• Transportation and Housing Alliance Toolkit
• Phase I Regional Long-Range Transportation Plan
• New Planners Join TJPDC Staff
• Continuum of Care Plan Submitted
• Livable for a Lifetime Presentation to TPRAC
• Piedmont Workforce Network Board Elects New Officers
• Hardware and Rivanna TMDL Public Comment
• Assistive Technology Recycling Center Space Sought
• NW Fluvanna/SW Louisa Corridor Study Draft Report Presented
• Rural Broadband Applications Submitted
• General Assembly Legislative Report Available

The first edition of the THA Toolkit for the Statewide Transportation and Housing Alliance (THA) is now complete and will be used to assess housing and transportation needs, project future needs, and identify overlapping issues and opportunities. The key outcome of using the Toolkit is a clear understanding of the current transportation and housing needs of people with disabilities and others who may otherwise be excluded from the planning process. The project was funded through a grant awarded by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD – www.virginiaboard.org), which has just awarded a two-year continuation grant to TJPDC to further test the Toolkit by putting it to work in twelve projects across the state. For more information, contact Billie Campbell at bcampbell@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x230.

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Last year, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) issued new requirements that Planning Districts work with localities to develop a Regional Long-Range Transportation Plan (RLRTP). TJPDC is one of the few Planning Districts that has already completed a long-range rural plan, the United Jefferson Area Mobility Plan (UnJAM 2025), which combines the required MPO Long-Range Plan (for the urban area) with a coordinated plan for the rural counties. TJPDC’s Rural Technical Committee recently completed Phase I of the RLRTP, which focused on regional transportation goals, objectives, and data inventories specific to rural transportation, both noting where prior work was done in UnJAM, and developing new data and maps where required, or where new information was available. The full Plan will be developed in phases over the next few years, and integrated with the regional UnJAM 2035 update.. For more information about the Regional Long Range Plan initiative, visit http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/Reg_Long_RangePlan.asp.  For more information about the Phase I Plan developed for the TJPD Region, visit http://www.tjpdc.org/transportation/ruralTrans.asp or contact Bill Wanner at bwanner@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x390.

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TJPDC is pleased to announce the addition of two planners to our staff. Ann Whitham received her Masters of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia in 2007 and comes to TJPDC with interests in land use and transportation planning, local food systems, and rural community preservation. A Richmond, Virginia native, Ann received a B.A. in English and Environmental Studies from Washington and Lee University. Cory Anderson is a graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University in their Masters of Urban and Regional Planning program. Having been raised in western Loudoun County, he developed an appreciation for growth management and agrarian economies and cultures. He resides in the Mission Home area of Albemarle County. Both Ann and Cory joined the TJPDC staff in May 2007. If you would like to personally welcome them to TJPDC, you can contact Ann at awhitham@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x360, and Cory’s contact information is canderson@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x390.

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The Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless (TJACH) annually prepares a Continuum of Care Plan (CoC). The plan is both a report and a funding request. The CoC includes a review of progress in ending homelessness over the past year and proposes projects to meet identified needs. This year’s package included renewal applications for the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), renewals for supportive housing projects operated by the AIDS Support Group and Region Ten, and a proposal for a new transitional housing project for women leaving incarceration from PINOL Homes Inc. For more information, contact Jeffrey Cornelius at jcornelius@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x440, or visit TJACH’s web site at http://www.avenue.org/tjach/.

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TJPDC Senior Planner Bill Wanner and JABA Viable Futures Planner Karen W. Beiber, Ph.D. made a presentation to the Transportation Planning and Research Advisory Council (TPRAC) on April 25 in Suffolk. The presentation focused on the region’s 2020 Community Plan on Aging and two case studies detailing the Context Sensitive Design principles for community participation and for assessing the needs of people with disabilities at the neighborhood level. The Hillsdale Transportation Study and the Belmont neighborhood were used as the case studies. For more information contact Bill Wanner at bwanner@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x390.

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The Piedmont Workforce Network (PWN) Board has elected new officers for terms that began July 1. Chair is Leigh Middleditch Jr.; Vice-Chair – Michael Shareck; Immediate Past Chair – Steve Walker; and Executive Committee: W. Rod Gentry, Julie Jordan, and Peter Mocarski.  PWN is involved in several exciting projects for their 2007 program year (July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008), including the projected opening of the Charlottesville One Stop Career Center in October that will co-locate many of the local and regional workforce development agencies.  For more information, contact Todd Palmquist at tpalmquist@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x250.

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The Department of Environmental Quality is continuing to accept comment on the Hardware and Rivanna River TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads) throughout the TMDL process. Work on the Hardware River TMDLs is currently focused on accurately modeling flow in the river in order to best identify different fecal bacteria sources needed to meet water quality standards. In the Rivanna River watershed, the bacterial TMDL focus is on quantifying the sources of pollution, while for the benthic macroinvertebrate TMDL, the stressor identification has just been completed. Lack of diversity in the macroinvertebrate community, an indicator of poorer water quality, is probably caused by sediment and urban runoff. For more information, visit DEQ’s website at http://www.deq.virginia.gov/tmdl/mtgppt.html, or contact Rochelle Garwood at rgarwood@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x 320.

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The Jefferson Area Disability Services Board is assisting in the search for a space for an assistive technology recycling center. This would be a donated room that could be available to the public during normal business hours for the receipt, storage, cleaning and repairing of rehabilitation and mobility equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs and bathroom equipment. All equipment would be given free of charge to those with a demonstrated need who are unable to obtain it otherwise. This would help to fill a major gap identified in the DSB’s 2006 Needs Assessment. If you have a lead, please contact Rochelle Garwood at rgarwood@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x320.

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The NW Fluvanna/SW Louisa Corridor Study project team presented the overall study findings and Draft Report to the Fluvanna Board of Supervisors on June 20. The Draft Report summarizes the overall process, including the Community Involvement through which the vision for the Corridor area was developed and the technical analysis through which a preferred scenario for the study area’s future was selected. The Draft Report also includes a Framework Plan, which provides detailed guidelines for how to achieve the community’s long-term vision. Also included are proposed intersection improvements to improve 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). To view or download the materials, please visit http://www.tjpdc.org/transportation/ruralTrans.asp.

For questions or comments, contact Kellem Emanuele at kemanuele@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x260.

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The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has made funds available for the Rural Broadband Planning Initiative. Tasks to be undertaken include a needs assessment, an analysis of current and future business and professional uses, assessment of community computer literacy and the identification of technology education needs. TJPDC assisted Louisa County with their application, which was submitted to DHCD in May. Nelson County also submitted its own proposal. For more information contact Bill Wanner at bwanner@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x390.

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A summary report highlighting action taken on bills and the state budget at the 2007 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 at http://www.tjpdc.org/liaison/finalReport.asp. If you have questions about items in this summary, please contact David Blount, TJPD Legislative Liaison, at dblount@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x350.

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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