Welcome to the AC44 monthly digest for the County’s Comprehensive Plan update. This is where we regularly share our work, feedback, and upcoming participation opportunities.

As we enter Phase 3 of the AC44 Comprehensive Plan update, we are excited to relaunch the AC44 monthly digest, your go-to source for updates on our progress, the feedback we've heard, and ways to get involved in shaping Albemarle County’s future.

We’re thrilled to let you know that you will have plenty of opportunities to provide feedback on the draft Comprehensive Plan recommendations, both in person and online.

The AC44 website now features a dedicated Phase 3 page, where you’ll find details on upcoming engagement opportunities, questionnaires, and draft chapters as they become available. The Development Areas Land Use chapter is ready for review, with more chapters rolling out through early 2025.

What We Did

Phase 2 of the AC44 Comprehensive Plan update concluded in the spring with a series of work sessions by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors to review draft Goals and Objectives for each Plan topic. These first draft Goals and Objectives incorporated priorities we heard from the community, focusing on opportunities, challenges, and priorities based on each topic. The draft Goals and Objectives have been revised based on community and Commission feedback and direction from our Board of Supervisors.

Revisions include:

• Consolidating multiple goals per topic into one unified goal statement for each. This approach articulates a more cohesive vision and reflects that the Goals cover multiple objectives.
• Some objectives have been updated to be actions. Objectives should incorporate ways to measure Plan progress; draft Objectives now include more measurable language. Additionally, some previously shared objectives were more oriented toward Plan implementation and have been reclassified as actions. Revisions also ensure that Objectives are consistent with the level of detail across Plan topics.

The content underway in Phase 3 is built upon the work done in Phases 1 and 2, including the Objectives drafted in Phase 2. Public feedback is incorporated into each phase of the project.

Looking Ahead

The Objectives developed in Phase 2 provide a foundation for developing the Plan Actions in Phase 3. The Actions create bold but realistic steps for the County, the private sector, community organizations, and other partners to implement the Plan’s Guiding Principles, Goals, and Objectives. Actions include policies, updates to local regulations, programs, projects, studies, and partnerships. They are currently being developed and refined based on:

• Community, Planning Commission, and Board input heard to date
• Technical expertise and feedback from staff across Albemarle County and partner agencies and departments (e.g., ACSA, RWSA, ACPS, and others)
• Research of best practices
• How best to leverage private sector, community organization, local, state, and federal resources and partnership opportunities
• Review of the current (2015) Comprehensive Plan
• State Code requirements

Plan chapters, with Actions for each, will be shared throughout late 2024 and early 2025.

Attend the AC44 Community Check-In on October 30th

Date: Wednesday, October 30
Time: 6-8 pm
Location: Albemarle County Office Building, 401 McIntire Road, Lane Auditorium (2nd Floor), Charlottesville, VA 22902

Everyone is invited to join us for an informative presentation on the AC44 Comprehensive Plan, where community members will gain valuable insights into the following key areas:

• Current Status of the AC44 Process: Learn where we stand in developing the Comprehensive Plan and the next steps in the rollout.
• Growth Management Policy: Explore the overarching guidance that shapes our land use and development strategies, including how these policies apply to rural and development areas.
• Land Use Topics: Delve into specific land use categories, including the future land use map and the importance of activity centers in promoting density and multimodal transportation.

This session will provide in-depth information and encourage your active participation in shaping our community's future. Don’t miss this opportunity to join the conversation!

During Phase Three, we will share Plan chapters. The first chapter we are rolling out is Development Areas Land Use. We invite you to read the summary and the chapter in depth.

We completed Phase 2 in Spring 2024. The result of Phase 2 was draft goals and objectives for each Plan topic and draft planning toolkits for coordinated land use and transportation planning.

Since Phase 2 concluded, the AC44 project team has been coordinating with staff across Albemarle County and our partner agencies (such as the Albemarle County Service Authority, the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, Albemarle County Public Schools, and others) to make updates to the goals and objectives based on input heard from the community, the Planning Commission, and the Board of Supervisors. Additionally, we have been drafting actions for each Plan topic to implement the objectives.

We received significant and thoughtful feedback from community engagement throughout Phases 1 and 2. The previously shared draft content is being carried forward with some adjustments and reorganization to improve Plan usability and to make sure the objectives and actions are at a consistent level of detail across Plan topics.

In July 2024, the AC44 team presented an overview of the Comprehensive Plan structure and next steps to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, which is available for review here.