Albemarle PC to hold another AC44 work session, two public hearings

There was a pause in community engagement on Albemarle’s Comprehensive Plan update over the summer while staff tweaked the structure of the document. I’m attempting to cover as much of the discussion as possible and the next story will be a review of the Board of Supervisors’ review last week of the Future Land Use Map and land use designations. 

The next story after what will be on the work session related to the rest of the Development Areas land use chapter. Staff wants feedback on potential incentives to build structured parking, a potential reduction or elimination of parking requirements, and the balance between efficient use of the Development Areas, quality of life in those areas, and the environmental stewardship that comes with continuing to have a strict growth area boundary. (staff memo)

There are two public hearings.

The first is for a special use permit to allow a public garage to be constructed in the rural area on property near the intersection of Virginia Route 20 and Coles Rolling Road. 

“On this project site, the user would like to fill the needs of surrounding residents by providing an automobile repair shop,” reads the applicant’s narrative prepared by the Timmons Group. “By making available the services associated with the requested use, the public garage would benefit the community by providing employment opportunities and providing auto repair service to those in need.”

This area is not considered to be one of Albemarle’s “crossroads communities.” Here’s the description in the staff report which sounds like a fairly active area. 

“Across Scottsville Road to the west are undeveloped and residential properties,” reads the report. “The Keene Post Office and the Piedmont Veterinary Service clinic are also located to the west and front on Esmont Road and Plank Road, respectively. Across Coles Rolling Road to the north is the Green Mountain Country Store, which includes retail sale of convenience goods and four gas pumps. To the north/northeast are residential properties as well as the Keene VDOT Area Headquarters facility.” 

This project went before the Planning Commission on March 12 and a dozen speakers at the time expressed concern about the use. The applicant requested a deferral and the application was reduced slightly in size.

Opposition, however, continues.

“We all purchased our properties because we wanted to escape development,” writes nearby resident Susan Love. “Are you pushing it on us because of political pressure?”

“There are only 149 residents of Keene and only another 591 in close by Esmont,” writes Paula and Jerome Beazley. “These residents are not in need of these services.”

And so on. 

The second public hearing is for what’s called the Archer North development. This is on the same land where a previous development called RST Residences was approved but not built because the developer could not make it work financially after agreeing to guarantee affordability for many of the units. That project set aside 119 units whereas this one only offers 45 affordable units. 

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 November 11, 2024 Week Ahead edition of the newsletter.