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Category: Local

  • Housing Affordability Reality Check (Feb. 2026): Rent, Listings, Permits, and Policy in Williamsburg

    This is the first installment of our monthly Housing Affordability Reality Check for Williamsburg-area residents. The goal is simple: combine market pricing, local policy movement, and permit/inspection operations into one practical snapshot.

    February Snapshot: Prices are still high, but market pace is less frantic

    Realtor.com’s December 2025 market summary for Williamsburg shows a median home price of $525,000 and median rent of $2,200/month. Active listings were up year-over-year (+25.27%), but average days on market also rose to 70 days (+22.81% year-over-year), suggesting buyers are still facing high prices even as listing velocity slows from peak intensity.

    For renters, citywide median rent was down 1.65% year-over-year in that reporting period, but the level remains elevated for many local households.

    Neighborhood/ZIP comparison: 23188 vs. 23185

    • ZIP 23188: median home price $535,000; median rent $2,200; 232 homes for sale; 68 average days on market.
    • ZIP 23185: median home price $495,000; median rent $2,100; 205 homes for sale; 72 average days on market.

    That spread means residents looking west and north of the historic core are generally seeing a higher median sale price point, while 23185 remains somewhat lower on median pricing but still expensive for first-time buyers.

    At the neighborhood level inside 23188, Realtor.com currently shows Ford’s Colony with a median home price around $822,450, underscoring how much affordability can shift block-by-block even within the same city-market label.

    Policy pipeline: preservation and affordability tools are moving, but gradually

    Recent local government actions still point to a phased strategy rather than a quick supply reset:

    • York County is advancing the Penniman Road Housing Study using a $75,000 CDBG award to assess rehabilitation needs and phase future work.
    • York County also reports completed outcomes from its Carys Chapel cycle: 14 home rehabs, one substantial reconstruction, and one demolition of a vacant structure.
    • Williamsburg continues to reference implementation pathways from its affordable housing workgroup and One Williamsburg tracking framework.

    Bottom line: policy is active, but most near-term impact remains in rehab/preservation and incremental pipeline work rather than a sudden increase in lower-cost inventory.

    Permit/inspection operations: a supply-readiness signal to watch monthly

    James City County’s Building Safety & Permits daily update for Feb. 23 reported 61 inspections scheduled that day. While this is not the same as monthly permit issuance totals, inspection volume is still a useful operations signal: it shows ongoing construction/renovation throughput and code-enforcement workload in the local housing system.

    For this monthly series, we’ll track this operations side alongside listing/rent data and policy decisions. If a larger permit dataset becomes publicly machine-readable, we’ll add it as a standing chart.

    What this means for residents now

    • Buyers: inventory is higher than a year ago, but affordability is still stretched at current price levels.
    • Renters: some softening appears in selected metrics, but headline rents remain high enough to pressure household budgets.
    • Policy watchers: expect incremental progress via rehabilitation and targeted programs before major market-wide relief appears.

    Sources

  • Williamsburg Government Weekly Recap: Budget, Safety, Traffic, and Service Updates

    Williamsburg-area residents saw a dense week of local government action across budgeting, public safety, traffic operations, and seasonal compliance rules. Here is a source-documented recap of what changed, what is scheduled next, and what to watch.

    Top Development: JCC Special Meeting on Potential Tax Refund up to $16M

    James City County announced that the Board of Supervisors Chair called a special meeting for Friday, Feb. 27 at 8:30 a.m. at the County Government Center Board Room, 101-F Mounts Bay Road. The stated purpose is to consider a resolution to amend the county budget by more than 1% of total adopted expenditures in order to pay a tax refund to a taxpayer for an amount not exceeding $16 million.

    The county’s public meetings calendar also lists a Board of Supervisors special meeting at that date and time, alongside the regular Feb. 24 Board business meeting.

    Public Safety and Compliance Updates This Week

    • Seasonal burning restrictions in effect: JCC Fire reminded residents that Virginia’s 4 p.m. Burning Law is active through April 30, including timing and supervision rules for legal burning.
    • Land-clearing permit warning: JCC’s “Call Before You Clear” advisory says permits can be required for specific clearing/grading activities and for work in a Resource Protection Zone.
    • Active police case notice: JCC Police identified a suspect in the Feb. 17 shooting case and published tip-line reporting channels.

    Williamsburg Operations: Traffic and Holiday Services

    • Route 132 lane shift: Williamsburg posted a temporary southbound lane closure near Merrimac Trail for tree removal tied to safety concerns, with traffic shifted to the left lane during operations.
    • Presidents Day service status: City offices and Quarterpath Recreation Center were closed Monday, Feb. 16, while garbage/recycling stayed on regular schedules and after-hours water emergency procedures remained active.

