Attorney Lloyd Snook, the owner of Snook & Haughey, P.C., joined us on The I Love CVille Show powered by Greenberry’s Coffee at Barracks Road and Bill Kerr’s fabulous Camryn Limousine.
We discussed the following topics with Lloyd:
(1). As Charlottesvillians, do we have a responsibility to maintain the current integrity and authenticity of the Cherry Avenue and Fifeville Neighborhoods? Cherry Avenue and Fifeville are under the microscope because of their close proximity to 5th St. Station, the Charlottesville DowntownMall, I-64 and the University of Virginia.
Roy Wheeler Realty Co. CEO Michael Guthrie called the Prospect Avenue/Orangedale Neighborhood the best kept real estate secret in CVille.
There are two paths on the horizon for Fifeville/Cherry Avenue:
Path 1: Entrepreneurial real estate developers will scoop-up as much property as possible in Fifeville and along Cherry Avenue. Then, these developers will tear down the current homes and build brand new single family homes starting at $400,000. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the Belmont Neighborhood.
Path 2: Through zoning strategies, the City of Charlottesville figures out a way to maintain the authenticity of this neighborhood by limiting the type of development that can happen.
(2). Lets say that Path 1 comes to fruition. If Fifeville and Cherry Avenue evolve into a mecca of white yuppies, young professionals and nurses and doctors who want to walk to their jobs at UVa Hospital, will this conjure memories of Vinegar Hill within the CVille community, specifically the African American CVille community??
The destruction of Vinegar Hill had a generational impact on the African American community in Charlottesville. When you take someone’s home and someone’s business away from them, you will impact this person’s family for centuries to come. If Path 1 comes to fruition, is this Vinegar Hill all over again??
(3). Was it a smart move for Albemarle County to keep the court system in Downtown Charlottesville, Va?? Lloyd offers his perspective as an attorney first, as a downtown business owner second and as a downtown property owner third.
(4). Was Albemarle County Supervisor Richard Fitz Randolph correct when he said that moving the courts to Albemarle (perhaps Albemarle Square Shopping Center) would drive economic growth in the County??
(5). Why is the Democratic Party so strong in Charlottesville, Virginia? If you don’t run as a democrat in CVille, you will not win your election. Bob Fenwick is a perfect example of this.
Charlottesville is a one party town. Does this negatively impact Charlottesville, Virginia?
If the Republican Party was stronger, would this balance benefit CVille?
(6). Lloyd, the one-time chair of the democratic party in Charlottesville, offers his perspective on why the Republican Party has fizzled in town. He explains that many of the leaders in the Republican Party moved to Albemarle County years ago, which created a tidal wave of regression for the party in the City.
(7). In the next election, there are three City Council positions up for reelection. How important are these three positions for the future of Charlottesville, Va?
(8). Lloyd has lived in Charlottesville since 1961. I asked Lloyd, “Is Charlottesville, Virginia a better place today than 1961??” He offered his perspective on this topic at the end of our interview.
(9). Our previous City Manager (Maurice Jones) earned a compensation package that approached $225,000 per year in its totality. When the top position in the City of Charlottesville earns nearly a quarter million dollars, does this create a trickle down effect with payment packages at lower positions?
For example, when your City Manager makes $225,000, your No. 2 position must earn a salary “in the neighborhood” of $225,000 to justify the City’s Manager’s pay. You cannot have a large gap between No. 1 and No. 2 without raising red flags.
Should the City Manager of Charlottesville, Virginia earn nearly a quarter million dollars for running the City? Does that not seem high?
(10). Is City Council now a full-time job? If so, should Mayor Nikuyah J Walker and Councilors Michael Signer, Heather Danforth Hill, Kathleen Galvin and Wes Bellamy be paid more money for the increase effort?
Has A12 turned City Council into a 50-hour per week position?
(11). Currently, the Mayor of CVille earns $20,000 per year. City Councilors earn $18,000 per year. Does this compensation package limit the type of people who can run for City Council?
(12). Our current City Councilors are attempting to change our City charter. Should these efforts scare the hell out of Charlottesvillians??
(13). Should the City of Charlottesville revamp its structure and pivot to a “Strong Mayor” system like the City of Richmond?
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