When Charlottesville City Council adopted a new zoning code in December 2023, a key idea was to reduce the role elected and appointed officials play in determining what can be built where. The idea was to improve certainty for developers.
Under those rules, the LV Collective has the right to build an 11-story building at 843 W. Main St. because the underlying zoning allows for that size if the project meets a series of technical guidelines, including affordability requirements. The developer has submitted a plan for 307 apartments and a total of 708 bedrooms, but has yet to submit a housing certification.
Another requirement is a certificate of appropriateness from the Board of Architectural Review, a decision that can be appealed to City Council. However, Charlottesville’s historic preservation planner says the city cannot block development…