HomeMy WebLinkAboutZTA201900007 Action Letter 2020-08-04ATTACHMENT B -COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Chapter 3 GROWTH MANAGEMENT
ALBEMARLE COUNTY GROWTH MANAGEMENT POLICY
Promote the efficient use of County resources through a combination of:
A. Protecting the elements that define the Rural Area:
• Agricultural resources
• Forestry resources
• Land preservation
• Land conservation
• Water supply resources
• Natural resources
• Scenic resources
• Historical, archaeological, and cultural resources and
B. Promoting the Development Areas as the place where a variety of land uses, facilities, and
services exist and are planned to support the County's future growth, with emphasis placed on
density and high quality design in new and infill development.
Chapter 4 NATURAL RESOURCES
History of Watershed Protection in Albemarle County
The County's water resources programs include stormwater management (including water quality
treatment, and channel and flood protection), erosion and sediment control, stream buffer protection,
collection of groundwater information, capital projects, public education, illicit discharge detection and
elimination, and infrastructure maintenance. These activities are a result of comprehensive planning and
regulations to protect water resources since the 1970s. In 1980, most land in water -supply watersheds
was designated rural in order to prevent and reduce pollution and development potential in the Rural
Area was restricted. In 1982, the Crozet and Ivy development areas, both located in water -supply
watersheds, were further reduced. In 1998, the County adopted a Water Protection Ordinance (WPO)
that strengthened stream buffers, updated stormwater treatment criteria, and better connected water
quality protection to land use issues. The WPO was amended in 2014 to implement new State
stormwater and pollution prevention programs. The County's zoning ordinance has provided flood
protection measures since 1980, which were strengthened by the WPO. In 2014, the zoning ordinance
was amended to implement new FEMA requirements for protecting floodplains, which are on most
major streams in the County.
Objective 2: Protect air quality.
Strategy 2a: Help protect local and regional air quality by reducing the County's carbon footprint and by
promoting alternatives to single -occupancy vehicles, such as walking, bicycle use, ride -sharing, and
public transit services.
Strategy 5b: Continue to protect critical slopes in the Rural Area.
Critical slopes are areas with a slope of 25% or greater. Protecting these slopes improves soil retention,
helps to retain forests, and enhances water quality. In the Rural Area especially, clearing, grading,
building, cropping, and overgrazing of critical slopes can result in extensive erosion and landslides or
sloughing of soil and rock; excessive stormwater runoff, increased siltation and sedimentation (which
affects the health of aquatic ecosystems); loss of aesthetic resource; and, in the event of septic system
failure, a greater travel distance for septic effluent (which affects both drinking -water quality and the
health of aquatic ecosystems). Protection measures for critical slopes include: continuing to prohibit
construction on critical slopes except where necessary to build or access the first dwelling on a parcel;
providing education materials to the public about critical slope protection. Standards for designing
public roads and building County projects are found in the Appendix.
Chapter 6 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Objective 1: Promote economic development activities that help build on the County's assets while
recognizing distinctions between expectations for the Development Areas and the Rural Area.
Strategy lb: Promote agriculture, forestry, and agribusiness enterprises in the Rural Area that help
support the Rural Area goals for a strong agricultural and forestal economy.
Objective 4: Ensure that there is sufficient land to accommodate future business and industrial
growth, and plan for infrastructure to serve employment areas where these businesses are located.
Strategy 4a: Provide a strategic assessment of properties available for existing business expansion,
start-up industries, and desirable locations for target industries. Continue to assess the quality of the
areas designated for business and industry to ensure that there is land for business and industrial
growth with parcels of suitable size, topography, location, and infrastructure.
Strategy 4b: Encourage development of business and industrial uses in the Development Areas on
appropriately zoned land and consider proactively rezoning land to allow for light industrial uses that
have been identified on master plans.
Chapter 7 RURAL AREA
Land Use Plan for the Rural Area
Policy and Zoning Ordinance changes are recommended to promote the County's preferred uses for the
Rural Area, including supportive uses for agriculture, historic preservation, tourism, crossroads
communities, and strengthening land conservation initiatives. The strategies discussed in this Chapter all
share the goal of helping to keep the Rural Area rural.
Chapter 8 DEVELOPMENT AREA
Objective 2: Create a physical environment that supports healthy lifestyles through application of the
Neighborhood Model Principles
Respecting Terrain and Careful Grading and Re -grading of Terrain Strategy
Strategy 2p: Encourage developers to design buildings that fit into the terrain rather than flattening
the land for trademark buildings.
Albemarle County's mountains, streams, and valleys provide spectacular views and makes the Rural
Area a place of beauty and tranquility. In the Development Areas, a similar topography provides
character but also presents significant challenges for development. The strategies listed in this section
address the desire to retain certain features of landscape as it is developed. This principle also notes the
need for attention to final finished grades when grading is essential.
Albemarle County's hilly terrain can be advantageous to builders and developers. More interesting and
potentially functional buildings can be designed when some of the features of the existing landscape are
retained. In addition, grading costs can be lowered when sites are not "flattened" for large single -story
buildings. These features give Albemarle its own character and separate it from the myriad of
communities with franchise buildings and large parking lots lining primary streets. Developers should
carefully consider the costs of designing buildings that work with the terrain and compare the design
costs to grading costs. If the difference is minimal, a better result may be achieved through an
individualized building design.
Objective 4: Use Development Area land efficiently to prevent premature expansion of the
Development Areas