[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6651417,"mediaKeyId","2623237-fa41cbdfa12d0df9591b3b6cce82bce8","parentId",2623237,"title","Planning Commission approves special-use permit for Charlottesville Community Church with conditions; neighbors seek screening","audioSeconds",2610,"startMs",11576000,"endMs",14186000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2623237-fa41cbdfa12d0df9591b3b6cce82bce8&start=11576&end=14186","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2623237-fa41cbdfa12d0df9591b3b6cce82bce8/thumbnail_11576000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6651417/Albemarle-County/Virginia/Planning-Commission-approves-special-use-permit-for-Charlottesville-Community-Church-with-conditions-neighbors-seek-screening","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6651417-f35506abe43ea5423dc5a201fdbd49c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771050077&Signature=BAKFWG~0r0P3beV1NYsA1r03WEnkc-alsqll4fAnosNHkpm5r7P3THmwkOvxcajUiYLbnamXI2OZ0ZrdrLj8H9Eee0vuF17~ukMFEax-iWhiSnAOTCIjILjD8NrdP0PREzb0jnwluHA9B9NBdhn~ow2fQoF6YYRWFYgEXZRGMW~HCz8pNct6yY12kWxM8QvnvR9Hee1RVk73ZXGHtO-joYHxOGk9UM8A~8A8hwg0yASD4IuRbWkQpfiISbpGUa1MxcZ9HyN0WO-YQdMN5GsjoL2En1e-SjHUXR8BdfW8vSn9EyrlwdxwPGB2vjKoOvDpnMLHIeHCsb1w~AAqT-3H-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Albemarle County","date","2025-02-12T11:21:29.01Z","article","The Planning Commission voted Jan. 14 to approve a special‑use permit for Charlottesville Community Church to locate at 26 Pebble Drive (a 6.8-acre lot off Route 20), allowing religious assembly use up to 500 seats subject to six conditions.

Staff planner Sid Sheff presented the application and described proposed site envelopes for buildings, parking and open space. Sheff said the site sits in the entrance-corridor overlay and slopes down toward Scottsville Road, and that the applicant proposes to relocate and reconstruct the existing Pebble Drive access to create a safer approach and provide a pedestrian connection into the property.

\"This is a special use permit to allow religious assembly use for up to 500 seats,\" Sheff told the commission during the staff presentation.

Applicant Scott Collins described the church's plan to relocate from a temporary location nearby and said the proposed location is intended to serve the congregation already in the area. Collins explained the steep existing driveway and the need to realign Pebble Drive to achieve an appropriate landing and intersection geometry at Route 20.

Neighbors raised concerns about the buffer and screening along the shared property line with Avenida (Infinity) Estates and about the area's gravel drive, potential parking‑lot lights and increased Sunday traffic noise. Avenity residents noted an approved landscaping/fence requirement from that subdivision's earlier site plan that appears not to have been fully installed; they asked the commission to require that a privacy/sound fence and planting be installed or enforced.

County zoning administration staff said enforcement staff would investigate whether the earlier subdivision site plan landscaping and fence requirement had been fully implemented and advised that code enforcement could be pursued where appropriate.

Transportation and stormwater issues were discussed: the plan calls for a right‑turn lane into the site on Route 20 and for stormwater controls scaled to the site; the applicant said proposed stormwater basins would be dry ponds with standard water‑quality treatment elements and that no lit athletic fields are proposed.

The commission approved the special-use permit with the recommended conditions, including site development in substantial accord with the concept plan, a seat cap of 500, transportation improvements (including a right‑turn lane and access reconfiguration), and a condition that the applicant reserve right-of-way or provide a pedestrian connection along the Route 20 frontage as the county subsequently requires for connectivity. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with all commissioners present voting aye.

