Planning Commission reviews draft AC44 housing chapter, focuses on land use, affordability and infrastructure

Albemarle County planning staff presented the draft housing chapter of the countycomprehensive plan (AC44) during the Planning Commissionwork session on April 8, 2025. Tori Kanalopoulos, principal planner, and Dr. Stacy Petthe, Assistant Director of Housing, briefed commissioners on objectives, community input, and two focus questions about land use and affordable housing outside development areas.

The chapter condenses and reframes the Housing Albemarle policy adopted in July 2021 as a land‑use oriented housing chapter of AC44 and keeps the policy as an appendix. Dr. Petthe told the commission that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmentrecently updated the area median income for the Charlottesville metropolitan area and "It is now $125,800," a figure staff said shapes affordability targets.

Commissioners emphasized several themes. One focus question asked what factors—beyond activity centers and mixed‑use nodes—should guide future area plan updates to allow more housing. Commissioners repeatedly raised proximity to existing infrastructure and services (water, sewer, schools, and groceries), walkability and access to jobs, and the presence of existing built infrastructure (for example underused parking lots in development areas) as key factors. Commissioner Claiborne and others pressed staff to be explicit in the chapter about linking housing goals to…