Draft Chapter: Community Facilities and Infrastructure

This chapter focuses on Community Facilities and Infrastructure in Albemarle County. It highlights the significance of these facilities in providing essential services and improving the quality of life for residents. The chapter covers various aspects of community facilities and services, including local government administration, public utilities, public schools, fire and rescue services, and police.

• Public Administration and Services: The County has four primary locations for government services, with most offices in the County Office Building-McIntire and the County Office Building-Fifth Street. The plan considers strategic locations for offering additional services, potentially including mobile or rotating services to improve accessibility, especially in Rural Area.
• Public Utilities: Public water and sewer services are provided within the Albemarle County Service Authority Jurisdictional Area (ACSAJA), primarily corresponding to designated development areas. The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) and Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA) are responsible for these services.
• Schools: Albemarle County has 28 public school facilities serving over 14,000 students. The plan addresses potential future school sites, planning for capacity needs, and promotes safe routes for walking and biking to schools. Additional safe routes to school recommendations will also be provided in the Transportation chapter.
• Emergency Services: The County operates 14 fire-rescue stations, responding to over 19,000 incidents annually. Both volunteer and career personnel staff these facilities. The plan also mentions the need for expanded training facilities.
• Law Enforcement: The Police Department operates from the Fifth Street County Office Building and uses a "geographical policing" model, dividing the county into two patrol districts to improve community relationships and response times.

The overarching goal of this chapter is to provide and maintain community facilities and infrastructure that support essential services, enhance the quality of life, and align with the County's Growth Management Policy, land use recommendations, environmental stewardship, climate action, and the equitable distribution and access to resources across the county.

Key Objectives and Actions

• Align community facilities and infrastructure with growth management and land use policies.
• Ensure equitable distribution of and access to services and resources.
• Coordinate community planning, financial capacity, and physical development through the Capital Improvements Program (CIP).
• Maintain and upgrade existing facilities while planning for new ones as needed.
• Local Government Administration:
  • Consider offering some services in additional locations or on a mobile or rotating basis to improve accessibility.
• Public Water and Sewer:
  • Continue to use the Albemarle County Service Authority Jurisdictional Area (ACSAJA) to focus public water and sewer services in designated development areas.
  • Evaluate and address issues related to central water and sewer systems in rural areas.
• Public Schools:
  • Use the Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee (LRPAC) to inform and advise on school facility needs.
  • Locate new schools primarily in or adjacent to Development Areas, with exceptions as necessary.
  • Promote safe routes for walking and biking to schools.
• Fire/Rescue Services:
  • Maintain and upgrade the 14 fire-rescue stations, which serve both urban and rural areas.
  • Expand training facilities and improve aging infrastructure.
• Police Services:
  • Continue the "geographical policing" model with two patrol districts.
  • Consider establishing new and expanded training facilities, as well as strategically located smaller offices.
• Overall Infrastructure Planning:
  • Use the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to schedule and prioritize major public facilities.
  • Coordinate with agencies and service providers to adapt to changing standards and needs.