Albemarle
County’s Development Areas Initiative
Location: Albemarle
County (Charlottesville), Virginia
Issue: quality of development in urban areas
Tools Used: design/planning charrette
Result: master planning template for use in 10
Development Areas
Process:
Albemarle County's Development Areas Initiative began as a 12-month project to improve the quality of new development and
redevelopment in its urban areas. Albemarle is a community of
approximately 76,000 people nestled on the edge of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. The 740 square mile county surrounds the City of
Charlottesville (population 41,000).
In February of 1997, the County Board of Supervisors appointed
a diverse 23 member citizen committee to provide guidance on the quality
of new development in the County. They asked this committee to suggest
changes to the zoning and subdivision ordinance and to provide a master
planning template for the County's 10 "Development Areas."
The project was an outgrowth of the County Land Use Plan,
which asserted that better use of the Development Areas was needed
rather than expanding the boundaries. Unlike other rural counties
Albemarle has maintained fairly firm boundaries for its rural areas
because County residents value their rural surroundings and want to
preserve and protect them. The Development Areas have long been designated
for growth because they have:
·
public water, sewer, and roads to serve existing and future
development
·
undeveloped land that can accommodate future development
·
urban services such as transit and community amenities such as
parks and cultural centers.
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To assist in the project, the County hired CHK, Inc. from
Silver Spring, Maryland. CHK and the committee conducted two all-day
design workshops where they explored new forms of housing, mixing
commercial and residential uses, and creating streets with a
"human" scale; and considered the importance of neighborhood
centers and how architectural features enhance the appearance and
viability of neighborhoods.
The Initiative has been different from many community
planning projects because of this collaborative
design aspect. In the planner-facilitated design workshops,
landscape architects and architects illustrated residents' and business
owners' ideals for new development and redevelopment. These were so
successful that the workshop model has been recommended as a primary
tool for master plan development.
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Another unique aspect has been the strong level of constituent
involvement in the development of goals for the Development Areas. They
have pushed hard for equity in protection of the rural areas and
regulations to achieve a mix of housing types and affordability.
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Though the Initiative was originally a year long project,
completion is now anticipated by May 1999, when master planning of the
Development Areas will begin. The hard work and commitment of the
committee will be rewarded through a well defined vision for the community
and development regulations that help realize that vision.
Lessons Learned:
Important lessons have been learned from working with such a
diverse committee and with a consulting firm whose strengths are design
and illustration. Well structured meetings are essential, and mutual understanding of the
details of the tasks involved cannot be stressed enough. Appreciation
for the diversity of expertise and interests must prevail.
Contact:
Elaine Echols, Senior Planner
Albemarle
County
