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ZONING COST COMPARISON
Rezoning 9 acres Compare to: Oakleigh Farm In Albemarle County: $1,020 Proposed increase to: $2,500 Difference of: $1,480 Percentage fee increase: 145% In Charlottesville: $1,500 In Fluvanna: $750 In Greene: $2,882 In Stafford: $12,978
Rezoning 270 acres Compare to: North Pointe In Albemarle County: $1,570 Proposed increase to: $3,500 Difference of: $1,930 Percentage fee increase: 123% In Charlottesville: $1,500 In Fluvanna: $7,225 In Greene: $28,900 In Stafford: $19,850
Rezoning 830 acres Compare to: Biscuit Run In Albemarle County: $1,570 Proposed increase to: $3,500 Difference of: $1,930 Percentage fee increase: 123% In Charlottesville: $1,500 In Fluvanna: $21,200 In Greene: $84,800 In Stafford: $33,825
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What would it cost to rezone a property the size of Biscuit Run in Fluvanna County or Greene County? How about Stafford County? Loads more than it costs a developer in Albemarle County, who under current zoning ordinances would pay $1,570 for work that the county estimated costs $66,496—a cost recovery of 2 percent.
Nonetheless, members of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors—including new supervisors Duane Snow and Rodney Thomas—met last week and voted 4-2 against an increase in zoning fees for developers, after supervisor Ken Boyd expressed concerns over the efficiencies of county employees completing zoning tasks.
“I haven’t seen that,” said Boyd, of an analysis of work efficiency. “If I’ve seen that report, I could go along with that.”
“I certainly think we ought to become as efficient as possible,” said Supervisor Dennis Rooker a moment later. “But I don’t want to throw good money after bad.” A second motion was unanimously passed to revisit the fee increase at a later date.
Albemarle County has not increased zoning fees since 2002, and according to a study presented during a 2009 meeting recovers, on average, no more than 3 percent of costs for rezonings of planned developments. While supervisors revisit efficiency concerns, C-VILLE decided to revisit the numbers presented to the county on local and neighboring costs for rezoning.