    What Residents Should Watch Next

    • Whether the JCC Board adopts the Feb. 27 budget-amendment resolution as presented.
    • Any follow-up fiscal explanation from county staff after the special meeting.
    • Additional city/county traffic advisories as late-winter tree and utility work continues.
    • Upcoming public meeting agendas in Williamsburg and JCC for policy items that may affect local services.

    Sources

  • James City County Sets Feb. 27 Special Meeting on Potential Tax Refund Up to 16 Million Dollars

    James City County will hold a special Board of Supervisors meeting on Friday, Feb. 27, to consider a budget amendment tied to a potential tax refund of up to $16 million, according to an official county notice.

    The county’s Feb. 18 news release says Board Chair John McGlennon called the special meeting for 8:30 a.m. at the County Government Center Board Room, 101-F Mounts Bay Road. The stated purpose is to consider a resolution to amend the county budget by an amount that exceeds 1% of total expenditures in the currently adopted budget.

    The release says the amendment would be used to pay a tax refund to a taxpayer for an amount not exceeding $16 million. The notice does not identify the taxpayer in the public summary.

    How this fits into the county’s meeting schedule

    James City County’s public meetings calendar lists the Feb. 27 special meeting from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. It comes three days after the regular Board of Supervisors business meeting listed for Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m.

    For residents, the key takeaway is procedural and financial: this is not a routine housekeeping item. The county has framed the action as a budget amendment above the 1% threshold and specifically linked it to a high-dollar refund payment.

    What residents should watch

    • Whether the board adopts the amendment resolution as presented.
    • How county staff describes the fiscal impact on current-year budget planning.
    • Whether follow-up documentation is provided that explains legal/administrative context for the refund.

    As of publication, county public notices confirm the meeting time, location, and purpose language, but do not publicly name the taxpayer in the summary release.

    Primary sources

    • James City County News Flash: “JCC Board of Supervisors to Hold Special Meeting Feb. 27” (posted Feb. 18, 2026)
    • James City County Public Meetings Calendar (listing: Board of Supervisors Special Meeting, Feb. 27, 2026)

  • Housing Proposal Pipeline: How York County and Williamsburg Are Moving From Policy to Project Delivery

    Housing policy in the Historic Triangle is often discussed in broad terms, but a closer look at current local programs shows a clearer pattern: York County is using block-grant funding to execute neighborhood-scale rehabilitation while Williamsburg continues to build out a policy framework around workforce and affordable housing tools.

    That two-track approach matters because the region’s housing pressures are not all the same. Some neighborhoods need immediate repair and accessibility upgrades to keep existing residents in place. Other areas need zoning, financing, and redevelopment policies that can expand long-term supply and affordability.

    York County: A New Penniman Study Builds on a Completed Carys Chapel Rehab Cycle

    York County’s Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Division says it received a $75,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for a comprehensive housing assessment along the Penniman Road corridor. County materials describe the corridor as containing some of York’s more affordable single-family homes, with a substantial share of homes now more than 50 years old.

    The county says the Penniman study will evaluate rehabilitation conditions and accessibility needs tied to aging in place, and then develop a phased strategy for future CDBG-funded work. The corridor scope listed by York includes Charleston Heights, Middletowne Farms, Nelson Circle/Nelson Park, Parkway Estates, Queenswood, Springfield Terrace, Williams Terrace, York Court/York Terrace, Penniman Road, and Queens Creek Road.

    York scheduled a community meeting for the study on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at St. John Baptist Church on Penniman Road, and also posted a neighborhood survey and draft corridor map through its housing portal.

    That planning work follows a recently completed county rehab cycle on Carys Chapel Road. York reports that project outcomes included 14 rehabilitated homes, one substantial reconstruction, and one demolition of a vacant structure, with 27 low-to-moderate-income residents identified as beneficiaries.

    In practical terms, Penniman appears to be the county’s next “plan-then-implement” test case: use grant-funded assessment first, then queue future rehab phases once needs are documented and prioritized.

    What the County’s Existing Program Stack Suggests

    York’s broader housing pages show a layered strategy rather than a single program. The county lists CDBG activity alongside emergency home and accessibility repairs, first-time homebuyer support, utility connection assistance, housing vouchers, and homelessness-prevention pathways.

    For emergency repairs, York’s published thresholds indicate different income bands depending on program type, including limits tied to both 50% and 80% of area median income. The county’s framing is notable: preserve existing housing where possible, add accessibility upgrades, and reduce involuntary displacement tied to deferred maintenance.

    Williamsburg: Policy Toolkit Development Continues Through One Williamsburg

    On the city side, Williamsburg’s 2021 Affordable Housing Workgroup materials show a policy-development process that moved from research to prioritization. City documents say the workgroup met between February and October 2021, included 15 members, and reviewed outside plans before narrowing dozens of ideas into a shorter action list.

    According to the city’s summary, top-ranked concepts included:

    • hotel-to-affordable-housing conversion,
    • redevelopment of the Triangle and Blayton buildings,
    • workforce housing at Waller Mill,
    • mixed-income/mixed-use design requirements, and
    • CDBG-funded rehabilitation grants.

