A development on a congested part of Rio Road that garnered opposition from residents of neighboring Dunlora is expected to come before the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors during the evening portion of its Wednesday meeting. Additionally, the board is slated take its first official look at the county’s fiscal year 2021 budget.
The corner of Belvedere Boulevard and East Rio Road is the site of the 999 Rio Road proposal. Some nearby residents have expressed concern that continued development along Rio will exacerbate traffic woes, but others argue that the added density could instead alleviate the issue.
Under the rezoning request before the board, the 1.9-acre lot at 999 E. Rio Road would be allowed to build between 11 and 28 residential units and a maximum of 6,000 square feet in commercial space. The county Planning Commission in January voted, 4-3, to recommend its approval. It also voted unanimously to voice some concerns about the proposal.
Since January, the applicant has made some revisions, including modifying the types of commercial uses and moving a parking lot entrance along Belvedere Boulevard farther away from Rio to meet VDOT requirements.
At a minimum, 15% of the residences would be designated as affordable for households making 80% of the area median income, which was $89,600 a year in 2018. The homes will be a mixture of single-family attached, detached and multifamily units, according to documents in the board packet.
Money talks
Toward the end of the meeting, the Board of Supervisors is holding a public hearing on the county’s recommended $451 million budget. According to the proposal’s executive summary, this budget comes without a planned real estate property tax rate increase of $0.01 per $100 in assessed value due to local revenue growth being higher than expected and the timing of debt service.
The budget proposal can be found here. Work sessions continue at 3 p.m. Thursday in Room 241 of the County Office Building-McIntire, and two more are scheduled, if needed, before the expected second public hearing on April 13. The budget’s adoption is set for April 20, and the School Board’s budget adoption is expected to occur on April 23.
Also on the agenda
- Proclamations celebrating both Women’s History Month and the 100th Anniversary of the League of Women Voters
- One homestay exception on Stony Point Road and another off Batesville Road near the Nelson County line
- The monthly report from the School Board to the Board of Supervisors
Come see it for yourself!
The Board of Supervisors typically meets on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at both 1 and 6 p.m. There are two citizen comment periods, and the second kicks of the 6 p.m. portion of the meeting. The meetings are held in Lane Auditorium, which is on the second floor of the Albemarle County Office Building at the corner of McIntire Road and Preston Avenue.
- The County Office Building has ample free parking on its grounds.
- If you take the bus, check the Charlottesville Area Transit schedule to ensure that you don’t get stranded before the meeting ends. The two nearest stops are Preston Avenue at Harris Street and West Market Street at Old Preston Avenue.
- Anyone wishing to speak can sign up here.
- Board agendas can be found here and here.
- Meetings are livestreamed here.
