An overview of the Jan. 8 Board of Supervisors AC44 comp plan update work session on the Rural Area and Land Use chapter and a preview Albemarle’s draft Solar Ordinance, which PEC has some concerns about.
Rob McGinnis
AC44 | Land Conservation is Climate Action
Public benefits of permanently conserved land include climate resilience, flood mitigation, wildlife habitat, air and water quality protection and viewsheds that contribute to a $1 billion tourism industry.
Albemarle Comprehensive Plan Contradictions
The Albemarle Comprehensive Planning process — a document that will guide growth, development and investment in the County for the next 20 years — is once again underway. Read on for what concerns we’re paying special attention to.
AC44 Update: Dec. 6, 2024
With three AC44 meetings held in a single week leading up to Thanksgiving, its clear Phase 3 is well underway, just as we noted in our last update. Read on for a summary of some of the more concerning conversations we heard and what we’re looking forward to at next Tuesday’s Planning Commission Work Session on the Rural Area Land Use chapter.
As always, participation makes our community better. Stay tuned and share this email with those interested in engaging with Albemarle’s future and sign up for the County’s alerts to hear it from them first.
Planning Commission Work Session:
Rural Area Land Use (Actions)
Tues, Dec. 10 @ 4-5:30 p.m.
Lane Auditorium, County Office Building
401 McIntire Road
Rising Concerns
The Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors have committed to a Growth Management Policy that states, “focusing growth within the Development Areas is the best way to preserve land for agriculture, forestry, and the natural environment in the Rural Area, and to foster a vibrant mix of uses and activities with services and amenities in the Development Areas, leveraging existing infrastructure and opportunities for redevelopment, discouraging sprawl, and providing services and infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner.”
Though PEC supports much of what is proposed regarding the growth management framework and the draft Development Areas and Rural chapters, we have serious concerns about what we’ve heard recently.
For example:
1. Forest blocks aren’t beneficial unless they are publicly-accessible.
Albemarle’s rural and urban forests and tree cover sequestered over 900,000 metric tons of carbon per year for 2008-2016, roughly 60% of the average greenhouse gas emissions for Albemarle for those years. They also filter air quality, provide essential wildlife habitat, and provide climate and flood resilience. Views of forest cover and natural open space contribute to the thriving tourism industry in Albemarle County and Charlottesville, totaling nearly $1 billion annually – comparable to the estimated $1.2 billion annual economic benefit of the regional Department of Defence sector. In addition to protected private lands, PEC continues to advocate for publicly accessible open spaces for people to visit – to be seen most visibly with the opening of Biscuit Run Park Dec. 14.
2. The Development Areas may need to be expanded sooner than later in order to accommodate the projected growth of over 30,000 new Albemarle residents by 2044.
The County’s 2022 Land Use Buildout Analysis indicates that there is space available for development and redevelopment within the current Albemarle County Development Areas. We should be prioritizing and incentivizing this kind of dense, walkable/bikeable development with access to transit and open space within the current Development Areas, especially for affordable housing proposals.
3. Misconception: We should consider “transition zones” between the Development Areas and the Rural Area.
Facts: The current draft Growth Management Policy clearly states the “Development Areas and the Rural Area will have distinct boundaries, without low-density transition areas.” The draft growth management framework includes a Development Areas Utilization Review that would be undertaken every two years to ensure we unlock the capacity of the Development Areas to accommodate future growth, including for Affordable Housing.
As PEC has seen in Loudoun County, the creation of a “transition zone” between the rural and developed parts of the county, can easily lead to sprawl, traffic and air quality impacts, and threaten the natural resources that the Rural Area was created to protect. Namely, our water resources that are threatened by climate change and unchecked growth.
Dec. 10: Rural Area Land Use Planning Commission Work Session (Part 2)
The Nov. 19 Planning Commission Work Session focused on Rural Area Land Use policies. The Dec. 10 work session will be all about Objectives and Actions, or pages 7-10 of the draft Rural Area Land Use chapter. As we mentioned before, there is much we can support in the draft chapter:
- the Rural Area Land Use Approach;
- the focus on strengthening Land Conservation;
- the recommendation for the development and adoption of a Rural Area Land Use Plan into the comprehensive plan; and
- protection of rural communities.
