Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Meeting - April 1, 2026

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors met on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 1:00 PM. The meeting included two proclamations, public comments, approval of the consent agenda, a VDOT quarterly report, a work session on the Secondary Six-Year Plan and the FY27 Operating and Capital Budget, a closed meeting for appointments, and a public hearing on the North Pointe amendment (ZMA2023-7/SP2023-9). Key outcomes included adoption of the consent agenda, approval of appointments, and unanimous passage of the North Pointe rezoning and special use permit.

Consent Calendar

• Approved by recorded vote: Minutes from December 1, 2025; January 7 and 14, 2026 (Supervisor Duncan noted the importance of updated meeting minutes). Also approved: FY26 appropriations, a public hearing for an ordinance on compensation and sign-on incentives, and a revised charge for the Solid Waste Alternatives Advisory Committee.
• Items for information: Transportation Planning Quarterly Report and the April 2026 Board to Board school board report.

Proclamations & Recognitions

• National Child Abuse Prevention Month (Proclamation 26-231) – Read by Supervisor LaPisto-Kirtley. Dr. Mark Mendelson (pediatrician, board chair of Foothills Children’s Advocacy Center) and Program Director Brianna Ballantino highlighted that nationally 1 in 7 children experience abuse each year, and in Albemarle County over 1,800 suspected cases were reported in 2025. The center serves approximately 300 forensic interviews annually. The board unanimously adopted the proclamation.
• Dark Sky Week (Proclamation 26-232) – Read by Supervisor Mallek. Christine Putnam (Dark Skies Piedmont) noted this was the third year of the proclamation and urged the county to update its lighting ordinance to reduce light pollution, referencing the county’s Biodiversity Action Plan. She stated that $3 billion of energy is wasted annually in the U.S. due to light pollution. The board unanimously adopted the proclamation.

Public Comments & Testimony

• First session (1:40 PM): Two speakers addressed matters previously considered or pending.
  • Gary Grant (Rio District): Criticized the budget process, stating it was “foolish” to ask for savings while relying on reassessment increases, and opposed a car tax increase for housing affordability. He urged keeping religious impact separate from government and moving funds from affordable housing to schools.
  • Rob McGuinness (Piedmont Environmental Council): Supported creating a recreational rural roads program, noting that unpaved roads provide low-stress routes for walking, biking, and running, and contribute to tourism (annual impact ~$1 billion). He recommended aligning the rural rustic program with comp plan policies.
• Evening session (6:00 PM): Five speakers addressed matters previously considered or pending.
  • Rebecca Brown (Rio District): Thanked the county for commitments on housing voucher reforms, but requested that $10 million be allocated to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) to activate 40 unused mainstream voucher slots for disabled residents. She emphasized that 800 people are on the unified voucher wait list.
  • Robert Brown (Rio District): Reinforced his sister’s comments, noting that 206 people on the wait list qualify for those slots. He asked for a locally funded bridge program for housing stability.
  • Alicia Lenahan (Scottsville District): Expressed concern about ICE presence and voter intimidation, urging the board to protect voting rights in upcoming elections.
  • Susan McCullough (Samuel Miller District): Echoed concerns about ICE and voter suppression, asking the board to ensure the April 21 election proceeds without federal law enforcement interference.
  • Rain Sabin (White Hall District): Thanked the board for not slashing services, but warned against federal Medicaid cuts (citing the “big beautiful bill” cutting nearly $1 trillion). She requested continued funding for local service providers and $10 million for AHIF.
  • Wacis Almelhan (White Hall District): Shared personal experience as a refugee and stressed that housing stability is foundational. He asked for real-time tracking of accessible units, published ACERP data, and formal anti-purge protections for wait lists.

