The Charlottesville City Council met for its regular biweekly meeting Monday, in which members authorized a $159,947.55 tax refund to an anonymous contracting firm that has carried out development projects around the University. Members also heard concerns from community members about the City’s zoning code.
The Council authorized the tax refund to an anonymous contracting firm that has been “working on projects around U.Va.,” according to Commissioner of the Revenue Todd D. Divers. Divers said the unnamed firm mistakenly paid taxes to the City of Charlottesville for contracting done in Albemarle County. He explained that the mistake occurred because the firm is not based in the Charlottesville area and the distinction between City and county limits were unclear to the firm’s accountants.
During the ‘Community Matters’ segment of the meeting — the public portion of each meeting in which up to 8 speakers can raise concerns to the Council — several city residents expressed concerns that the City’s zoning is not adequately tailored to protect vulnerable communities and that it could stifle development of important transportation projects. Community members near University projects, such as the residents of Westhaven, have expressed concerns with privately developed student housing projects…