News

To build or not to build

After a public hearing last week, the Charlottesville Planning Commission sent a proposal for 170 new housing units back to the developer for updates.  Southern Development is asking the city to rezone 12 acres of land in the Fry’s Spring neighborhood to allow the construction of a new complex of townhomes and apartments. Fifteen percent […]

Sean Tubbs | September 22, 2021

News

Map quest

The latest version of the Future Land Use Map, a much-debated document that will guide Charlottesville’s development as the city begins to rewrite its zoning code, is out for review. The map is intended to steer Charlottesville toward a future with more affordable places to live.  “We believe this draft continues to support the goal […]

Sean Tubbs | September 1, 2021

News

Our backyards

Lots of people want to live in Charlottesville. To help meet the demand for housing throughout the city, leaders have hired Arlington-based consulting firm Rhodeside & Harwell to rewrite Charlottesville’s Comprehensive Plan, a document that guides land-use policy in the city. As part of that process, the consultants are now taking public comment through June […]

Sean Tubbs | May 26, 2021

News

Red tape

As the greater Charlottesville-Albemarle area continues to feel the effects of a housing shortage, a panel of developers argued last week that localities in the area can incentivize new construction through land use reform.  “We intentionally, through our comprehensive plans and our zoning ordinances, limit the supply of land for new homes,” said Charlie Armstrong, […]

Sean Tubbs | March 24, 2021

News

If you build it: Despite pandemic, land use projects moved forward in 2020

In a year where many of us followed guidelines to stay at home, the skies of downtown Charlottesville were marked by cranes building new spaces for the 21st century. In their shadow, projects to provide more affordable units moved through the bureaucratic process required to keep them below-market. Before the clock strikes 2021, let’s look […]

Sean Tubbs | December 22, 2020

News

Take the bus: Is this public transit’s moment?

Charlottesville is a growing city. We’ve added 5,000 residents since 2010, with another 10,000 in the county. And by 2040, projections from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service show an additional 6,000 people in Charlottesville and 33,500 in the county (roughly), bringing our total population to more than 196,000. Now imagine if all of […]

Sean Tubbs | May 8, 2019