OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting - January 22, 2025

Board of Supervisors — Wednesday, January 22, 2025
BodyAlbemarle County, Virginia
SessionBoard of Supervisors
DateWednesday, January 22, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 7:11:59

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Okay.

0:03

Good afternoon.

0:04

And I'm pleased to call to order this regular meeting of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on the 22nd of January at 1 p.m.

0:11

in Lane Auditorium.

0:13

I'd like to note at the day as we have Supervisor Ann Malik of the White Hall District, Supervisor Ned Galloway of the Rio District, Supervisor Diantha McKeel of the Jack Jewett district, Supervisor B.

0:23

LaPisto Kirtley of the Ravana District, Supervisor Mike Pruitt of the Scottsville District, and myself, Jim Andrews representing the Samuel Miller district, the quorum is present.

0:32

We're also joined by our county executive, Mr.

0:35

Jeff Richardson, our interim county attorney, Mr.

0:37

Andy Herrick, and our clerk, Ms.

0:40

Claudette Orgerson, and our senior deputy clerk, Mr.

0:42

Travis Morris.

0:44

Also, let me please welcome Albemarle County Police Officers present, Master Police Officer Jerry Schenck, and Officer Tavon Richardson.

0:52

We are grateful for your service today and every day on behalf of the citizens of Albemarle County for our safety and security.

1:00

If all present could please stand as you are able and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:15

One nation under God in a visible liberty and justice.

1:24

Thank you.

1:25

And I now ask if you will join us in a moment of silence.

2:00

I will note that one of the consent agenda items is to note that our first meeting in February would start at 5 p.m.

2:06

instead of 1 p.m.

2:07

Are there any other if no if there are no suggested changes, then is there a motion to accept the final agenda?

2:13

So moved.

2:14

Second.

2:20

Mr.

2:20

Andrews?

2:20

Yes.

2:21

Mr.

2:21

Galloway?

2:22

Yes.

2:22

Ms.

2:23

Lapista Kirtley.

2:24

Aye.

2:24

Ms.

2:24

Mallet?

2:25

Yes.

2:25

Ms.

2:25

McKeel?

2:26

Yes.

2:26

Mr.

2:27

Pruitt.

2:27

Aye.

2:28

Thank you.

2:29

Board.

2:30

We will now take a moment for announcements.

2:33

And our order speaking order today starts with Supervisor Brook.

2:38

Yes, a few things.

2:40

First off, I don't think I actually need to tell anyone this, but it's worth reminding people that the weather is absolutely foul.

2:48

And there are still some roads, some private uh parking lots, some things like that that have accumulation of ice in passive vehicle travel or in passive personal travel.

2:58

Additionally, it is not really conducive to life inside the temperature.

3:04

So make sure if you if you got pets that they're inside, if you got people that they're inside.

3:12

This is not whether that you should be out and if you do not need to go out.

3:16

Additionally, you know, it is uh still ongoing legislative time.

3:21

General Assembly is in session.

3:22

Uh they're only in session for about a month.

3:25

This is their short session, and there is a lot of important work that I'm sure other members of my peers will touch on.

3:31

I want to mention that uh two very important budget amendments are both moving forward.

3:35

Uh Delegate Calson has brought forth an amendment for the uh the additional spur to biscuit run to connect over um to the other side to uh the Southwood community is uh moving forward.

3:48

Uh additionally, there is quite a lot moving on the Ravanna Station budget amendment.

3:52

Um additionally, um, a few things that I am tracking that were not necessarily things that the board was highlighting, but I would like to share with the public.

4:00

Um delegate Nadarius Clark has uh reintroduced his rent stabilization bill and is moving forward so far.

4:05

Um and delegate Carlson uh has been uh working actually with me through my other job on an algorithmic pricing bill, which is going to be very uh exciting.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████26%
Environmental Protection█████████████████17%
Affordable Housing█████████████13%
Water And Wastewater Management███████████11%
Public Engagement████████8%
Zoning And Land Use██████6%
Public Transportation█████5%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Public Works███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting - January 22, 2025

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors held a regular meeting on January 22, 2025, at 1:00 PM in Lane Auditorium, continuing into the evening. The meeting included a work session on the AC44 Environmental Stewardship Chapter, a closed meeting to appoint a new County Attorney, a presentation from the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO) CEO, and a public hearing on the Archer North development rezoning. Key outcomes include the approval of the Archer North rezoning (5-1), the appointment of Andrew H. Herrick as County Attorney, and direction to staff on several environmental stewardship action items.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved personnel policy amendments (25-132).
  • Approved a letter of support for the MERIT Technical Assistance Grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (25-141).
  • Approved a resolution scheduling a public hearing for an ACSA sewer easement on county property (25-131).
  • Approved a resolution of intent for ZTA 2024-02 Data Centers (25-129).
  • Approved the Pantops Overlook Stepback Waiver SE202400030 (25-122).
  • Approved a resolution changing the start time of the February 5, 2025, meeting to 5:00 PM (25-145).
  • Received for information: Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority and Albemarle County Service Authority quarterly reports.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Anna Keller (Cavalier Crossing resident, Scottsville District) expressed concern about the displacement of extremely low-income residents from Cavalier Crossing, which is being converted to luxury apartments, and asked the Board to consider the need for affordable housing.
  • Vicky Bravo (IMPACT, interfaith organization) advocated for establishing an Affordable Housing Trust Fund funded at $10 million per year, prioritizing households at 60% Area Median Income ($75,000 and below). She noted that over 10,000 homeowners and renters in the county are cost-burdened and that the number of children without secure housing could fill a middle school.
  • Stuart Overby (Don't Spread on Me, Samuel Miller District) spoke about PFAS contamination from biosolids used as fertilizer. He urged the Board to direct staff to create a report, adopt an ordinance regulating biosolids (modeled after Rappahannock County), and add language to AC44. He referenced a January 14, 2025 EPA report on PFAS risks.
  • Sophie Massey (Samuel Miller District) echoed Stuart Overby's comments, emphasizing the need for proactive outreach and education on PFAS and biosolids, especially for private well users in rural areas.
  • Later in the evening, Murr McClernon (Charlottesville resident, IMPACT) shared a success story of a previously homeless woman who found stability through affordable housing at The Crossings, supporting the need for a Housing Trust Fund.

