to speak.

OK, we know we'll do the five, four, three, two, one piece.

OK, fine.

Then we won't go to public hearing.

Are there additional questions for the app?

Well, let me go back to the applicant.

No.

I just think that, well, I should

I thank you for the opportunity to allow us to bring this much needed service to our students.

It's just one of many things that they need, in particular the time that we're having with mental health and just getting back to one-on-one.

I can't stress enough that our goal

and I just really believe that how we measure our success is returning these students back to society.

And if they're graduating out of our program at four years, I have to question that we do our job.

So they need to get back into circulation into the area that they belong with their teens and their friends as soon as possible.

Thank you, Ms.

Carr.

So on that note, commissioners,

Oh, I need a hand.

Do you have a hand up?

Rick, Rick, Rick, please.

Thank you.

Dr. Johnson, this is such a better location for you to commit yourself to going into Yancy when it opened up as a community center.

I always wondered when I went down there and was present for your

Champagne breaking against the hull of the ship at Yancy.

I always wondered how you were going to get all of the students there.

And, you know, you were facing a geographic problem.

And then along comes the pandemic.

and makes your business model very hard to sustain.

And I think this is a terrific location for you and for the students.

The outdoor education aspect is clearly something that should be appealing for them.

And I wish you every success.

in this new location.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Are there others who wish to comment before we go farther?

Yeah, I'll just mention quickly, I think it's a marvelous program.

And it's an excellent location for it, both convenient to the urban ring and also a beautiful natural setting, which little fact, access to nature being around nature actually raises your IQ and sets you up for learning.

And I just want to go on record as saying

And I'm going to tell the students, if you go in that water, I'll come tell somebody to come get you.

I'm not going in the water.

So we have that beautiful, beautiful Rivanna Lake, but I'm not going in.

Anyone else?

Mariah, if you would please put your

Your motion up please, or the last bit up.

Thank you.

Yeah, very, very happy to recommend approval of SP2021-00012 Education Transformation Center.

with the reasons and conditions stated in the staff report.

And as stated by the fellow commissioners, I think this is a great use for this property and excited to see it get off the ground and start to help the kids in our county.

So moved.

Seconded by Corey.

Yes, please.

Is there further discussion?

Seeing none.

Yes, I'm sorry.

That would be Mr. Clayborne.

Mr. Clayborne?

Ms.

Moore?

Aye.

Mr. Bivins?

Mr. Tyler?

Aye.

And Mr. Bailey?

Aye.

Thank you very much.

Let's see.

Ms.

Carr, you've heard tonight that we've endorsed this.

And the next step, you'll be working with Mariah to move to the supervisors.

And thank you for bringing this to us this evening.

So much.

Thank all of you.

Thank you.

You have a good rest of your evening.

Thank you.

We're going to move on to our next item on the agenda, ma'am.

So are there any commissioners who have committee reports?

I don't believe it.

Not on this screen.

Not on that screen.

There's one.

There's two right there.

Oh, good.

This is the Commissioner Randolph.

He was about to jump through the screen.

That's all right.

It's good for him.

It's good for him to just temper himself just a tiny bit.

All right.

All right.

I was at the Pan Top CAC meeting a few weeks ago, and we had a briefing regarding the Albemarle County Transit Expansion Study, which was new to me, but it was presented with the goal of identifying, I would say, short-range opportunities to expand transit service to, I would say, you know, key population areas and employment centers in the county.

and I found it interesting like they identified two growth areas.

One was in Pantops and the other one was on the 29 North corridor between the city limits and the North Fork of the UVA Discovery Park area and very interesting presentation.

Okay.

I can send everyone a link if you'd like.

Then you can sign on.

There's an online webinar this Thursday.

So I'll send people the link.

So if you care to go into that.

I just wanted to let the commission know that the village of Rivanna, CAC, met last night.

There was a discussion about what else, Breezy Hill, and the chair of the committee noted that the master plan has vagueness written into it.

One unit per acre is not spelled out in the master plan.

The word essential to 250 road improvements

should have been applied to any and all development in the village of Rivanna, rather than just the road itself.

So there is some digesting of the consequences of that decision made by the Board of Supervisors and by the Planning Commission.

Thank you.

