Members of Charlottesville’s Board of Architectural Review remarked how they could hardly believe how many people sat in the City Council chambers Tuesday evening, waiting for their meeting to begin.
About 40 people had taken a seat, some holding handmade signs that said “Go Back to Texas,” “Don’t Block Us In — No Prison Walls,” “Justice, No Crumbs” and “Nothing About Us, Without Us.” “Protect and Preserve Westhaven,” said another. One woman held up a sign with an image of a project the BAR was set to discuss — an 11-story luxury student housing building — with a bold red “no” symbol over it.
A Texas developer specializing in student housing, has proposed the project for 835, 843 and 847 West Main St., three adjacent parcels of land currently occupied by a parking lot and a small building that most recently held a cupcake shop. The company’s presentation to the BAR touted its $6 billion in assets across 11 states (the presentation begins on page 196 of the meeting agenda packet)…