However, like our support for the Rural Area from the beginning, many of our concerns have stayed well into this process. We are concerned that:
- focusing on potential land uses at the rural Yancy and Shadwell I-64 interchanges could lead to sprawl and traffic impacts along US250 east and west of the Yancy interchange and US250 east of the Shadwell interchange.
- The County should limit the small area plan study areas for these two interchanges to the parcels abutting and in close proximity to the interchanges.
- the County’s proposal to review and update the legacy or stale commercially zoned parcels in the Rural Area could lead to sprawl and adverse impacts to Rural Area resources and communities. These are parcels that were zoned commercial before the Rural Area zoning was established in 1980.
- The County should address land use policies for these parcels as part of the County’s recommended Rural Area Land Use Plan.
- the County’s proposal to identify land uses and potential ways to support existing businesses and services in the Rural Area. Unless driven by a rural community’s input and consensus, this approach could result in sprawl and overdevelopment.
- This proposal should be holistically and intentionally addressed as part of the County’s recommended Rural Area Land Use Plan or small area plans for rural communities.
- the County’s proposal to identify an overall acreage or maximum percentage for land conservation in the Rural Area. The County’s “how much is enough?” quantitative approach could result in missed opportunities for conserving our most important resources that support resilience and quality of life. This conflicts with the County’s own goals for conservation. This is another reason to support PEC’s initiative to strengthen Albemarle’s conservation programs through actionable steps. Supervisors will discuss this during their Jan. 8 work session focusing on the entire Rural Area Land Use chapter.
- The County should eliminate this proposal from the draft recommendation for the preparation of a Rural Area Land Use Plan.
Submit Comments:
As this is a work session and not a public hearing, there will be no opportunity for public comment, but you can still:
- Submit Comments in Writing: Public comments will be accepted in writing at the work session, or by emailing comments to [email protected] and copying [email protected] and [email protected].
- Attend the Work Session: It is important for elected officials to see that community members are paying attention to the decisions that impact them.
- Join a future AC44 lunch & learn: County staff will virtually give a brief presentation about each chapter and answer any questions. See their events page for information. Next Thurs., Dec. 12 @ noon will cover the Rural Area Land Use chapter.
We hope to see you at the meeting and hear that you submitted comments.
Upcoming Dates
- Tues, Dec. 10: AC44 Planning Commission Work Session: Rural Area Land Use (Actions) – 4 – 5:30 p.m.
- Thurs, Dec. 12: AC44 Lunch and Learn: Rural Area Land Use – Virtually @ 12 – 1 p.m.
- Tues, Dec. 17: AC44 Planning Commission Work Session: Environmental Stewardship – 4 – 5:30 p.m.
- Wed, Jan. 8: AC44 Board of Supervisors Work Session: Rural Area Land Use (Final: Entire Chapter)
- Wed, Jan. 22: AC44 Board of Supervisors Work Session: Environmental Stewardship
Thank you!
Rob McGinnis
AC44 Phase 3 Begins in Full Force
The following text was sent out via email on Nov. 15, 2024. Sign up for PEC email alerts →
Dear Supporters,
The Albemarle Comprehensive Planning process is once again underway, this time with a robust agenda and communications materials to match. PEC has followed along since the beginning, but especially since our last update in August. Read on for a summary of where we are now and what’s happening this Tues., Nov. 19. Stay tuned and share this email with those interested in engaging with Albemarle’s future; we’ll resume our regular emailing schedule. Also, sign up for the County’s alerts to hear it from them first.
This has been a long process but it will end in mid-2025, and with your effort and ours, resulting in a better future for Albemarle County. Thank you for your engagement.
Planning Commission Work Session: Rural Area Land Use
Tues., Nov. 19 @ 6 p.m.
