• Green Infrastructure Map for Greene County Presented
• THA Toolkit Second Edition Now Available
• Greene Multimodal Modeling Underway
• UnJAM Hits the Road
• Transportation Tomorrow Workshop Presentation Available
• Regional Housing in the News
• General Assembly Legislative Report Available
• Hazard Mitigation Annual Meeting Held
• Clean Commute Day and Earthday Recap
• Livable for a Lifetime - News Briefs Available
• Coalition for the Homeless Hires Executive Director
• Commissioner Thomas Awarded VAPDC Honor
• TJPDC Staff Updates

A draft map for Green Infrastructure in Greene County was presented at a workshop held on June 30. The map featured a network of areas of special concern for conservation, including areas of high habitat value, stream buffers, steep slopes, and a drinking water protection area. Also shown on the map were areas that are already protected. The map reflects the recommendations of the regional green infrastructure committee, as well as representatives of Greene County.  For more information, contact Rochelle Garwood at 434-979-7310 x320 or rgarwood@tjpdc.org.

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The Second Edition of the Transportation and Housing Alliance (THA) Toolkit is now available and ready for use. A total of 12 projects have been carried out using the THA Toolkit. TJPDC completed three of these projects:

• Louisa Transportation Plan: TJPDC is partnering with the County of Louisa to develop its Transportation Plan, which also will reference recent projects in the towns of Louisa and Mineral.  The THA grant provided resources and funds to begin work on this plan, providing an opportunity for the plan to address the transportation needs of all citizens. The study completed under the THA grant is available by selecting the title link above.
• Town of Mineral Walking Tour: This was a study of pedestrian accessibility in the Town of Mineral. As part of the project, a walking tour of the town was developed to showcase the town’s assets. The study also identified the impediments within the walking tour and made recommendations for better accessibility for people of all abilities.
• Needs Assessment for People with Disabilities: TJPDC staff, working with the Disability Services Board and the Jefferson Area Transition Council, conducted an assessment of the needs of people with disabilities in the planning district using the THA Toolkit.

The Toolkit was produced through a grant awarded by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD).  Its purpose is to create plans that lead to livable communities for all citizens. The THA Toolkit contents and accompanying fact sheets can be downloaded from TJPDC's THA Toolkit page . For more information, contact Will Cockrell at 434-979-7310 x440 or wcockrell@tjpdc.org. Send an email to info@tjpdc.org to request a Toolkit.

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Following a March 31community-wide workshop to determine citizen preferences for a future land use scenario, the project consultant, the Renaissance Planning Group, began modeling the transportation implications and needs based on the preferred scenario. The Multimodal Corridor Study will guide work on the Greene County Comprehensive Plan. By coordinating land use preferences and the transportation implications, the Comprehensive Plan will link future land use and transportation, recognizing that the two are integrally related.  For more information, contact Bill Wanner at wwanner@tjpdc.org or 434-979-7310 x390.

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UnJAM 2035 was adopted by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in May, but since the MPO represents a small portion of the Planning District, focus is now being shifted to include all areas of the region. TJPDC will have a booth at county fairs and other public events throughout the summer in each of the five counties in the Planning District. After receiving public comment from rural residents and an updated list of transportation projects being produced for VDOT’s Rural Long Range Plan, TJPDC plans to revise the UnJAM 2035 document and present it to each county for adoption by the end of 2009.

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Early survey results from a Federal Transit Agency-funded project were presented to the public at the Transportation Tomorrow workshop on May 21. The results will be combined with those from related surveys to create a Regional Transit Assessment Toolkit. Data presented was taken from a random phone survey of 300 residents in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area. The online survey portion of the project was open through May 31 at www.transportationtomorrow.com. Click here to view the presentation. For more information on this project, contact Lisa Horanyi at 434-879-7310 x330 or lhoranyi@tjpdc.org.

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HOME Action Plan Approved

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has approved the 2009 - 2010 Action Plan of the Consolidated Plan for the City of Charlottesville and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District, which was submitted in mid-May. The Action Plan guides the use of $532,278 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds in the City of Charlottesville and $1,013,989 in federal HOME funds in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District (City of Charlottesville and counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson). At least 15% of HOME funds are set-aside for a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). The 2009-2010 CHDO project will consist of four to six units of affordable rental housing in Greene County. The Action Plan is available on TJPDC's Consolidated Plan Page. For questions or more information, contact Melissa Celii, City of Charlottesville, at 434-970-3093 or Billie Campbell, TJPDC, at 434-979-7310 x230.

Homesharing/ADU Feasibility Study

In partnership with JABA, TJPDC has completed the feasibility study of a potential Homesharing program in the region, with an initial focus on the City of Charlottesville and the urban ring in Albemarle County. The feasibility study indicates a need and support for initiating a program here. Based on the input from the Advisory Committee at its final meeting on June 23, the program is being proposed to focus on the screening and matching process, with needed wrap-around services provided by other agencies and organizations in the community. The final report is available on the TJPDC Housing Page . For more information, contact Kristen Pingry at 434-979-7310 x310 or kpingry@tjpdc.org.

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A summary report highlighting action taken on bills and the state budget at the 2009 session of the General Assembly is now available on the TJPDC website. The document highlights items of interest to local governments. The text of the legislative report is available here. If you have questions about items in this summary, please contact David Blount, TJPD Legislative Liaison, at 434-979-7310 x350 or dblount@tjpdc.org.

