Information Charlottesville

The five-member Greene County Board of Supervisors have a change of venue for their first meeting of April. They’ll meet at William Monroe High School in the Performing Arts Center with a hybrid option for anyone who wants to participate remotely. The closed session begins at 5:30 p.m. before opening up at 6:30 p.m. (meeting info)

On the agenda are two public hearings. In one of them, a developer is seeking a special use permit to allow for a major tourism destination on nearly 100 acres of agricultural land on Mutton Hollow Road. Specifically they want the Sojourner Glamping site have 144 units, a restaurant, a pool, a spa, and a meeting facility, according to the staff report. 

By right, the developer can build 29 residential lots with a minimum of two acres each and a former site plan had been filed for the site by a different owner. While there is a letter certifying access to groundwater and sufficient septic field capacity, there is one concern related to public safety. 

“The Emergency Service Director indicated that the primary concern is adequate access for emergency service vehicles/staff and fire suppression,” the staff report continues. 

The Greene County Planning Commission recommended denial on a 3 to 2 vote in December, but they also submitted 33 conditions for the developer to consider. These include a cap of 144 units, size limitations for rooms and buildings, and a prohibition on outdoor amplified music. 

In their materials, the developers of Sojourner Glamping say their mission is to “create places to connect with our friends, family, and nature” and that their rural retreat would be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan as well as Greene’s tourism strategic plan. 

“Sojourner operations will create 65 Full-time equivalent jobs, resulting in $3.3 million in annual labor income and $9 million in economic output to Greene County,” reads their presentation. 

However, nearby residents argue the proposal is not consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

“This is essentially a hotel with 144 suites in an agriculturally zoned area with single-family homes,” reads a petition against the proposal with dozens of signatures. “This property is not in a designated growth area and far from it.” 

The second public hearing relates to a polling place for the Town of Stanardsville at Piedmont Virginia Community College’s Giuseppe Center. (staff report)