Discussion Items

• VDOT Quarterly Report (Item 9): Presented by Residency Administrator Carrie Shepherd, who also introduced new assistant resident engineer Matt Mashotti. Key updates: Exit 107 Park and Ride project awarded in December with a fixed completion date of December 30, 2026. Fifth Street Hub and Trails project on track for May 2026 advertisement. Several roundabout projects under construction (Route 240-250-680 Brown’s Gap Turnpike roundabout opened March 13, 2026). Paving program underway: plant mix started in northwest; surface treatment in western county; primary asphalt (Route 20, 250, 29) starting late June/early July. Bridge replacement on Stillhouse Creek Road (Route 693) begins April 6 with detour. Board asked about night work, speed studies, and coordination on trail/ditch issues.
• Secondary Six-Year Plan (Item 10): Planner Alberic Karina-Plun presented the draft plan for FY27-32, including a new Unpaved Road Improvement Program (URIP) funded by expanded state legislation. Six roads proposed for rural rustic paving: Gilbert Station Road, Genie Lane, Murray Lane, Broken Sun Road, Blacks Lane, and Old Sand Road. Three URIP candidate roads: Birchess Creek Road, Batesville Road, and Hemkscap Road. Discussion included the process for resident approvals, the do-not-pave list, and the need for a recreational road program. Supervisor Duncan requested inclusion of pedestrian and cyclist traffic counts in evaluations. Supervisor Malik clarified that Fox Mountain Road, Browns Gap Turnpike, and Wesley Chapel were maintenance requests, not paving requests.
• FY27 Operating and Capital Budget (Item 11): Assistant CFO Andy Bowman led the fifth work session. The board discussed “parking lot” items: ACERP ($360,000 proposed), Foothills Child Advocacy Center ($98,000 vs. $130,000 request), Offender Aid Restoration (OAR) therapeutic docket ($70,000 gap), Charlottesville Ballet ($2,500) and Seville Band ($3,000) restoration to FY26 levels, and Dogwood Vietnam Memorial ($250 proposed vs. $600 request; city provided $100,000 cash plus in-kind land). Supervisor Pruitt proposed shifting $1 million from the Economic Development Fund and $413,000 from reserve contingencies to AHIF to reach ~$10 million. Supervisor Duncan suggested $1 million to AHIF and $200,000 to ACERP. Supervisor LaPisto-Kirtley favored some increases but wanted to reserve funds for future risks. Supervisor Missel supported incremental AHIF increases. Supervisor Malik wanted more data on agency impact before committing. Chair Gallaway noted $313,000 in ongoing reserves above staff’s $350,000 minimum, plus $500,000 one-time contingency. Staff will provide additional information on fuel reserve impacts, economic development fund history, and school CIP requests.
• Closed Meeting (Item 12-14): The board convened a closed meeting at 5:00 PM under §2.2-3711(A)(1) to discuss appointments. Upon return, they certified the meeting and approved appointments: Mike Rose (Agricultural & Forestal District Advisory Committee), Rowena Zimmerman (Natural Heritage Committee), Olivia Branch (Pantops Community Advisory Committee), Mary Catherine McLamb Brown (Planning Commission – Scottsville area), Nicole Hall (Police Department Citizens Advisory Committee), and Supervisor Sally Duncan to the ACPS Advisory Committee for Environmental Sustainability (ACES).
• North Pointe Amendment (Item 17): Public hearing on ZMA2023-7/SP2023-9 to increase residential units from 893 to 1,600 (707 additional units) and reduce commercial from ~400,000 sq ft to 250,000 sq ft. Applicant David Mitchell presented, citing federal Corps of Engineers regulations that eliminated 48 acres of usable land. The school site moved to a more usable 13.5-acre location. Traffic improvements include two R-cut intersections on Route 29 (eliminating the northern entrance). Proffers include 15% affordable housing (107 units at 80% AMI for rent/for-sale), a $500,000 community amenity trigger, and a school site option with $500,000 payment if not used by 2028. The planning commission recommended approval on March 10. Public speaker Gary Grant (Jack Jouett District) expressed frustration with traffic from new apartments and questioned affordability. Board members commended the project’s location in the development area, infrastructure improvements, and park amenities. Unanimously approved both the rezoning and special use permit.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda approved by recorded vote.
• Proclamations for Child Abuse Prevention Month and Dark Sky Week adopted unanimously.
• Closed meeting appointments approved unanimously.
• North Pointe Amendment – Rezoning (ZMA2023-7) and Special Use Permit (SP2023-9) both approved unanimously.
• Budget work session: No final decisions; staff directed to provide follow-up information on fuel reserve, economic development fund, and school CIP. The board will continue discussions on April 15 and 22 before adoption.
• Public comments heard but no formal board action taken on housing or election concerns.