AGENDA DATE: 1/8/2025
TITLE:
Title
AC44: Rural Area Land Use Chapter
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Request for Board of Supervisors' feedback on draft Rural Area Land Use chapter of the Comprehensive Plan
ITEM TYPE: Regular Information Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Wall, Filardo, Barnes, McDermott, Swartzendruber, Kanellopoulos, Holt
PRESENTER (S): Tori Kanellopoulos, Principal Planner
LEGAL REVIEW: Not Required
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: Albemarle County is updating the Comprehensive Plan through the Albemarle County 2044 (AC44) project. The project is in Phase 3: drafting language for the four-part Comprehensive Plan document and developing Plan actions.
The draft language for the Part III - Rural Area Land Use (RA LU) chapter in Attachment B is built upon community input and reflects the Planning Commission's and Board's initial feedback.
The work session topics focus primarily on preserving Rural Area land for preferred Rural Area land uses (agriculture, forestry, and conservation) and clarifying the recommendations for rural communities (previously called 'crossroads communities'). Across the United States, significant amounts of farmland are being converted to low-density residential subdivisions, especially where subdivision requirements are less stringent. Updating the County's subdivision requirements and reactivating the ACE program are two ways the County can protect Rural Area land and discourage subdivision and residential development.
Action 2.1 is intended to keep residential lots smaller, as larger parcels are needed for agriculture and forestry. Keeping residential lots smaller allows for more land to be reserved for agriculture, forestry, and land conservation, especially where subdivisions are already allowed per development rights. Action 3.1 recommends reactivating ACE to make land conservation possible for lower-income landowners whose rural land is most at risk of sale for development. ...
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