Cville Area Land Use: Week Ahead for November 10, 2025

Posted on by Sean Tubbs

With a day off on Tuesday, this week appears to be a quiet one for local and regional government meetings as I glance at the calendar. But will that be the case? This is now the 339th edition of this version of the newsletter and like the first the intent is to provide a way for people to know what’s coming up should they want to get involved.

It turns out this is a relatively slow week, but there’s always something of interest if you look at the whole picture.

  • The Charlottesville Planning Commission will formally begin the review process for a series of minor changes to the city’s new zoning code
  • The Crozet Community Advisory Committee will learn more about the Albemarle County Parks Foundation
  • The Places29-North CAC will get an update on transportation projects
  • Veterans Day on Tuesday means a shift in meetings with Nelson and Greene Supervisors conducting their first of November on a Thursday
  • Greene County will move take yet another step toward construction of new water and sewer infrastructure
  • Nelson County Supervisors will hold public hearings on a siting agreement for two energy battery-storage units
  • There are no meetings in Louisa County this week

Thanks as always to the Piedmont Environmental Council for their support of the work that goes into this Week Ahead newsletter each week.

Monday, November 10, 2025

Commonwealth Transportation Board to approve highway change in Greene County

We lead this week off with a meeting of the Commonwealth Transportation Board in Richmond. This is a light agenda for them but there is one item that will affect traffic flow in Greene County.

Any time there is a change to a limited access highway, the CTB has to sign off. The developers of the planned 439-unit Blue Ridge Meadows community have asked for permission to allow a new entrance from U.S. 33 into the development. In September, the Greene Board of Supervisors voted to send a letter to the CTB staying they do not approve.

Approval is on the CTB’s approval at this meeting.

“The Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT’s) Culpeper District has determined, with the Chief Engineer concurring, that the proposed [limited access control change] along Route 33 Bypass, which provides for a right-in/right-out entrance with a turn lane taper and full storage to support the new public road connecting Route 33 Bypass westbound to Route 33 Business, will have minimal impact on the operation of Route 33 Bypass and is appropriate from a design, safety and traffic control standpoint,” reads the motion for approval.

In other meetings:
  • The Albemarle County Electoral Board will meet all week at noon according to the calendar to go through provisional ballots and continue to conduct the canvass. They’re in Room A of the 5th Street County Office Building. (meeting info)
  • The Economic Development Authority of Fluvanna County will meet at 5 p.m. at the county administration building at 132 Main Street in Palmyra in the Morris Room. (meeting packet)

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Albemarle County to hold Veterans Day ceremony in Lane Auditorium

Government offices are closed today because of Veterans Day, yet there are still some meetings listed. But the main event today is a ceremony to be held in Lane Auditorium

“Hosted by the American Legion, Post 74, the ceremony will celebrate Veterans Day, recognize those who served, and provide resources to support veterans,” reads the Albemarle County calendar.

Charlottesville Tree Commission to get update on Urban Forest Management plan

The appointed body that advises city staff on woodland relations will meet at 5 p.m. in the Parks and Recreation office on the Market Street level of the Market Street Parking Garage. (meeting info)

After approval of the minutes, the first item on the agenda of the Charlottesville Tree Commission is the update on a new Urban Forest Management plan. The city has hired the firm Eocene Environmental Consultants to conduct the work.

“This project addresses the City’s needs related to urban forest management planning, tree canopy retention and growth, vegetation analysis, and citizen volunteer programming,” reads a two-page summary of the work that is underway. “Another essential component of the project involves incorporating all the existing City plans (e.g., Comprehensive Plan, Climate Action Plan, GreenPrint 1.0) into an updated Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP).”

A section of the two-page summary (Credit: City of Charlottesville)

According to a schedule in that summary, a final presentation will be ready in the winter of 2026.

The Commission will also get updates on efforts to get rid of invasive species in city parks, upcoming maintenance work for Downtown Mall trees, and an update on a request for proposals for a contractor to plant trees. Bids are due at 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting.

In other meetings:
  • The Albemarle Police Citizens Advisory Committee will meet at 8:30 a.m. in Conference Room B of the county’s office building at 1600 5th Street. There’s no agenda available. (meeting info)
  • The Charlottesville Electoral Board will meet at 9 a.m. at 120 7th Street NE in Room 142 for a canvas of the votes. No information is available in the meeting calendar.
  • The Albemarle County Electoral Board will meet all week at noon according to the calendar to go through provisional ballots and continue to conduct the canvass.

