The tension between Charlottesville’s permissive new zoning code and public housing advocates continued to be on display when the Board of Architectural Review took a preliminary look at a revised proposal for another student housing building on West Main Street during its May 19 meeting.
“Ultimately something’s going to get built here,” said BAR Chairman James Zehmer. “I think the goal is to try and all work together to try and find something that the city and various communities within the city can be proud of.”
The firm LV Collective submitted plans in the summer of 2025 for an 11-story building to be constructed on a parking lot at 843 W. Main St., just up the hill from Westhaven. This sparked the Public Housing Association of Residents to launch a campaign for City Council to change the zoning to allow more community input and requirements for developers…