OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Meeting - October 2, 2025

Board of Supervisors — Thursday, October 2, 2025
BodyAlbemarle County, Virginia
SessionBoard of Supervisors
DateThursday, October 2, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 5:35:00

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Please stage a reason for remote participation in your location.

0:06

Good afternoon.

0:12

And I am the Supervisor Pluitt without the Pruitt.

0:37

Thank you.

0:48

Travis Morris of the Wells.

2:03

I must pull it out.

2:07

Thank you.

2:08

Um final agenda.

2:14

We have a motion from Supervisor.

2:19

Miss Mallet.

2:20

Yes.

2:20

Ms.

2:20

McKeel?

2:21

Yes.

2:21

Mr.

2:22

Pruitt.

2:22

I.

2:23

Mr.

2:24

Andrews.

2:24

Yes.

2:25

Miss Lap uh Mr.

2:26

Galloway?

2:27

Yes.

2:27

Ms.

2:28

Lapisto Kurtley.

2:29

Aye.

2:30

Thank you.

2:31

Uh board, our first item then is brief announcement by board members, and we'll start with Supervisor Lapisto Kurtley.

2:38

You're back on.

2:40

Um if you can.

2:43

You're first today.

2:44

Okay.

2:45

Thank you very much.

2:46

I am so lucky to be first.

2:48

I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.

2:51

I wanted to let everyone know that this morning on the today show, we were featured regarding fall foliage.

3:01

They talked about Charlottesville, Abomarle County, the Monticello Wine Trail, uh, the fact that we have 70 wineries, uh downtown Seaville, UVA and hotels, and the CACBB, our visitors bureau assisted with the producers last week uh to source imagery and talking points.

3:21

So pretty proud of all that.

3:23

So I watched the segment and it was very nice to get a chance to watch it.

3:27

Thank you.

3:27

That's all.

3:28

Thank you.

3:29

Supervisor Pruitt.

3:31

Thank you.

3:31

I on a similar note, you know, earlier this weekend I had the honor and privilege of joining two of my elected counterparts in the city and a huge group of other members of our regional community uh to run the Loop de Ville, celebrating the Ravana Trail Foundation, and it is a great reminder, along with the incredible weather we have uh coming in to work today, uh, that this truly is the peak season for our region for outdoor activities that really drive our economy and drive our culture.

4:00

I hope everyone gets out there and enjoys the best that Charlesville has to offer and also uh continues to be safe if you're out there on any of our trails.

4:08

Um it is also currently early voting.

4:10

You can vote literally right now if you go to the uh Fifth Street County offices.

4:17

There are several contested local offices, and there are three different very important contested state offices that are all going to be on your ballot.

4:26

This includes making sure you uh have a voice on the people who are going to be up here.

4:30

It's important.

4:31

Um so please uh get out there for early voting.

4:34

If you are not registered or you've recently moved and you're like, oh, well, I need to go to the that's not correct anymore.

4:41

You can on the day of you can get big time.

4:48

And I would promise if I just uh our counterparts on the school board.

4:56

Do a lot of work.

5:00

I have a friend who serves on the school board, uh Alison Spillman who has a somewhat controversial statement on her personal Facebook recently.

5:05

And over the last 24 hours, she has received thousands of to her personal cell phone on her personal email.

5:12

Uh threats, harassing texts, uh statements threatening her children.

5:18

It is it is a monstrous reminder of the way that the kind of current moment of intense vitriol in our politics can leach into people's personal lives and the ways that it can deeply chill and affect our ability to do our jobs at the local level, right?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████25%
Public Engagement███████████████15%
Strategic Planning█████████████13%
Affordable Housing█████████9%
Procedural██████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Community Engagement████4%
Water And Wastewater Management████4%
Youth Programs███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Meeting

Date: October 2, 2025, 5:30 PM

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors convened at 5:30 PM on October 2, 2025, to address a full agenda including proclamations, public comments, VDOT updates, data center regulations, and extensive work on the AC44 Comprehensive Plan. The meeting extended into the evening, concluding with a closed session for board appointments and a public hearing on industrial building height regulations.

