June 2025 Newsletter

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

The AC44 project is nearing the end of Phase 3, which includes publishing the draft topic chapters of the Comprehensive Plan. The final topic chapter of Cultural Resources is now available on the website. Each of the topic chapters includes objectives and actions to implement the Plan’s guiding principles and topic goals. Actions include policies, updates to local regulations, programs, projects, studies, and partnerships. On the Phase 3 page, you can share your input on the draft actions!

Online feedback for the topic chapters will close June 30.

Attend the Cultural Resources & Resilient Community Lunch and Learn on Thursday, June 26th

• Date: Thursday, June 26
• Time: 12 –1 pm
• Location: Online via Zoom (register)

Join Albemarle County staff online for our fifth AC44 Lunch & Learn event on Thursday, June 26, from 12-1 pm. We’ll start with a brief presentation followed by an extended Q&A period. The presentation will focus on the draft Cultural Resources Chapter and the topic of Resilient Community. Attendees will learn more about the following:

• Albemarle County’s cultural resources include historic, scenic, and cultural sites. These resources capture the rich history of the county, picturesque views, and the arts. The draft chapter emphasizes the importance of protecting and preserving these valuable resources while also telling an inclusive history of the county’s people throughout time.
• The topic of resilient communities highlights the importance of climate mitigation and adaptation strategies in response to the impacts of climate change. Additionally, the resilience encompasses community wellbeing and access to healthy, local foods. During the presentation, we will address how resilient community content will be relocated to the chapters of Environmental Stewardship and Community Facilities and Services.

This session is designed to share knowledge and encourage your active participation in shaping the future of our community. Don’t miss this opportunity to join the conversation!

What we did

In addition to the Cultural Resources chapter, the Transportation chapter was also published in April; both may be accessed on the Phase 3 webpage. We also held an April Lunch and Learn session on the topic of Community Facilities and Housing, as well as a Community Open House for Transportation on May 22. Work Sessions with the Board on the topics of Housing, Transportation, Cultural Resources, and Community Resilience were held in April, May, and early June.

Looking ahead

Be sure to check our Phase 3 webpage regularly as we continue to post upcoming events and ways to stay involved in AC44. Upcoming work sessions with the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors this summer will cover plan implementation (and other sections of the plan document) as we work towards finalizing the draft content of the comprehensive plan and move towards plan adoption.

Learn more

All community members are invited to participate. Please take advantage of these tools to get started:

• Listen to the Let’s Talk Albemarle podcast episode about the Comp Plan. This is a great introduction to understanding what the Plan is, how it's developed, and what it’s used for. You’ll also get some insight into the project team’s role in the process and some of the challenges associated with such a big (comprehensive!) community project.
• Visit the Introduction to AC44 webpage to learn about the project's background, why we have a Comprehensive Plan, and what the Plan is used for in daily life.
• Visit the Phase 3 webpage to learn more about the current project work.
• Sign up here to receive email updates and participate in upcoming opportunities. Select the "Albemarle 2044 - Comprehensive Plan Update" box and any other topics you are interested in.