Brown stepping down as Charlottesville’s director of Neighborhood Development Services

A planner hired in 2024 from Arlington County to lead planning efforts in Charlottesville told the Planning Commission on June 9 that she is leaving the position.

“I will be stepping down in my role as a Director of Neighborhood Development Services for personal reasons,” said Kellie Brown. “This is coming with some mixed emotions, but my last day with the city will be Friday, June 26th.”

Brown began work in September 2024 and took over from James Freas after he had been promoted to Deputy City Manager. Freas will serve as interim director while a replacement is found.

Brown took over a department just as it was learning how to implement a new zoning code that increased development rights across the city. Her tenure also included a time when the Development Code was temporarily in limbo after Circuit Court Judge Claude Worrell briefly declared it null and void last June.

Worrell reconsidered and plaintiffs agreed to settle if the city agreed to conduct a study of the effects additional density would have on the city’s transportation network. The city has not yet put out a request for firms to bid on the project.

Planning Commission Chair Carl Schwarz had praise for Brown after her announcement.

“You came at a really chaotic time for the city, and I think you’ve kept us organized and you’ve kept us on a good track for keeping things, making this be a really smooth process,” Schwarz said.

The job has not yet been posted.

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