Cville Area Land Use: Week Ahead for January 5, 2026

Posted on by Sean Tubbs

The beginning of the year may or may not set the tone for how things will go in local government in a given year. Perhaps we’ll find out by the time we get to the other end of this Week Ahead edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement.

Since May 2019 or so, I’ve been producing this weekly look at what’s coming up at meetings. I do this out of a conviction that people should have the opportunity to learn about what their local governments are doing from a third-party source. I launched the overall newsletter in the summer of 2020 to provide that information and I am grateful to paid subscribers for helping me to get it out each day.

Highlights for this week:
  • Everyone picks a new chair and vice chair, and City Council’s chair is a mayor!
  • Charlottesville City Council begin 2026 with a review of environmental policy reform as well as providing direction on several off-cycle budget requests. They’ll also hold a retreat on Friday.
  • Louisa’s Planning Commission will hold a joint meeting with the Board of Supervisors to review potential conditions for a power generation company’s request for a special use permit for a new factory
  • Albemarle Supervisors will pick a new chair and vice chair and that’s about it
  • The Commonwealth Transportation Board will take up a $20 million request Tuesday from Albemarle for funding for an extension of Boulders Road
  • The UVA Board of Visitors will hold a virtual meeting on Tuesday and go into closed session
  • Louisa’s Planning Commission will hear about capital requests
  • There are no meetings in Nelson County this week with the calendar currently showing the January 28 meeting of the Planning Commission as the next one. An intervening Board of Supervisors meeting will be posted at some point in the near future.

Thanks as always to the Piedmont Environmental Council for their sponsorship of this weekly look at local government!

Monday, January 5, 2026

Charlottesville City Council to entertain requests for more spending on affordable housing

If you want to know who will be the next Mayor of Charlottesville, you are going to want to pay attention to the work session that begins at 4:00 p.m. in City Council chambers. That’s when the organization meeting happens and the five members will select what is technically the president and vice president of the elected body. (meeting overview)

Will Juandiego Wade get the nod for another two years? Will someone else want the position? We’ll find out tomorrow.

The work session will then continue with two items. The first is an update on a study intended to streamline the city’s environmental protections to allow more residential development as called for in the Comprehensive Plan. The new zoning adopted in December 2023 introduced challenges.

“Since the City’s new Development Code was adopted in 2023, there have been multiple challenges with implementing these [Comprehensive Plan] priorities, especially for smaller infill sites, where it is difficult to accommodate both by-right dwelling units and required grey and green infrastructure (including stormwater management and trees,” reads the briefing.

The city will hire a consultant to do the work. Council agreed in October to allocate $1.5 million in surplus funds to for this work as well as a “mobility policy plan” that will be conducted as part of a legal settlement related to the Development Code.

The second item is a presentation from the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority and the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority that will review the agency’s structure and mission. A new member of City Council will join the governing boards of both now that Brian Pinkston is no longer in office. Take a look at the presentation here.

A slide from the presentation (Credit: City of Charlottesville)

The regular meeting begins with a proclamation in honor of Eddie Harris, a community member who died on December 28. He’s the founder of Vinegar Hill Magazine and you can learn more about him in his obituary.

Some items on the consent agenda are worth noting:

  • There is a second reading on a resolution to appropriate $50,000 to the Local Energy Alliance Program for them to implement the Residential Energy Retrofit Mini-Grant program created in July 2025. The first tranche of funding has run out and supported 56 households doing something to upgrade the energy efficiency in their homes. (staff report)
  • There is a second reading on a resolution to appropriate $303,660 from the Virginia Department of Energy Management’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program to implement the Rock Creek Watershed Management Plan. (learn more in the staff report)
  • There the first of two readings for a resolution to appropriate $607,610 from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for a project to support the restoration of the Rivanna River at Riverview Park. (staff report)

After a report from City Manager Sam Sanders, Council will adopt their meeting schedule for 2026.

Then there’s a report to accept banners to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Jefferson School.

