Charlottesville City Council has voted to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for a 7-story luxury housing development despite strong opposition from Fifeville residents.
On Monday night, City Council voted to overturn a December 2025 decision by the Board of Architectural Review to deny the COA — an official document approving exterior changes to properties within designated historic districts or landmarks — to Landmark Properties, the developer of a large student housing complex called The Mark.
In practical terms, City Council’s vote means that Landmark Properties can now move on to the next phase of development, which includes submitting a final site plan to be reviewed and approved by city staff and obtaining all necessary construction permits.
In an email on Wednesday, Charlottesville Development Planning Manager Matthew Alfele confirmed that since the project is by-right, site plan approval will be an administrative process and there will be no additional review by the Planning Commission or City Council…