James River Exchange

Welcome to The James Exchange: Monday Matters 7.19.21. I am your host, Nancy Gill. Today’s episode revolves around the former Hyosung Factory at 800 Bird Street. The building itself is not a part of the action that has been taken and is going to be discussed this evening. However, the future of the plant structure was a significant part of the discussion by Planning Commissioners and Town Council Members at their June 21, 2021, joint meeting in which several public hearings were held.

The public hearing on Zoning map amendments would rezone tax map number 130-43D, owned by Upper Bird Street LLC, from Industrial to Village Residential.

For historical perspective, on July 5, 2011 Lower Bird Street, LLC purchased the 61.19-acre property at 800 Bird Street for $600,000 from Hyosung America, Inc. On August 16, 2011, Upper Bird Street, LLC purchased 19.87 acres from Lower Bird Street, LLC for $300,000. The motion to rezone the 19.87-acre tract during the Planning Commission public hearing garnered a vote of 3-1 to recommend to the Town Council to deny the rezoning application. Town Council’s vote on the rezoning was 4 to 3 with Mayor Smith voting in favor of the rezoning.

The second public hearing regarding Lower Bird Street, LLC was on tax map number 130-43 to change the zoning on a 14-acre portion of the 41.31 property from Industrial to Public. After the public hearing and lengthy discussion by Town Council, they decided to table the vote until the Public Session on Monday, July 19, 2021.

(Audio of the Town Council’s public hearing on the 14-acre parcel begins here).

Thank you for listening today. I hope this episode was informative on action to be taken by Town Council this evening. Over the next couple of months, I will be presenting a series on Scottsville Zoning and the relationship between the Planning Commission and Town Council.

Don’t forget to check out the SCAN Land Walking Tour and Workshop on their Hardware property across from the Scottsville Cemetery on Thursday, July 22 at 6:30-7:30 pm.

Have a great week. I will be back for Friday Forward.

Welcome to the James Exchange, Friday Forward, July 16, 2021. I am your host, Nancy Gill. For today’s show, we have Erin Root of the Scottsville Center for Arts and the Natural Environment. Scan is a nonprofit organization that has been serving the Greater Scottsville Area for the past sixteen years. On Thursday, July 22 from 6:30 to 7:30 SCAN is leading a participatory design process on their 13 acres. They want to hear from you, our community, on what to do with the “SCAN LAND.” The property is on Hardware Street directly across from the Scottsville Cemetery. All are welcome and creative ideas are appreciated.

I spoke with Erin at the Scottsville Pollinator Festival which was held on Saturday, June 26. She was promoting the workshop and gave insight on how important native plants are for providing a healthy environment for our pollinators. I also had the opportunity to sit with Allison Wickham who is a beekeeper and owner of Siller Pollinator Company. She does a lot of consulting, setting up hives and habitats.

There is a hive on the SCAN Land, and what a great partnership it would be if these two organizations educated us on the importance of native plantings and beekeeping!

You can check out SCAN at www.svilleartsandnature.org. And, Allison at www.sillerpollinatorcompany.com.

Other events for the coming days are:

Outside Movie Night – Saturday 7/17 at 9 PM, bring chairs and a snack to Victory Hall for the next outside family movie night.

Charlottesville Band Concert – Tuesday, August 17th from 7:00-9:00 pm at Canal Basin Square

River Town Festival – September 11 details coming.

On Monday Matters, I will be discussing the Scottsville Town Council’s public meeting agenda with carry-over from the June 21st public meeting and the July 12 work session. They meet on Monday, July 19th for their July public meeting.

I hope you enjoyed today’s show, stay out of the heat, and I will see you around town!

Welcome to The James Exchange: Monday Matters 7.12, 2021. I am Nancy Gill, the host of The James Exchange.

The Scottsville Town Council meets this evening at 7:00 in Council Chambers, 401 Valley Street for their monthly work session. At times the public is invited to participate, but generally, this is a time dedicated for council discussion with staff.

1: Budget focus on cash management and investments2: Itinerant business licenses3: VDOT sidewalk project scope and contract4: American Rescue Plan project reports

Excerpts from Town Administrator Lawless’ report include the following:

Budget focus on cash management and investmentsThe town ended Fiscal Year 2021 with a $56,000 surplus. The first portion of the American Rescue Plan of $258,000 has been received.

