The Shortline 2-2-24
Sierra Club's decarbonization plan for Virginia • Unpacking the housing shortage in Harrisonburg • "Faith in Housing" bills • Tenant advocacy in the context of IRA decarbonization programs
The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club released a Decarbonization Plan for Virginia, which calls for factoring climate mitigation and preparedness into all government decisions. The policy paper focuses on electrification and renewables, and emphasizes that “much of the actual work of addressing climate change must happen at the state and local level.” Here are a few of the recommendations that stood out to me:
Climate mitigation, adaptation and the full social cost of GHGs must be factored into all government planning and decisions.
Virginia’s DOE should assist local governments by providing accurate information and best practices for siting and permitting new renewable energy and storage facilities.
Virginia must redirect its focus from moving cars to moving people, combined with a commitment to build equitable transit and EV infrastructure across the state.
Coordinate land use and transportation planning to emphasize transit and nonmotorized transportation and communities that will use them.
While I agree with most of the recommendations here, and they do mention a shift from cars to people, IMO there’s still an overemphasis on further entrenching private car ownership as well as some missed opportunities to push for land use, density, and zoning reform policies that would lower our overall energy consumption.
On to the roundup:
The Valley
Harrisonburg has found itself at odds with an increasing population and limited housing. Many of the housing projects that have been approved by the city since the housing study was completed in January 2021 are still awaiting construction, and some may never be built. (Daily News-Record)
The resurgence of downtown Harrisonburg has spread northward from its core, bringing attention to what’s informally known as the “Bird District,” due to several businesses with bird-themed names. (Virginia Business)
Officials from Shenandoah, Rockingham and Warren counties came together Tuesday to reiterate their support for a rails-to-trails path through the Shenandoah Valley, following a Friday announcement by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation of its intent to buy the old rail corridor. (The Northern Virginia Daily)
Augusta County Supervisor Michael Shull has proposed a change to the solar ordinance that would require the company to measure the depth of topsoil prior to installation and add that much topsoil back to the land after the solar facility is decommissioned. (The News Leader)
The Augusta County Planning Commission is recommending increased setback requirements for quarries near residential properties. All "buildings, structures, and operations" would have to be at least 500 feet from the property lines. Currently, this buffer is 200 feet. (The News Leader)
The Winchester metropolitan area was the fastest growing of the 11 metro areas in Virginia from April of 2020 to June of 2023, according to the center’s recently released 2023 population estimates for localities in the commonwealth. (The Winchester Star)
Virginia
A study by Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission identified a shortage of over 200,000 apartments. Two Virginia “Faith in Housing” bills introduced in General Assembly would provide incentives for churches and other faith communities to convert unused land into affordable housing. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
More than a dozen bills aimed at helping low- and moderate income Virginians find and stay in affordable housing have been introduced in General Assembly this year, including a $10 million per-year budget amendment to help resident associations and nonprofits buy manufactured home communities. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Bills that would limit rent increases to Virginia renters have made it out of committee in General Assembly this year. (The Virginian-Pilot)
A Black-led suburban church just outside of Richmond, Virginia, has announced plans to redevelop one of its two locations into about 240 new housing units. (Next City)
Piedmont Environmental Council has dropped its lawsuit against Orange County alleging a Freedom of Information Act violation after officials turned over requested documents related to a nondisclosure agreement with Amazon regarding a proposed data center at Wilderness Crossing. (Culpeper Star-Exponent)
Some rural counties are pushing back against allowing more solar development, which has prompted two legislators to introduce bills that would allow the state to override rejections. (Cardinal News)
The state’s withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) late last year effectively shut off the only statewide funding source for community-based resiliency projects. Legislators can allocate funding to the flood preparedness fund and support the budget amendments to return Virginia to RGGI. (Virginia Mercury)
