Designs for the new Whole Foods on Hydraulic Road—at 66,600 square feet, more than twice the size of its current building—left the city Planning Commission June 10 not completely whole.
Whole Foods developers bragged about the building’s ecofriendly design, including a green roof, and the “Market Hall,” an enclosed area for farmers’ markets and other community events.
“We have every intention, as we have tried to do throughout the rest of the country, to promote the local growers,” said Mark Hughes, Whole Foods’ construction coordinator. “We feel adamant that that is important for America to promote the small growers.” He said that his company, which currently hosts a farmers’ market every other Tuesday on the 29N location, is trying to stock at least 15 percent local products. “It’s a tall order. It’s tough to find. The small growers in America are getting pushed out.”
 Whole Foods says that the new Charlottesville building is going to be its greenest building east of the Mississippi. The Planning Commission wondered why plans only call for a 6 percent tree canopy, as opposed to the 10 percent required by code. |
But in addition to local foods, the plan also shows a commitment to parking, albeit in a three-story deck, which is the kind of structure the city and county are both encouraging. Whole Foods plans for 433 parking spaces—almost 250 more than the city minimum. Commissioners suggested cutting into the parking deck to allow for better landscaping along Hydraulic Road. Developers also asked permission to have fewer trees than city code requires, but the commissioners weren’t willing to sacrifice canopy for car space.
Traffic along Hydraulic Road also troubled some commissioners. The city is planning to move the light at Kmart on Hydraulic Road, placing it at the main Whole Foods entrance, which will eventually become Hillsdale Road Extended (if the state will ever fund it). Based on the existing exits, that would leave Kroger shoppers on the other side of the road without a way to turn left on Hydraulic Road, but City staff is working with Kroger and Dominion Power to align a shopping center exit at the new Hillsdale light.
Developers opted for a deferral. The project is expected to come back to the Planning Commission next month.
“It’s a really beautiful building and a really great application,” said Commissioner Cheri Lewis. “We’ve focused on the things we’re dissatisfied with, but I think we’re glad to have Whole Foods in the city and we’re glad for what you’re doing here, so don’t mistake that.”
But as Whole Foods prepares to move to a new location, what will happen to its old space at Shoppers’ World? Federal Realty Investment Trust (the same company that owns Barracks Road) didn’t respond to queries by press time. One rumor C-VILLE has heard is that Trader Joe’s might be on the way to the old Whole Foods spot, but a Trader Joe’s spokesperson says that Charlottesville isn’t currently on the two-year plan for the company.
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