No one speaks at Comprehensive Plan public hearing on utility updates

On Monday, October 5, 2026, Charlottesville City Council will hold a public hearing on an update to the city’s Comprehensive Plan. This is not to be confused with the five-year review of the plan which will really get underway sometime next year.

The Planning Commission held their public hearing on the current proposed changes to the comp plan on September 9 and heard from Development Planning Manager Matt Alfele who reminded the appointed body that the Comprehensive Plan was last updated in November 2021 and the Community Facilities chapter needs to be updated.

“Since then, there have been several amendments, including adoptions of both the Climate Action Plan and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan,” Alfele said. “Since then, there have been updates to city and partner agency Public utility and facility planning maps and projects. It is best practice to periodically update public utilities and facility maps and plans included in the Comprehensive Plan.”

For instance, the updated chapter would include a map of the Central Waterline the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority is currently building.

“The scope of the amendment includes adding 2 new strategies, one to adopt relevant RWSA and ACSA plans by reference within the Comprehensive Plan, and one to add future Schenks Branch Sewer Interceptor upgrade project,” Alfele said.

The Schenks Branch Sewer Interceptor upgrade is a project mandated by a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality consent decree to replace a pipe from the 1950’s. The first phase was installed with the construction of the John Warner Parkway, but the second phase has required negotiations between Albemarle County and Charlottesville. Learn more on this outdated cvillepedia article.

No one spoke at the Planning Commission’s public hearing and none of the members of the Planning Commission made a comment.

On October 7, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the city’s purchase of an easement on county-owned land on McIntire Road for the second phase of the project.

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