Sort of a cross-post with RealCrozetVA, but with a twist — reading, and at the very least being aware of, the Albemarle County Comp Plan is crucial for realtors. How might I advise my buyer or seller clients if I’m not informed? That’s sort of my job. 🙂
There’s just so much that goes into the Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan process. Slowly the sausage is made … or they attempt to make it.
(here’s the RealCrozetVA FB post on this topic)
But first – transportation needs extend beyond exclusively cars and trucks.
via email:
“Finally, Rural Area multimodal transportation needs differ from those in the Development Areas. An aging rural population requires some level of transit service to access their basic needs. Biking, running, and walking does occur on rural roads for many reasons, often for recreation, exercise, to visit neighbors, or to access resources in crossroad communities. Pedestrian safety on narrow roads can be an issue, particularly when roads are improved without those existing uses taken into consideration. Planning for transportation needs to consider these valid existing uses.” (TRANSP – 11)
This will be the first time the comprehensive plan has ever recognized that rural roads are used by non-vehicular traffic with positive statements and objectives related to cycling, running and walking in rural areas. I hope you can join me in making people aware of this significant improvement in how we think about what “rural transportation” means. Of course, real change has to go beyond merely words on paper, but I hope you’ll agree that it’s a good start!
Onto the comp plan
There is no better source (other than the extensive primary sources from Albemarle County — see their most recent email; they do an outstanding job communicating; it’s up to us to read, learn, voice opinions) than Charlottesville Community Engagement’s coverage of the AC44 process.
At the heart of the AC44 update is this theme: How will Albemarle accommodate an estimated 31,000 additional people projected to live in the county by 2050? … there are dozens of stories … on Information Charlottesville.
Find an hour or more, and familiarize yourself with the Albemarle County comprehensive plan.
Charlottesville Community Engagement has been doing truly extraordinary explanatory work singularly documenting the Comp Plan process.
Our collective cynicism aside, the Comp Plan affects us. I’ve not read the whole thing, but I’m trying to learn as much as I can about it. The Comp Plan covers the entire County of Albemarle; while many of us feel that Crozet is an island, we are neither independent nor are we isolated. We are but one of six districts in the County.
There is no way to sum up the comprehensive plan, other than to say that this is the plan that affects how we live, and dozens upon dozens of citizens have voice their opinions — out of nearly 120,000 residents.
From the Charlottesville Community Engagement Week Ahead – 28 September 2025
(bolding mine)
The Albemarle County Planning Commission will have their public hearing on the draft update at their meeting at 6 p.m. in Lane Auditorium of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road.
“Currently the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider adoption during their Public Hearing on October 15, 2025,” reads the staff report.
There have been changes since the Board of Supervisors had their work session on September 10 and there is a four-page summary that lists some of them:
- Any reference to the Charlottesville-Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau has been changed to “local visitors bureau.” Who wanted that?
- A paragraph was removed from the growth management policy section that talked about future Development Area boundary changes. This began with the phrase “When considering potential changes…”
- “Tiny homes” have been added to a description of what might constitute a “Primary Land Use.” — a client just asked me about tiny homes in Albemarle County. Glad I read this stuff!
- Information about rural area interchanges have been removed as has an action calling for development of small area plans.
- There is now a potential action of considering a “transfer of development rights” program
This is one of the last opportunities to influence a document that will reset the county’s policies when it goes into effect on January 1, 2026. If you’re a county resident, or interested in how this community is going to grow, take a look.
- Part I – Plan Policy
- Part II – Growth Management Policy
- Part III – Implementation
- Part IV – Appendices
Around 2,700 people have participated in some way in the development of the Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan update (Credit: Albemarle County)