Three new major development plans filed in Charlottesville, plus one special use permit

Under Charlottesville’s new Development Code, most new construction does not require a special use permit or a rezoning. Instead, a property owner submits a “development plan” which describes the extent of improvements that are to be made. This is followed by a final site plan which must be approved before construction can begin.

The Development Code itself does not appear to have a glossary that defines what makes one of these plans “major” or “minor” but according to the application portal, there have been over a dozen submitted since late February of last year.

For details on how to use the Development Code, there’s a 34-page manual that states a major development plan must be “prepared, sealed, signed, and dated by an architect, professional engineer, land surveyor or certified landscape architect licensed to practice within the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Three of these have been submitted in February of this year.

One of them submitted on February 12 is for 1107 Myrtle Street in the Belmont-Carlton neighborhood. There is currently a three bedroom house on the property, and plans prepared by the firm Shimp Engineering would add three additional units. Each of these would be on a sublot. The 0.172 acre parcel is in the Residential-A zoning district and can have four units if the existing structure is kept.

The property is owned by Llandaff Farm LLC who paid $319,000 for the property on July 30, 2024. On that same day, Hanover Home Buyers LLC paid $257,000.

Another submitted by Shimp Engineering on the same day is for 117 Harris Road in the Fry’s Spring neighborhood. This project would see the 0.821 acre lot subdivided into two lots with seven units to be constructed on each for a total of 14 rental units. The existing house built in 1957 would remain on one lot.

The other lot would see a new structure with a 528 square foot garage with a residential unit above it. Both lots would see a new structure with a total of six units. This is within Residential B which ordinarily allows for a total of six units before affordability bonuses kick in.

An entity called 117 Harris Road LLC paid $406,000 for the property on June 24, 2022.

The third major development plan is not for additional residential development at all, but to build a work building at 1114 East High Street. A former member of the Board of Architectural Review is behind the project.

“Our plan is to build a Studio Workshop space in the rear of our property at 1114 E High that will serve as a carpentry workshop, fitting into the use of Low-impact industrial and manufacturing (up to 4,000sf), which is by-right according to Use Permissions,” writes Mike Ball.

The Planning Commission and City Council will not get involved with any of the above unless they are somehow directed to do so by the zoning administrator. This can happen if two members of the Planning Commission ask for a review or if there is an appeal of the zoning administrator’s decision. For those who want to look this up, Section 5.2.9.D.1.b. Try here.

Under a special use request, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing. The owners of 401 Ridge Street want to turn the residential structure into a bed and breakfast for up to five rooms homes. That takes a special use permit for properties in Residential-C.

Before you go: This post was originally published in the February 24, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter powered by Substack since July 2020. The idea is to get as many stories out as possible each day, and then some of the material ends up here. Sometimes stories are posted here first. All of this is an experiment powered by Town Crier Productions, currently a one-person company that seeks to be as prolific as possible.