CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed AC44 on Wednesday night.
It came after a review process that started in 2021. Several Supervisors thanked staff for the long, hard process of creating the comprehensive plan that will guide the county through changes that include growth, including creating housing and the possibility of swapping out land from developments areas that were no longer being used. Two examples used were about 400 acres of land that is now part of Biscuit Run Park as well as the Village of Rivanna in eastern Albemarle.
Several gave their two cents during the public hearing. Among those who spoke including Rob McGinnis who spoke on behalf of the Piedmont Environmental Council. He thanked those who worked on the plan for creating what he called a successful comprehensive plan update. He says the group does not oppose economic development, but the group had made it clear that a proposed innovation corridor between Fauquier County and Albemarle County should be left the individual counties, including identification of potential impacts.
“What we’re looking at is maintaining and improving the county’s the county’s conservation programs, implementing the stream health initiative updating the biodiversity action plan, the rural land use plan, looking at biosolid ZTA,” he said. “I also want to end by saying that you’re doing a modernization of your zoning ordinance that needs to be well aligned with your AC44 goals and objections and actions.”
Neil Williams with the Free Enterprise Forum said the plan is not perfect.
“Staff has worked diligently on the plan,” he said, “but work should never be confused with accomplishment. AC44 fails to address the planning challenges Albemarle faces in the following 20 weeks, not to mention the next 20 years. You, my friends, own this failure due to a lack of vision and the reality of an equally split Board of Supervisors. AC44 ended up much the way it started four years ago: confused, conflicted and perpetuating the status quo.”
AC44 will go into effect at the beginning of 2026.