Lane Auditorium, County Office Building
401 McIntire Road
What’s Been Going On
Since the close of Phase 2 and the AC44 team’s July presentation outlining the new Comp Plan structure and next steps, the ball has kept rolling. County staff unveiled:
- An updated Growth Management Framework, which PEC is largely supportive of, should it include more language about the County’s commitment to unlocking the potential of the Development Areas and protecting the Rural Area for climate resilience.
- The Future Land Use Categories designations and map, which shows what and where specific types of land uses like for single family housing like an HOA or a mix of commercial and residential could occur, like the Downtown Mall.
- A draft of Activity Center place types, which describes four types of community spaces that can exist now or in the future with various businesses, services and housing where people can gather, shop, stroll, work, and meet our daily needs.
County staff have also reworked elements of the draft Comprehensive Plan over the summer and have come up with 10 plan topic chapters for implementation, with actionable steps for each, that will be shared throughout the rest of 2024 and early 2025.
The chapters now are:
- Development Areas Land Use
- Rural Area Land Use
- Transportation
- Thriving Economy
- Environmental Stewardship
- Historic, Scenic, and Cultural Resources
- Resilient Community
- Parks, Recreation, and Open Space
- Housing
- Community Facilities & Services
There was an all-CAC (Community Advisory Committee) meeting to address the draft Growth Management Framework and future land uses on Oct. 30. And the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors have held work sessions on the Development Areas Land Use chapter in the last couple of weeks.
Going forward, plan chapters will be released on the AC44 Engage website roughly monthly – or via the staff memo a week prior to future work sessions. Staff will then seek feedback from the Planning Commission during a work session, and the Board of Supervisors during a later work session. There will also be a monthly virtual lunch & learn events in order to ask staff specific questions – the first will be held on the Development Areas policies, goal statement, objectives, and actions this Thurs., Nov. 21 @ noon: register to attend.
Nov. 19: Rural Area Land Use Planning Commission Work Session
From the beginning of this process, PEC has highlighted the importance of the Rural Area. To this end, there is much we can support in the proposed Rural Area Land Use draft chapter that will go before the Planning Commission this Tuesday, Nov. 19 @ 6 p.m. These include:
- the Rural Area Land Use Approach;
- the focus on strengthening Land Conservation;
- the recommendation for the development and adoption of a Rural Area Land Use Plan into the comprehensive plan; and
- protection of rural communities.
However, like our support for the Rural Area from the beginning, many of our concerns have stayed well into this process. We are concerned that:
- focusing on potential land uses at the rural Yancy and Shadwell I-64 interchanges could lead to sprawl along US250 east and west of the Yancy interchange and US250 east of the Shadwell interchange.
- the County’s proposal to review and update the legacy or stale commercially zoned parcels in the Rural Area. These are parcels that were zoned commercial before the Rural Area zoning was established in 1980. This approach could lead to sprawl and adverse impacts to Rural Area resources and communities.
- the County’s proposal to identify land uses and potential ways to support existing businesses and services in the Rural Area. Unless driven by a rural community’s input and consensus, this approach could result in sprawl and overdevelopment.
- the County’s proposal to identify an overall acreage or maximum percentage for land conservation in the Rural Area. Our assessment is that we’re very far away from reaching anything like maximum-desired conservation. The County’s “how much is enough?” quantitative approach could result in missed opportunities for conserving our most important resources that support resilience and quality of life.
Submit Comments:
As this is a work session and not a public hearing, there will be no opportunity for public comment, but you can still:
- Submit Comments in Writing: Public comments will be accepted in writing at the meeting, or by emailing comments to [email protected] and copying [email protected]
- and [email protected].
- Attend the Work Session: It is important for elected officials to see that community members are paying attention to the decisions that impact them.
- Join a future AC44 lunch & learn: County staff will virtually give a brief presentation about each chapter and answer any questions. See their events page for information on when the Rural Area will be. This Thurs., Nov. 21 @ noon will cover the Development Area.
We hope to see you at the meeting and hear that you submitted comments.
Upcoming Dates
- Nov. 19: AC44 Planning Commission Work Session: Rural Area Land Use – 6 p.m.
