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COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE
Department of Community Development
401 McIntire Road, Room 227
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 -4596
Phone (434) 296 -5832 Fax (434) 972 -4126
September 8, 2004
James B., Jr. and Louise H. Helvin
599 Long Branch Ivy Lane
Charlottesville, VA 22903
RE: OFFICIAL DETERMINATION OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS - Tax Map 73, Parcel
27 (Property of James B. Helvin, Jr. and Louise H. Helvin) Section 10.3.1
Dear Mr. and Ms. Helvin:
The County Attorney and I have reviewed the title information for the above -noted
property. It is the County Attorney's advisory opinion and my official determination that
Tax Map 73, Parcel 27 is a single lot of record with two (2) development rights. The
basis for this determination is summarized as follows.
Our records indicate Tax Map 73, Parcel 27 contains 5.679 acres and two dwellings.
The property is not in an Agricultural Forestal District. The most recent deed for this
property is recorded in Deed Book 2658, page 508.
This analysis begins with Deed Book 388, page 219, dated April 4, 1963. This deed
contains a plat by O. R. Randolph that shows the 1.6 acre parcel. The plat was
approved by the County. This deed established this 1.6 -acre parcel as a lot of record.
Deed Book 433, page 579, dated July 28, 1967 conveyed 3.4 acres from Irving Berman
& Betty Berman and George H. Hurwitz & Tessie Hurwitz to Eugene G. Link & Patricia
S. Link. The property is described, in part, as two certain lots or parcels of land, known
and designated as Lot A and B on a plat by William S. Roudabush, Jr., dated July 18,
1967. The plat is attached to the deed. Lot A contains 3.212 acres and Lot B contains
0.188 acres. The plat is titled: "Plat Showing Parcels A and B Aggregating 3.40 Acres,
To Be Acquired By Eugene G. Link From Irving Berman and George H. Hurwitz."
At the time this plat was recorded the Subdivision Ordinance that was amended
and reenacted on March 15, 1962 defined a subdivision as follows:
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James B., Jr. and Louise H. Helvin
September 8, 2004
Page 2
For property Iyin_g in Albemarle County: but 3 miles or more from the
corporate limits of the City of Charlottesville:
The division of a lot, tract or parcel of land into two or more lots, plots,
sites or other division of land for the purpose, whether immediate or future
of sale and of building development.
Division of land into lots of 3 acres or more not involving the establishment
of a new street or access easement or the division of land for agricultural
purposes only, shall be exempt from these regulations.
Taking into account the 1962 Subdivision Ordinance, it is determined that this
transaction was a boundary adjustment for agricultural purposes only, not a
subdivision that created Parcels A and B as separate Lots of record. Lot A and
Lot B are shown on the plat only to indicate the metes and bounds as well as the
acreage of the land that was transferred from the Berman and Hurwitz tract and
added to the Link property. The plat distinguishes between the existing property
lines shown with a light line weight and the new perimeter line using a heavier
line weight showing the entire tract as one parcel. It is also noted that neither Lot
A nor Lot B is provided access to Route 637.
The finding that the land was conveyed for agricultural purposes rather than
building development purposes is further supported by the fact that the plat was
not signed by the County. This would have been the standard procedure for the
recordation of exempt plats in 1967.
The fact that these portions of land were identified as lots or parcels in the deed
does not establish them as lots of record. They are comparable to well lots,
cemeteries, narrow access lots, etc. that were created in the past for special
purposes. The Zoning Administrator has consistently determined that such
special purpose lots do not have development rights.
The most recent instrument for this parcel recorded prior to the date of adoption of the
Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance, (December 10, 1980) is in Deed Book 459, page
453. This deed, dated June 12, 1969 conveyed certain parcels from Henry B. Gordon &
Charles R. Haugh to James B. Helvin, Jr. & Louise H. Helvin. The deed states that the
parties of the first part acquired the property from Eugene G. Link and Patricia S. Link
by the deed recorded in Deed Book 435, page 339. The parcels are described, in part,
as follows.
1. A certain lot or parcel containing 1.60 acres shown on a plat recorded in Deed Book
388, page 255; and being one of the parcels conveyed to the parties of the first part
by the deed dated October 10, 1967 in Deed Book 435, page 339.
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James B., Jr. and Louise H. Helvin
September 8, 2004
Page 3
2. All those certain lots or parcels of land containing 3.212 acres and 0.188 acres,
respectively, known and designated as Lots A and B as shown on a plat recorded in
Deed Book 433, page 583; and being a portion of the property conveyed to the
parties of the first part by the aforementioned deed dated October 10, 1967.
On the basis of this deed, Deed Book 388, page 219 and Deed Book 433, page 583
Tax Map 73, Parcel 27 is determined to be a single parcel with two (2)
development rights.
Deed Book 2658, page 508, dated November 29, 2003, conveyed a strip of land
containing 0.181 acres from Pounding Brook, L.L.C. to James B. Helvin, Jr. The
property is shown as Parcel X on a plat by Trueline II Surveying captioned "Plat
Showing Retriever Run Subdivision Along With The Combining of Parcel X To TMP 73-
27 From TMP 73 -27G." The plat shows the acreage of Parcel 27 to be 5.579 acres. This
transaction had no effect on the development rights of the parcel.
These development rights may be utilized if all other applicable regulations can be met.
These development rights are theoretical in nature but do represent the maximum
number of lots containing less than twenty -one acres allowed to be created by right.
If you are aggrieved by this determination, you have a right to appeal it within thirty days
of the date notice of this determination is given, in accordance with Section 15.2 -2311 of
the Code of Virginia. If you do not file a timely appeal, this determination shall be final
and unappealable. An appeal shall be taken only by filing with the Zoning Administrator
and the Board of Zoning Appeals a notice of appeal which specifies the grounds for the
appeal. An appeal application must be completed and filed along with the fee of $120.
The date notice of this determination was given is the same as the date of this letter. If
you have any questions, please contact me.
Sincerely,
John Shepherd
Manager of Zoning Administration
Copies: Gay Carver, Real Estate Department,
Reading File
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