In local government, an elected body’s “consent agenda” is a list of items that are all voted on at once. These can contain items for information or items for action.
On the Albemarle Board of Supervisors’ agenda for January 22, 2025, there are six items for approval including three amendments to personnel policy, a stepback waiver for the Overlook Hotel planned for Pantops, and a resolution to change the start time for the February 5, 2025 meeting to 5 p.m.
There’s also a resolution to schedule a public hearing for the proposed conveyance of a sewer easement on county-owned land to allow for a new roadway. Those details are here.
Another item is for a letter of support for a grant Albemarle County is seeking to help cover costs of a planning study for the new Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority (CARTA).
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission is seeking funding from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s MERIT program, with MERIT standing for Making Efficient and Responsible Investments in Transit.
“As recommended by the Regional Transit Governance Study, Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville activated and joined the Charlotteville Area Regional Transit Authority (CARTA) in order to continue efforts to improve regional public transportation services,” reads a letter from County Executive Jeffrey Richardson to DRPT Director Tiffany Robinson.
Albemarle Supervisors voted to join the study in December as did the Charlottesville City Council.
Albemarle will contribute up to $50,000 in funds toward the $200,000 project. TJPDC staff will provide labor for the study.
“We anticipate that the results of this study will guide our community to develop a regional implementation plan to coordinate and support transit expansion,” Richardson continued.
The Regional Transit Partnership is the precursor to the CARTA and they will meet on Thursday, as I reported in the Week Ahead on Sunday.
The final item for approval is a formal approval to direct county staff to study the zoning code in order to regulate data centers.
“The Albemarle County Code allows data centers of unlimited size by-right in the Light Industry, Heavy Industry, and Planned Development Industrial Park districts and by special use permit in the C-1 Commercial and Commercial Office districts, among others,” reads the first paragraph of the resolution.
“The Albemarle County Code allows data centers of up to 4,000 square feet by-right, and over 4,000 square feet by special exception, in the Highway Commercial, Planned Development Shopping Center, and Planned Development Mixed Commercial districts,” reads the second paragraph of the resolution.
“The Albemarle County Code Board of Supervisors desires to consider regulations that would better address the impacts of data centers,” reads the fourth.
This is the first of two planned “zoning text amendments” and the first would require a special use permit for data centers over a certain size to be determined. The second would add other standards.
The Planning Commission would hold a public hearing on the first amendment on this in February 2025 followed by a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors in April 2025.
Before you go: This article was originally sent out as part of the Charlottesville Community Engagement newsletter in the January 21, 2025 edition. Both are functions of Town Crier Productions. You can support the work by purchasing a paid subscription or contributing monthly through Patreon. You can also send in a check or send an email, but drop me a line first.
Discover more from Information Charlottesville
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
