Cville Area Land Use: Week Ahead for September 15, 2025

Posted on by Sean Tubbs

Some highlights this week:

  • Charlottesville City Council on Monday will hold a public hearing on the invocation of eminent domain for three easements needed for the East High Streetscape and will hear from three health-related agencies.
  • Louisa County Supervisors will hold a public hearing Monday on covering cost overruns for two utility projects
  • On Tuesday, the Albemarle Economic Development Authority will talk about implementation of their new strategic plan and approve a performance agreement for the expansion of Afton Scientific.
  • Albemarle Supervisors on Wednesday will get an update on climate action initiatives and hold a work session on potential changes to an ordinance that regulates the importation of fill dirt onto property in the rural area.

Thanks as always to the Piedmont Environmental Council for their sponsorship of this weekly look ahead at the details of what’s coming. Government in a democracy is about details and journalism is crucial for getting them written down somewhere so the exchange of ideas can proceed.

Monday, September 15, 2025

Public hearing in Charlottesville for taking of three easements through eminent domain for East High Street project

Charlottesville City Council’s second regular meeting of the month begins at 4 p.m. in City Council Chambers with a work session, followed by a regular meeting that begins at 6:30 p.m. (meeting overview)

Three health-related entities will make presentations to Council during the work session.

The closed session motion simply states: “consultation with legal counsel pertaining to settlement proposal.”

What might that be? Might it have something to do with the White v. Charlottesville case?

One of the slides in the Child Health Partnership presentation (take a look) (Credit: Child Health Partnership)

There are four proclamations to be read at 6:30 p.m.

After the report from City Manager Sam Sanders, there are four action items.

The first is a public hearing related to the East High Streetscape which will extend north from the Belmont Bridge.

“The city’s right-of-way acquisition consultant has been successful in acquiring right-of-way and easements from 23 of the 26 property owners impacted by the project,” reads the staff report.

The consultant hired by the city to conduct right-of-way negotiations is recommending eminent domain to proceed. Two of the parcels are owned by the same company, East Jefferson Assemblage LLC.

Images of some of the areas slated for a taking by the City of Charlottesville for the East High Streetscape project. View the presentation for more information. (Credit: City of Charlottesville)

The second item is a special exception permit request for 1114 East High Street to be able to build a studio within a setback. (staff report)

The third item is a resolution to appropriate $400,000 the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation has awarded Charlottesville from the Community Flood Preparedness Fund. A $40,000 local match is required. This is the fourth such award. (staff report)

The fourth item is a resolution related to Charlottesville’s participation in a series of settlements of opioid related claims. (staff report)

The meeting concludes with a discussion of the city’s legislative agenda for the 2026 General Assembly.

Louisa County Supervisors to hold public hearing on cost increase for Amazon utilities project

The Louisa County Board of Supervisors will meet at 5 p.m. in the Louisa County Public Meeting Room. They begin with a 5 p.m. closed session followed by an open session at 6 p.m. (meeting overview)

There are two items under new business. The first is for a pass through of appropriations of $1.66 million to the Cutalong II Community Development Authority and the second is for a resolution for the General Services Department to proceed with a space study for a floor plan for an addition to the Animal Shelter. The Timmons Group will work with the firm Dominion Seven Architecture to proceed.

A map showing the survey area for the Louisa County Animal Shelter (Credit: Timmons Group)

There is also public hearing for a supplemental budget appropriation for Louisa County’s project to build utility infrastructure for two Amazon data center campuses. Supervisors approved an $88 million contract last year as I wrote at the time.

The cost estimate has increased by around $16.4 million due to the presence of rock that needs to be removed.

There’s a second project known as the Shannon Hill Regional Business Park Offsite Utilities and that project has also hit an obstacle.

“The project included a substantial amount of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to avoid environmental features along the pipe route and when performing HDD on pipeline projects, the amount of rock that is encountered is unknown, given the depth of the pipe is 20-feet or more in the ground,” reads the resolution.

That increased that project cost by $5.3 million.

In one other event:

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Albemarle EDA to adopt performance agreement for Afton Scientific expansion

The link on the Albemarle County calendar for Tuesday’s meeting of the Albemarle Economic Development Authority contains a link to the agenda. The event begins at 4 p.m. in Room 241 of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. (meeting info)

To actually see the materials, you have to click through to the EDA’s website.

The seven members of the body will get the September financial report. This lists the status of various bonds, tax rebates, loan repayments, and grant matches. (take a look)

There’s a second report on the status of performance agreements with companies ranging from Bonumose to Siller Pollinator. (look at the performance agreements)

There’s also an unaudited financial report for FY2025 as well as a set of notes for the year.

“Willow Tree, Albemarle Business Campus, and Habitat/Southwood received their final tax rebate per their agreement,” reads the notes. “Home Depot will begin their agreement in FY26.”

The unaudited EDA financial report for September 2025

Under new business there will be a summary of business retention and expansion efforts in FY2025. The Office of Economic Development had a goal to conduct and complete 12 business retention and expansion efforts, but ended up conducting 50 of them. Learn more in this two-page summary.

There will also be information about the implementation of the economic development strategic plan, and approval of performance agreements for a deal announced last October for Afton Scientific to add 200 jobs.

