Leadership with the Commonwealth Regional Council (CRC) gave updates on two projects taking place in the Town of Dillwyn during the council’s July meeting.

CRC Community Development Planner Cam Johnson gave an update on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to renovate several homes in the town. The grant is provided by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Johnson said the town is working with a contractor at a house on Culbreth Street in order to get tenants moved in as quickly as possible.

Johnson said the Town of Dillwyn  has reached an agreement with the Department of Historic Resources (DHR) concerning a house initially believed to be in a historic district. The mitigation agreement was signed June 25.

“DHR came out and took a look at the project area” Johnson said in an interview Tuesday, “and what they determined was that the house had been listed previously as eligible to be listed as historical. So by their definition that would mean that at any point in the future, the district that we’re doing the housing project in, it could be listed as historical at any point since it was on the national register.”

Johnson said everything related to the project can move forward.

The second series of houses involved with the project have already gone out for bid, Johnson said during the July meeting.

CRC Deputy Director Todd Fortune gave an update to the next phase of the Dillwyn Streetscape Project, which is being performed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

Fortune said VDOT provided authorization to advertise bids for the project. The advertisement for the bid ran in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

According to the advertisement, “the Scope of Work includes but is not limited to roadway maintenance of traffic, roadway cut and patch, milling, concrete and asphalt demolition, grading, E&S measures, concrete work/patching, concrete sidewalk, curb and gutter, commercial/residential vehicular entries, stormwater improvements, ADA ramps, wall with railing, site furnishings, electrical work (street lighting conduit, light poles and fixtures, and service connections), striping and signage, planting, project cleanup and related improvements. Companies must meet all Insurance and Bonding requirements included in the Project Manual.”

A pre-bid meeting took place July 25 at the Dillwyn Town Hall, and bids are due Aug. 15.

CRC Vice Chairman Tommy Gleason commended employees with the CRC for performing a large volume of work divided up by a few people.

“They have done a great job,” Gleason said.

CRC Executive Director Melody Foster said earlier in the meeting that a community development planner has been hired and is expected to begin in August.