James King may be blind, but he’s painfully aware of the development encroaching all around him. Residents of Jefferson Park Circle in Charlottesville for 20 years, King and his wife, Peggy, get a privileged view of both city and county construction.
“This is an attack like we’ve never had before,” says Mr. King, a veteran of several neighborhood campaigns concerning what should happen in the city. “It’s not just one, it’s multiple, because of the overall change in policy, the overall change in climate—the idea that Charlottesville has to develop, has to get bigger, has to grow up.”
 The Huntley project was approved in 2002 for 110 lots on 22 acres on the western edge of Charlottesville. Neighbors from Fry’s Spring came out to voice their issues with the development at an April 10 city Planning Commission meeting. |
The Kings are now regulars at Planning Commission meetings, both in the city and county. The city Planning Commission drew their attention April 10, along with several others from the Fry’s Spring neighborhood, as several items on the evening’s agenda concerned the Huntley development, a multiphase project approved in 2002 that will build out 110 residential units on 22 acres of the city’s western edge.
Representing the Huntley project, developers Rick and Paul Beyer (a father-son duo) asked the Planning Commission to approve a steep-slopes waiver and design changes for a four acre portion of the site in order to improve both the project’s stormwater management and its aesthetics. Though 12 mature hardwood trees would be lost, Beyer promised 100 new trees to be planted throughout the four acres under discussion.
It all seemed straightforward, and city staff recommended approval. But several neighbors weren’t buying the explanation, in large part due to mistrust garnered from incidents several years ago. Following a storm, developers cut out a number of trees, drawing ire from neighbors and a stop-work order from the city. Though developers agreed to plant 40 additional trees, neighbors accused them of inadequate erosion and sediment control measures that muddied Moore’s Creek.
Jim Tolbert, director of the city’s Neighborhood Development Services, summed up the dilemma as the growing pains of city staff and developers getting up to snuff on what’s needed in a difficult site such as Huntley’s. For instance, there wasn’t a steep-slopes ordinance in place until after Huntley was approved. For the last two years, he said, Huntley has done a better job.
After 90 minutes of questions for the developers and city staff, the Planning Commission voted 6-1 to defer, so as to give the developers and staff time to improve the specificity of the plan. “We have a half-baked cake here,” said Commissioner Cheri Lewis.
With that, the Kings stepped out into the cool night on the Mall. “It’s so easy to get in and say that growth is inevitable,” said Mr. King. “Fortunately, the commissioners tonight displayed some backbone.”
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