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Spring 2021 Community Review and Comment Period

Cville Plans Together is an opportunity for the community to actively participate in updating the future vision for the city, with a focus on equity and affordability as we update the Comprehensive Plan and rewrite the Zoning Ordinance.

In May-June 2020, we gathered community input about Charlottesville’s future. In November 2020, we gathered feedback on the draft Affordable Housing Plan (endorsed by Council March 2021) and draft Vision Statements for each chapter of the Comprehensive Plan.

From May 3 through June 13, 2021, we gathered input on draft materials, including updates to draft Comprehensive Plan chapters and the draft Future Land Use Map. 

Next Steps: Community comments will be compiled, summarized, and shared a week before a currently-scheduled June 29 Work Session with the Planning Commission. Revisions to the chapters and Future Land Use Map will take place after the Work Session. Please see the FAQ for more information about next steps.

Download a Flyer: One page flyer

FAQs about the Comprehensive Plan Update and Future Land Use Map

The Cville Plans Together team is scheduled to meet with the Planning Commission for a Work Session on June 29, 2021. In the meeting materials, which will be posted on the City’s website a week before the meeting, there will be a draft summary of community comments provided between May 3 and June 13. The review and analysis of comments has started, and will continue through the engagement period, as an iterative process.

The Planning Commission Work Session will be an opportunity for the Cville Plans Together team to speak with Commission members about comments received (grouped into key themes) and discuss potential approaches for addressing these comments. This will also be an opportunity for the Planning Commission to provide additional input on the draft Comprehensive Plan chapters and the Future Land Use Map.

There will not be a revised draft Future Land Use Map created prior to the June 29 Work Session, and there will not be a vote or approval of Comprehensive Plan until revisions to the draft have been completed and reviewed.

  • The Future Land Use Map (FLUM) is a part of the Land Use, Urban Form, and Historic and Cultural Preservation Chapter of the 2021 Comprehensive Plan update.
  • The draft FLUM incorporates land use recommendations from the Affordable Housing Plan, including increased intensity of allowed residential development throughout the city, particularly in areas close to transit, and in neighborhoods that have historically been inaccessible to all (due to housing cost, exclusionary zoning provisions, etc.) However, the land use map itself is not enough to support affordability. The chapters of the Comprehensive Plan contain additional strategies from the Affordable Housing Plan that can help to ensure enhanced housing affordability and protections for displacement.
  • The FLUM itself is not zoning. It is a guide for development. It can be (and generally is) used when evaluating development proposals. An update to the Zoning Ordinance will follow the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan. The land use categories that are shown on the FLUM may allow several different types and levels of zoning.

  • Many of the land use categories support the potential for change in neighborhoods, as well as in existing commercial areas and along corridors.
  • One of the most significant potential changes is within neighborhoods currently zoned for single-family zoning. 70% of the residentially-zoned land in Charlottesville is currently zoned for single-family development (though many neighborhoods contain older homes that are not single-family, such as duplexes).
  • An explicit goal of the Cville Plans Together process is to support a range of housing types in all neighborhoods. The General Residential category (the lowest intensity of residential development on the proposed FLUM) sets the stage for allowing up to three units of housing on all residential parcels in the city, and the Medium Intensity Residential category allows up to 4-12 (depending on the parcel characteristics and the surroundings) and the High Intensity Residential category allows 13 or more units per building. In addition, the mixed-use land use categories all support residential development, at a variety of scales.

  • Land use policies in Charlottesville – as in many places in the country – have not always been fair. Communities of color and lower-income communities have a history of being displaced from their homes as the pressures of rising costs increase with new development.
  • When we talk about prioritizing equity in this process, we’re talking about ensuring that we are providing Charlottesville residents opportunities to achieve the things that they need to have a good quality of life – for example, high-quality housing of various scales, affordable at a variety of levels; efficient, reliable, and safe transportation options; healthy and accessible food sources; and a variety of jobs and training opportunities.
  • The land use map provides a land use vision. It does not provide details related to implementation of the vision. While the land use vision alone cannot solve the city’s housing affordability needs, when paired with other policies and funding, the Future Land Use Map can help provide more affordable options for all throughout the city.
  • In order to achieve this vision along with goals related to affordability and mitigation of displacement, development will need to be paired with requirements, incentives, and subsidies to support these outcomes.

Where to find support for affordability-focused policies in the Comprehensive Plan chapters:

  • The recommendations from the 2021 Affordable Housing Plan have been incorporated into the Housing Chapter of the draft Comprehensive Plan Update. These strategies, with others outlined in the Housing Chapter, as well as the Land Use, Urban Form, and Cultural and Historic Preservation Chapter, provide the primary mechanisms to support and protect existing communities, particularly those most at-risk of displacement.
  • For example, in the Land Use, Urban Form, and Cultural and Historic Preservation chapter, Goal #1 states: Implement the Future Land Use Vision while Supporting Existing Neighborhoods and Preventing Displacement of At-Risk Communities. Strategies within that goal include evaluating the impact of proposed development on existing affordable housing and at-risk communities, as well as consideration of a variety of existing and new programs.

