Handed the giant lemon of a recession, Charlottesville’s Planning Commission hopes to squeeze lemonade. Because applications for development review have dwindled since the summer, the Commission gets a chance to tackle the bigger picture.
“Although an economic slowdown is, in general, not a healthy thing for our economy,” says Commissioner Dan Rosensweig, “it has given us an opportunity to retool, to set ourselves up to do more long-range planning.”
The Commission has four strategic goals: rezoning to fulfill the city’s Comprehensive Plan; examining density in residential areas; increasing the value and presence of the Rivanna
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When planners plan: Dan Rosensweig and other city planning commissioners can think about parking, infill and urban forests for a change, now that development applications have slowed. |
River in city life; and ensuring trees eventually shade 40 percent of Charlottesville. Cheri Lewis, another member of the Commission, has asked to add Downtown parking to the agenda.
Already, the Commission has made progress. It revised the Rezoning Petition Review Sheet, Rosensweig notes, to better help developers that are “considering how they can make their applications mitigate any potential impacts of their development.” The city is also researching splitting the single definition of a bed and breakfast into three classifications by size. That, Rosensweig says, “will put limits on the number of guest rooms and on some of the activities taking place in the establishment, while at the same time opening up the possibility of locating small B&Bs—as small as one room—in less intensive zoning districts.”
Residential density is also on Lewis’ mind when it causes “inappropriate infill development in neighborhoods.” Without a limit on the floor area ratio, or footprint of a home relative to the size of its lot, the Commission cannot easily prevent developers from “shoehorning too much into a neighborhood,” she explains. “There’s the threat of tear-downs for monster mansions,” which the Commission hopes to address.
Meanwhile, for the Rivanna, Lewis says the Commission will consider “more recreational uses of the river—not paddleboats or anything” but maybe more canoeing or fishing. She adds the commission is exploring significant waterfront redevelopment opportunities along High Street.
While Charlottesville’s mini-festival marketplace future may be hazy, developers Downtown clearly want more parking. There’s talk of a third municipal garage, although Lewis hopes the Commission will review two-hour parking Downtown and consider metering or other ways “to get people into garages and out of the neighborhoods” in the first place. The Commission also should recall its urban forest goals whenever it approves removing an existing tree.
Finally, Lewis looks on the bright side for developers. Despite the slowdown, Charlottesville is “experiencing lots of thoughtful development” because people appreciate its walkable lifestyle. Developers may even benefit from falling costs and may “get more help from the city staff” because the slowdown has freed some of its time and the city may appreciate—instead of circumscribe—development. “This isn’t a free pass,” she cautions, “but a sense that, hey, as a jurisdiction, we’re glad to have some development going on.”
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