Biscuit Run developers took six hours worth of lumps in March from the Planning Commission. But they’ve used the criticisms from the public and from the Commission to come back with a higher offer.
“We went above and beyond what we thought the Planning Commission’s expectation was,” says Steven Blaine, the LeClair Ryan attorney who represents the developers. “I think many of these things, if the Commission had seen some of these things on paper, they would have been supported. I think we’ve got it in a good light.”
 Biscuit Run developers have upped their offer to the community: $3.5 million more for transportation, 310 more park acres—even a three-acre “Championship Field,” possibly to help with SOCA (Soccer Organization of Charlottesville-Albemarle)’s desire for more space. |
What’s new? More money, for one thing. Roughly $3.5 million more has been dedicated to transportation, which includes $1 million exclusively for the regional transit authority. “It was one thing to talk about how the plan was transit-oriented. We had to envision it,” Blaine says. Until public transportation is ready, the development will run a shuttle between Biscuit Run and Downtown, much like Eagle’s Landing and College Park transport students to UVA.
Perhaps the most substantial increase is in the size of the district park proposed, to 402 acres from 92 acres in the previous draft. Almost all is in the rural area and represents almost all the remaining land the investors own, says Blaine.
Most commissioners wanted to see some phasing plan, to ensure the wilderness currently on the property won’t be clear cut in huge swaths. In the new plan, Biscuit Run is divided into eight areas, though the plans make no promise of the order of developing these areas. Blaine says building will start along Route 20 and move west toward Old Lynchburg Road.
One point of contention that the proffers do not address is the water and sewer plan. At the March 27 meeting, agreements were not yet in place with the Albemarle County Service Authority. Gary Fern, ACSA’s executive director, says that the situation is in good shape, and an agreement with Biscuit Run will go before ACSA’s board of directors at their May 24 meeting.
Those wanting greater or lesser density are out of luck, however. The project still proposes 3,100 housing units on 828 acres in southern Albemarle, and it’s still the biggest residential development in county history.
County staff will chew on the new plans and should finish a staff report by May 22, a week before the county Planning Commission holds its second public hearing on the project on May 29.
C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.