“The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center has proposed a series of banners featuring historic photographs of former students of Jefferson High School to commemorate the school’s centennial anniversary,” reads the staff report. “The City has determined that City-owned streetlight poles are not generally available for the posting of private signage, banners, or displays, and that their use does not constitute a public forum.”

After that, Council will make appointments to Boards and Commissions. Here’s the list of what needs to be filled.

Then Council will get into a discussion related to affordable housing and what to fund next. Sanders gave a preview of some of this discussion back in October and in December. Now a new Councilor provides the fifth vote.

Every year, the city asks developers to submit requests for capital funding for major projects. This year there were three requests. The city’s affordable housing plan prioritizes projects that subsidize the cost for households below 50 percent of area median income.

“The collective impact of the projects also does not fully address the recent reporting that the City’s efforts are not fully reaching the area median income targets identified in the Plan. And to that end, Council may consider only supporting the project(s) that advance the closure of the gap as additional investment at this time,” reads the staff report.

Of the three requests, staff recommends a $900,000 request from Community Services Housing to support 40 units in a project called Northeast 11st Street Housing.

“CSH serves households with incomes up to 60 percent of [Area Median Income], though most of its residents earn less than 30 percent AMI and rely on voucher assistance,” reads the staff report.

The medium priority would go to a request from Brick Lane Better Communities for the conversion of the Holiday Inn on Emmet Street into a mixed income apartment building,” reads the staff report.

“The applicant is proposing to include 108 units at 80 percent AMI and 19 units at 120 percent AMI, which are not required under the development code,” reads the staff report. “These higher income ranges, while not assigned the highest priority level in the Affordable Housing Plan, are still below market rate and contribute to the goal of increasing new affordable housing.”

The lowest priority is given the Preservation of Affordable Housing’s request for $3 million for their project to build 180 units in an apartment building at 1000 Wertland Street.

“This project’s affiliation with UVA brings with it a perception, expressed by staff and CAHF Committee members at various points, that the University could or should be contributing more to the project and that City investment should not be necessary,” reads the staff report.

Additionally, Piedmont Housing Alliance is asking for several requests for additional money:

  • They want an additional $3 million for the fourth phase of Kindlewood to allow the maximum number of units to be 425. The city has only committed $4.5 million to this fourth phase.
  • PHA also wants more funding for 501 Cherry Avenue. They want an additional $1 million in tax breaks and $700,000 to support a closure on the project to allow construction to begin in April.
  • PHA also wants $85,000 to pilot a financial literary program for residents who owe back rent as well as a $220,000 funds to cover arrears.

Others want off-cycle budget requests granted, too:

  • PACEM wants $65,000 to close a budget gap
  • Piedmont Family YMCA wants $45,000 to make physical improvements required by the state
  • The Salvation Army wants $340,000 a year to support a family shelter initiative
  • Blue Ridge Coalition for the Homeless wants up to $250,000 due to proposed changes in funding for permanent supportive housing. As has become common, the Trump administration sought to make changes and groups sued.

On that last topic, here are three stories from December worth an update before Council has the discussion.

Lots of moving parts.

The Holiday Inn on Emmet Street (Credit: City of Charlottesville)

Louisa Supervisors to take up request for new tourism region

There are no new faces on the seven-member Board of Supervisors in Louisa County as all four incumbents were re-elected. Still, they will begin their meeting at 5 p.m. to select a new chair and vice chair. After this organizational meeting they will go into closed session, (meeting overview)

Under action items, there will be a vote on a request that the Virginia Tourism Corporation designate a new “Virginia Piedmont” region to better distinguish the area. For more information, take a look at this story I wrote for C-Ville Weekly last month.

There’s also a public hearing for a request from the Fluvanna-Louisa Housing Foundation to have several parcels of land considered tax-exempt. You can view the full list of who is exempt now.

A snapshot of the resolution for the request (Credit: Louisa County)

Albemarle ARB to take a look at MicroAire expansion, Airport Road industrial park

The Albemarle Architectural Review Board will select a new chair and vice chair when they meet on Monday in Lane Auditorium in the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. (agenda)

There are two regular item reviews and one work session.