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Charlottesville Planning Commission to initiate zoning code update

October was a busy month for Charlottesville’s relatively new zoning code. For one, the city reached a settlement agreement with plaintiffs to end a lawsuit. For another, the city’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services has resumed work on preparing minor changes for consideration.

At their meeting at 5:30 p.m. the Charlottesville Planning Commission will formally initiate a period of review to reopen the code to amendment. Staff is planning to make minor changes in this go-round but there are growing calls from the Public Housing Association of Residents to put limitations on what can be built by-right.

I’m slightly behind with two meetings I want to write up before Wednesday. The first is a listening session from the October 14 Planning Commission meetings and the second is City Council’s discussion last week.

Some stories I have written for context:

The packet states that there are 23 specific Tier 2 amendments that will go to a public hearing before the Planning Commission on December 9.

“These Tier 2 amendments are limited in scope and are intended to correct oversights, clarify existing provisions, or improve the development review process,” reads the staff report.

Lots of details. There will be a work session to go through it all.

The Charlottesville Planning Commission next meets on November 25 to go through the draft capital improvement program for FY27 and beyond.

Crozet Community Advisory Committee to learn more about the Albemarle Parks Foundation

There are many potential roles that can be played by Albemarle County’s community advisory committees.

“Community Advisory Committees are groups that help County staff and the Board of Supervisors with community-related projects according to County rules,” reads Albemarle’s website.

The Crozet Community Advisory Committee will meet at 7 p.m. in the Crozet Library and they’ll get a presentation on the Albemarle County Parks Foundation from Don Long, one of two directors of the Albemarle County Economic Development Authority that also serves on the foundation’s Board of Directors.

Unlike Charlottesville, Albemarle County does not have a committee that oversees parks and recreation. The Albemarle Parks Foundation was created in 2023 to advocate for specific projects such as the conversion of Free Bridge Lane into a car-free zone and elimination of tennis as an activity at Darden-Towe Park in favor of pickleball.

At this meeting, the group will review three reports discussed at a recent meeting of all of the community advisory committees. They are:

Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission poised to decline invitation for new community

There are times when I would love to devote my time to nothing but stories of human interest and spotlighting the many different ways of living. If I were to be able to do that, I’d likely spend a lot more time covering the Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission. They meet at 4:30 p.m. in the small conference room at CitySpace. (meeting info)

The group will go before City Council on November 17 to discuss a formal relationship with Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The current status is “friendship city” which is a lesser tier than sister city.

But next there will be a discussion from Kemisse, Ethiopia seeking to be connected to Charlottesville. Two members of the Commission recently met with a representative from the provincial government.

“They held a frank discussion regarding the current cultural and political landscape in Ethiopia,” reads the minutes from the October meeting. “The recommendation following this meeting is that there is not currently an affiliation group in Charlottesville (a [Sister Cities International] requirement) and this is not a good fit, we will not consider any further affiliation with them.”

In other meetings:
  • The James River Water Authority’s Board of Directors will hold a virtual meeting. One of the items on the agenda will be a project update on construction of a water line and pump station to provide reliable water supply for the Zion Crossroads area. (meeting packet)
  • The Albemarle County Electoral Board will meet all week at noon according to the calendar to go through provisional ballots and continue to conduct the canvass. They’re in Room A of the 5th Street County Office Building. (meeting info)
  • The Charlottesville Housing Advisory Committee will meet in CitySpace at noon. The agenda is not posted at publication time. I’ll try to get a preview out in advance as this committee is an important place to look if you want know what’s happening with policies to subsidize the cost of places to rent or buy. (meeting info will be here)
  • Fluvanna County’s Rural Preservation Advisory Group will meet to further discuss the Comprehensive Plan update. There are no materials for this group. (meeting info anyway)

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Greene Supervisors to take more steps toward water supply construction

The five members of the Greene County Board of Supervisors will meet at 5:30 p.m for a closed session followed by an open meeting at 6:30 p.m.

There are four public hearings:

  • The first is for a special use permit to allow for livestock to be on a property on Knights Drive in Stanardsville with less than two acres of rangeable land. (staff report)
  • The second is for a special use permit for a home business that would repair vehicles. (staff report)
  • The third is to amend the county’s budget to include up to $41.5 million in revenue from bond sales for water and sewer projects. (memo and resolution)
  • The fourth is to appropriate about $4.6 million in carryover funds. (memo and resolution)

One item on the consent agenda is a memorandum of understanding with the Greene County Parks and Recreation Foundation. Are there similar documents governing relationships between similar bodies in Albemarle and Charlottesville? (read the MOU)

Under action items there will be an approval of the 2026 legislative program put together by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission followed by approval of contracts to proceed with two portions of the water supply plan. Here’s the one for a raw water intake and pump station and here’s the one for a raw water main.

