In the days before the 3,100-unit Biscuit Run was proposed, any project with units in the triple digits was a pretty big deal. But in these times post-Biscuit, the 124-unit Avinity project gets as much attention as a garage renovation.
The County Planning Commission approved a rezoning for Avinity at their March 20 meeting, which will put 13 units per acre on a 9-acre tract off Avon Street. Developed by Donna Jordan and (you guessed it) Coran Capshaw, the project is composed of townhouses and condos.
“There was a lot of discussion about issues that the Avinity project brought up in general,” says Commissioner Eric Strucko. Many were similar to the issues that came up during the previous week’s discussion of Rivanna Village at Glenmore—notably private roads, affordable housing and the cash paid per unit to help alleviate road and school infrastructure costs.
 Whose name is on the forms for the 124-unit Avinity project in southern Albemarle? Coran Capshaw’s, of course. |
Ensuring interconnections with future development was a top priority for Strucko. “My personal particular concern with this project was the traffic impact on Avon. Avon is already graded a letter ‘E’ and this project was going to add [663] daily vehicle trips to it.” So commissioners made sure that easements would allow the public to use the roads.
How much cash should be paid per unit has been a growing issue for the county. While Avinity is offering $3,200 for every housing unit, in line with other recent developments, a fiscal impact committee is working on recommendations that will presumably raise the amount expected from developers.
“There seems to be this precedent that apparently was set back when Old Trail and other developments were offering cash proffers,” Strucko says. “And it looks like the development community is jumping on that as the standard.”
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