Consent Calendar

  • The board unanimously approved the consent agenda as presented, including the January 15, 2025, meeting minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Tom Olivier (Samuel Miller district) expressed concern over data center growth, citing noise, emissions, energy consumption, and climate impacts. He urged that large data centers require a special use permit.
  • Tom Loach (President of Crozet) questioned the need for an outside consultant for the AC44 land use review and highlighted the county's land use subsidy program costing residents approximately $250 million since 1991.
  • Neil Williamson (Free Enterprise Forum) recommended that the board separate the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) from the AC44 process and update it within 24 months.
  • Christina Libre (Southern Environmental Law Center) strongly supported maintaining the special use permit requirement for data centers over 40,000 square feet.
  • Doug Holiday and Dick Payne (owners of Sweet Spot of Albemarle LLC) requested a FLUM adjustment from industrial to community mixed-use for their parcel near I-64 and US-29.
  • Brian Carlton (county resident) expressed opposition to data centers and supported maintaining the special use permit.
  • Emily Smith (Legal Aid Justice Center) urged ambitious housing strategies in AC44, including mandatory inclusionary zoning and increased funding for affordable housing.
  • Siobhan O'Flynn (Community Climate Collaborative) praised the pause on data center ordinance development and highlighted the proposed 1.5 GW gas plant in Fluvanna County, which threatens Albemarle residents' health.
  • Randy Fetterman (Scottville district) opposed allowing large data centers by right, citing noise from backup generators and lack of local jobs.

Discussion Items

  • VDOT Quarterly Report: Kerry Shepherd reported on project updates, including the ongoing closure of Old Ivy Road bridge after a strike, the upcoming Fontaine Avenue bridge construction, and progress on several roundabout projects. The board praised VDOT's rapid response.
  • Data Center Phase II Zoning Update: Bill Fritz recommended pausing work on overlay districts and retaining existing regulations (special use permits for data centers over 40,000 sq ft). The board unanimously supported the pause, with some members suggesting a lower threshold for by-right approvals and improved terminology to clarify performance standards.
  • AC44 Comprehensive Plan Work Session: The board continued its review of the AC44 draft, addressing chapters on policy, growth management, development area land use, rural area, transportation, thriving economy, housing, environmental stewardship, parks and recreation, cultural resources, community facilities, and implementation. Key changes included adding actions for native species planting, stormwater best practices, and strengthening social connection. The board debated the future land use map, especially the Sweet Spot parcel, and discussed metrics for housing, groundwater monitoring, and big moves prioritization. The board directed staff to incorporate numerous edits and amendments.
  • Sweet Spot Parcel FLUM Change: After debate, Supervisor McKeel moved to change the future land use designation of parcel 7548 from industrial to Office RD Flex Light Industrial. The motion passed 4-2 (Supervisors McKeel, Pruitt, Galloway, and Lapista Kirtley in favor; Supervisors Malik and Andrews opposed).

Key Outcomes

  • The board supported a pause on data center zoning text and map amendments, retaining the current special use permit requirement for data centers over 40,000 square feet.
  • The board approved the Sweet Spot parcel FLUM change to Office RD Flex Light Industrial.
  • The board adopted a resolution recognizing National 4-H Week (October 5-11, 2025) and received the VACO Achievement Award for the Albemarle County Pharmacy Project (fourth award in five years for the county).
  • The board unanimously adopted the ordinance amending height regulations in industrial districts, allowing a special exception process for heights exceeding 65 feet.
  • The board appointed members to several committees following a closed session.
  • The AC44 comprehensive plan work session will continue at the next scheduled meeting on October 15, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Please stage a reason for remote participation in your location. Good afternoon. And I am the Supervisor Pluitt without the Pruitt. Thank you. Travis Morris of the Wells. I must pull it out. Thank you. Um final agenda. We have a motion from Supervisor. Miss Mallet. Yes. Ms. McKeel? Yes. Mr. Pruitt. I. Mr. Andrews. Yes. Miss Lap uh Mr. Galloway? Yes. Ms. Lapisto Kurtley. Aye. Thank you. Uh board, our first item then is brief announcement by board members, and we'll start with Supervisor Lapisto Kurtley. You're back on. Um if you can. You're first today. Okay. Thank you very much. I am so lucky to be first. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. I wanted to let everyone know that this morning on the today show, we were featured regarding fall foliage. They talked about Charlottesville, Abomarle County, the Monticello Wine Trail, uh, the fact that we have 70 wineries, uh downtown Seaville, UVA and hotels, and the CACBB, our visitors bureau assisted with the producers last week uh to source imagery and talking points. So pretty proud of all that. So I watched the segment and it was very nice to get a chance to watch it. Thank you. That's all. Thank you. Supervisor Pruitt. Thank you. I on a similar note, you know, earlier this weekend I had the honor and privilege of joining two of my elected counterparts in the city and a huge group of other members of our regional community uh to run the Loop de Ville, celebrating the Ravana Trail Foundation, and it is a great reminder, along with the incredible weather we have uh coming in to work today, uh, that this truly is the peak season for our region for outdoor activities that really drive our economy and drive our culture. I hope everyone gets out there and enjoys the best that Charlesville has to offer and also uh continues to be safe if you're out there on any of our trails. Um it is also currently early voting. You can vote literally right now if you go to the uh Fifth Street County offices. There are several contested local offices, and there are three different very important contested state offices that are all going to be on your ballot. This includes making sure you uh have a voice on the people who are going to be up here.

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