Albemarle fast-tracking development review for its own rezoning application for Rivanna Futures

Albemarle County has moved fast in the eleven months since officials announced they had been working on a plan to pay $58 million to buy 462 acres of land around the Rivanna Station to both protect the military base from encroachment and build a new business park. 

“We closed in December but the work hasn’t stopped,” said Deputy County Executive Trevor Henry at the April 17, 2024 meeting of the Board of Supervisors. “As we said last fall, there are things we needed to do just to get the property zoned appropriately.” 

Albemarle wants to build something called the Intelligence and National Security Innovation Acceleration Campus and is lobbying the federal and state government for funding and to become partners. In late March, Albemarle submitted applications through its own Community Development Department for a rezoning as well as a special use permit. (read my C-Ville Weekly story)

“This work, and I’ll thank the Board again for this action, because it has created a buzz in the intelligence community and we’ve had some outreach to us in a pretty meaningful way in the last quarter or so,” Henry said. 

Rivanna Station itself is not an independent military base and Henry said the U.S. Army is currently expanding on the site. 

“Fort Belvoir is the property owner and technically this is a sub-installation of Fort Belvoir and it comprises 75 acres,” Henry said. “Nearly fully built out with this last addition that is happening.” 

Already Albemarle County is deriving revenue from the property after assuming control of a lease for a parking lot with the U.S. Army. 

“We get about just under $30,000 a month.” Henry said. 

Henry said the rezoning is necessary to help qualify for economic development opportunities that may be available.  He said the county wants to bring the property up to Tier 4 readiness as classified by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. 

“Just getting us consistently zoned will get us to Tier 3 which is meaningful,” Henry said. 

Henry said after the rezoning, the county would hire another consultant to develop a master plan to provide details for the intelligence and defense sector campus. This firm would be one that does this kind of work on a routine basis and said this could lead to another rezoning as more details are known. 

Michael Barnes is the relatively new Planning Director for Albemarle County and he had more details about the rezoning.

“This rezoning is to a [Light Industrial] with a special use permit for office uses,” Barnes said. “This first supports the light manufacturing and office uses that are envisioned by the project.”

When the rezoning is complete, Albemarle can ask the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for more funding to help get to Tier 4. 

“We’re trying to push this through quickly in large part to be eligible for the grant,” Barnes said. “We hope to get to the Planning Commission in May, to [the Board of Supervisors] in June, June 12, so that we’ll be ready this summer for this grant application.” 

To make that schedule work, Albemarle is condensing some of the steps. 

Section 33.4.K of the county’s ordinance requires developers to conduct a community meeting to provide information to the public about the application as well give people the opportunity to ask questions. 

The county’s director of zoning has the ability to waive to community meetings under 33.4.K.2. Otherwise, 33.4.K.6 states when these are to occur.

“A community meeting will be held prior to the first public hearing on the application for a zoning map amendment,” reads that section of the code. 

There was no mention of a community meeting during the Supervisors discussion, but the Free Enterprise Forum confirmed one would be held at the Places29-North Community Advisory Committee scheduled for May 9.  

The Planning Commission is expected to hold its public hearing on May 14. 

Toward the end of the discussion, Supervisor Chair Jim Andrews said he was excited about the project. 

“The development will go through a lot of the same processes that private development has gone through,” Andrews said. 

However, Andrews said the rezoning has to come with a impact statement that analyzes the effects on school population, road congestion, and other effects that come with large development. 

Neil Williamson of the Free Enterprise Forum has a long post about the appearance that this development is getting special treatment, noting that other projects are not fast-tracked and require more information than Albemarle is providing. 

“We are encouraged that Albemarle County may be in the process of proving, if they want to, they can get an application approved quickly,” Williamson wrote. 

Take a look at Williamson’s comments and see what you think. 

Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment is from the April 25, 2024 edition of the newsletter. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.