The latter offers a glimpse into the details of economic development as it details a $540,000 contribution from the Commonwealth Opportunity Fund that will be matched through the EDA. (read the resolution)

There will be a closed meeting. Gone are the days when there used to be nicknames for various incentives and agreements.

A portion of the presentation on Business Retention and Expansion efforts (Credit: Albemarle County)
In other meetings:
  • The Nelson County Board of Social Services Serices will meet at 1 p.m. at the Social Services Office at 203 Front Street in Lovingston. (meeting info)
  • The Albemarle County Department of Social Service Advisory Committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Room 231 in the county’s office building at 1600 5th Street. There’s no agenda listed. (meeting info)
  • The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority will hold an information session on the forthcoming construction of the Central Water Line through Charlottesville. The session will take place at the Carver Recreation Center located at 233 4th Street, NW, Charlottesville, VA 22902. (learn more).
  • The Fluvanna Board of Zoning Appeals will meet at 7 p.m. in the Morris Room of the Fluvanna County Administration Building. There’s a public hearing for Pardee Timber. (meeting packet)

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Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Albemarle Supervisors to get an update on climate action initiatives

Five years have passed since the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors adopted a Climate Action Program and an update is one of the items on the agenda at a meeting that begins at 1 p.m in Lane Auditorium in the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. (meeting info) (agenda)

This is one of the lightest meetings Albemarle Supervisors have had for some time. There are no proclamations, for instance.

Under action items, Supervisors will be asked to approve Albemarle’s legislative program for the 2026 General Assembly. There are three legislative requests and one budget request.

  • Enable localities to enforce the Virginia Landlord-Tenant Act
  • Expand authority to use photo speed monitoring devices
  • Enable a referendum on a local option one-cent sales tax for school division capital projects
  • State funding for Biscuit Run Park– Monacan Indian Nation Tribute Park Connector Greenway Trail project

For more details, consult this four page summary.

There’s also a three page set of legislative positions that has some interesting highlights:

  • Albemarle would like more money for the Virginia Business Ready Site Program, a program through which the county recently received $9.7 million for the Rivanna Futures site.
  • There’s also a request for more authority to regulate or restrict the application of sewage sludge as fertilizer.
  • Albemarle is also on record as opposing any legislation that would reduce or eliminate local control over siting of data centers and utility-scale clean energy projects.
  • There is a request for a source of funds for the operations of the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transportation Authority as well as a request for more funds for affordable housing.

Next up there will be a work session on potential changes to the clean earth and inert waste fill. Not directly mentioned in the staff report is a report on whether one particular landowner near the Earlysville Forest neighborhood is in violation of a special exception. Here’s a story I wrote about that in late August. (item materials)

The afternoon concludes with that update on climate action initiatives.

“On May 7, 2025, the Board appropriated an additional $300,000 in one-time funds for Fiscal Year 26 to the Climate Action Reserve,” reads the staff report. “The Board directed staff to provide a report to the Board on how the money was being spent before initiating additional projects.”

Among other things, the report describes how greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced since 2008.

The agenda is not clear if the only public hearing will be held in the afternoon or after 6 p.m. as a time is not given. The public hearing is on changes to the transient occupancy tax to comply with changes in state code. (item materials)

A chart and a table from the Climate Action report. Take a look at the whole thing here. (Credit: Albemarle County)

Five public hearings before Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors

The five members of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors will meet at 6 p.m. in the Circuit Courtroom in the Fluvanna Courts Building. (agenda packet)

At the top of the meeting, Fluvanna County Administrator Eric Dahl will present an update on the Historic Courthouse renovation. There will also be an update on the fire training building. In late August, Bids came in higher than expected and there has been some value engineering. (learn more)

There are five public hearings:

  • The first is on establishing a civil penalty structure for violations of the Dogs Running at Large ordinance and the Unrestricted Dogs Ordinance. (learn more)
  • The second is to amend the county zoning ordinance to define “mobile unit unit” and to authorize such activities as by-right in all zoning districts. (learn more)
  • The third is to formally remove the Planning Commission from the administrative review process to comply with recent state legislation. (learn more)
  • The fourth is related to the Fork Union Drive-I and a boundary line adjustment. (learn more)
  • The fifth is on a proposal to allow special entertainment permits to be approved administratively rather through Board of Supervisors action. (learn more)
In other meetings:
  • The Charlottesville Housing Advisory Committee will meet at noon in CitySpace. They’ll get an update on the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Tax Abatement program. There’s no materials available in advance. (meeting info)
  • The Greene County Planning Commission meets at 6 p.m. in the County Meeting Room in the administration building at 40 Celt Road in Stanardsville. One item on the agenda is a public hearing to allow owners of a 6.47 acre property zoned Residential-1 to have livestock on a portion of the property. (meeting info)

Thursday, September 18, 2025

This appears to be a quiet day. Perhaps I’ve missed something?

In other meetings:
  • The Albemarle County Electoral Board will meet at 9 p.m. in Room C of Albemarle’s office building at 1600 5th Street. “This is an additional Electoral Board meeting to prepare for the upcoming general election and to address personnel matters.” (meeting info)
  • Albemarle’s 5th and Avon Community Advisory Committee will meet at 7 p.m. in Room B of Albemarle’s office building at 1600 5th Street. The agenda was not available at press time. (meeting info)
  • Charlottesville’s Human Rights Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. in Cityspace. (meeting info)

Thoughts? Drop a line in the comments.

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.