We lost you.

Are there others?

Perhaps Rick's pup wants to add a second to that.

You're muted.

I'm translating from dog talk.

We're going to try and move on that soon.

Daniel?

It's been a couple of weeks now because of the meeting schedules, but we were with the Rio

CAC.

I think one of the big topics of discussion was the placement and location of the approved smart scale for the roundabout that should replace the light at the C-TAC and what is John Warner and Rio now, that intersection.

A lot of that's part of the Rio Road corridor study.

along with some discussions on the Rio Commons site plan.

I don't think the Rio Commons project, which is up Rio Road going towards Penn Park from that direction, I don't think that project should come back in front of the Planning Commission if I understand, but it has, you know, continues to add a bit of consternation among the people and what's included or not included in the Rio Road corridor study.

and so I think that's an interesting area for us is to keep an eye on as we move forward and think about the planning of that area.

Thank you.

Do you have to take anyone out for a walk?

Yes, but I lock her out.

Does anyone else have a report from our meetings?

Okay, seeing none.

Well thank you Mr. Chair.

It has been a while since we've met so I've got two board meetings to report on and they were very full meetings back on October 20th.

The board approved a special use permit to expand the existing day camp on the Hopps property as recommended by this commission.

And then more dramatic was the adoption of the Crozet master plan.

One change that the board did was they went back to the original staff recommendation for middle density residential on the Taper Street block downtown in Crozet.

and then everything else was adopted as presented.

And then November 3rd, we also had quite a bit, last week, the board approved amendments to the special use permit for the field school.

And if you remember, there was a time limit that the commission had recommended and the board endorsed that as well.

They also approved a special use permit for the Ivy landfill solar facilities.

It was commissioned a while back.

A lot going on and a lot more to come on some of these items.

Commissioner Bailey mentioned the Rio Corridor Study.

We'll be bringing that to this commission for a presentation.

I think we have that scheduled in January.

We have a Rivanna Corridor Study coming with Mr. Benesch here, I believe it's in December.

They did as well.

Sorry, I missed on that was last weekend as well.

Last Wednesday, they approved Claudius Crozet Park as well.

That was a long one.

A lot of Crozet attention lately.

But we're going to shift next week.

It's a good segue to our work session.

We have Annie Bowman from the Office of Management and Budget coming to discuss the county's capital permit plan process.

And then myself and the talented Miss Rachel Falkenstein will be

presenting an update on our comprehensive plan and our ordinance updates.

Both of those are finally kind of getting off the ground and we'll give you some overview of some of the discussions we have with the board and be seeking some feedback on some of the specifics that commissioners might want to look into as far as different focus areas, topics, ordinances of concern, things like that so that we can

have your guidance as we start to scope these more specific parts.

We had a very high level overview with the board just to kind of get the overall scope nailed down.

And then we'll be getting into each kind of phase, phase by phase as we go with the youth commission and members of the community over the next few years.

Well, I will say we do have one more piece of business, uh, on November 23rd, the Tuesday before the Thanksgiving holiday.

As of now, we don't have any items on that, uh, that meeting.

Um, it's really up to the commission.

or would we, given our enthusiasm about comp plans, perhaps that could be another comp plan discussion, but I will let the commissioners, why don't you let us chew on this and perhaps, unless there's a notice piece of this, that if we were to just, if we were to sort of give a final yay or nay next week.

I'm looking at counselors.

That works.

The commission's meeting schedule has been noticed in advance.

The commission approved it at the start of the year.

Thank you.

That works.

If you let me know next Tuesday at our work session, that'll give us ample time to post it or to not post.

Okay, brilliant.

Is there any old business or new business if there are no additional comments for Charles?

Seeing none, my goodness.

Karen, did I see you?

No?

You're just smiling, okay.

Anyone else?

I think Jenny's cat is in full anticipation of being able to get out of there.

So hearing none, I assume that we can adjourn this evening at 7 10.

And on that note, I will say we've adjourned at 7 10.

And we'll see each other next week, if not before.

And I'll send you out the piece.

I'll send you out the piece on the transit thing, in case you want to tune into that.

OK?

Have a good week, folks.

Thanks for getting us through tonight and see you next week.

It was good.

They didn't notice?