Itinerant business licensesThe Town has licensed several firms at the rate of $50 for a week, but we have never issued a $500 annual peddler’s license. This tax law is old and appears designed to deter traveling business while protecting brick-and-mortar. This is a legal and legitimate goal, but it may not be the intent of the current Town Council.Action: Amend the ordinance or maintain the existing fee structure.VDOT sidewalk grant contract In 2020, VDOT awarded the Town a $320,000 grant with an $80,000 match requirement. The Town delayed the start of the work during the pandemic and considered the overall value of the project. The Town has also adopted a small area plan and approved rezoning likely to increase the population. During the public hearings, existing residents were concerned about traffic impacts and pedestrian safety.Action: Accept or reject the VDOT grant. If accepting the $320,000 grant, the first step in design work would be to advertise and contract a private engineer instead of using VDOT internal administration. Control can be a priority.American Rescue Plan project prioritiesThe passage of this federal law provides strong support for economic recovery in Scottsville. The direct aid to the Town is over $500,000, to be used through 2024. Town Council’s adopted budget includes five project categories to support the local recovery.The proposed projects are:1: DMV Select: provide a new basic service to bring traffic downtown2: Streetscape and Landscaping: beautify visible space for visitors3:Parks Enhancements: green infrastructure & public health4: Community Partnerships: tourism and small business growth5: Essential Staff & Safety: flood control, digital, & human resourcesDMV Select progress reportThis project has several parts to be completed before the launch on August 16th and the grand opening ceremony on the 24th. DMV Contract and Budget. Approved by Council, underway.1: Hire staff. Ms. LaToya Hamlett will serve as DMV Supervisor, starting June 28. 2: Recruiting for the two DMV Clerk hires is underway.3: Renovate office space. Two bids were received, and Tocci Mid-Atlantic had the best bid. Work is underway.4: Purchasing furniture, hardware, and computers are underway.5: IT changes. Good opportunity to improve Town email, file sharing, and scheduling services. Town staff can upgrade existing Microsoft services. The adopted budget is adequate.6: Signs. DMV delivered some signs. New building signs were approved by ARB in July.

James River Waterfront Improvements A cleaner, more attractive riverfront is a Town Council priority for both environmental and economic reasons. This project has $10,000 of American Rescue Plan funds in the budget, and the James River Association and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources are supportive partners.

Community Business LaunchAnother ARPA opportunity for action now is to recruit new small businesses into vacant storefronts. Council stated support for the grant matching program from the state government, the Community Business Launch. This would match $10,000 of ARPA funds with $40,000 of new state-level money. Scottsville’s Chamber of Commerce is interested in supporting it further. Town Code UpdateThe Town Code is obsolete in paper format, lacking transparency to public, and cumbersome for staff. The Municipal Code Corporation, which did the Town’s paper updates ten years ago, is now branded as MuniCode and focuses on web-based legal services. The Town is under contract for $15,000 of services for legal research, code updates, and digital hosting of an improved code of ordinances. The Government Services Committee is also comparing codes to look for new ideas helpful to the town. I had planned on recapping the June 21st Town Council/Planning Commission meeting for this podcast. However, a four-hour meeting is difficult to unpack for a 10-12 minute presentation. I will be working on a series dedicated to zoning in Scottsville in the coming weeks.

Enjoy the week.

Welcome to The James Exchange: Friday Forward July 9, 2021. I am Nancy Gill, the host of The James Exchange.

From the Chamber’s Scottsville Happenings:

Saturday, July 10 around dusk, there will be a free movie showing outside Victory Hall. Bring a chair and enjoy a carryout picnic from one of our local restaurants. The movie is family-friendly, but I don’t know which one.

Outdoor dance fusion fitness class every Wednesday, at the farmers pavilion 6:30 pm. The cost is $15. Kids are welcome. For more details contact Miranda Watson [email protected].

In today’s episode, I met with Roger Nelson and Brian Coffield both are instrumental in the James River Batteau Festival and the Virginia Canals and Navigation Society. Brian is the current president. We decided that one of our local businesses would be a great place to sit down and have a conversation. So, there is a bit of background noise caused by people enjoying themselves. And, this episode is longer than I usually present, but there is much information to glean. Both Roger and Brian were extremely energetic in correcting my misinformation on the history of the Batteaux that built our town.

