Albemarle County’s Comprehensive Plan update available in draft form

After nearly four years since the process began, Albemarle County has published the full draft of the Comprehensive Plan update referred to as AC44.

“The Comprehensive Plan is one of the foundational documents that guide our elected officials’ decision-making on public infrastructure, amenities, and services,” reads a section of the Engage Albemarle website. “It is also used as a blueprint to bring the mission, vision, and values of our local government to life.”

The county’s first Comprehensive Plan in 1971 established the concept that growth would be concentrated in specific areas. A revision in 1977 reduced these areas in order to preserve the watershed of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. That informed a comprehensive downzoning of the county in 1980 that eliminated many development rights.

The AC44 process got underway in November 2021 when Supervisors adopted a resolution of intent to update the Comprehensive Plan that had been adopted in the summer of 2015.

Before we get into what’s in the draft, here are a series of stories originally published in Charlottesville Community Engagement:

• Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan review underway, February 7, 2022
• Albemarle Planning Commission reviews seven options for growth management, August 3, 2022
• Albemarle County Planning Commission discusses Comprehensive Plan, October 6, 2022
• Phase 2 of Albemarle Comprehensive Plan review underway, January 24, 2023
• Albemarle releases new AC44 documents on growth area expansion criteria, June 7, 2023
• Albemarle County releases results of Comprehensive Plan survey, June 30, 2023
• To expand growth areas or not to expand? Albemarle CAC members weigh in, July 25, 2023
• Albemarle Planning Commission reviews “Activity Centers” in AC44 discussion, August 25, 2023
• Albemarle Planning Commission weighs in on criteria to expand development area, September 1, 2023
• Albemarle seeks input on AC44 goals and objectives for environmental stewardship, two other chapters, October 3, 2023
• Checking in with AC44 as update’s third phase looms, November 17, 2023
• Albemarle Planning Commission urge a balance of aspiration and realism in county’s housing goals, November 26, 2023
• AC44 work slowed down in late FY24, Planning Commission to get an update on July 9, July 7, 2024
• Planning Commissioners briefed on “refinement” of AC44 process, July 17, 2024
• Public engagement to happen before Albemarle staff release AC44 draft, August 7, 2024
• New details on staff-led Comprehensive Plan update in Albemarle County, October 8, 2024
• Albemarle PC begins review of new AC44 language on growth management, October 16, 2024
• Albemarle Supervisors discuss growth management policy at AC44 work session, October 23, 2024
• Albemarle Planning Commission briefed on land use chapter of new Comprehensive Plan, November 1, 2024
• Albemarle County to get outside help to review of how development area is used, November 22, 2024
• AC44 Recap: A quick summary of the November 12, 2024 Planning Commission, December 11, 2024
• Albemarle Planning Commissioners request different designations for different kinds of rural land, January 10, 2025
• Albemarle staff present Albemarle Supervisors with new information on AC44, April 4, 2025
• Albemarle Supervisors briefed on AC44’s implementation chapter, July 25, 2025

The draft Comprehensive Plan is split into four parts with the first an overview of what’s in the document. All can be reviewed on the Phase 4 website on Engage Albemarle.

“The Growth Management Policy is the foundation of AC44 and serves as the basic framework for the entire Comprehensive Plan,” reads a portion of the executive summary of the 33-page Part 1 of AC44.

The sixteen pages of Part 2 is all about that policy.

“The purpose of the Growth Management Policy is to provide efficient and cost-effective public service delivery and encourage compact, connected, and dense development patterns and uses within the Development Areas to protect the ecosystems and natural, scenic, historic, and cultural resources in the Rural Area,” reads a portion of the executive summary.

There are no changes to the boundaries of the development area in AC44 but there are changes to the text.

“For example, based on community input to date, staff has heard the need for clearer recommendations in the Rural Area related to small-scale community-serving land uses. Community input has emphasized the importance of identifying options for health care (including mobile), food access/ community gardens, emergency,” reads page six of the draft.

While there are no changes to the boundaries, the draft lists criteria for how land could be both added and subtracted depending on circumstances.

Part 3 of the AC44 draft is the implementation section and contains all of the individual chapters ranging from “Development Areas Land Use” to “Plan Implementation.” Here is where you will find all of the various goals, strategies, and objectives.

Part 4 of the AC44 draft is a 46-page appendix with a history of the process, community design guidelines, and the community story. The latter section contains a thorough history of planning in Albemarle. However, the appendix does not yet include a build-out analysis requested early in the AC44 process.

Albemarle County will hold a public meeting on August 21 at 6 p.m. in Lane Auditorium to go over the plan.

“Following a brief staff presentation on AC44, attendees will have a chance to review posters, representing the content of the plan chapters, ask questions of staff, and share feedback,” reads the calendar item.

The county is also seeking feedback on the Engage Albemarle website. People can add their thoughts here through February 5.

Before you go: This story was first published in the August 14, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement and posted here on August 17. One day in the near future there will be a unified content management system! That day is not today.