Brought you by: Village of Rivanna Citizen’s Action Group (VORCAG)
Formerly Village of Rivanna Community Advisory Committee (VORCAC)
So What Is Happening?
The updating process of the Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan required every 5 years.
Remind Me. What Is a Comprehensive Plan?
A Comprehensive Plan (or Comp Plan) is a 20 year document for growth which is updated every five years. Its purpose is to guide the land use development of the County. It has recommendations for how and where the County should grow; supporting local business and industry; protecting natural resources; providing transportation options for walking, biking, public transit, and driving; and allowing and encouraging a variety of housing types.
As examples the Comp Plan is used to:
determine where new development should occur and at what density.
recommend updates to existing local zoning ordinances.
make funding decisions for public projects.
Why Should I care?
The Comp Plan determines what can be built next door to you and on your land after you sell it. The Comp Plan should anticipate increased infrastructure needs to accommodate additional traffic on the roads you use, school capacity, medical and safety services, and transportation requirements. It determines density in your neighborhood, can change zoning to include retail usage, and alter the rural character subtly or drastically.
We are looking for a Vision for Albemarle County. We keep hearing that thousands and thousands of people want to move here. One of the Happiest Places in America Just because they want to move here, do we want them all? Is the area able to absorb them all? What are they expecting to find here?
Are we creating a Vision of what we want to be or are we just trying to accommodate all of these new residents and what they want us to be?
How Can I Learn More About This Comp Plan Update?
The County has created the Albemarle County 2044 (AC44) website as a tool for citizens to participate in the update process. For More Info
The Project Website is provided to keep you up to date. It lists dates and places on how to participate or gain information that the County is willing to share with you. You can register to “get involved.”
Current Stage - Growth Management “Policy through lenses of equity climate action, and capacity projections.”
Are They the Ones Putting Out Those Surveys?
Indeed they are, and we wanted to provide you with some follow up from the last one, Survey 2, which some of you responded to, but … research has discovered more than one set of numbers. Compare this website (click on “view results”) to this full report.
Tori Kanellopoulos reports “There were 474 respondents for Questionnaire #2: Growth Management Options, which closed on July 17. The full results are available on the website at the following link.” Participation from the public was 0.47%.
Why do you think that is? Your Thoughts
For those of you who want to sift through deeper survey background Click Here.
Sean Tubbs of Charlottesville Community Engagement, provides a good report on the Planning Commission (PC) Work Session on July 26 discussing Survey 2 results Here.
Below, are some key points from Sean’s publication – thanks Sean Tubbs!
Seven growth management options are listed. The firm EPR has been hired to help develop the growth management options.
“These were developed by the consultants and the staff after the first round of public input,” said Vlad Gavrilovic with EPR. “They’re not intended as picking one as the winner or the loser. They’re intended to initiate discussion.”
Here are a few comments from the Planning Commissioners:
“I did a deep dive on the last one that came out and when I look at the demographics, the demographics really trend white, upper class, middle-upper class, and extremely well-educated,” said Commission Julian Bivins. “What I’m nervous about is that those responses become the drivers for lots of decisions.”
“I think it’s important to have a concept of ‘do no harm’ in the rural area,” Murray said.
“If we do not increase the development area, Samuel Miller [District] will end up in the near future as the largest land mass district in Albemarle County.” Bivins said “From an equity standpoint, one has to say, ‘is that where we want to go as a county?’”
“How does the capital plan for infrastructure, how does that inform development and how are they linked together?” Missel asked. “Not to throw the [Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority] into the mix it’s just one that comes to mind. What is their capital plan and how does that support strategic density? How does it support sustainability?” (Fred Missel is the Planning Commissioner for the Village of Rivanna).
“Missel’s day job is as director of design and development at the University of Virginia Foundation. The Foundation is pursuing a rezoning at its North Fork Discovery Park for a potential mixed-use residential complex.” (quotes from Sean Tubbs PC report per Sean Tubbs)
For A Deep Dive
All of the (very interesting) comments from Survey #2 are available in the complete results Here. These full results are 195 pages; it is mostly text comments from respondents. Responses vary from “pack everyone into the development areas” to “stop the growth!”
Call To Action – We Need YOU!
We have tried in vain to reach those living in the housing development, Rivanna Village. If you know anyone who lives there or who is in charge of mailings to that neighborhood, please tell them about us so we can include any who wish in our mailing list. You can always subscribe as designated (and required by law) on the footer of the newsletter, or the link below and you can always unsubscribe in the same way.
Also, there are 7 of us on in this group. Most of us have been here for 16+ years, staying on top of elected, and appointed officials as well as hired Staff, Zoning, Development, and all the big stuff that determines what it looks like Where We Live. We will continue to do the work whether in a group or not, because that is just who we are. But, we know there are more like us, or who want to be more involved, and we need new blood. If you are interested in adding your research, knowledge, opinions, etc., we are happy to talk to you about joining us in a small or large part. You may want to attend a meeting; we can do that. Reach Out Here
To ask questions, make comments, or suggest topics, click here.
County contacts for VOR –
Supervisor Donna Price - dprice@albemarle.org
Planning Commissioner Fred Missel - fmissel@albemarle.org
Deputy Director of Community Development – Operations Charles Rapp - rappc@albemarle.org
Brought to you by – Village of Rivanna Citizens Action Group (VORCAG) is dedicated to keeping you informed about development and growth issues in the Village of Rivanna (Rt 250 East) area.
Visit our website.
I live in RV and posted the link to this substack in our FB community. You should expect some engagement very soon.