Charlottesville Archives

October 20, 2016

When you think of a prism, a rainbow easily comes to mind. Water droplets form a type of prism to reflect, refract, and disperse light that results a multi-colored arc. Surveyors think of something else. A surveying prism sets a control point for the rest of the points located at a project site and is an important surveying tool that has a major impact on the quality of your measurements. Conventional prisms are tripod mounted and placed on the ground in an advantageous spot. In most cases, they have to be moved numerous times over the course of a project. In one of our current projects, DAA come up with a solution that added a safety bonus. [caption id="attachment_5808" align="aligncenter" width="725"] A 360 degree prism[/caption] Surveyors Dereck Perry and Johnathan Vaughan, from our Charlottesville office, set 360-degree prisms on rooftops of four adjacent buildings for the UVA Hospital Expansion Project. The prism, put...

July 5, 2016

in Blog, DAA News

by Draper Aden Associates

Employee Spotlight: Campbell Bolton

At DAA we are overflowing with exceptional employees and each month we like to choose one to highlight. Check back on the first Monday of every month to see who's in the spotlight! Campbell Bolton, PE Title: Design Engineer Division: Site Planning and Engineering Hometown: Charlottesville, VA Birthday: July 10 Favorite thing about working at DAA? I love being able to drive by projects I’ve worked on and point them out to others. In your experience here, is there a project that really stands out/was your favorite/was challenging? Working on the UVA Athletics Indoor Practice Facility. It was one of my first projects at UVA and since I had always been a huge Virginia Athletic fan it was very exciting. It felt really good to be able to help give back to my alma mater. Favorite quote or words of wisdom? Work hard and have fun! Favorite sports team? Virginia Cavaliers What TV show, movie, or book are you obsessed with right now? "TURN" on AMC....

January 27, 2014

in The Inlet

by Draper Aden Associates

Albemarle County’s Draft Water Protection Ordinance Advancing

Albemarle County staff have been working to meet State DEQ-mandated deadlines regarding stormwater regulations. In the coming months there will be one opportunity prior to the June 13th implementation deadline on May 15th to ask questions and provide comments to the County on how these regulations and new ordinances will affect the citizens and development community in the County. Currently, there are multiple bills in the General Assembly seeking to delay the implementation schedule so that localities can better complete the planning process as well as receive input and feedback from their local communities. Please follow the link below to read more from Cville Magazine including viewpoints of several individuals representing organizations on various sides of the discussion. Please share your thoughts as well by commenting below. http://www.c-ville.com/going-clear-albemarles-complex-costly-quandary-over-stormwater-management/...

September 25, 2013

in The Inlet

by Draper Aden Associates

Update on Charlottesville Stormwater Utility Fee Planning

The credits and incentive program is a great opportunity for not only commercial land owners and developers, but for residential home owners and non-profit property owners to reduce their stormwater utility fee. The best part is: improvements made, which are eligible for a credit or incentive, are environmentally the right thing to do-helping to protect the Chesapeake Bay and the waterways from Charlottesville to the Bay. City staff are committed to working with property owners to inform and assist. Teaming with the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District staff will broaden the outreach. To read more about the City's recent luncheon presentation to a group representing the James River Green Building Council (JRGBC) please follow the link below: http://www.cvilletomorrow.org/news/article/15973-stormwater-utility-fee/ How do you feel the CIty is doing communicating to it's citizens and collaborating with all stakeholder groups?...

July 5, 2013

in The Inlet

by Draper Aden Associates

City of Charlottesville Addressing Stormwater Management and EPA Fine

While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently imposed a $26,000 fine on the City for violations of stormwater mitigation codes, it is not all bad news. Several of the violations were known to the City and the City had been in the process of correcting/improving situations. Additionally, the City has demonstrated a commitment to work towards compliance which also helped to reduce what was originally proposed to be a $50,000 fine. Counselor Dave Norris said. “We could have chosen a much more adversarial route [towards EPA] but this is a city that values stormwater management, so instead of fighting and bickering, we went to work.” Additional media covereage of the City's acceptance of the fine can be found by selecting the links below: http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/charlottesville-fined-for-stormwater-mitigation-violations/article_d086671a-e2b0-11e2-9bd1-001a4bcf6878.html http://www.nbc29.com/story/22746259/charlottesville-fined-26k-by-environmental-protection-agency...

