It’s almost like the County and City leaders don’t care about the ramifications of their collective (in)decisions.
In five years:
– The City of Charlottesville still won’t have built their portion of the Meadowcreek Parkway
– The County of Albemarle will still be approving developments with no regard for their impact on traffic, schools, water, sewer, quality of life.
I have long struggled with my opinions about growth in Charlottesville/Albemarle. In the nearly five years since I wrote that post, nothing has changed.
Don’t get me wrong; I love living in Charlottesville (actually Crozet, but we all refer ourselves as being from “Charlottesville”), but how can we achieve balance?
View Rio Rd in a larger map
(if you zoom in, you’ll see that even Google knows the Meadowcreek Parkway is supposed to be there)
Pulled from Albemarle County’s County View (the City of Charlottesville negligently has nothing similar):
Arden Place Apartments: (approved/under construction)
Request for preliminary site plan approval of 212 multifamily residential apartment units and a club house on the R15 residential zoned portion of Tax Map 61 Parcel 124 which consists of 11.350 acres. Associated waivers include section 4.2 (critical slopes) and section 21.7.c (disturbance of a buffer zone adjacent to a residential district). The subject property is located in the Rio Magisterial District on Rio Road East [State Route #631], about 900 feet from the intersection of Rio Road East [State Route #631] and Seminole Trail [State Route #29]. The Comprehensive Plan designates this property as Community Service in Urban Area 2.
Dunlora Gates: (approved in 2008)
Request for preliminary site plan approval to create 18 lots with open space on 7.9 acres. Associated with this request are requests for modifications for critical slopes, curb and gutter, sidewalks, and the approval of dedicated open space. The property is zoned R-4, Residential, described as Tax Map 62 Parcel 10 and is located in the Rio Magisterial District on Townbrook Crossing approximately 0.071 miles from the intersection of Shepherds Ridge Road and Townbrook Crossing. The Comprehensive Plan designates this property as Neighborhood Density in Urban Area 2.
Dunlora Forest: (Approved 2011)
PROPOSED: Request for preliminary approval of 93 units, including townhouses, single family, and duplexes at a density of 4.16 units per acre. Associated with this proposal are requests for a disturbance of critical slopes and bonus density increase for more units per acre than is allowed with the standard level development required for R4 zoning.
Dunlora, Phase 4: (approved in 2000)
Request to rezone 5.279 acres from RA to R-4. The property, described as Tax Map 62 Parcel 12 is located in the Rivanna Magisterial District between Dunlora Drive and Free State Road approximately 1/2 mile from the intersection of the railroad tracks and Free State Road. The Comprehensive Plan designates this property as Neighborhood Density Residential for 3 – 6 dwelling units per acre in Neighborhood 2.
Dunlora South: (approved in 2006)
Request for preliminary site plan approval to construct 24 single-family attached units on 6.02 acres zoned R4 (Residential). The property, described as a portion of Tax Map 62F, Parcel 0A, and Tax Map 62D, Parcel 1A is located in the Rio Magisterial District on Rio Road (Route 631), at the intersection of Rio Road and Pen Park Road (Route 768). The Comprehensive Plan designates this property as Neighborhood Density in Urban Area 2.
Treedale (currently under construction):
PROJECT: ZMA 2004-0022, Treesdale Park (Sign # 33). PROPOSAL: Rezone 6.60 acres from R4 residential zoning district which allows residential uses (4 units per acre) to PRD (Planned Residential District) – which allows residential uses (3 – 34 units/acre) with limited commercial uses. This request proposes a total of 90 units at a density of 14 units per acres and no commercial uses. PROFFERS: Yes. EXISTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LAND USE/DENSITY: Urban Density Residential (6 – 34 units per acre). ENTRANCE CORRIDOR: No. LOCATION: The property is located in the Rio Magisterial District at 640 E. Rio Road, south of Towne Lane on the west side of East Rio Road. TAX MAP/PARCEL: Tax Map 61, Parcels 182, 183, and 183A.
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Update: I forgot about the future phases of Belvedere.
Belvedere:
The Reserve at Belvedere: (Approved)
Request for approval of a final site plan to construct fourteen (14) buildings of attached condominimum units totaling 294 units. This application includes a request to modify Section 18-4.2 to allow for disturbance of critical slopes. The property, described as Tax Map 61, Parcels 157 and 158, is zoned NMD – Neighborhood Model District and is located in the Rio Magisterial District on Belvedere Drive, approximately 0.50 mile from its intersection with Rio Road. The Comprehensive Plan designates this property as Urban Density in Urban Area 2.
Entirety of Belvedere: (Approved)
Request to rezone approximately 206.682 acres from R-4, Residential to NMD, Neighborhood Model District, to allow up to 775 dwelling units, with an overall density of 3.74 dwelling units per acre, ranging from a density of 1.6 dwelling units per acre in some areas to 9.4 dwelling units in others.
Was pondering yesterday with Kate how long before Rio gets widened 🙁 Â (With neither widening nor keeping as it is an appealing prospect.)
I’m hoping that the Meadowcreek Parkway will offer bicycling as an option ….Â
There’s a beautiful biking/walking blacktop trail in the section of Meadowcreek Parkway that’s been built. It will make it easy for residents of this area to bike downtown. I’m really hoping they get it done. It’s absurd to do all this development off of Rio Road without the Meadowcreek Parkway. Do the Macintyre Park objectors understand the excessive traffic on Rio/Park St.?
You are missing the Belvedere phases too. I’m really concerned about Rio Road and immediate surrounding areas. The traffic is going to be unsustainable.
Thanks, Jennifer. I didn’t realize the scope of Rio until I researched and wrote this story.
Jim, sold any houses in Belvedere?Â
If you have, that might indict you as part of the problem, right?Â
Yep – I still love Belvedere. If I weren’t entrenched in Crozet, Belvedere is one of the only places that I’d consider moving.
I think it’s one of the best neighborhoods in Charlottesville/Albemarle due to its offerings, its community, the location and the vision.
That said, it’s not reasonable to say that I’m part of the problem. The market is there, and the market has shown that the neighborhood is desirable. People are going to move there regardless of who represents them.
hey Jim,
Is the name “Treesdale Park” an example of intentional irony?
They cut down a number of oak trees. The park will be for cars. Gah!