One purpose of urban planning is to determine appropriate places for people to live, but in many localities, elected officials have the final say.
For instance, the Town of Scottsville Comprehensive Plan calls for around 1,000 people to reside in that community by 2040.
“Growth of small towns more often occurs in periodic jumps, with specific development projects, than in a smooth linear fashion,” reads a plan last adopted by the Town Council in 2018.
Scottsville’s population has been declining, dropping from 566 in the 2010 Census to 522 in 2020. To try to reverse the trend and provide new residents with ways to walk to restaurants and shops, council adopted a small area plan during the pandemic for the property around the former Hyosung Tire Plant, which closed in 2009.
“We can look to our history to find a healthy and sustainable path forward,” reads the plan. “New homes to welcome new residents to share in our community, small business spaces to create jobs and wealth, and parks and trails for everyone to enjoy life on the James River.”
At least three proposals have been made in response to the rallying cry, and one of these broke ground last month. Southern Development and Scottsville Community Investments LLC began early site work for a new neighborhood of 36 single-family homes on Bird Street. The 12-acre West Village project is a few blocks away from businesses on Valley Street, the city’s main thoroughfare.
“There hasn’t been a cluster of construction like this in Scottsville since the 1960s,” said Mayor Ron Smith.
But not everyone is on board. When it came time for council to weigh in on this development, there were a pair of 4-3 votes. The first was in June 2021 to rezone the land from Industrial to Village Residential and the second was a special use permit in March 2022. Opponents of that proposal felt the new development would go against Scottsville’s small-town character.
At one point, the Bird Street project had a maximum of 48 units, but that was reduced to help gain support. A second project on Blenheim Road—which would have seen 24 units—was working its way through town government but has been indefinitely deferred.
In January 2023, Town Council voted 4-2 to deny a rezoning for a portion of the tire factory that would have seen 205 apartment units in a project known as the Scottsville Lofts. Dozens of people spoke and while some expressed support, a majority were opposed, with at least one person warning against “the Charlottesville crowd coming to Scottsville.”
All three are on public water and sewer, often cited as a precursor for urban development.
Scottsville is not considered one of Albemarle’s designated growth areas, but the town is mentioned as a potential partner in contributing to the county’s housing needs. The Weldon Cooper Center for Public Services forecasts Albemarle’s population will grow from the 2024 estimate of 117,790 to 138,523 in 2040.
Meanwhile, Scottsville District Supervisor Mike Pruitt told the Board of Supervisors on February 5 that several businesses have recently closed their doors and he’s hopeful economic development efforts can be made.
“I have serious concerns about the economic vibrancy of that region and what we can do collectively between the Town Council and the board to really catalyze economic activity,” Pruitt says.
The two bodies are scheduled to meet on May 14.
The future site of Scottsville’s West Village neighborhood. Also visible is a former tire factory, a proposed site for another development that the city’s Town Council voted down. Photo via Southern Development.
