Public notice: Albemarle County seeking slopes-related rezoning at Rivanna Futures

Over three years have passed since the Albemarle Board of Supervisors agreed to spend $58 million to purchase 162 acres of land around the Rivanna Station military base to the northeast of the Charlottesville Regional Airport for economic development purposes.

Since then, Albemarle staff have convinced the Board of Supervisors to rezone a portion of the property and have obtained funding from the Virginia Partnership for Economic Development to prepare the site for the future business park. So far, the firm Astra Zeneca has agreed to build two pharmaceutical factories at the site.

On July 28, the Albemarle Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the county’s latest land use request for the project. According to a narrative written by the firm Line and Grade, the county wants to reclassify some of the slopes on the property from “preserved” to “managed” which means they can be disturbed.

“The slopes included in this request comprise an area of 0.46 acres,” reads the narrative.

The narrative also invokes both the new Comprehensive Plan and the new Economic Development Strategic Plan as justifications for the change. Take a look at all of the attachments here.

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development knocked out two notices with one ad related to Piedmont Housing Alliance’s project at Park Street Christian Church. These are a “finding of no significant impact” (FONSI) and “intent to request release of funds.”

“PSCC Apartments is the new construction of approximately 50 residential units located at 1200 Park Street Charlottesville, VA 22901 on approximately 7.3 acres in Charlottesville, Virginia,” reads a notice published in the July 16, 2026 Charlottesville Daily Progress. “The project includes associated site improvements, utility infrastructure, parking and a community room.”

The DHCD is set to release $1 million for this project which has an official cost estimate of $22,758,647.

The FONSI is part of a process required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. In this case, the DHCD has studied the site and found there will be no harm to the human environment and a more thorough Environmental Impact Statement is not necssary.

Those who might disagree have until July 31 to write to request a public hearing. The address is available in the body of the public notice.

Some other recent public notices:

• The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority is reviewing a mixed beverage license for an entity called Rincon Oro LLC to operate at 2206 Fontaine Avenue. A building at that location for many years housed one of Charlottesville’s Guadalajara restaurants. That spot closed in March 2025 with a Facebook message directing customers to one of the three other locations. The property sold on June 4, 2026 for $1.11 million at a price nearly a quarter over the assessment. According to the public notice, anyone with objections has until 30 days to file with the ABC after first publication of a notice. The license # is 013819450. (Charlottesville Daily Progress, July 14, 2026)
• The ABC is also reviewing a request from the Local Catering to for an on-premises license at 225 Douglas Avenue #C. An entity called Douglas Avenue LLC purchased the property in October 2022 for $1,183,200. The license is #013822612. (Charlottesville Daily Progress, July 17, 2026)
• The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has opened a public comment period for a request to release treated wastewater into a waterbody in Fluvanna County. Carysbrook Holdings LLC wants the DEQ to renew an existing permit that allows release of 0.01 million gallons a day into the Fluvanna River in the Fork Union area. A public hearing would be held if enough people request one. The comment period closes on August 13, 2026. (Charlottesville Daily Progress, July 14, 2026) (DEQ notice)

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