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The Hazard Mitigation Working Group met on May 28 for its third annual meeting to review the Regional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was developed regionally over a period of about two years and approved in October 2006. This Annual Review covered events and activities from May 1, 2008 to April 30, 2009. Our region’s new Hazard Mitigation Planning Coordinator from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), Amy Howard, also attended to update the group on new resources available from the state and upcoming workshops regarding funds for plan updates. Our region’s five-year update of the plan is due by October, 2011. The full Plan is available on-line here. For more information, contact Billie Campbell at 434- 979-7310 x230 or bcampbell@tjpdc.org.

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Clean Commute Day

RideShare and the Commuter Information Team sponsored the 19th annual Clean Commute Day in the Central Virginia region on Friday, May 1. Area commuters were encouraged to take the “Clean Commute Pledge,” promising to use a commute option other than driving alone for at least one day. This was the third year for the Clean Commute Pledge, and a record number of 250 pledges were received. The Commuter Information Team also hosted two information events that day, one on the downtown mall and the other at the University of Virginia. To encourage participation, CTS offered free bus rides all day on May 1, and JAUNT offered free rides to all commuters boarding a bike the entire week. In addition to the Clean Commute Day festivities, the Commuter Information Team also launched a redesign of their website at www.commuterinformation.com. Commuter Information is RideShare, JAUNT, CTS, UTS and Greene County Transit.

Earthday

TJPDC joined other area organizations for the Earth Day Eco-Fair held at the Charlottesville Pavilion on April 18. Information on recycling and composting was available, with compost bins also available for purchase. The compost bins (pictured) also may be purchased at the TJPDC offices during regular business hours for $20. A home composting workshop was held in conjunction with the Piedmont Master Gardeners two days later at the Albemarle County Office Building on Fifth Street Extended. For more information, contact Rochelle Garwood at 434-979-7310 x320 or rgarwood@tjpdc.org.

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The Livable for a Lifetime (L4L) Steering Committee occasionally publishes a news brief with information of interest on universal design. The June issue focused on home modification, and is available on-line (see Universal Design article) at www.tjpdc.org/housing/index.asp. L4L was established by TJPDC, JABA and Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA) in 2007, growing out of the “2020 Community Plan on Aging.” L4L’s purpose is to promote change in the practice, policy, design, and construction of homes and communities, as well as the community involvement necessary to fulfill this initiative. For more information, contact Bill Wanner at 434-979-7310 x390 or wwanner@tjpdc.org.

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The Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless (TJACH) has hired its first Executive Director. Kathleen “Kaki” Dimock will assume the ED role on August 31. Kaki currently is the Vice President of Community Initiatives at People’s Regional Opportunity Program in Portland, Maine. She has over 15 years of experience in community-based programs, building systems of care for individuals and families in need as a result of domestic violence, court involvement, and poverty. Kaki grew up in North Garden and is returning to the area to be near family. Her office will be at the TJPDC for the first few months, moving to the Haven at First and Market (formerly known as the First Street Church Project) around December 1, when renovations are expected to be complete. For more information contact Billie Campbell at 434-979-7310 x230 or bcampbell@tjpdc.org.

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Sally Thomas, a member of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and long-time TJPD Commissioner, has received an achievement award for her efforts in promoting regional planning. At its annual conference on July 31, the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) awarded Mrs. Thomas with its Robert W. Baker Achievement Award. The award, named for the first head of the Southside Planning District Commission, is intended to recognize persons who have been involved directly in planning district commission activities and who have contributed significantly to promoting regional planning and development in Virginia.

Mrs. Thomas has been an Albemarle County resident for over 45 years. As a member of the Charlottesville-Albemarle League of Women Voters, she advocated for formation of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. She then was one of the first members to serve on the Commission when it formed in the early 1970s. She has served on the Commission as an elected representative from Albemarle County for the past 16 years, including three years as chairman in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Mrs. Thomas is noted for many efforts at the TJPDC. She was one of the first to advocate for bringing rural transit to the region. Rural transit provider JAUNT was formed by TJPDC and ultimately spun-off to become an independent organization. Today, JAUNT provides 250,000 rural transit trips per year to clients throughout the region. She also was instrumental in helping form the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA) and establishing the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization, on which she also served. On the issue of affordable housing in the region, she helped convince leaders from the six TJPDC member localities to form the Thomas Jefferson HOME Consortium in 1993. Also during the 1990s, she led in the development of the TJPDC Sustainability Accords, which represent a community consensus and opportunity for individual and group actions toward sustainability for the region. She also helped organize the Rivanna Roundtable, a group focused on preservation of the Rivanna River.

The TJPDC wishes to extend to Mrs. Thomas its congratulations on this award and its appreciation for her hard work and dedication over the years.

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Sarah Eissler, an intern at the TJPDC this past year, has been hired on a full-time basis as a planner. Sarah is continuing her work on various transportation plans, particularly the rural additions of UnJAM. She graduated from the University of Virginia this past spring with a Master’s degree in Urban Planning. She also holds a Master’s degree in Architectural History.

TJPDC’s newest intern is Daniel Nairn, who is a student in UVA’s Department of Urban and Environmental Planning with an interest in how transportation infrastructure interacts with development and redevelopment patterns. During the past year, he helped cover local land use and transportation issues for online media group, Charlottesville Tomorrow. At TJPDC, Daniel will be helping with community development projects and updating the region’s long-range transportation plan.

TJPDC has said good bye to two transportation planning staff. Ann Whitham served as transportation planner and MPO Coordinator. She came to TJPDC in May 2007 after receiving her Masters of Urban and Environmental Planning from UVA. Ann recently married and moved to Montana, where she accepted a position with the MPO in Missoula, Montana. Melissa Barlow joined the TJPDC staff in November 2007 as the Director of Transportation Programs. She has taken a position with the Federal Transit Agency in Washington, DC. Prior to coming to TJPDC, she held positions with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

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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