March 1 City Council endorsed the affordable housing plan, the lead piece of the three part Cville Plans Together effort. The three easy pieces, the housing plan, a rewritten “Comprehensive” plan and a rewritten zoning ordinance. Who will make the money from this effort? Who will loose?The 4.86 acre H.T.Ferron plant, once zoned for manufacturing, is now zoned for PUD. No one agrees what PUD is. That is what is so wonderful about PUD. You see what you want to see. Possibly we’ll rezone the entire city PUD?
It struck me this morning that the park I walk through owes much of its existence to successive technologies. The streetcar technology (smokestack above) has been abandoned. The other technologies that undergird this public space are sewage collection and high voltage electrical transmission.Rivanna trail, winter weather.Geology and topography have graced the park with a river. So far, in our political wisdom, we have discouraged building in the river’s channel.The industrial and the natural features maintain an uneasy balance, remarkably it feels like a park.
Once upon a time the public stage was an open place to see and be seenSometime the being seen was without a particular message. Maybe one’s presence expressed support? Maybe it expressed a watchfulness.There is information available from body language and the context in which it is thrown downThere are means, within the physical space, even if it is not your turn to be heard to be heard.
Now there are all forms of electronic meetings. Have they increased accessibility? Have they increased effective citizen participation in governance?
