The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission

Welcome to www.tjpdc.org, home of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. TJPDC's mission is to serve our local governments by providing regional vision, collaborative leadership and professional service to develop effective solutions. For more information about the TJPDC please click here.

General Assembly Legislative Report Available

A summary report highlighting action taken on bills and the state budget at the 2013 session of the General Assembly is now available in the Legislative Section of our website. The document highlights various items of interest to local governments by budget and bill topic area, including several local legislative initiatives that were approved. If you have questions about items in the summary, contact David Blount at dblount@tjpdc.org or 434-979-7310 x350.

TJPDC to Assist the Town of Scottsville with Comprehensive Plan update

The Town of Scottsville is updating their Comprehensive Plan. This plan functions as the guiding document for growth and development in the town, and it sets the general principles to be implemented through land use regulations, infrastructure investment, and public programs. The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) is working with the Planning Commission of Scottsville to update data and maps in the plan, review the goals, objectives, and implementation strategies established in the plan, and generally ensure that the Comprehensive Plan serves the town well for the next five years.

TJPDC’s involvement with the process began with the April 1, 2013 Planning Commission meeting, and is expected to continue until the Town Council adopts the updated plan in June or July of 2013. For more information about this update, please contact Regional Planner, Daniel Nairn at 434-979-7310 x. 290 or dnairn@tjpdc.org.

TJPDC Completes Fluvanna Return on Investment Model

In January 2012, Fluvanna County requested that the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) develop a fiscal impact analysis on a proposed water and sewer-line for their primary growth area, Zion Crossroads. The County needed a way to assess the financial implications of the proposal. Consequently, local officials contracted with the TJPDC to develop a financial model that would make these calculations. Several months later, staff completed the original Return on Investment (ROI) model, in the form of a complex Excel® spreadsheet. With that model, County officials could see how a public water and sewer system would influence local budgets as well as the landscape, since these investments would likely encourage private development in the area.

Following completion of the original Return on Investment Model, Fluvanna County identified a need to compare different water and sewer system options. Those options would include choices between providers, treatment facilities and system design. The County needed a new model that would allow them to enter various assumptions and proposals, and compare the finances of each alternative. At the County's request, TJPDC redesigned the ROI spreadsheet. This new model is more complex and incorporates new data, but is also easier to use. TJPDC staff also designed the model to be more general, allowing any locality to use this spreadsheet to assess the financial implications of new water and/or sewer system extensions.

Along with this spreadsheet, staff wrote a user guide to assist localities as they work with the model. This document discusses the general structure of this tool and includes detailed guidance. With step-by-step instructions and screenshots, someone can easily change the model assumptions to assess various system options. The TJPDC hopes that this tool will be a useful resource to all of its member localities as they consider the fiscal implications of public water and sewer systems.

RideShare Forming Vanpools from Waynesboro to Charlottesville

The TJPDC and CSPDC co-hosted a vanpool formation meeting at the Waynesboro Public Library the morning of Saturday, March 9th. A total of 20 commuters attended the meeting to learn about vanpooling and how they can have a more efficient commute to Charlottesville. NBC 29 reported on the event during the 6:00 evening news (story linked here).

Based on information gathered at the vanpool formation meeting, RideShare is currently coordinating a vanpool that will meet at the Waynesboro Park & Ride lot and serve commuters working at the University of Virginia and UVA hospital from the hours 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. There is the potential to form other vanpools serving commuters with different work hours and destinations. RideShare will contact interested commuters to form additional vanpools once the initial vanpool group is finalized.

In addition to these efforts, RideShare is actively seeking additional riders for an existing vanpool from Louisa to Charlottesville. Contact RideShare Program Manager, Lisa Horanyi, for more information contact Lisa Horanyi at (434) 979-7310 ext. 330 or lhoranyi@tjpdc.org.

Grant to Help TJPDC Improve Public Understanding of Transportation Issues

Commission will partner with VDOT, U.Va. research groups on this new project
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) will use a $192,885 grant to develop new ways to improve understanding of transportation issues by the public and decision makers.

The grant recently was awarded through the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), part of the National Academies.

TJPDC will partner with research groups from the University of Virginia (U.Va.) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to test the use of advanced analytical techniques and methods for community outreach to enhance the public's awareness of transportation issues that affect Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the surrounding region.

A detailed press release introducing the project can be found here.

Contacts for the project are:
Stephen Williams, TJPDC executive director
434-979-7310, ext. 110, swilliams@tjpdc.org

Ann Overton, Virginia Department of Transportation
434-293-1912, ann.overton@vdot.virginia.gov

Thomas Guterbock, U.Va. Center for Survey Research
434-243-5223, TomG@virginia.edu

Application for Community Development Block Grant in Town of Columbia

An application for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) in the Town of Columbia, known as the St. James Street Revitalization Project, is currently being prepared. Fluvanna County will apply for funds by March 27, 2013 for a comprehensive community development project to benefit Low-to-Moderate Income households in the area. A fact sheet and map describes project objectives, activities, and opportunities for public input. Contact Billie Campbell at bcampbell@tjpdc.org or 434-979-7310 x 230 for more information.

The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission serves the localities in Planning District 10, which include the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson.

Created in 1972, the TJPDC is directed by a twelve member board, consisting of two representatives appointed by each local governing board, more than half of whom are local elected officials. The Commissioners meet monthly to discuss the activities and direction of the TJPDC.