Next up will be a discussion of whether to move forward with using $1 million to construct a well at Greene County Park. If they move forward, here’s the resolution.

Nelson Supervisors to hold public hearing for siting agreements for two battery sites

Four of the five members of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors will meet at 2 p.m. in the General District Courtroom in Lovingston. Supervisor Tommy Harvey has not attended a meeting for over a year. (meeting packet)

After public comments and the consent agenda, there are four presentations.

The first is a report from the Virginia Department of Transportation. That’s followed by a presentation from the Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development (CVPED) on their high-tech innovation corridor. Greene County had a report in October.

The third presentation is on the 2026 Thomas Jefferson Planning District Committee’s legislative program. The fourth is on the MAPP2Health Report from the Blue Ridge Department of Health.

Under finished business they will continue consideration of rate increases for Piney River Water and Sewer.

Proposed water and sewer rates for the Piney River service area (Credit: Nelson County)

The meeting will go into recess at the conclusion of afternoon business and reopen the meeting at 7 p.m.

There are two public hearings.

The first is for two siting agreements for two battery energy storage systems to be built by the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative.

“The site plans were approved administratively as by right accessory uses to a public utility, so no special use permit approval is required,” reads the agenda. “These battery energy storage systems will benefit local CVEC customers by keeping rates down during peak usage periods.”

The county will get a one-time payment of $8,000 as well as emergency response training. There’s also a $10,000 contribution that will go to a community organization of the county’s choice.

The second is for a request to extend a special use permit to allow dwelling units at 622 Front Street. This was approved by last November and is needed because the property is in the Business-1 zoning district.

Places29-North CAC to get updates on transportation projects

British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca will be investing $4.5 billion to build a new factory at Rivanna Futures, the land purchased by Albemarle County for economic development. There are to be as many as 650 jobs.

How will that affect U.S. 29 and the overall transportation network? That’s one of the questions on my mind as I go about doing research for this newsletter. I suspect that may be on the minds of some members of the Places29-North Community Advisory Committee. They’ll meet at 6 p.m. at Building 4 of the North Fork Discovery Park.

One of the topics will be an update from county staff on transportation projects. There’s no advance material in the meeting packet but I will have a story with more details from the November 3 Board of Supervisors meeting. If you want to get started, take a look at the county’s transportation page.

In other meetings:
  • The Albemarle County Electoral Board will meet all week at noon according to the calendar to go through provisional ballots and continue to conduct the canvass. They’re in Room A of the 5th Street County Office Building. (meeting info)
  • The Albemarle County Solid Waste Alternatives Advisory Committee will meet at 4 p.m. in Room 246 of the county office building at 401 McIntire Road. They’ll review their overall charge and update each other on progress toward their work plan. There will also be an update on the county’s climate action program. (meeting info)
  • The Albemarle Conservation Easement Authority will meet at 4:45 p.m. in Room 235 of the County Office Building to hear two proposals. Then they will go into closed session to “to consult with legal counsel regarding specific legal matters related to the interpretation of conservation easement language addressing permitted land uses, which requires the provision of legal advice by such counsel” and then discuss a homestay permit at Ragged Mountain Farm. (agenda) (meeting info)
  • The Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Carver Recreation Center at 233 4th Street. There will be a closed session to go through applications for people to be on boards. (agenda)
  • The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority will hold a work session at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers. There’s no agenda posted, but then again there never is. (meeting info)
  • The Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. in CitySpace. There’s no agenda at publication time. (meeting info)

Friday, November 14, 2025

Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee to meet

One of the only bodies that meets regularly on a Friday is the Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee. They meet at 10 a.m. in the Neighborhood Development Services Conference Room in City Hall. Topics include an update from the group Beloved Cville, a status report on the Downtown Mall’s 50th anniversary, and a potential new property to be designated as protected. (meeting info)

In another meeting:
  • The Albemarle County Electoral Board will meet all week at noon long according to the calendar to go through provisional ballots and continue to conduct the canvass. They’re in Room A of the 5th Street County Office Building. (meeting info)

This post was contributed by Sean Tubbs. Sean is a journalist working to build a new information and news outlet centered around Charlottesville and Virginia. In 2020, he launched a daily newscast and newsletter and also created a semi-regular podcast on the pandemic.

Support for Sean’s “Week Ahead” update comes from The Piedmont Environmental Council.