The first regular item is a final site plan for an expansion at MicroAire in Hollymead. The company makes medical devices.

“In 2011, MicroAire purchased the existing post office off Grand Forks Boulevard to serve as their manufacturing facility,” reads the narrative. “Since then, the company has grown, and they now require additional office space for their employees who are working off-site.”

The second regular item is for a final site plan for an industrial park at the intersection of Airport Road and Timberwood Boulevard. (staff report)

The work session is on whether the Crozet Fas-Mart could paint some of their exterior walls black. (staff report)

Location map for MicroAire (Credit: Albemarle County)
In other meetings:
  • Albemarle County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Executive Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. in Fire Rescue Conference Room. (meeting packet)
  • The Greene County Board of Supervisors have asked the Agricultural-Forestry District Committee to review the definition of an “agricultural operation” as part of an overall campaign to place limits on events. The group will meet at 6 p.m. in the County Meeting Room at 40 Celt Road. (learn more)

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Fluvanna PC to review $106 million capital improvement program

The Fluvanna Planning Commission will meet twice this week with the first beginning at 7 p.m. at the Fluvanna County Administration Building at 132 Main Street in Palmyra. They’ll begin with a selection of a chair and vice chair. (agenda)

Then they’ll have two public hearings with the first being on the $106 million five-year capital improvement plan. The county anticipates spending $61 million in the FY27 (Capital Improvement Program packet)

The second is for a rezoning request for 7 acres of land from Agricultural-1 to Residential-1, Limited. The intent is to create two two-acre lots. (staff report for Wright rezoning)

“The Comprehensive Plan designates this property as within the Rural Residential Planning Area,” reads the staff report. “This land-use designation seeks to limit growth and preserve the rural character of the county.”

There will also be an update on the Comprehensive Plan underway.

A map included with the materials for the rezoning (Credit: Fluvanna County)

University of Virginia Board of Visitors to meet

At their last meeting on December 19, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors selected Scott Beardsley as the 10th president of UVA. The body will meet again for an electronic meeting at 10 a.m. and will go into closed session. This is the final BOV meeting to be held while Glenn Youngkin is governor. (agenda)

Boulders Road extension project to get vote at CTB meeting

Governor Glenn Youngkin remains in office until January 17. His transportation secretary, Shep Miller, has one more meeting to chair beginning at 9 a.m. in the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Central Office auditorium at 1221 East Broad Street. (workshop agenda) (action agenda)

One of the items on the workshop agenda is a review of applictions through VDOT’s Transportation Alternatives program. The advanced materials do not have the scorecards for candidate proejcts, but any application made by Charlottesville will be penalized by VDOT continuing to consider the city deficient in being able to deliver projects.

The action meeting includes an allocation of $20 million to Albemarle County for an extension of Boulders Road. The CTB had a briefing at their meeting in December as I reported at the time.

In other meetings:
  • The Albemarle County Electoral Board has a reorganizational meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the 5th Street County Office Building in Room C. (meeting info)
  • The Louisa County Comprehensive Plan process moves on with an open house at Trevilians Elementary School at 4:30 p.m. Staff with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission are facilitating the effort. (learn more)
  • The Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission meets at 4:30 p.m. in City Space. The meeting will include an update on the Winneba Foundation from former Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris.
  • The Charlottesville Tree Commission will meet at 5 p.m. in the Parks and Recreation office in the Market Street Parking Garage. (agenda)

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Albemarle Supervisors to meet – briefly

One-third of the membership of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors is new and their era begins at 1 p.m. in Lane Auditorium. This meeting is strictly for organizational business with the election of a new chair and vice chair and other procedural items. (meeting info) (agenda)

This also includes the rules of procedure, Board policies, and operating guidelines.

Supervisors will meet at 4 p.m. on January 7 and 1 p.m on January 14.