Work Session: AC44 Environmental Stewardship Chapter

Staff (Scott Clark, Conservation Program Manager; Tanya Schwenk, Planning Manager) presented the draft chapter, which focuses on water supply protection, water quality, biodiversity, and natural systems. Key discussion points included:

  • Low Impact Development (LID) Incentives: Board discussed prioritizing incentives (e.g., density bonuses) vs. requiring LID measures. Staff noted that requirements may be limited by state code and that incentives need to be strong enough to shift behavior. Supervisors expressed concern about balancing environmental goals with affordability and density in the growth area. The Board generally supported exploring incentives but did not approve a requirement.
  • Biodiversity Protection on County-Owned Lands: Board supported demonstration projects and measures such as conservation mowing, invasive plant removal, and native plant restoration. Supervisors emphasized the importance of education and signage.
  • Additional Water Quality and Groundwater Protections: Public comments on PFAS/biosolids prompted discussion on monitoring, testing, and mapping. Board directed staff to explore options for monitoring biosolids and groundwater, partnering with the Soil and Water Conservation District, and revisiting the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act.
  • Stream Health and Metrics: Board questioned the need to develop new metrics when existing ones (e.g., from StreamWatch, RCA) could be used. Staff agreed to integrate measurable indicators and report back on implementation progress across action plans.
  • Fire Hazard Overlay: Discussed possibility of adopting a fire hazard overlay similar to the flood hazard overlay.
  • Dark Skies: Board supported updating the lighting ordinance (to be done during zoning modernization) and considering needs-based assistance for retrofits.
  • The Board will revisit revisions to earlier chapters on February 12, 2025, and the Parks and Recreation chapter on February 19, 2025.

Key Outcomes

  • The Board approved the Archer North Development rezoning (ZMA202300014) by a vote of 5-1 (Supervisor Pruitt opposed). The project will build 302 units (20% affordable at 60% AMI, for-sale condos with 40-year affordability term) with a public road, shared-use paths, and transit stops. The previous RST plan (75% affordable rental units, 332 units) was deemed economically unfeasible by the applicant.
  • The Board appointed Andrew H. Herrick as County Attorney, effective February 1, 2025, following a closed meeting (unanimous vote).
  • On the AC44 Environmental Stewardship Chapter, Board provided direction to staff to prioritize incentives for low-impact development, explore measures for biodiversity protection on county lands, and investigate monitoring of PFAS/biosolids. Staff will incorporate feedback and return with revisions.
  • The Board will hold its next regular meeting on February 5, 2025, at 5:00 PM in Lane Auditorium.

Airport Presentation

Jason Birch, CEO of Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO), reported that the airport served almost 700,000 passengers in 2024 (90% recovery from pre-COVID levels). CHO is self-sufficient (no local tax revenue for operations) and generates $310 million in economic activity. He outlined future plans including terminal improvements, parking and ground transportation, general aviation enhancements, and eventual replacement of the aging air traffic control tower. The Board thanked him for the presentation.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Good afternoon. And I'm pleased to call to order this regular meeting of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on the 22nd of January at 1 p.m. in Lane Auditorium. I'd like to note at the day as we have Supervisor Ann Malik of the White Hall District, Supervisor Ned Galloway of the Rio District, Supervisor Diantha McKeel of the Jack Jewett district, Supervisor B. LaPisto Kirtley of the Ravana District, Supervisor Mike Pruitt of the Scottsville District, and myself, Jim Andrews representing the Samuel Miller district, the quorum is present. We're also joined by our county executive, Mr. Jeff Richardson, our interim county attorney, Mr. Andy Herrick, and our clerk, Ms. Claudette Orgerson, and our senior deputy clerk, Mr. Travis Morris. Also, let me please welcome Albemarle County Police Officers present, Master Police Officer Jerry Schenck, and Officer Tavon Richardson. We are grateful for your service today and every day on behalf of the citizens of Albemarle County for our safety and security. If all present could please stand as you are able and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. One nation under God in a visible liberty and justice. Thank you. And I now ask if you will join us in a moment of silence. I will note that one of the consent agenda items is to note that our first meeting in February would start at 5 p.m. instead of 1 p.m. Are there any other if no if there are no suggested changes, then is there a motion to accept the final agenda? So moved. Second. Mr. Andrews? Yes. Mr. Galloway? Yes. Ms. Lapista Kirtley. Aye. Ms. Mallet? Yes. Ms. McKeel? Yes. Mr. Pruitt. Aye. Thank you. Board. We will now take a moment for announcements. And our order speaking order today starts with Supervisor Brook. Yes, a few things. First off, I don't think I actually need to tell anyone this, but it's worth reminding people that the weather is absolutely foul. And there are still some roads, some private uh parking lots, some things like that that have accumulation of ice in passive vehicle travel or in passive personal travel. Additionally, it is not really conducive to life inside the temperature. So make sure if you if you got pets that they're inside, if you got people that they're inside. This is not whether that you should be out and if you do not need to go out.

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