Brian Wheeler on gas, the water supply, and more

Brian Wheeler is the Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow, a non-partisan organization that covers growth and development issues in our community. He appears on Tuesdays on Coy Barefoot’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” on WINA.

  • Charlottesville has the most expensive gas in the state. (Daily Progress)
  • Brian comments on Citizens for a Sustainable Water Supply and the water task force.
  • Brian explains the conflict between those who support expansion of the Ragged Mountain Reservoir and those who do not.
  • The task force is seeking public input. (Charlottesville Tomorrow)
  • Several callers responded including Betty Mooney and former City Councilor Kevin Lynch.



Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow on the water supply, TDRs and more

Brian Wheeler, Executive Director of Charlottesville Tomorrow, joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville-Right Now every Tuesday to talk about growth and development in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.



Kevin Lynch on the $70 million estimate for new Ragged Mountain Dam

Kevin LynchFormer City Councilor Kevin Lynch joins Coy Barefoot on the September 23rd edition of WINA’s “Charlottesville-Right Now!” to talk about his opposition to the currently adopted 50 Year Community Water Supply Plan. Lynch is also a member of Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan. The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority announced this week that the cost estimate for the new Ragged Mountain Dam has been increased to nearly $70 million

Growth and Development update with Brian Wheeler

Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow is a guest every Tuesday on WINA’s “Charlottesville-Right Now!” with Coy Barefoot to talk about growth and development issues in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

On the July 14, 2008 show:

* Plans for the downtown mall– The rumors that trees on the downtown mall will be removed is… partly true. Brian explains that, as well as the brick work.
* St. Anne’s Belfield news– Brian STAB’s efforts to move their middle school students to their lower school campus.
* Dredging task force– Brian explains the makeup of the task force investigating dredging of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. Betty Mooney, a member of Citizens for a Sustainable Water Supply Plan called in to object to the composition and goals of the task force.
* Two new parks have been designated in Albemarle– On July 2, the County Board of Supervisors designated Byrom Park and Preddy Creek Park as new public hiking and biking parks.
* Albemarle website ranking- Albemarle County has received the ninth spot in a ranking of the top information-technology-utilizing counties in the country with populations under 150,000 people.

Council holds three-hour work session on water supply plan

The Charlottesville City Council will vote on the City’s water and sewer rates at its first meeting in June. It may take them that long to digest the presentations made this week at a three-hour work session. Mayor Dave Norris scheduled the event to explore one main question: Should dredging of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir (SFRR) be part of the solution to address the community’s water supply needs?

“This is a chance to consider a variety of options with this plan,” Norris said. The City’s water and sewer rates will reflect how much money the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) needs to start implementation of the Community Water Supply. The plan has already received approval from the Department of Environmental Quality and Federal approval by the Army Corps of Engineers is pending and expected by the end of the May 2008.

Councilors heard a history of the efforts to secure a long-term community water supply plan, received an overview of the assumptions that factored into the plan adopted in 2006, and heard presentations on how dredging would work and how effective it might be in creating extra capacity for the community’s water system.

Read more at Charlottesville Tomorrow, including a timeline. Please comment and let us know your opinion.