The Monday Matters, the next episode of The James Exchange comes out on Monday. There will be a listing of public meetings and a report on Scottsville Town Council’s June 21st public meeting.

Enjoy the weekend, come watch a movie, visit the farmers’ market and shop locally!

Welcome to Monday Matters, July 5th, 2021. I am Nancy Gill, the host of The James Exchange. This week it seems Monday is now Tuesday, compliments of the Fourth of July celebrations. So, on Tuesday, July 6, the Public Safety Committee with Chief Vohwinkle meets at 6:00 and the Scottsville Planning Commission at 7:00. The regular first Monday of the month schedule resumes in August.

The Planning Commission is perhaps the most important committee as they are charged with all things zoning. The members have been extremely busy over the past four years with an update to the comprehensive plan, the development of the Downtown Small Area Plan, and updating our zoning ordinances. The commission reviews all zoning applications, do the research, hold public hearings, and then either recommends or does not recommend applications to Town Council. The council makes the final decision based on the Commissions’ work and additional input at a second public hearing.  For more information on their work, visit https://www.scottsville.org/government/charter-committees/planning-commission.

On Tuesday, they have what appears to be a light agenda. However, under old business is Zoning Ordinance updates, and under new business, they will be discussing goals for this fiscal year. Both of these topics, I am sure, they will have an in-depth discussion. The meeting will be held in Council Chambers at 401 Valley Street. For the zoom experience call 301-715-8592, then enter meeting    ID 895 5443 5233 and passcode 1744. Or for the personal touch, stop by and experience the proceedings in person.

Musings On A Conversation:

This evening I stopped by the brewery to talk with Matthew for a little while. A couple, who live north of Keene, came in to escape packing their house for a move to Northern Virginia. We struck up a conversation. We discussed a myriad of topics, mainly the future of Scottsville. The comment was made that in a few years we would be a Crozet. As the conversation progressed, I realized that there are quite a few who think Crozet is a town. It is not, and has been designated as a growth area in the county. What this means is the residents do not have a governmental structure that defines zoning. This falls under the authority of Albemarle County. Why is this relevant to the Planning Commission meeting tomorrow evening? We, the Town of Scottsville, control our growth. Scottsville and Albemarle have shared responsibilities, such as building inspections. The conversation was so pertinent to the processes the town has been going through for the past five years.

More Musings On The Parade:

This Fourth of July marked the 107th Scottsville parade. And, it was the time in several years I was a spectator and not a participant. It was good old-fashioned fun! I mixed and mingled with visitors who set up shop in my front yard, shouted out to those I knew, helped kids pick up candy, and put my camera to use—something else I haven’t done in years! About a month ago, I was organizing the attic and came across a t-shirt that the town sold years ago. It has one of the old Scottsville logos on it and a flag on the back with the words “Celebrating Independence Day Since 1776. I found it in the attic…a leftover from Mary Hardy’s collection. I loved the chatter of those standing around me, made friends with a couple of dogs, and was amused at the firetrucks competing which each other on who had the loudest siren. It was a good day to see people out and about again.

As The James Exchange rolls out more features, there will be a listing of public meetings in Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, and the towns of Dillwyn and Scottsville.

Next week’s Monday Matters will have more on the Town Council’s June 21st public meeting which fits into our zoning theme.

This week’s Friday Forward will have events for folks to enjoy throughout our area and a segment on the James River Batteau Festival.

Have a great week!

Welcome to the second episode of The James Exchange, Friday Forward. I am your host, Nancy Gill. In today’s offering, we hear from Phyliss Johnson and Tim Karr speaking to the 2021 Scottsville Parade and the Grand Marshall. This year the parade honors the Gene N. Johnson Ballpark. As a reminder, Scottsville will celebrate the Fourth on Saturday, July 3rd this year. The parade kicks off at 9:00 at the intersection of Valley Street (Rt. 20) and James River Road (Rt. 726).

The Fourth of July in Scottsville is the Fire Department’s day. They have been instrumental in planning, organizing, and implementing the parade since the mid-1980s when the VFW handed it off to them. This year marks the 107th  parade. Another event the Fire Department is known for is the fireworks display. Unfortunately, we will not have them this year. But please come to Dorrier Park for the Independence Weekend Outdoor Concert. Music starts at 5:30 with Mojo Pie and the Will Overman Band at 7:00.