- Nov. 20: AC44 Board of Supervisors Work Session: Development Areas Land Use – 6 p.m.
- Nov. 21: AC44 Lunch and Learn: Development Areas Land Use – Virtually 12 – 1 p.m.
- Dec. 10: AC44 Planning Commission Work Session: Rural Area Land Use – 4 – 5:30 p.m.
Thank you!
Rob McGinnis, PLA FASLA
Senior Land Use Field Representative
Albemarle & Greene Counties
[email protected]
Take Action Sept. 4: Cell Tower Ordinance Changes Loom
Next Wednesday, Sept. 4, the Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing to vote on the updated ordinance. PEC is supportive of some of the changes that the Board has proposed, but concerned about some of the protections that have been removed in the draft.
Albemarle Comprehensive Plan Stopped Engagement for Four Months
After months without public communication, County staff say AC44 will undergo a “refinement,” but have given little clarity on what it means.
What’s Going On with AC44?
After nearly four months of noncommunication to the public, County staff have announced that the Albemarle Comprehensive Plan, nearly three years into the update process, will undergo a “refinement”.
AC44 Moves into Action Steps Phase
Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan Update continues with Phase 3: Action Steps, this summer.
Albemarle County Rural Area – PEC Interactive Map
Albemarle County is undergoing an update of its Comprehensive Plan, called AC44 — to serve as a guideline for development and infrastructure in the County over the next 20 years. Given that the maps that depict the wide range of Rural Area resource values are scattered within various County plans and on the County’s GIS platform, PEC has created an interactive map that combines several layers of mapped resources into one. Our interactive map can support community engagement as the County moves through the AC44 Comprehensive Plan update process focusing on major policy goals and objectives.
PEC’s interactive Rural Area map can also support the review of proposed projects within the Rural Area such as utility-scale solar facilities, new electric transmission lines, rural subdivisions, and non-residential land development proposals. PEC has been advocating for strong protections for the values in the Rural Area and smart policies in the Development Area to support this. See our policy recommendations and platform for more information>>
Viewers can use the online “Layer List” found on the right-hand side of the map to see the key and toggle on and off layers of interest.
View our Rural Area map fullscreen>>
PEC developed the interactive Rural Area map to:
- Provide a spatial representation of the valuable/sensitive/significant characteristics within the Rural Area on a single mapping platform;
- Support advocating for policies to protect the Rural Area from sprawl and incompatible development; and
- Support PEC’s high-level recommendation that the County should include a detailed recommendation for the preparation of a Rural Area Plan in the comp plan update.
You can download three PDF maps that include combinations of the map layers listed above:
- Albemarle County Rural Area (all layers)
- Albemarle County Water Resources
- Albemarle County Historic and Scenic Resources
The interactive map above was created, in part, to contrast the map below — the Generalized Land Use Plan prepared by Albemarle County which is the first map in the County’s 2015 Comprehensive Plan. The Development Areas represent 5% of the County, or 37 square miles, and are identified by the various colors indicating designated areas for housing, commercial development, light-industrial uses, open spaces, and other uses. The Rural Area is approximately 95% of the county, or 689 square miles — it is rendered in white here, making it appear empty.
However, we know from the 2015 Comp Plan policy goals, objectives, and strategies for the Rural Area, Natural Resources, Historic, Cultural, and Scenic Resources, and Economic Development that Albemarle County values its natural resources and magnificent cultural landscapes.
The County’s Rural Area is home to forests and farmland, wildlife habitats and corridors, waterways, orchards, vineyards, and historically and culturally significant properties. These rural lands sustain agricultural and forestry operations that are both economically and ecologically important to local communities and to the region. County residents and visitors prize these special places and important resources alike. Albemarle has substantial areas of conservation and has been a model for sustained local efforts to connect and protect critical resources. These conserved lands also help to maintain the rural character and scenic beauty of the Rural Area, and perhaps most importantly, provide increased resiliency by offsetting some of the most harmful climate impacts. It would be costly and difficult, if not impossible, to restore these important places and resources if we lose them.
