Crews with Stanley Martin Homes are preparing to build about four dozen single-family houses in the Fry’s Spring neighborhood on land currently covered by a forest. The first step in the Azalea Springs project is to remove mature trees that nearby residents say are critical to the city’s environmental health. “This isn’t about opposing growth,” […]
Pantops is one of three areas Albemarle planners hope to grow as an “activity center” as part of the county’s ongoing management strategy to avoid expansion of the growth areas. A new group has become one of the stakeholders. One of Albemarle’s many private religious schools paid $4.355 million for 384 Worrell Dr., which includes […]
More than 17 years have passed since construction stopped on a luxury hotel in the middle of Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall—and there are no active initiatives to move the project forward or move on. “The building is currently being marketed for sale by commercial brokers on behalf of the owner,” said Charlottesville Economic Development Director […]
A proposal to build a new electric transmission line between Campbell and Culpeper counties has prompted elected officials in both Fluvanna and Louisa to take steps to oppose its construction, including setting aside money for a potential legal battle. Now the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors has taken a step to allow residents along […]
As Albemarle’s population continues to grow, the official policy is to concentrate development in about 5 percent of the county. Staff in the county’s Community Development Department are working on a new initiative to focus infrastructure to locate jobs, housing units, and other uses for what it refers to as activity centers. “Weldon Cooper [is] […]
One of Charlottesville’s most prolific developers has added another high-profile property to its portfolio by purchasing a parking lot where the City Market operates on Saturdays for seven months of the year. “Woodard Properties has acquired the surface lot at 100 E. Water St., converting our leasehold interest in the property into ownership,” said CEO […]
A major objective in Albemarle County’s Comprehensive Plan is to “increase the use of infill, higher-density development, adaptive reuse, and redevelopment in the Development Areas.” That is a guideline, not a commandment, allowing elected and appointed officials to make decisions on a case-by-case basis. On May 26, the Planning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend denial […]
As students celebrate the start of summer break, Albemarle County Public Schools is already looking ahead to next year with updates to programming for its youngest learners. At the preschool level, early childhood special education programs currently housed at Stony Point Elementary will be moved to Baker-Butler Elementary. The change, per a May 26 release, […]
When Albemarle’s fiscal year begins on July 1, there will be $7 million set aside by the Board of Supervisors to help keep the cost of housing down—at least for some places. “The Affordable Housing Investment Fund was created in 2019 with the intention to fund projects that created or preserved affordable housing in several […]
Perhaps one reason that planning is not very popular is the sheer amount of jargon required to understand the rules of what can be built and where. Albemarle County is making an attempt to change that with what planning staff call a “zoning modernization” to bring building rules in line with the recently adopted Comprehensive […]
Mid-April is peak time for migrating birds to cross the eastern seaboard, which is why DarkSky International selects the middle of the month each year for a week-long educational campaign to encourage ways to reduce light pollution. This month both the Albemarle Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council recognized April 13 through April […]