Charlottesville City Council has voted to enter into a settlement agreement with a group of property owners who sued the city over adoption of the zoning code in December 2023. The action at the October 20 Council meeting comes at a time when neighbors of two proposed buildings are demanding Council revisit the code and make changes to stop or limit development.
City Attorney John Maddux briefed Council with a brief history of the Cville Plans Together initiative which created an affordable housing plan, a new Comprehensive Plan, and a new zoning code. All three have the intent of making it easier for developers to build more housing without needing approval from the Planning Commission or the City Council.
After a series of legal hearings, the main issue in the suit is whether the city complied with Virginia code. Plaintiffs have argued that city staff did not seek a traffic impact study from the Virginia Department of Transportation. A trial is scheduled for September 2026…