• Encourage and maintain strong ties between the region's urban and rural areas
• Strive for a size and distribute the human population in ways that preserve vital resources
• Retain the natural habitat
• Ensure water quality and quantity are sufficient to support people and ecosystems
• Optimize the use and re-use of developed land and promote clustering
• Promote appropriate scale for land uses
• Retain farm and forest land
• Develop attractive and economical transportation alternatives
• Conserve energy
• Provide educational and employment opportunities
• Increase individual participation in neighborhoods and communities

This past fiscal year, TJPDC has worked on various projects with partners that are helping forge sustainable solutions to regional issues. Some highlights include working with partners to focus on incorporating Universal Design principles in the design of housing and communities, completing the draft Community Plan to End Homelessness, and the State of Housing Report which quantifies the problems of affordable housing and serves as the basis for further actions regarding housing in the region. Other projects include the Transportation and Housing Alliance Toolkit which was developed to provide a way to consider the needs of people often excluded from the planning process and the Regional Transit Authority Planning process, which brought the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County together to discuss how a regional transit service can be achieved for the Charlottesville-Albemarle area.

• Community and Small Towns Planning
• Data and Mapping Services
• Environmental Planning
• Housing and Human Services
• Legislative Program
• Transportation
• Workforce and Economic Development
• Financial Charts

Universal Design Initiative

Several community partners established a new initiative focusing on the incorporation of Universal Design principles in the design of housing and communities. In response to this initiative, the Planning District published two white papers titled “Applying Universal Design in Homes” and “Applying Universal Design in Communities.” Universal Design is the design of products and environments (such as residences and stores) to be usable by all people regardless of their ability or age, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Nellysford Community Plan

The Nellysford Community Plan was an extensive effort to collect and analyze data relevant to the greater Nellysford area to establish what Nellysford residents and businesses wish for their community. Recommendations include short-term, mid-term, and long-term objectives in four key areas: transportation, business development, community development, and community involvement. A key long-term transportation goal is to construct a new local road network to the west of and parallel to Route 151. A long-term business development goal is to create a new mixed-use development center to the west of Route 151 along a new road network, with connectivity to Routes 634 and 151.Community development strategies include regulatory changes to be considered in order to facilitate development consistent with land use recommendations, as well as recommendations for infrastructure. Community Involvement recommendations focus on ways for residents to actively engage one another, to support local businesses and restaurants, and to help guide the future of Nellysford.

CDBG planning grant for the Town of Mineral

TJPDC staff worked with the Town of Mineral in developing plans for a downtown revitalization project. The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) awarded up to $35,000 available to the Town to complete a plan for the revitalization of the downtown. The goal of the planning grant is to prepare a full CDBG application for the specific improvements recommended in the Plan. This project grew, in part, from a series of Mineral Town Council retreats facilitated by TJPDC.

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The TJPDC’s Data and Mapping Center (DMC) continued to provide support to TJPDC projects as well as mapping and data services to local governments, nonprofit organizations, and businesses throughout the region. The DMC developed data and project maps for the Regional Transit Authority plan and the update of the long-range transportation plan (UnJAM 2025) as well as updated maps for the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). TJPDC continued work on the Rivanna StreamWatch web application, an Internet mapping application that will provide access to StreamWatch data collected in the Rivanna River watershed and will be hosted through the TJPDC.

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Solid Waste Management Plan

The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Solid Waste Management Plan, required by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), was approved in October 2006 and amended in July to add a new solid waste facility at Zion Crossroads in Fluvanna County. The Plan was written by TJPDC staff with input from all member jurisdictions. Major recommendations include the coordination of solid waste contracts throughout the region and a central sorting facility to handle all recyclables in the region. Both recommendations take advantage of the economy of scale benefits of regional cooperation.

Regional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

TJPDC along with Planning District 10 localities, completed this Plan in 2006. In FY07, an annual meeting was held to review progress on the plan which reflected significant work toward the completion of activities in the plan. The Plan is providing valuable input for the development of the Disaster Resistant University Plan, being developed by the University of Virginia. TJPDC is serving on the advisory committee for that plan.

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Community Plan to End Homelessness

The Community Plan to End Homelessness draft was approved by the TJPD Commissioners. The report culminates almost two years of work by the Task Force to Develop the 2012 Plan to End Homelessness. It includes key recommendations such as establishing a lead organization to implement and market the Plan, establishing Homeless Service Center, and increasing housing options including Single Room Occupancy and other rental units.

State of Housing Report

The Housing Directors of the regional HOME Consortium commissioned a market study and analysis by the Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech to provide high quality data on the current and projected needs for housing in our region. This study provided data and analysis on the housing supply and demand in our region. From this study, a summary of the key findings along with a summary of existing programs and recommendations was created and approved by the TJPD Commissioners. The Report, which recognizes that affordable housing is a significant regional issue, quantifies the problems and serves as base for further actions regarding housing in the region.

