Albemarle Land Use: A look at four pending sign reviews

While the rest of the country waits to see what major changes will take place with a new presidential administration, observers of land use in Albemarle County are adjusting to a major change in the way the Community Development Department handles land use applications.

The Civic Access project went live on January 13 after a small period where new applications from A to Z were not accepted. This morning, the Community Development Department sent out a list of items received for review by the Architectural Review Board.

“Application numbers may not be sequential,” reads the email. “Applications may be viewed by contacting the staff reviewer listed.”

Before the switch, the materials for those applications could have been reviewed online using the county’s documentation archive. That includes every single rezoning from 1968 to 2024.

This post looks at four sign reviews that will go before the Architectural Review Board.

Sign-2025-00002: Pizza Hut Sign

This is for the franchise at Twentyninth Place and the description reads “Rebranding Pizza Hut” but neither the materials nor the application are available for review. According to the trade publication Restaurant Business Online, the Plano-based chain is piloting a new concept. You can find out more on the Pizza Hut corporate blog.

Is that concept being tested here? I’ll have to ask more questions than I had to before, or just get a copy of the application materials. For now, I can tell you the application cost $237.50 Because I’m not an applicant, I can’t see who the applicants are. An additional description under the “more info” tab yields “rebranding pizza hut with updated channel letters.”

Sign-2025-00003: Albemarle Employee Care Clinic Tenant Panel Sign

One of the new health care clinics being built for Albemarle employees will be located at 1885 Seminole Trail just north of Woodbrook Drive. The description for this is “Facing refresh for the monument directory sign in front of the “Ron Martin Warehouse”. Includes new tenant logos for both sides.” This fee is also $237.50.

Sign-2025-00004: Boyd Tavern Sign

This is for a “sign refacing of Boyd Tavern monument sign” at 4842 Richmond Road and this permit also cost $237.50. Searching for other records for that site, a zoning clearance was applied for on January 16 for a market and deli that would be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. This has the permit #ZC-2025-00003 and these materials are also not available. The zoning clearance has a fee of $62.40 and has a due date of February 17, 2025.

Sign-2025-00006: Attain on 5th Sign

Last year, an investment firm called Bonaventure purchased the 144-units at Cavalier Crossing and filed building permits to upgrade the units so they can charge higher rents. The project is now being rebranded as “Attain on 5th” but you would not know this from Civic Access which only states this is for “installation of one (1) non-illuminated, single-sided freestanding aluminum monument to replace the existing monument off of Wahoo Way. New monument will be installed a couple feet further into the property than the location of the existing monument.”

A general search yields that a request for a building permit to upgrade the clubhouse is under review. The work is valued at $1. This permit is B202403670AC.

*

Change is difficult. There are a lot of great improvements with Civic Access but overall the public has less direct access to public information than had been the case. I will continue to monitor land use in Albemarle using this system, which cost $888,720 to develop and will cost $422,812 a year.

Before you go: This article was originally sent out as part of the Charlottesville Community Engagement newsletter in the January 23, 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.