Monthly Archives: March 2022

Site plan conference for proposal to put 352 homes at Seminole Square Shopping Center

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Great Eastern Management Company has filed new plans to redevelop 23.9 acres of the Seminole Square Shopping Center and there’s a public meeting at 10 a.m. today where staff with Collins Engineering will go over them. (meeting info)

“This site plan is for remodeling of existing building facades and parking lots for expansion to build two new commercial buildings, one mixed-use building, and three multi-family residential buildings with underground parking,” reads the March 11 notice sent to adjoining property owners. 

In all, Great Eastern Management seeks to build 352 units on the site. 

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City Manager recommends denial of funding agreement for Stribling Avenue sidewalks

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Tonight the Charlottesville City Council will take up two land use items.

The first is a request from an out-of-town developer to build 28 units on 0.62 acres at the end of Valley Road Extended. On March 8, the Planning Commission voted 4-3 to recommend a rezoning and a special use permit, and 5-2 on a critical slopes waiver for the project. At that meeting, Vice Mayor Juandiego expressed skepticism for the $48,000 the developer has agreed to pay sidewalk improvements somewhere in Fifeville. (staff report) (story and audio piece I wrote on the PC hearing) 

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Council to hold work session on changes to how affordable housing funds are reviewed and selected

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Charlottesville City Council now begins each regular meeting with a 4 p.m. work session today to review reports. They will review the final report from the firm HR&A on the use of the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund (CAHF) since 2010. A previous Council created the fund in 2007 and the most recent one agreed last July to pay HR&A $165,000 to audit the CAHF as well as create a program for inclusionary zoning. There was an initial report at the final Council meeting in December. (Council briefed on affordable housing funds, December 31, 2021)

“Since 2010, the City of Charlottesville has administered a total of $46.7 million in funding to support a variety of affordable housing initiatives across the city, drawing from the city’s General Fund, Capital Budget, Housing Trust Fund (CAHF), and federal HOME and [Community Development Block Grant] funds,” reads the introduction to the report Council will review. (meeting info)

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