Why this matters: The approved permit allows a mid‑sized religious facility in the development area and requires transportation and site improvements intended to address safe access on a 55-mph corridor. Neighbors will watch enforcement and landscape installation to ensure promised screening is completed.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Albemarle County Planning Commission Meeting 01/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission approved a special-use permit to allow a religious assembly of up to 500 seats at 26 Pebble Drive, with conditions on transportation improvements, a shared-use path reservation and buffers; nearby residents sought additional screening and enforcement of a previously approved subdivision buffer.","taxTitle","Albemarle County, Virginia","taxId",4417,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6651423,"Residents press county to address biosolids and PFAS testing; staff cite limits under state DEQ rules",556,750000,1306000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2623237-fa41cbdfa12d0df9591b3b6cce82bce8&start=750&end=1306","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2623237-fa41cbdfa12d0df9591b3b6cce82bce8/thumbnail_750000.jpg","/articles/6651423/Albemarle-County/Virginia/Residents-press-county-to-address-biosolids-and-PFAS-testing-staff-cite-limits-under-state-DEQ-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6651423-ac12cb3c198dce686caa6a5ee1f4c0b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771050077&Signature=aOIlX14ROGvtWBZJE8vlHLKcQ8WbGJ9Pr4C8CssF0~ElbDSm3LK5YdDi7SscKf38WEUAqIXD~hV2TG3ibRAY1xLX~tFROnKnWSrImaH5hiHjaJdU1VM8DJIgpCMOZHCqh8CjglfD9xw9fzi9Z6q6HrZtYo2GeStQ~UkdS9T24-XdYGQhbW00tCz3oH4aYq~F0sZ9wyBU8i-utGcsOKlTHkFHoeBoN1yQuwOjCOiPPCusT3PvUo5oRDnr6nd4-XEOdhrgEOIFpHrPs312V54AcZkCRY4YPckyCnqvTsXe-vsN2xR-BkTM5Kxro1oL8laTAe6pkbK0e4yK6ZRPjpkFSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents who live in southern and rural parts of Albemarle County told the Planning Commission that they want testing, monitoring and greater restrictions on the land application of treated sewage sludge (\"biosolids\"), citing concerns about PFAS contamination and private well water safety.

At the meeting, John Watkins, a resident of the Covesville area, described biosolids as a threat to agricultural land and urged the county to incorporate testing and monitoring for PFAS where biosolids have been applied. \"I implore you to consider testing and monitoring for PFAS on land where biosolids have been previously applied,\" Watkins said during the public-comment period.

Several other residents backed that request, including Sean Cosette and Kim Swanson, who cited water-quality concerns and urged the county to add text to the comprehensive plan discouraging land application of biosolids and requiring monitoring of private wells and source water. Swanson, a former Albemarle County Service Authority board member, noted that municipal plants in the county now use granular activated carbon as a secondary treatment step and suggested the county should not encourage land practices that risk contaminating groundwater and source water.

County staff and officials answered that local regulatory authority is limited. A county representative told the commission that state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) rules \"have really hampered local government's ability to do anything about biosolid applications.\" That speaker said county options are constrained by state law and by the Dillon Rule, which limits local authority to powers granted by the legislature. The speaker added the county can object to applications in certain circumstances (for example, in floodplains or active recreation areas) and that monitoring as a condition of approval is an approach that merits further investigation.

Commissioners and staff said they would consider language for the comprehensive plan and discuss monitoring programs and possible draft policy language with the county attorney and DEQ contacts. Several members urged the public that while the county can ask for monitoring and include guidance in the comp plan, regulation of biosolids on agricultural land is largely governed by state rules.

Why this matters: Residents cited examples from other states where biosolids have been implicated in PFAS contamination and urged Albemarle to adopt a precautionary approach. County staff acknowledged the public concern and said the comp-plan process offers a venue to include monitoring or discouraging language, but local regulation options are limited by state statute and DEQ rules.

","Multiple residents urged the Planning Commission to add language to the comprehensive plan discouraging land application of biosolids and to require PFAS testing and monitoring. County staff and counsel said state DEQ rules restrict local regulation but suggested monitoring requirements and comp-plan language could be explored.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6651428,"Albemarle Planning Commission backs commercial solar zoning changes after lengthy debate, with caveats",10178,1361000,11539000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2623237-fa41cbdfa12d0df9591b3b6cce82bce8&start=1361&end=11539","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2623237-fa41cbdfa12d0df9591b3b6cce82bce8/thumbnail_1361000.jpg","/articles/6651428/Albemarle-County/Virginia/Albemarle-Planning-Commission-backs-commercial-solar-zoning-changes-after-lengthy-debate-with-caveats","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6651428-441abf4a7f3e237a97265b1de811c68b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771050077&Signature=aGbsmBLV5cPkZ9cjU1OUO3rTilAVTPqysci3ahFiBod0NRZLHYxQEoTR5mPgmvvixhEtxkPbmLzvWkab-faehsrYYQFwwJdD3wrKYG6R3FawSsnNO6X8S6SCJdA7Aey6tVKuWOxrvjC4Nu8UJOGvjA4ekEZ7NTE~aB3raj86DY2Vntm5Ne9oiRYZhgtcamMIa5vJyXOKc7NhNm1An5edTy9tJ3TfBjoyRsE-BSXuvT3TiRXPU6DXrHiHhDOFPDzzAiPKSXTPkLN6RtAjgfoSiTo9uOxCxrzqh0imxoOf~jfow2W0OhMprRLtqbeDH8aDcuD1NLwZzns3w66wzTXtVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Albemarle County Planning Commission voted Jan. 14 to recommend a zoning-text amendment that creates a comprehensive local framework for solar-energy facilities and battery storage, but members attached a cautionary note about a provision allowing 21-acre panel zones by right in rural areas.

