Albemarle ARB forwards revised site-plan recommendations for 72,000-square-foot Northside Drive warehouse

The Albemarle County Architectural Review Board on May 2025 reviewed the initial site plan for ARB 2025‑05, a proposed 72,000‑square‑foot warehouse on the west side of U.S. Route 29 at Northside Drive, and voted to forward staff recommendations with revisions to the site‑review committee.

Staff presentation said the building is proposed as tilt‑up precast concrete panels with a dark base and vertically scored panels. Staff recommended approval of the initial site plan conditioned on revisions to reduce the apparent massing, revise landscaping gaps and species, and update renderings to show the revised architecture and landscaping. "The shift is expected to create long, uninterrupted walls as viewed from the entrance corridor," staff said and recommended earth‑tone paint colors, additional detailing at upper walls and corners, and increased parapet heights as ways to reduce the building's scale.

The applicant, Keith Lancaster of Northside Industrial, said the project team focused on site design and a berm and planting plan to screen the building from the corridor. Lancaster said the…