  • The land use map supports the opportunity for change throughout the city. Even if the land use shown on your property is very different than your current land use, it does not mean that you need to redevelop your property.
  • The zoning rewrite will provide further information about how neighborhoods may look in the future. In certain places, parcels may only be allowed to develop a portion of what is shown on the Future Land Use Map, for various reasons, including whether a parcel has the necessary parcel depth to support transitions in height to lower-height areas. Once the zoning is changed, if you want to make changes to your property, you may need to consider new requirements.
  • As far as your neighborhood, we think that this map and the land use descriptions can not only support more residential options, but can also help support a better mix of uses throughout the city. One thing we have heard throughout this process is that people want to be able to walk to the store to get some bread, milk, or other basic food items. The FLUM supports “active ground floor uses” at some level in most areas. These uses include small shops and other places that neighborhood residents may need to go on a regular basis.

  • Historic districts are important features that contribute to the character of the city. Throughout the FLUM, there are locations where changes in land use designations are shown within a historic district, Entrance Corridor, ADC area, or other overlay.
  • The intent is not to change the character of these areas. Rather, the Comprehensive Plan supports and suggests incentivizing intensification of uses that preserve existing structures, whenever possible. These areas will still be subject to reviews, as determined by their designation, preserving their form and character.
  • You can find support for these policies in the Land Use, Urban Form, and Historic and Cultural Preservation chapter, as well as the Housing chapter of the Comprehensive Plan.

Review Materials

View an Overview Packet, or open the links below for more information. Please note that these materials are not final drafts, and all community comments will be reviewed and considered as part of the revision process.

The slides from the webinars also contain an overview of all materials available for review.

Though the Affordable Housing Plan was finalized in March 2021, you may be interested to review this document to learn more about recommendations related to affordable housing programs, policies, and funding.

We invite you to review and share comments related to the seven draft chapters. Topics of the chapters are:

  • Land Use, Urban Form, and Historic and Cultural Preservation
  • Housing
  • Transportation
  • Environment, Climate, and Food Access
  • Economic Prosperity and Opportunity
  • Community Facilities and Services
  • Community Engagement and Collaboration

Review the chapters and related documents:

  • View a one-page summary of some of the major updates to each chapter here (PDF)
  • Download all chapters in one document here (PDF). This includes an overview and a list of Guiding Principles
  • Microsoft Word versions of all chapters can be found here.

  • Land use planning objectives: These objectives informed the development of the future land use map. They were developed using feedback from earlier community input processes, as well as input from the Cville Plans Together Steering Committee and the Planning Commission.
    • Build upon land use recommendations integrated within the City’s citywide studies, Small Area Plans, and the 2021 Affordable Housing Plan.
    • Ensure citywide, equitable opportunities for density increases and enhanced community services.
    • Increase density around community amenities such as shopping, employment centers, and transit.
    • Explore the development potential of vacant or underutilized properties.
    • Maximize access to public open spaces and schools.
    • Establish correlations between the City’s land uses, UVA, and the Urban Ring.
    • Increase access to transit to help achieve the City’s climate goals.
    • Protect, preserve, and enhance natural & and cultural resources.
    • Ensure long term economic sustainability of the City by planning for a wide range of commercial land use types.
  • View the Draft Future Land Use Map with land use descriptions here (PDF) En español
  • Visit the interactive map – You can pan around the map, search for specific addresses, and submit site-specific commentsUse your email to log-in in order to return to the map to view your comments later.
  • Additional information about the Future Land Use Map will be discussed during the webinars. This will include comparisons to the current land use map, precedent graphics to support descriptions of all land use categories, and more.
  • If you would like access to the GIS shapefile of the draft Future Land Use Map, please send an email to engage@cvilleplanstogether.com

Participate in Events and Share Feedback

Click on the links above to review the draft materials, or join us at an upcoming event (details below). Then, please tell us what you think! There are several ways to do this:

All who participate in this community review period (including the comment form, email feedback, signing in at a pop-up, attending a webinar, etc.), will be entered in a raffle to win one of five $25 prepaid Visa gift cards.

Webinars, Pop-up Events, and Meetings

  • Webinars (Meetings on Zoom):

  • In-person Pop-up Events

    • Saturday, May 8: Riverview Park (298 Riverside Ave.), noon-2pm
    • Friday, May 14:
      • Reid Super-Save Market (600 Preston Ave.), 1-3pm
      • Downtown Mall (E Main St. & 2nd St. SE), 5-7pm
    • Saturday, May 15:
      • Farmers Market at IX Art Park (522 2nd St. SE), near North American Sake Brewery, 8am-noon
      • Jefferson School City Center (233 4th St. NW), 2-5pm
    • Sunday, May 16: Church of the Incarnation (1465 Incarnation Dr.), noon-3pm

  • Cville Plans Together Steering Committee Meeting

  • Additional Meetings

    • Meeting with Neighborhood Representatives
      • Held May 18, 2021 via Zoom
      • Recording (YouTube)

Submit Comments (Now closed; was open May 3 through June 13, 2021)

  • Complete the comment form at surveymonkey.com/r/cville3

  • Submit comments using the interactive map

  • Send the Cville Plans Together team an email

    engage@cvilleplanstogether.com

  • Call the toll-free phone line

    Call (833) 752-6428. Please note that the maximum message length is two minutes.