Albemarle ARB approves 72,000-square-foot Northside Industrial warehouse with design tweaks

The Albemarle County Architectural Review Board on Aug. 18 approved a certificate of appropriateness for ARB-2025-17, Northside Industrial, clearing the way for construction of a 72,000-square-foot warehouse on the west side of Route 29 at Northside Drive.

Staff recommended approval of the final site plan after the applicant revised the building and landscape design to address earlier board comments aimed at reducing the visible massing of the structure.

Chris, a county planning staff member presenting the project, said the current submission is “largely the same as the 1 reviewed on May 5, except for the addition of 2 clerestory windows on the north elevation, a change in paint color to warmer shades of gray, and minimal wall projections.” He told the board staff recommended approval “with the revisions listed in the staff report.”

The applicant team described the specific design responses. Matt, an architect on the project, said the updated primary facade includes true projecting accent panels: “those will be formed up and poured as a monolithic three-dimensional panel that will project off of the main facade, by 2 feet.” The applicant also described use of an extruded-aluminum panel with a mahogany color finish — a wood-look product the team said would project about 1.5–2 inches and be used around entrances and storefront trims.

The board discussion focused on facade modulation and the project’s long, industrial proportions. Several members asked whether the mid-gray bay widths should be consistent around the building and whether the northeast corner could better match the east elevation modulation. Board member Taro said varying mid-gray bay widths across elevations “is not helping the building” and urged a consistent module; other members expressed similar concern about the northeast corner and the visual effect of running the wood-look material up the full height of the precast panels.

Applicant representatives said site constraints limit changes on some elevations. Charlie Armstrong, speaking for the applicant team, said stormwater and utility lines push the stormwater pond and required grading near the north and south elevations, constraining deeper projections there and requiring compromises on panel projection and grading. Staff and the applicant said large trees cannot be planted along Northside Drive because of utilities and easements, so shrubs and evergreens in the frontage and a revised planting layout will be used to screen the facility.

During deliberations the board agreed to require two specific changes to the staff conditions: increase the depth of the required projection to 2 feet for the east elevation and make the tower widths consistent on the northeast and south elevations. A motion to approve the certificate of appropriateness for ARB-2025-17 with those amendments passed. The roll call showed the following recorded votes: Mister Vanderwerff — yes; Mister Mitsuno — yes; Mister Stoner — yes; Mister Hancock — yes; Mister Henningsen — yes.

The applicant said a tenant signage plan is not yet developed and will be returned to the board for separate review when tenant layouts are known. The board also noted that staff will track the final site plan submittal to confirm the revised grading, photometric and landscape details were provided as described in the meeting.