Residents press supervisors for public hearings on Renaissance Ridge and county housing plans

Multiple Nelson County residents used the public-comment period to press the Board of Supervisors for more community outreach and clarification about a proposed development called Renaissance Ridge.

Edith Napier, speaking for the Nelson County Juneteenth Celebration Committee, also used her time to request a $5,000 county donation for the June 22, 2025 event, noting the celebration’s educational focus on historically Black colleges and universities. “We earnestly request you to support the Juneteenth celebration,” Napier said, giving a specific funding request to the board.

Several later public commenters focused on Renaissance Ridge, a housing-development partnership referenced in public records and marketing materials. Steven Bain said documents he obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show that Renaissance Ridge and the Nelson County Community Development Foundation (NCCDF), along with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) and consortium partners, are prioritizing groups based in Charlottesville and Albemarle County — not necessarily local Nelson County residents. Bain warned that those marketing terms show a preference for outside partner groups and said the county risks an increased “cost of service delivery” if occupants are drawn from distant populations.

Libby Whitley told supervisors she was “gravely concerned” that organizations such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC) are listed as outreach partners in grant marketing materials, and she described the IRC as an agency that places resettled refugees from abroad. “If you have the IRC as the principal outreach entity to house occupants at Renaissance Ridge, you’re going to see populations from all over the world,” Whitley said, and she urged the board to hold countywide hearings.

Paul Davis, another commenter with experience working with local social-service and reentry programs, said he believed the organizations listed (including OAR, The Haven, and IRC) do “good work,” but added that he was surprised to see them listed as marketing or outreach partners for Renaissance Ridge because, in his experience, they do not typically partner directly with developers to place clients into housing.

Margaret Claire, executive director of the Nelson County Community Development Foundation (NCCDF), addressed the concerns during public comment. Claire said there were no active grants “pending for Renaissance Ridge” and that some older grants obtained in 2021 were not used because of timing and scope changes. She emphasized that Renaissance Ridge is a home-purchase development, not a rental community, and that NCCDF’s outreach work would be to identify potential homebuyers and provide counseling and downpayment assistance — not to “import” rental populations into Nelson County. “There’s no process at all to try to import people into the county for rentals or whatever at Renaissance Ridge,” Claire said.

Supervisor discussion following public comment focused on whether the board should require additional hearings and more transparent disclosures about project partners and marketing agreements. Several supervisors urged staff to obtain and review the marketing agreements and grant materials that commenters cited and to consider countywide outreach so residents beyond the immediate project area have a chance to comment.

Ending: The board did not adopt a new policy or take immediate action on Renaissance Ridge at the meeting; supervisors directed staff to follow up on the marketing agreements cited by commenters and to report back at a future meeting.