    Williamsburg’s One Williamsburg implementation page indicates several of those directions remain active in the city’s policy architecture, including first-time homebuyer support concepts, workforce housing on surplus land, accessory dwelling unit zoning pathways, and neighborhood rehabilitation considerations.

    Regional Read: Why This Matters Now

    Taken together, current York and Williamsburg documents point to a regional housing posture that is less about one large near-term construction headline and more about staged delivery:

    • Short-term neighborhood stabilization: repairs, reconstruction, and accessibility upgrades in aging housing stock.
    • Mid-term pipeline shaping: study corridors, identify eligible homes, and sequence grant-backed phases.
    • Long-term affordability levers: zoning, redevelopment frameworks, and first-time/workforce pathways that can influence supply and access over time.

    For residents, the immediate implication is that the most visible progress may continue to come from rehabilitation and preservation projects before larger new-supply outcomes appear in permitting and construction data.

    What to Watch Next

    • Any public release of Penniman Road study findings, including condition inventories and phase recommendations.
    • Whether York announces the next CDBG implementation round tied to Penniman-area priorities.
    • City of Williamsburg agenda items that move One Williamsburg housing concepts from policy planning into funded implementation.
    • How local jurisdictions sequence home-repair, first-time buyer, and workforce efforts against inflation and construction-cost pressures.

    Source documents used in this report

  • Kale reviews books on Route 66, NCIS in Panama, Charlottesville

    Deborah Baker’s book “Charlottesville: An American Story” examines the August 12, 2017, protest in Charlottesville, Virginia. Over 1,000 protesters gathered against removing a Robert E. Lee statue. A car attack killed a young woman and injured others during the event. The book researches the difficult day and its historical roots in the city.

  • Untold stories of free Black Virginians 1619-1865 at VMHC Richmond

    A new exhibit titled ‘Un/Bound: Free Black Virginians, 1619-1865’ recently opened at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond. The exhibit tells the in-depth stories of free Black people in Virginia, a history not widely covered in previous museums. The idea originated from a 2021 call by Timothy J. Sullivan and James Dyke for wider exploration of this history. The museum collaborated with experts and universities to develop the exhibit. It features personal, community, and family stories, including objects and documents from individuals and history organizations. The exhibit explains how enslaved people could become free and presents a circular timeline of history. Stories highlighted include Benjamin Short, who signed a bond with his name, Sarah Madden, a successful seamstress, Hezekiah Gaskins, a stonemason who bought his family, Matthew Ashby, who secured his family’s freedom in Williamsburg, and Mary Peake, who established a school for free and enslaved Black children in Hampton. The exhibit runs through July 2027, and a traveling version will tour the state from October 2028 through 2028.

  • Gen. Loh: US Air Force Doctrine Validated vs Iran: Airpower Hit Nuclear Sites

    Retired Gen. John Michael Loh of Williamsburg discussed U.S. military involvement in the recent Israel-Iran war. General Loh stated the U.S. Air Force objective was to destroy Iranian nuclear bunkers with minimum losses. This required destroying Iranian defenses and establishing air control over Iran, referencing attacks like those on June 22. He said massive air campaigns validated U.S. Air Force doctrine from the Gulf War. Loh noted that airpower alone may not force a stubborn adversary to quit without ground war or other pressures. Successful air warfare relied on intelligence, coordination, timing, weapons, and skilled personnel. The general concluded the conflict validated U.S. airpower as an effective deterrent.

  • Kroger expands, AutoZone hub store set for vacant Tabb Kmart

    Kroger is expanding into one-third of the vacant Kmart building in Village Square at Kiln Creek in Tabb.
    The expansion will relocate and enlarge Kroger departments including deli, bakery, and pickup, add more self-checkout, apparel, and a drive-up pharmacy.
    Kroger’s renovation is expected to take 52 weeks.
    AutoZone will open a large hub store and warehouse distribution point in the remainder of the Kmart building.
    The AutoZone store is in permitting and expects renovations to take two to four months after approval, creating about 15 jobs.
    The former Kmart building in the Tabb area of York County has been vacant since late 2019.

  • Hampton Roads osprey nests fail; 25 of 42 gone, causes unknown

    Researchers from the Virginia Aquarium and the Center for Conservation Biology at William & Mary are documenting a significant increase in osprey nest failures and a sharp decline in the bird population across Hampton Roads, with potential causes being investigated including competition from bald eagles and a lack of available food sources like menhaden.

  • Williamsburg Slam Connection wins state, 6th at nationals

    Williamsburg’s Slam Connection poetry team won the Virginia Team Poetry Slam Championship at the Kimball Theatre on May 30. The team then competed at the national Southern Fried Poetry Slam in Knoxville, Tennessee, placing sixth overall from June 11-14. Team founder LaCroy Nixon noted the achievement is significant for Williamsburg’s poetry scene.