Transportation and Housing Alliance (THA) Toolkit

The Transportation and Housing Alliance is a statewide initiative linking public and private leaders in the areas of housing and transportation. With funding from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, TJPDC developed a toolkit to provide a way to consider the needs of people often excluded from the planning process: those who do not drive, people with limited incomes, and people with disabilities. Its purpose is to assess housing and transportation needs, project future needs and identify overlapping issues and opportunities, to develop a clear understanding of current transportation and housing needs of people with disabilities.

The Disability Services Board conducted a Needs Assessment

The Jefferson Area Disability Services Board (DSB) completed its triennial assessment of the needs of people with physical and sensory disabilities in the TJPDC. The assessment used data from the 2000 Census and other data sources and results of a consumer survey. The Needs Assessment is the first stop to mobilize resources to fill gaps in service for people with physical and sensory disabilities in the planning district.

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The TJPDC Legislative Liaison represents the interests and positions of the region’s localities before the state legislature and other state policymakers. Much of this effort occurs at the General Assembly during January – March of each year, but includes work during the off-season, attending legislative study committee and other meetings of interest to local government.

In FY07, the legislative liaison compiled, presented, and received approval of the TJPD Legislative Program from the PDC localities. The program was presented to the region’s state legislators at the annual legislative luncheon in October. The liaison also has worked closely with the Mayor and Chairs group, which spearheaded efforts to focus the legislative program on a top priority item (impact fees) to advocate with our lawmakers.

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NW Fluvanna/SW Louisa Corridor Study

The NW Fluvanna/SW Louisa Corridor Study project team completed the corridor study, which created a plan for the northwest Fluvanna, Southwest Louisa, Eastern Albemarle Corridor. The transportation plan supports safe, multi-modal transportation options for drivers, transit riders, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Through the planning process, TJPDC and its partners identified investment strategies and key spot improvements to improve the capacity and safety of existing roads in the corridor including three key study area intersections in the study area: Rt. 250 & Rt. 15 (Zion Crossroads), Rt. 53 & Rt. 15 (Palmyra), and Rt. 53 & Rt. 600 (Lake Monticello). The draft report includes a Framework Plan, which provides detailed guidelines for how to achieve the community’s long-term vision.

Regional Transit Planning

With support and funding from the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, the MPO Policy Board began the process of researching and discovering how a regional transit service can be achieved for the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. A Regional Transit Authority Plan was undertaken, and will address three key components of regional transit: management and governance, service and operations, and cost estimation and funding.

United Jefferson Area Mobility Plan

Work began on the update to the UnJAM 2025 Plan. This United Jefferson Area Mobility Plan is the joint planning process (and product of the MPO and Rural Transportation Planning Programs) being used to help determine the most important transportation projects in our region. The plan is required to be updated every five years, with the next plan scheduled for completion in 2010. In addition to freight and environmental analysis updates for the urban area, the rural area updates included new mapping. Partners include the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT), our member jurisdictions, and various local and regional entities.

RideShare

The RideShare program, housed at TJPDC, continued to work in the community to promote traffic reduction and increase general awareness of alternatives to the single occupant vehicle. Through its carpool and vanpool matching services for commuters, RideShare saw an increase of new carpools by 45% and saw a 17% increase in the amount of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) reduced. RideShare was also an active partner in Clean Commute Day, an annual event aimed to increase awareness of different transportation options available for Central Virginia commuters hosted by the Commuter Information Team (RideShare, JAUNT, Charlottesville Transit System, University Transit System, and Greene County Transit). RideShare also continued to work on its youth marketing project, which will introduce elementary-aged school children to the concept of making smart transportation choices. An interactive workbook has been created and plans are underway to launch the project in FY08.

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The Piedmont Workforce Network (PWN) provides workforce services to the Local Workforce Investment Area 6 (City of Charlottesville and Counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, Culpeper, Fauquier, Orange, Madison, and Rappahannock). The PWN, also known as the Local Workforce Investment Board, consists of business representatives and community partners. Its mission is “linking resources to meet employment needs.”

Piedmont Workforce Network worked with state agencies to come to agreement and construct the new Charlottesville One Stop Career Center. After years of working on plans to co-located major partners in workforce development, a Master Lease was put into place with the State Department of General Services (DGS). Subleases are also in place with TJPDC acting as the lessee coordinating all subleases with all non-state agencies at the Center. The State awarded PWN and TJPDC a $50,000 grant from the Governor’s discretionary fund to cover expenses related to the opening of the new center. The major partners, Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS), the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC), and the PWN Operator, have been meeting to establish the operational and management plan for the new center with the assistance from the Governor’s Office for Workforce Development.

The Piedmont Workforce Network Board partnered with the Department of Business Assistance (DBA) to coordinate the pilot Piedmont Workforce Network (PWN) Retraining Program for employers that are looking to upgrade the skills of their employees. This partnership will allow the PWN to provide a more comprehensive and streamlined retraining program and be more responsive to the needs of the employer community.

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Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission
PO Box 1505 - 401 East Water Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
www.tjpdc.org
(434) 979-7310