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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP199400003 Action Letter · , COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE Dept. of Planning & Community Development 401 Mcintire Road Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-4596 (804) 296-5823 April 22, 1994 Greater Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity P. O. Box 7305 Charlottesville, VA 22906 RE: SP-94-03 J. E. Simpson Estate Dear Sir: The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, at its meeting on April 20, 1994, approved the above-noted request for five additional development rights (Section 10.5.2) to permit a total of 10 lots on a 23.75 acre parcel zoned Rural Areas. Please note that this approval is subject to the following conditions: 1. Staff approval of subdivision plats; 2. Development shall be in accord with the statements of the applicant as contained in Attachment C and the information packet entitled "Greater Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity Esmont Property Special Use Permit." Revisions to the sketch of development contained in the applicant's information necessary to meet requirements of the Subdivision and Zoning Ordinances are not included in this condition. 3. The road serving these ten lots must be built to state (Virginia Department of Transportation) standards for acceptance into the state (Virginia Department of Transportation) system. Before beginning this use, you must obtain a zoning clearance from the Zoning Department. Before the Zoning Department will issue a clearance, you must comply with the conditions in this letter. For further information, please call Babette Thorpe at 296-5975. 1 . . Page 2 April 22, 1994 If you should have any questions or comments regarding the above-noted action, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, t/w &L v. w.ynet::berg Director of Planning VWC/jcw cc: Amelia McCulley Jo Higgins Bruce Wardell Estate of J. E. Simpson 2 .. e e \ ATTACHMENT C I DESCRIPTION OF REQUEST Greater Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity requests a Special Use Permit to allow the 24.5 acres shown on the attached plat to be divided into 10 lots for the construction of 10 single family low cost houses. Each lot would exceed the minimum 2 acre lot size required by the County and would be served by individual septic and well. The residences to be built would be owner occupied by families that participate in the construction of the houses. The development of the property and construction of the houses would be carried out according to the national standards of Habitat for Humanity and would be buil t by a combination of volunteer labor and professional supervision. Details of the program are included in the attached brochure and project description. JUSTIFICATION Habitat for Humanity seeks to build houses in partnership with families that would under normal circumstances not be able to afford owning their own home. The houses are built and sold to the partner families at cost with a zero interest mortgage to be paid back over 20 years. Habitat provides both construction and counselling support for families as they obtain and learn to manage the responsibilities of home ownership. Habitat for Humanity has built thousands of homes for families throughout the country and has recently built the first house loacally in Charlottesville. In partnership with volunteers, donors, and professionals Greater Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity is seeking to meet a portion of the need for affordable housing in the Charlotesvillel Albemarle County area. The greatest need we have found in three years of preparation and research is the availability of affordable land in areas suitable for residential construction. In developing land for the construction of Habitat houses it is our intention to allocate the maximum percentage of our resources to the actual construction of the houses themselves. This means that in order to make the houses more affordable, the acquisition and development costs ofland and infrastructure must be kept to minimum. In searching for available land we looked for locations that would benefit from the addition of good simple owner occupied housing. In providing low cost owner occupied housing the amount of land that each house owns cannot be excessive. It must both relate to the size of the house to be built and the neighbor hood within which it will be constructed. It is with this in mind that we considered the property in Esmont. In considering the division of this property into 10 lots rather than the 'by right', 5 lots that are permitted, there are a number of factors that support this strategy. 1. The 2+ acre lots that would result would correspond to the majority of residential lots within the neighboring area. The three lots that had previously been subdivided out of the original property are of this size. The proposed development fits into the character of the area. 2. The vast majority of Habitat families include children of school age and the proximity of this property to the school would be only logical for the children. Families tend to become involved where their children are involved and this would enhance their integration into the affairs of the community. 3. By providing 10 lots, the development costs that must be carried by each house would be reduced increasing the affordability of the houses themselves. This would provide tangible evidence of the goals established by the County last year to encourgage the e e I ATTACHMENT C II Page 2\ development of low and moderate cost housing within the next decade. 4. Habitat for Humanity does not depend upon public money or funding for the provision of low cost housing. Nationally, Habitat for Humanity is among the fifty largest homebuilders in the nation, providing affordable housing for thousands of families each year. The assistance that city and county governments throughout the country provide in partnership with Humanity comes in the form of administrative and planning support. This project provides and ideal opportunity to assist with the provision of low cost housing without the burden of financing or managing the project itself. Each home owner will contribute to the tax base of the County itself at the properties are developed and the houses built. 5. The planning of the development and the design of the houses is being done by members of the local planning and architectural community. The houses that are built will be specifically designed to reinforce the best aspects of the local ncighborhood and will the finest example of this type of cooperation between the partner families, the professionals, and the volunteers. In summary, the development of this property for ten houses seems to fit perfectly within the context of the neighborhood, the goals of the County for affordable housing, and the resources of Greater Habitat for Humanity. Most importantly, it will provide housing for 10 families, (two of which have been selected already and are waiting for their houses) that would not be able to own thcir own homes without this development. Additional information will be attached for the remainder of the Application.