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A message from the Northfields Community Association
April 20, 2020
Dear Northfields neighbors,
On August 8, 2019, Albemarle County adopted a new Homestay ordinance, a snapshot of which is
displayed on the reverse. A "Homestay" is rental lodging offered within a home for less than 30 days at a
time. These rentals are typically rented through sites like Airbnb, VRBO, StayCharlottesville, and others.
Albemarle County went to great lengths to research and develop the current Homestay ordinance,
incorporating aspects that would preserve neighborhoods while allowing homeowners to rent extra rooms
in their home. Over many months, the effort involved multiple stakeholders and hearings, and ultimately
resulted in a carefully crafted ordinance that set acceptable parameters for Homestays in the County that
are safe for guests, limit impact on neighborhoods, and place no undue burden on County services.
On May 6, 2020, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors will consider a request for special exception
to the new County Homestay ordinance for the property located at 2405 Northfield Road. Many Northfields
residents have expressed concern about the size and scope of this particular project since it began,
and the request for special exemption makes it clear that there is no intention to utilize the property as a
residence. Rather, the property owner's request for special exception asks the Board of Supervisors to
allow operation of 2405 Northfield Road exclusively as a Homestay with these variances from the new
ordinance:
• 5 guest rooms instead of the 2 guest room maximum allowed, and
• Relief of the owner occupation requirement
The Northfields Community Association is opposed to the granting of the special exception request, and
believes this application is an attempt to circumvent the intent of the new Homestay ordinance. We believe
that our neighborhood - and all Albemarle County neighborhoods - should be protected from potential
abuses of the short term rental industry. If the Board were to grant this special exception, it will disregard
the neighborhood safeguards that were put in place by the new ordinance and set a precedent that invites
corporate entities to build small hotels in residential neighborhoods.
The Northfields Community Association invites our neighbors in Northfields to take one or more of the
following actions to oppose this special exception request:
• Communicate their specific opposition to the request to the Board of Supervisors before the May 6
meeting. (send email to all supervisors by April 30, addressing your email to bos@albemarle.org)
Note that because the meeting will be held online, communicating with the board in advance of the
meeting is more important than ever, since we cannot attend in person.
Sign the petition online at www.ipetitions.com. Search for "2405" to find our petition easily.
Virtually attend the Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday,Q7". J,� /17
Thank you for taking action to oppose this special exception application!
Northfields Community Association Executive Board:
Kathy Kildea, Sarah Kent, Nina Getchell, Jim Aylor
The following Homestay regulations were adopted by the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors in August 2019:
Rural Area <5 I
Proposed Regulations Rural Area >5 Acres Acres Residential
Number of Guest Rooms per 5 2* 2
Homestay Use �— __....., ._ ...... i
Primary dwelling
Minimum Setbacks 125 feet* 1 125 feet setbacks
In Primary In Primary In Primary
Location of Guest Rooms DwellingJAccessory Dwelling* Dwelling
Structures !
Number of Homestay Uses �— 2
Whole House Rental 7 days/month, max 45 Not Permitted Not Permitted
days/year
Parking Location On site On -site On site
nnual Registry IL Required Required Required
Neighbor Notice and Required L Required Required
Responsible Agent
Annual Safety Inspections Required Required Required
Owner- Owner -Occupied
Owner -Occupied Owner -Occupied Only Occupied Only* � Only
*may be waived or modified through Special Exception, to be approved or denied by the Board of Supervisors
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