Now for a little intel on next year’s fireworks, I am excited to tell you, they will be back!

Other events to enjoy on the 3rd are:

Scottsville Farmers Market9am to 1pm @ the Scottsville Market Pavilion (Fleet Street)

Classic Car Cruise-In10am to 2pm @ Uptown shopping center. Bring your classic, tuner, modified, antique car, truck or motorcycle.  Event sponsored by All Star Barbers #2, Dansey Plumbing, and Rivertown Antiques

Scottsville Museum & Canal Basin Square10am to 5pm (290 Main Street)

Independence Weekend Outdoor Concert 5:30pm to 6:30pm – Mojo Pie7:00pm to 9:00pm – Will Overman and Band

We will always encourage you to Shop Local and on Saturday from 11am to 5pm|uptown, downtown, and James River outdoor companies open for business. Check out the Chamber of Commerce at: https://www.svillechamber.org/

For a listing of events in our area visit: https://events.scottsville.org/cal|And subscribe to the Greater Scottsville Happenings at [email protected].

The James Exchange will always have Monday Matters and Friday Forward as free offerings. I do encourage you to subscribe (just choose the “free” option). And, thank you for joining us again today.

Welcome to the maiden voyage of The James Exchange, a podcast for Southern Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Nelson, and the Town of Scottsville.

I am Nancy Gill, some know me as the sidekick of Mary Hardy or aka Miss Tudala, others as that pesky town councilor that liked to follow rules and procedure, others as the Mayor of Scottsville. Those who know me best are my family and friends from all parts of this country.

As I travel throughout our region, roughly a 10-mile radius of Scottsville—give or take a few miles here and there, I will ask, “Why are you here?” So, in fairness, I will tell you why I am here.

I grew up in Thorndike, Maine. I’m not sure where the name came from since we were surrounded by the towns of Unity, Liberty, and Freedom. Due to the economy, my family moved from Maine when I was fourteen. This was a trying period for my parents. Our lineage as Mainers on my mother’s side was a century or so. Dad’s grandparents, as far as I know, hailed from Canada. I’ve heard Prince Edward Island, but where is the proof?

Economics brought my family to Virginia. The Lake Anna Power Plant played a dominant role in my last two years of high school. I graduated from Louisa High and I can tell you I had a fantastic time playing basketball, and I came away with really good typing skills.

Dad was transferred back to New Hampshire, then a couple of years later back to Virginia. My parents and siblings that were still under their thumb ended up in Gum Spring—Goochland County. I stayed behind.

Fast forward to 1988. I had graduated from the University of Lowell and earned a second BFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art. During my last semester at Mass Art, my oldest brother was diagnosed with brain cancer. Well, one of my journeys in Massachusetts was to work for a neurosurgeon. He insisted my mom and brother come to Massachusetts. Dr. Gardner took care of my brother the last year of his life.

What about 1988? I moved to Virginia. Another fast forward to December 1995. One of my brothers asked me to help him stain woodwork at the house he was building. If you have been to Gum Spring, you know there isn’t much happening. So, I agreed. He asked me what I always wanted to do. Without hesitation, I answered, “Play the cello.”

A couple of weeks later one of his agents called him, my brother was a manager with Farm Bureau. There was this teacher in Scottsville who wanted to know if she could get insurance on her collection of string instruments. The answer was no. However, my brother called to ask if she taught cello.

On a raw, snowy day in February 1996, I came to Scottsville for the first time and had my first cello lesson with Mary Hardy. It was the beginning of a friendship that I shall always cherish.

I have a history in the newspaper and magazine world. To be honest, it would be the small world of Goochland. To me, podcasting is a dream come true. I get to talk to so many people and then I settle into editing audio files which to me is lots of fun. So here we go!

Welcome to the first edition of The James Exchange: Monday Matters 6.28.21.

In this issue, you will hear from Matt Lawless on the new ABC law allowing restaurants/bars to sell alcoholic beverages during special events. This could open the historic, downtown area of Scottsville to this activity. We also hear from Laura Mellusi on the Fourth of July, which is on the 3rd of this year, activities. I spoke with both Matt and Laura at the Batteau Festival on June 23rd. I took the opportunity to speak to those who came to the festival on the riverbank of the James.

Tally ho and here we go with Matt Lawless!