Kuttner cools on Lynchburg?

Charlottesville's ex-pat developer Oliver Kuttner, who has lauded Lynchburg and its less stringent regulation for years, is over it, according to a November 1 Lynchburg News & Advance story published in today's Daily Progress. "I am truly cured today from ever buying a house in the city of Lynchburg again," says Kuttner after being summoned to court for failing to fix up a condemned house he bought for $2,000. He cites his disillusionment with the pace of the Hill City's downtown revitalization, and describes a form letter he received from the city as "rude." Kuttner, who's invested in approximately 20 different Lynchburg projects, has already had some impact: According to the article, Lynchburg City Manager Kim Payne says letters that go homeowners from building inspectors henceforth will be "kinder" and friendlier. Kuttner could not immediately be reached at posting time.