The draft ordinance, presented by Bill Fritz of the county's Community Development Department, establishes definitions and supplemental standards for solar energy facilities, accessory installations, battery storage, screening, setbacks, and decommissioning. Fritz told the commission the code regulates by panel-zone area rather than production, arguing that land area better captures visual and land‑use impacts than megawatt ratings.

\"The amount of land used for solar production is more important than the efficiency of the panels and equipment,\" Fritz said in his presentation, explaining the staff rationale for measuring facility size by panel zone.

County staff and consultant Lindsay Edwards (The Berkeley Group) described the draft as a best-practices package that: allows small rooftop or parking-canopy systems by right; permits limited ground-mounted accessory solar up to 500 square feet; allows larger commercial systems in rural areas by right up to the panel-zone threshold; and subjects larger or more complex projects to special‑use permit review with supplemental standards.

Commissioners and many public speakers pressed the commission on three recurring issues: the 21-acre by‑right threshold for rural panel zones, protections for high‑value forest and agricultural lands, and enforceable decommissioning/surety mechanisms.

- Scale and equivalence: Several commissioners and commenters said a 21-acre panel zone (the staff number mirrors a 21-acre rural lot size used in other county codes) could translate to a substantially larger total disturbed area after roads, grading, buffers and support equipment are included. A county consultant later advised that in Albemarle's topography the rule of thumb is about 7\u001010 acres of panels per megawatt, and access roads, setbacks and grading commonly push total disturbance higher.

- Environmental and scenic protections: Dozens of speakers at a lengthy public hearing urged tighter constraints: some asked that prime agricultural soils and high-quality habitat be protected, others urged stricter view‑shed, historic and scenic protections, and several speakers supported pollinator habitat and agrivoltaic opportunities for solar projects.

- Decommissioning and surety: Multiple speakers and commissioners sought explicit, enforceable decommissioning plans and financial surety for all projects, including by‑right installations. Developers and their attorneys asked for flexibility in the form of bonds or letters of credit rather than cash escrow. Staff said the draft already allows alternative surety and that specific mechanisms could be modified to address industry concerns while ensuring funds are available to remove failed installations.

Commission debate also explored regulatory alternatives: tightening the by‑right acreage, measuring by total area of disturbance rather than panel zone, creating a map or overlay of prioritized solar zones, or keeping larger projects subject to special‑use permits until a rural area plan or site‑suitability mapping is completed.

The commission ultimately approved a motion to recommend the draft zoning-text amendment to the Board of Supervisors, with a recorded list of clarifications and caveats: the commission asked staff and the board to reconsider the 21-acre by‑right threshold (directing further analysis and mapping of suitable areas), to require decommissioning plans and secure surety for all projects, and to explore expedited review pathways for projects that meet stated environmental and siting standards. The motion passed on a roll call vote with all commissioners present voting aye.

What happens next: The Planning Commission's recommendation goes to the Board of Supervisors for consideration. Staff indicated revisions are likely before the board public hearing to clarify decommissioning language, surety options, and the definition of panel zone versus total disturbance. The ordinance also includes a requirement that larger installations pursue Virginia's Pollinator Smart certification for meadow and perennial habitat on sites above a small acreage threshold.

Why this matters: The ordinance is the county's primary tool for allowing utility‑scale and community solar while seeking to limit impacts on farming, forests and scenic resources. Commissioners and many community members urged balancing climate and energy goals with strong local protections for agriculture, soils, wildlife corridors and viewsheds.

Votes at a glance: The commission recorded a motion to recommend the ZTA with the stated exceptions; the motion passed on a roll call vote with all present voting aye.

Public comments: More than 40 speakers addressed the solar draft. Supporters urged enabling community solar and small utility projects to meet climate goals and increase local resilience. Opponents urged stricter restrictions on rural, forested and prime agricultural lands and stronger decommissioning/ remediation requirements.

Implementation questions: Commissioners asked staff to return with mapping of likely suitable sites, options for measuring disturbance rather than only panel zone, and clearer language on pollinator certification, surety instruments and monitoring requirements.

","After extended public comment and commissioner debate, the Planning Commission voted to recommend a zoning-text amendment that adds rules for commercial solar and battery storage, but flagged concern about allowing 21-acre \"by-right\" panel zones in rural areas and asked for stronger decommissioning and expedited special‑use review options.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning Commission approves special-use permit for Charlottesville Community Church with conditions; neighbors seek screening

Residents press county to address biosolids and PFAS testing; staff cite limits under state DEQ rules

Albemarle Planning Commission backs commercial solar zoning changes after lengthy debate, with caveats