Category Archives: Franklin

When the rules fail

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Sec. 4.17.1 – Purpose.
The purposes of these outdoor lighting regulations are to protect dark skies, to protect the general welfare by controlling the spillover of light onto adjacent properties, and to protect the public safety by preventing glare from outdoor luminaires. To effectuate these purposes, these regulations regulate the direction of light emitted from certain luminaires, and limit the intensity of light on certain adjacent properties, as provided herein.

The County of Albemarle has a lighting ordinance. The building pictured above is at 475 Franklin Street, in the County.

1. The spillover of lighting from luminaires onto public roads and property in residential or rural areas zoning districts shall not exceed one-half foot candle. A spillover shall be measured horizontally and vertically at the property line or edge of right-of-way or easement, whichever is closer to the light source. (Amended 10-17-01)
2. All outdoor lighting, regardless of the amount of lumens, shall be arranged or shielded to reflect light away from adjoining residential districts and away from adjacent roads. (Added 10-17-01)

The residence pictured above is located in the City of Charlottesville across Franklin Street from the building with poorly designed lighting. Maybe the County rules only apply to light that falls in the County?

Woolen Mills walking tour

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Sunday May 11 thirty bipedal folk showed up for BPAC’s monthly neighborhood walking tour.

We walked and talked. Didn’t manage to go everywhere and see everything. But we did see where Woolies worked, where they went to Sunday school…

Where they were laid to rest.

Ben Chambers and Tommy Safranek of the City planned the route. Julie Basic of the Historic Resources Committee supplied an excellent historic fact sheet. The weather was perfect.

We talked about asphalt, sidewalks, fire engines, life in the 19th century, zoning, flood plain fill, alleys, easements, right sized streets, cut through traffic, historic rehabilitation, affordable housing, sewer sheds, water treatment, giant sequoias, trespassing. We talked about Dominion Power, the Railroad, Bagby Circus Grounds, Parks and Rec, the car jumping the railroad track, the car hitting a house. The senior silo. The young people taking care of the old folk. It was a hardy group. We had an excellent time.

Transmutation. Gold to lead.

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Photo from above the site looking south-west, Franklin Street wetlands to the left, City neighborhood to the right.

Photo from above the site looking north-west, working peoples’ homes.

Photo from above the site looking north-north-east

Photo from above the site looking down. Franklin street wetland to the left, a portion of the proposed site in the middle, Carter’s Breads to the right.

Photo from above Carter’s Breads looking south

I write regarding SP202400026, a request to grade and fill 1.5 acres of the Rivanna floodplain adjacent to the seven acre Franklin Street wetland conserved by the RWSA.
Biodiverse land adjacent to river systems, land which provides inestimable environmental services being zoned as “industrial” is an obsolete and ill-informed and destructive practice.
For decades the County’s policy has been to protect wetlands and floodplains wherever possible. Retaining and restoring land cover near streams is fundamental for biodiversity, water quality and the common good. Such conservation is a first rate example of the purpose and benefits of planning. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter22/section15.2-2223/
Typical site-specific studies and models almost always show flooding changes are projected to be minimal. However, the cumulative effects of reducing floodplains exact a price professional planning can avoid.
Just say no.