March 7, 2013

in The Inlet

by Draper Aden Associates

Stormwater Utility Fees Viewed as Solution for Albemarle, Rural Counties As Well

While stormwater utility fees may seem to many like the kind of program that only densly populated cities and areas highly concentrated with impervious land (paved roadways, parking lots and building sites), Albemarle County has joined other localities in Virginia that have a variety of development densities and is looking further into such a fee as a way to maintain current stormwater programs as well as planning for regulatory compliance. [caption id="attachment_1054" align="alignleft" width="240"] James River near Scottsville[/caption] Cities including Charlottesville have recently adopted stormwater utility fees to help pay for necessary maintenance and improvement of existing stormwater infrastructure. In the case of urban areas like Charlottesville, this fee is intended to pay for repairs and replacement of infrastructure including damaged/deteriorating stormwater pipes, culverts, maintenace of stormwater management facilities (often referred to as BMPs), curb and gutter, inlets, drainage improvements and other programs. So why are counties like Albemarle looking to a stormwater utility fee?...

February 11, 2013

in The Inlet

by Draper Aden Associates

Charlottesville Stormwater Utility Fee Debate Continues – Decision Next Week

The City of Charlottesville has moved one step closer to implementing a stormwater utility fee. Success in other municipalities such as the City of Staunton, who has not only implemented a fee but completed improvements utilizing the stormwater fee, has helped to make the fee option more acceptable to many citizens. The City's stormwater fee will be a dedicated fee for stormwater infrastructure repair and replacement. Repair and replacements can help to reduce future maintenance costs. The City is looking to ensure property owners have an opportunity to discuss any disputes with City staff. The final vote is scheduled for February 19 with a proposed fee of $1.20 per 500 square feet of impervious surface. Read more about the City's sotrmwater utility discussion at Charlottesville Tomorrow http://www.cvilletomorrow.org/news/article/14026-stormwater-first-reading/...

January 24, 2013

in The Inlet

by Draper Aden Associates

City Council Asks for Revisions to Proposed Stormwater Utility Program

Many municipalities are searching for ways to comply with and pay for the new requirements under the Virginia Stormwater Management Regulations by July 1, 2014. The City of Charlottesville held a public hearing on January 22 to obtain citizen input on their proposed stormwater utility fee. The proposed rate range is between $2.30 and $3.25 per 1,000 square feet of impervious area on the site. The high end of the range would cover anticipated $2.5 million in expenditures in the storm water program, while the lower end would cover improvements not currently in the general fund. The fee is proposed to be placed in the Water Resources Protection Fund and used for improvement to stormwater facilities. The improvements are needed for regulatory compliance, maintenance and drainage improvement projects. Council meeting news coverage was provided by Charlottesville Tomorrow and can be reviewed here: http://www.cvilletomorrow.org/news/article/13945-council-stormwater/ To learn more about the City's Water Resources Protection Program, follow this...

March 21, 2012

in The Inlet

by Draper Aden Associates

In Charlottesville, DEQ Briefs Localities on Quality of Area Streams

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Tara Sieber of the DEQ stands in front of a map depicting impaired streams"][/caption] The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality hired experts from Virginia Tech's Biological Systems Engineering Department to help assess the levels of pollutants in Lodge Creek, Meadow Creek, Moores Creek and Schenks Branch (all considered impaired channels by DEQ since they are not healthy environments for aquatic life) as well as throughout the watershed. How much sediment flows through Moore's Creek annually? Follow the link to Charlottesville Tommorrow's coverage to find out. http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2012/03/local-water-quality.html...

October 18, 2011

in The Inlet

by Draper Aden Associates

Stormwater Impairs Much of Central Virginia’s Rivanna River Basin

There was both good news and bad news in a report issued last week by the area non-profit StreamWatch. In the Streamwatch report the percentage of failing streams hasn’t changed much compared with surveys of years past. Nearly 3/4 of the streams examined in the StreamWatch report were found to have water quality levels below those set by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The report was issued to expand upon the correlation between land use and stream health. Experts already understand that streams that aren’t surrounded by adequate stormwater management systems and buffers of undeveloped land are subject to increased levels of stormwater runoff, carrying pollutants from parking lots, rooftops and streets. Getting this news out to the broader public and local policy makers is a goal of the group. The study was funded by the City of Charlottesville, the counties of Albemarle and Fluvanna, the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority,...

Charlottesville Tag

Over the Edge: Construction Surveying Safety

Employee Spotlight: Campbell Bolton

Albemarle County’s Draft Water Protection Ordinance Advancing

Update on Charlottesville Stormwater Utility Fee Planning

City of Charlottesville Addressing Stormwater Management and EPA Fine

Stormwater Utility Fees Viewed as Solution for Albemarle, Rural Counties As Well

Charlottesville Stormwater Utility Fee Debate Continues – Decision Next Week

City Council Asks for Revisions to Proposed Stormwater Utility Program

In Charlottesville, DEQ Briefs Localities on Quality of Area Streams

Stormwater Impairs Much of Central Virginia’s Rivanna River Basin