Montalto “Scholar Housing”
The skinny: The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns and operates Monticello, bought neighboring “Montalto” (a.k.a. Brown’s Mountain) in 2004 for $15 million. It’s already torn down apartments formerly filled with mostly law dogs—now it wants to convert the house, barn and tower that remain on the property into eight to 10 apartments for TJ scholars visiting for no more than six months. Albemarle County staff supports the request, and so did the Planning Commission at a January 29 work session.
Next step: Win rezoning approval from the Board of Supervisors. The biggest hurdle is getting on the docket, crowded as it is with budget-related hearings.
How it fits into the larger picture: Approvals come a little easier if you’re a nonprofit that owns a World Heritage site.
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