Additional Background:
Community Surveys in Albemarle County: Perspectives on Planning, Preservation, and Natural Resources from 1994 to 2023
To better understand how residents value the Rural Area, PEC undertook a review of community surveys conducted in Albemarle County from 1994 to the present focusing on survey responses related to the environment, growth management, natural resources, preservation, and rural areas. The surveys reviewed in our Community Surveys in Albemarle County: Perspectives on Planning, Preservation, and Natural Resources from 1994 to 2023 have historically played a crucial role in shaping strategic plans and comprehensive plans in Albemarle County. The results of our findings identify a longstanding and consistently high commitment to growth management policy, preservation of natural resources, and protection of rural area character.
The results of our analysis underscore the priority Albemarle County residents have overwhelmingly given to policies tied to the environment, preservation, and smart growth for nearly 30 years. In this time, Albemarle County residents have given high value to policies pertaining to the environment and preservation, access to nature and recreation, reinforcing the pivotal role these themes play in the community’s ethos and direction.
“Albemarle County’s Development Areas will be attractive, vibrant, areas for residents and businesses, supported by services, facilities, and infrastructure. Growth will be directed to the Development Areas and the County’s Rural Area, with its agricultural, forestal, historic, cultural, scenic, and natural resources, will be preserved for future generations.”
The County’s 2015 Growth Management Policy
PEC research on the Albemarle County Rural Area Performance Value
The facts gathered were intended to promote a better understanding of Albemarle’s Rural Area with a focus on agriculture, working forests, and ecosystem services. The research reveals a more complete understanding of Albemarle’s Rural Area, why agricultural statistics should be more carefully studied, and expand upon the other values being provided through Rural Area land use and associated industries.
Our research was informed by both publicly available and exchanged information, through ongoing communications with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Cooperative Extension, USDA 2017 Census of Agriculture (at the time of writing, we relied on the latest USDA Census of Agriculture), local, state, and national grower’s associations including the Virginia Wine Association, USAPPLE Association, Virginia State Horticultural Society, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Weldon Cooper Center For Public Service, Virginia Department of Forestry, The Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development and The Virginia Tourism Corporation. Ecological benefits of land cover and land use data are provided through Chesapeake Tree Canopy Network in cooperation with USGS, Chesapeake Conservancy, the University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab, the Chesapeake Bay Program, and information collected from Albemarle County’s websites.
This is what we learned about the County’s Rural Area…
- Ranked 25th in the Commonwealth for crop production, out of 97 reporting localities.
- Second highest producing county in Virginia in the fruits/tree nuts/berries category.
- Third highest producing county in Virginia in the horses/ponies/mules/burros/donkeys category.
- Produces 21 percent of all grapes harvested for wine production in the Commonwealth.
- Produces nearly half of all grapes harvested for wine production in the Central Virginia region.
- Ranks above the 70 percentile in total cattle count in the Commonwealth for years 2022 and 2023.
- Ranks 39th out of 110 Virginia localities in the total tax value generated across all timber types, ranked notably high among hardwood timber types.
- Contributes nearly 12 percent of statewide land devoted to orchards, and to the present remains a key region for fruit trees, in particular apples – a nationally competitive and historically significant contribution to production and the continuity of use.
- Leads all Central Virginia counties in the number of people employed in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting combined. The number of people employed in these industries has also increased over a five year period.
- $76.3 million annual benefits provided by tree cover (in reduced air pollution, stormwater management, and sequestered carbon dioxide).
- Total annual air pollution removal value of 20,720 lbs removed annually; $3.0 Million saved annually.
- Gallons of reduced stormwater runoff value of 287.9 million gallons annually; $2.6 million saved annually.
- The County’s forests and tree cover sequester nearly a million metric tons of carbon annually.
Special thanks:
This WebMap was created by PEC’s GIS Specialist Watsun Randolph with support from PEC’s Rob McGinnis, Kim Biasiolli, and Faith Schweikert. Questions? Contact Rob at [email protected].