Charlottesville planning commission hears staff plan for tiered development-code amendments, timelines for public hearings

At a work session, Charlottesville planning staff presented a package of proposed development-code amendments organized into three tiers and outlined a schedule of reviews and public hearings aimed at updating the code adopted Dec. 18, 2023.

Matt, the development planning manager for Neighborhood Development Services (NDS), said the “three-tiered approach” is intended to separate minor edits from deeper policy changes so staff can advance technical fixes more quickly while reserving extensive community engagement for larger questions. “Our current development code was adopted on 12/18/2023,” Matt said, and “we plan to update tier 1 and tier 2 on an annual basis to ensure the code remains adaptable.”

Why it matters: The package responds both to drafting errors and to recent state law changes that affect local review processes; it also frames larger questions — building form, height measurement, fences, lighting for athletic fields, and a pathway for attached dwelling types in some residential districts — that could affect development patterns, permitting timelines and how residents interact with new projects.

Key points from staff

- Tier 1: technical corrections and compliance updates. Staff said these changes are chiefly copy edits, minor clarifications and amendments required by actions of the Virginia General Assembly. Matt told the commission…