Fluvanna Supervisors to meet with Planning Commission to talk Tenaska

The second meeting in 2026 of the Fluvanna Planning Commission will take place during the first meeting of the Board of Supervisors. This will take place at 7 p.m. in the Fluvanna County Circuit Court at 72 Main Street in Palmyra. The conversation will be about potential conditions for Tenaska’s requested special use permit for a second natural gas-fueled power generation site. (BOS agenda)

But first, the five members of the Board of Supervisors will meet at 5 p.m for their organizational meeting. All three incumbents up for election in 2025 ran unopposed. They’ll conduct the entirety of their business before the joint work session.

That includes a presentation on the historic courthouse and a public hearing on a quitclaim of a drainage easement at the Zion Crossroads Industrial Park. It also includes an amendment to the Board’s by-laws to add several changes to public meeting rules.

Some of the additions to the by-laws for the Fluvanna Board of Supervisors (Credit: Fluvanna County)

The materials for the Tenaska review begin on page 97 of the packet.

The Fluvanna Review has been sold to longtime reporter Heather Michon. I am hopeful to continue to send readers in their direction. Here’s the story of where the Tenaska review is through a series of the newspapers’ articles:

In other meetings:
  • The Charlottesville Electoral Board will meet at 6 p.m. at 120 7th Street NE in Room 142. There’s no agenda at publication time, but then again, this body rarely posts information about meetings. (link to where the agenda would be)

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Louisa County Planning Commission to review CIP

The Louisa County Planning Commission meets at 5 p.m. for a work session on the capital improvement program followed by a regular meeting at 7 p.m.

The work session consists of presentations from departments to describe requests. This includes a request from Louisa County Public Schools for a new elementary school, two new fire stations, a new cell at the Louisa County landfill, and many projects for the county-owned airport. (work session agenda)

At the regular meeting, they’ll elect a new chair and vice chair and will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to the fee schedule for community development projects. (regular meeting agenda)

CRHA to hold work session

The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners are to meet for a work session at 6 p.m.

A basic level of transparency for a government entity is to publish meeting agendas in advance. Usually, the CRHA posts no meeting materials online. I receive emails from the meetings with materials and post them so people can see them.

Charlottesville’s calendar routinely has no information about meeting other than a location and a time. See for yourself by taking a look at this link.

In other meetings:
  • The Charlottesville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will meet in the Neighborhood Development Services Conference Room at 5 p.m. There’s no agenda at publication time. (the agenda would be here)
  • The Places-29 North Community Advisory Committee will meet virtually at 6 p.m. There’s no agenda at publication time. (meeting info)
  • The Charlottesville Police Oversight Board now has enough members to have a quorum. They meet for the first time in 2026 to discuss their work plan. (meeting packet)

Friday, January 9, 2026

Charlottesville City Council to hold retreat

Charlottesville City Council will meet at 9 a.m. at the Hillsdale Conference Center for a City Council retreat. There’s no agenda at publication time. These are usually held earlier in the month but it has been moved up this year.

“As City Manager, I have focused on developing a more effective onboarding process for new councilors,” said Sam Sanders in response to a request for comment “Councilor Fleisher participated in a curated series of engagements with the City Manager’s Office and members of the leadership team to hear about key priorities in departments, major initiatives underway, and simply ‘how the government machine works.’”

The agenda will be posted Monday and will include a review of Council Rules & Procedures, an update on the city’s Financial Health Update, training on the Freedom of Information Act, and strategic priorities.

Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee to discuss their work plan

2026 has arrived and with that comes the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Charlottesville Downtown Mall. The Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee will meet at 10 a.m. in the Neighborhood Development Services conference room in City Hall and the anniversary is the first item on the agenda. (agenda)

Then there will be a discussion of the committee’s work plan. Two questions: What is most important to accomplish in 2026? What is possible to accomplish in 2026?

Charlottesville Human Rights Committee to hold orientation for new members

There is an orientation for new members of the Human Rights Commission. Hannah Langlett and Callum McCain von Schill were appointed in December. There’s no agenda at publication time. (agenda)

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.