There are three options for locating an Amtrak station in Christiansburg. However, the cost of extending passenger rail to New River has risen, and some legislators worry that endangers a future extension to Bristol. (Cardinal News)
The Virginia Senate on Monday passed a bill authorizing local governments to increase their local sales tax 1% to fund school construction projects if voters approve the hike in a referendum. (Virginia Mercury)
Elsewhere
44 million households in the US rent, yet climate policies are typically designed with homeowners and property owners in mind. Digging into the IRA decarbonization programs demonstrate the need for a broader tenants
rights agenda in the face of increasing climate threats. (Climate + Community Project)
A “pocket neighborhood” in Edmond, Oklahoma is replacing a single-family house on two acres with 23 living spaces—mostly cottages, along with five accessory dwellings. About a third of the site, adjacent to a busy street on the east side, is preserved as trees. (CNU)
For the two-thirds of Americans who own their home, the higher prices mean a massive increase in their wealth. Given the collapse in affordability, buying a home is not even remotely possible for potential first-time homebuyers. (Fortune)
Is the US 1.5 million housing units short, or 5.5 million? Separate estimates from the National Association of Homebuilders, Freddie Mac, and the National Association of Realtors have different used different methodologies to arrive at their numbers. (JCHS)
A proposed statewide housing plan in Maryland would streamline the permitting process and roll back zoning restrictions only for projects with at least 25% — and in some cases 50% — subsidized, income-restricted housing. But this would leave out middle-income Marylanders who wouldn’t qualify and still can’t find housing. (The Baltimore Sun)
A bill in the Nebraska legislature would require municipalities to adopt zoning regulations that allow at least one accessory dwelling unit on a lot or parcel that contains a single-family residence. (Unicameral Update)
Why California’s housing market is destined to go up in flames: High costs and strict regulations are pushing development into fire country, putting homeowners in the crosshairs of climate change. (Grist)
Building wildfire-resilient communities is key for climate adaptation. The best tool for the job is guiding growth away from “fireplains,” or areas of fire hazard. Building new homes within existing urban areas, or “infill,” is the safest solution, followed by compact development contiguous with existing city limits. (Next City)
The Dallas parking code hasn’t been overhauled since 1965, and the city’s Zoning Ordinance Advisory Committee decided Tuesday it’s time for that to change with a vote to end minimum parking requirements. (Candy’s Dirt)
A new analysis by the Parking Reform Network sheds light on how parking lots and decks in 100 American cities affect their ability to control stormwater and limit summer heat absorption that can turn downtowns into ovens. (Scientific American)
A bill to be introduced in the Minnesota Senate would eliminate minimum parking requirements statewide for construction projects, which supporters say would provide more options for businesses and landowners. (Bring Me The News)
The BLM will earmark broad pockets of land across the West for potential solar development. The agency will mark other regions as unavailable for utility-scale solar due to their cultural, economic or ecological value. (High Country News)
At the end of their life, solar projects needs to be decommissioned. The rules around that process vary by location. (Fast Company)
Adding paint at a dangerous intersection should be a quick project that can be undertaken by a roadway maintenance crew in a couple of hours. However, in many communities, this type of small project hits roadblocks and a long list of reasons why they do not feel they have the authority to add striping to a dangerous intersection. (Strong Towns)
Car ownership has become both unaffordable and unavoidable for many Americans in car-dependent cities. The average new car today sells for nearly $49,000, and the average used car lists at more than $26,000 – representing a 31% increase for new cars and nearly 40% increase for used cars since 2020. (The Guardian)
Carmakers are expected to launch at least 24 all-new, all-battery-powered vehicles in the US this year, representing a nearly 50% increase in the number of models currently on the market. Five of them are expected to start at less than $50,000. (Bloomberg)
Rural areas account for 49% of all traffic deaths in the US, but only 19% of the population lives in these areas. Although decision-makers attempt to add safety features to transportation projects, pedestrian safety and vehicle speed are opposing goals. (Smart Growth America)
California legislation would call for speed-limiting technology on cars made and sold in the state that would keep speeds to no more than 10 miles over the posted speed limit. (Planetizen)