Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting - April 2, 2025

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors held a regular meeting on April 2, 2025, starting at 1:00 PM in Lane Auditorium. The meeting included proclamations, work sessions on the comprehensive plan and secondary six-year plan, a VDOT quarterly report, a closed meeting, public hearings on agricultural and forestal districts and data center regulations, and multiple votes. The board approved several items, including an emergency ordinance changing a polling place, renewals of agricultural and forestal districts, and a first-phase zoning amendment for data centers.

Proclamations & Recognitions

• Dark Sky Week (April 21–28, 2025): Unanimously adopted. Christine Putnam, Chair of the Natural Heritage Committee, accepted and advocated for an outdoor lighting ordinance. Multiple supervisors spoke in support of dark skies.
• Financial Literacy Awareness Month (April 2025): Unanimously adopted. Janasha Bradford, founder of Mahogany and Friends, accepted and described her organization's work teaching financial literacy to youth.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Afternoon Session:
  • Gary Grant (Rio District): Criticized the board for holding work sessions in Room 241 (poor sound) and for the process of paving rural roads, citing the Bleak House Road experience.
  • Neil Williamson (Free Enterprise Forum): Argued for expanding the development area from 5% to 7% and increasing height allowances to promote densification.
• Evening Session:
  • Kathy Coleman (Rivanna District): Urged the board to reinstate horse trails at Biscuit Run Park, as originally planned, stating that a 2018 survey showing no interest was flawed.
• Public Hearing on Agricultural and Forestal Districts:
  • Madeline Rafferty: Supported preserving AFDs and opposed parcel removals without parcel-by-parcel analysis.
  • Melanie Van Moijten (Chair, AFD Advisory Committee): Opposed removing parcels without development rights, noting that 2/3 of such parcels are not in land use and pay full taxes.
• Public Hearing on Data Center Zoning:
  • Rob McGuinness (Piedmont Environmental Council): Supported the phase one amendment but recommended excluding or limiting data centers in the Downtown Crozet District.
  • Christina Libre (Southern Environmental Law Center): Supported the amendment but urged a 40,000 sq ft cap on accessory data centers and removal of data centers from the Downtown Crozet District.

Discussion Items

• AC44 Development Areas Land Use Chapter & Community Design Guidelines (Work Session):

  • Staff presented revisions to the development areas land use chapter and community design guidelines. Key discussion points included:
    • Supervisor Malik questioned the inclusion of a Rutgers study on parking and rents, preferred local photos over the Navy Yard, and raised concerns about tree preservation and trail design.
    • Supervisor LaPisto-Kirtley advocated for taller buildings (up to 8–10 stories) in appropriate areas to increase density.
    • Supervisor Galloway expressed comfort with the draft but raised concerns about monitoring rural area development proportions (Action 1.9) and the need for inter-agency coordination.
    • Supervisor Pruitt opposed the reliance on CACs for future land use map updates, arguing for a more centralized legislative process. He also emphasized clear standards over studies for lighting and tree preservation.
    • Supervisor McKeel highlighted the need for affordable housing and better use of parking lots.
    • Supervisor Andrews suggested a six-year do-not-pave list for roads where residents have rejected paving.
  • No formal decision was made; staff will incorporate feedback.

• VDOT/Albemarle County FY26-31 Secondary Six-Year Plan (Work Session):

  • Planner Albert Karina-Plun presented the draft plan and rural rustic paving program. Nine roads requested paving; five had enough signatures. Staff recommended adding Burton Road and Burton Lane despite being one vote short due to safety concerns.
  • Board discussion focused on the process: Supervisor Galloway and others argued that residents should gather signatures first, and a do-not-pave list should be created. Supervisor Malik and Supervisor Pruitt supported a time-limited list (e.g., 5–6 years).
  • The county executive indicated staff will develop a formal petition process and return with a framework.

• VDOT Quarterly Report (Presentation):

  • Residency Administrator Carrie Shepheard provided updates on projects: Route 29 shared-use path (spring 2025 ad), Route 250/20 intersection improvements, bridge replacements, and design-build bundles. Discussion included traffic signal coordination, speed limit changes, and maintenance issues.

• Closed Meeting:

  • The board met in closed session under Virginia Code § 2.2-3711(A) to discuss appointments to boards/commissions and legal matters (payments in lieu of taxation and covered practices). The closed meeting was certified.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda Approved: Unanimously (6-0). Items included approval of minutes, appropriations, polling place relocation, and other routine matters.
• Emergency Ordinance (Branchlands Polling Place): Unanimously adopted (6-0) to change the polling place for the Branchlands Precinct from Hillsdale Conference Center to Harvest Church of God (1025 Rio Road East). The ordinance will undergo a 60-day Attorney General review, with a permanent ordinance scheduled for May 7.
• Boards and Commissions Appointments: Unanimously approved (6-0) the following appointments:
  • Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee: Peter Thompson
  • Crozet Community Advisory Committee: Grace Balding
  • Economic Development Authority: William Mitchell
  • Rivanna Solid Waste Authority: Jeff Richardson
  • Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority: Jeff Richardson and Quinn Lunsford
• Agricultural and Forestal Districts Renewal: After public hearing, the board adopted the ordinance (as revised April 2, 2025) by a vote of 6-0. The ordinance renews seven districts (Buck Mountain, Buck's Elbow, Fox Mountain, Keswick, Kinloch, Moorman's River, and Sugar Hollow) with parcel removals as recommended by staff and planning commission, including a five-year phase for parcels in open space land use.
• Data Center Zoning Amendment (ZTA202400002 Phase 1): The board adopted the ordinance as presented (Attachment D) by a vote of 6-0. Two amendments failed (3-3):
  • Amendment to cap accessory data centers at 25% or 40,000 sq ft (failed).
  • Amendment to prohibit standalone data centers in the Downtown Crozet District (failed). The adopted ordinance requires special use permits for data centers over 40,000 sq ft in industrial districts and for all sizes in commercial districts, with performance standards including setbacks and closed-loop cooling.

Next Steps

• Staff will develop a formal petition process for rural road paving and return with a do-not-pave list framework.
• Phase 2 of the data center zoning text amendment will commence, with a scope and schedule to be presented to the board.
• The board will meet for a budget work session on April 7, 2025, at 3:00 PM in Room 241.