Building height at 0 East High Street to go before Charlottesville Board of Zoning Appeals 

Technical details matter. As evidence, look at all the effort that has gone into changing the city’s zoning rules to make it easier, cheaper, faster, and more convenient for developers to build. In the future, the dockets of the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals may get more crowded as it becomes a venue for people…

Read More

Buildings and Grounds Committee review designs for biotech institute, energy plant, and garage at Fontaine Research Park 

In 1986, the land that is now the Fontaine Research Center had been slated for commercial development. The Albemarle Board of Supervisors approved a rezoning for a shopping center called Fontaine Forest on a 4-2 vote that January over the objections of both Charlottesville and UVA.  At the time, UVA officials expressed interest in the property.  “To…

Read More

Planning Commission recommends approval of permit for larger building at 1709 JPA

If City Council approves a new Development Code later this year, the land use process will be very different. There will no longer be public hearings for special use permits for additional height and density, though they’ll remain for requests to have some commercial uses in residential neighborhoods. There are still special use permit requests…

Read More

Charlottesville PC reaffirms their comp plan stance on 0 East High Street

The appointed body that advises Charlottesville City Council on planning matters has adopted a resolution stating more clearly why they do not feel that two public roads proposed as part of a riverfront development are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.  If this sounds familiar, the Planning Commission held a public hearing last month to determine whether the…

Read More

Mitchell and Schwarz appointed to be chair and vice chair of Charlottesville Planning Commission

There is new leadership at the Charlottesville Planning Commission as two members with many years of experience as appointed officials have been selected to run the meetings. Commissioner Karim Habbab read the report from the nominating committee at the group’s meeting on September 12.  “The chair is Commissioner [Hosea] Mitchell and the vice chair Commissioner [Carl] Schwarz,” Habbab…

Read More