In November 2016, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors approved a rezoning for Brookhill, a mixed-use development on 277 acres to be constructed between Polo Grounds Road and the Forest Lakes community in the northern portion of the county.
On July 8, the Albemarle Planning Commission held a public hearing on requested changes to the code of development for the project.
“The changes are limited to primarily a request to increase the maximum number of units within the development from 1,550 to by 300 units to 1,850,” said Rebecca Ragsdale, a planning manager with Albemarle County.
There are no changes requested for the amount of non-residential space as the code of development allows for a minimum of 50,000 square feet and a maximum of 130,000 square feet.
An ongoing concern in Albemarle is whether developments are coming in at the higher end of what is allowed and encouraged in the Comprehensive Plan. For decades, that plan’s hallmark strategy is to limit development in the rural area in favor of placing it in the five percent of the county’s land reserved for growth.
“When we were looking at this a decade ago, density wasn’t as welcome in Albemarle County, “ said Ashley Davies with Riverbend Development. “So what we’re looking at tonight is getting closer to what the Comprehensive Plan wanted in terms of density for the site.”
Davies said 762 units have been built to date. The original plan was to have 500 single-family homes in the development, but the idea now is to build more types of housing.
A senior living facility has been built in the community, though that is classified as commercial space rather than residential. In the new iteration what had been planned for office space will likely be ground floor commercial with apartments above.
Commissioner Karen Firehock (Samuel Miller) said she supported that idea as that concept is called for in county master plans but has only been done in a few locations. Firehock also said she recently visited Mexico City and had an observation.
“The rooftop of almost every residential building got some decking and people hang out,” Firehock said. “I mean there’s got to great views up there. Our area is so weird because we don’t use any of our rooftops.”
Davies said that would be something Riverbend would like to do as part of this development.
Though the Places29 Master Plan has not been updated since 2011, Albemarle has adopted a housing policy which requires 20 percent of new units to be within the county’s affordability guidelines. That means 60 of the new places must be rented or sold to households below certain income thresholds.
Davies said 301 units have been built so far that qualify as affordable.
Two people spoke during the public hearing. Lindsey Hill said she moved to the Brookhill community in 2021 when she was getting a master’s degree from the University of Virginia. She wanted to know more information about how the rents are calculated compared to area median income.
“My rent has gone up between a $100 and $150 every lease renewal,” Hill said. “So I am a little curious to what the AMI household number is based off of because there was a point to where I was calling mom and dad and I was like, I might have to move back in.”
Another Brookhill resident, Carolyn Cartwright, said she was concerned about having more residents in the community.
“I understand the need for affordable housing, yet I have concerns of being in the neighborhood,” Cartwright said. “Since the plots have been filled and the houses have been sold, there has increasingly become a problem with parking in the area and I am concerned with the number of increased units coming to the area. How will all of these cars find spots to park?”
Cartwright said amenities are also beginning to show signs of wear and tear.
In rebuttal, Davies said that a total of 1,100 parking spaces are planned for what the Code of Development refers to as a town center. As for rents, Davies said rents have been going up across the board across the county, but the affordable rents are within line of the guidelines which call for them to be within reach of households making below 80 percent of the area median.
Commissioner Julian Bivins (Jack Jouett) supported the project but had a bold suggestion.
“Why don’t we encourage developers to donate the apartments to the county and put them in a housing trust fund?” Bivins asked.
Bivins said that would allow the county to guarantee the units are being rented to eligible households in perpetuity.
Commissioner Nathan Moore (Rio) points out that the AMI for a family of four is around $125,000, which means rents can be as high as $2,500 a month and still be technically considered affordable. He said the county needs to consider a public housing option.
“I think that is something that, you know, as a community, as a Board of Supervisors coming down the pike, we ought to think about,” Moore said.
Moore said that did not have any bearing on his support for this project.
The six Commissioners present voted unanimously to recommend approval. The next step is a public hearing with the Board of Supervisors. A meeting date has not been scheduled.
Before you go: This story was first published in the July 10, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement and then posted here. If you’d like to learn more about how to support the work, take a look at this page on this website.
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