Supervisors seek solutions to restore entrance corridor status to several roadways
The Albemarle Board of Supervisors agreed to pursue several avenues to convert several roadways to classifications that would allow them to be under the purview of the Architectural Review Board. Three years ago staff noticed that several of the county’s 21 Entrance Corridors were not actually compliant with state guidelines.
One of the disqualified Entrance Corridors is Avon Street, which lost its status. Staff has recommended asking the Virginia Department of Transportation to classify the roadway as an arterial, but that has triggered concern from members of the 5th and Avon Community Advisory Committee. Supervisor Donna Price read from a letter they sent.
“We know that a corridor study is supposed to be taking place on Avon Street Extended and have some serious concerns as to the impact that obtaining arterial status may have specifically with regards to things like speed limits,” Price said. “We have Mountain View Elementary School up there and Biscuit Run Park at the southern end of Avon Street Extended.”
Transportation Planner Kevin McDermott said the corridor study is already completed. He also said that arterial roadways can continue to have speed limits of 35 miles per hour, but they would review the application to see if any changes would need to be made. (March 2020 study)
“VDOT will not have any issue with us installing pedestrian facilities like are recommended in that corridor plan if it were an arterial,” McDermott said. “They’re not going to make that distinction.”
McDermott said the arterial status would not interfere with a crosswalk at Mountain View Elementary School. Supervisor Liz Palmer said the 5th and Avon CAC also wants to make sure that Old Lynchburg Road near Southwood can be an Entrance Corridor so that new development can be reviewed by the ARB.
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