In just a few days, the public will have the chance to weigh in at the official public hearing on an update of a document intended to guide development in Albemarle County.
“The local planning commission shall prepare and recommend a comprehensive plan for the physical development of the territory within its jurisdiction and every governing body shall adopt a comprehensive plan for the territory under its jurisdiction,” reads Virginia Code requiring such a document to be updated periodically.
Albemarle County first adopted a Comprehensive Plan in 1971 that established a growth management policy intended to concentrate development in urban areas and villages. The boundaries have both shrunk and expanded as the plan was updated in 1977, 1982, 1989, 1996, and most recently in 2015.
The latest plan update got underway in November 2021 and county staff have taken the lead on a process known as AC44. For previous stories on the process, check out this section of Information Charlottesville…