Charlottesville planning staff presented an environmental regulations and policy review project at a Planning Commission work session, outlining a roughly two‑year effort to examine stormwater management, floodplain regulations, tree canopy and preservation, stream buffers, critical slopes and related energy and resilience policies.

"This evening, we have a work session on the environmental regulations and policy review project," said Tori Kanalopoulos, principal planner on the long‑range planning team with Neighborhood Development Services, introducing the project and staff from public works, utilities, parks, the Office of Sustainability and other departments.

The nut graf: The review is intended to reconcile city development code requirements, the 5‑year comprehensive plan review, and multiple ongoing studies — including a flood resilience plan update, an urban forest management plan and a stormwater model — and to produce code and policy recommendations, guidance and phasing for implementation. Staff emphasized the project will be coordinated across departments and include future public engagement; commissioners and staff raised drought planning, stormwater crediting, maintenance of stormwater facilities and regional coordination as priorities.

Staff described the scope and rationale. Kanalopoulos said staff want feedback on the project’s proposed phasing and topics after completing an internal review of existing conditions, policies and regulations. Potential outcomes listed by staff include updated provisions in the development code, comprehensive plan policy changes, new or revised programs and coordinated implementation across departments.

Stormwater management was a principal focus in the discussion. John Schrager, stormwater utility administrator and project manager for the city’s stormwater model, said the modeling work will allow the city to "program addition different conditions" to test scenarios including different rainfall events and varying impervious cover, and will be used for long‑range planning. Brennan Duncan, city engineer, explained constraints that drive development requirements: "They're still required to do quantity and really when we're talking about mitigating price, that's where the cost is at," referring to on‑site detention requirements that control runoff volume. Duncan also noted that state stormwater rules require allowance of off‑site water‑quality credits but that credits typically do not meet local quantity requirements.

Floodplain management and NFIP compliance. Kanalopoulos told commissioners the city currently meets FEMA’s minimum requirements for the National Flood Insurance Program and can adopt higher local standards but must justify changes on the basis of protecting life and property and balance them against other city policy goals. Daniel O'Connell, acting floodplain manager, and other utilities staff said a grant from the Community Flood Preparedness Fund is supporting a review of the city’s floodplain management program.

Tree canopy and stream protection. Staff presented tree canopy data from the urban forest plan showing wide neighborhood variation — for example, about 21% canopy cover in one neighborhood vs. roughly 67% in another — and proposed updates to tree canopy, street tree and preservation requirements, plus strengthened guidance for tree protection during construction. Kanalopoulos and Steven Gaines, the city’s urban forester, said the work will coordinate with the tree commission and community partners such as Relief Charlottesville and the Tree Stewards. For stream buffers, staff noted the city’s water‑protection ordinance requires at least 100‑foot buffers along the Rivanna River, Meadow Creek and Moores Creek, and any expansion or new buffer rules would need to be data‑driven and consider enforcement and property impacts.

Critical slopes, energy standards and EV planning. Staff said critical slopes are currently defined as areas 25% grade or greater, at least 6,000 square feet and within 200 feet of a waterway; those areas are generally protected but may be considered through a special exception process. On energy, staff noted Virginia localities cannot require standards that exceed the statewide building code for most projects but can set higher standards for projects undergoing legislative review and can use incentives; the city is working on EV charging planning with a consultant.

Commissioner and stakeholder input. Commissioners and staff urged the project address drought planning and wildfire risk in addition to stormwater and flooding. "I would just ask that we give a little thought more thought to not, a lot of water, but maybe a too little water," said Commissioner Jose, referencing drought mitigation and groundwater recharge. Multiple participants urged regional coordination with UVA, Albemarle County and neighboring jurisdictions and recommended early, digestible public engagement materials (graphics, scales and neighborhood‑level examples) so residents can comment meaningfully.

Operational issues raised included maintenance of existing stormwater best‑management practices, the feasibility and siting of right‑of‑way green infrastructure, the potential for a local stormwater crediting or regional facility, and the timing of related studies that will feed into policy choices (utility capacity studies, canopy assessments and the stormwater model). Utilities staff confirmed a drought management plan for the Rivanna watershed was submitted to the state Department of Environmental Quality in 2025 as part of permit obligations.

Next steps and timing. Kanalopoulos said staff anticipate about a two‑year project timeline; components will move at different paces depending on technical work and public engagement needs. Staff plan to present the project to City Council at a work session on Nov. 17 for council direction, scope topic‑level work plans, form internal stakeholder groups and develop a public engagement plan and project website to collect input.

No formal motions or votes were taken at the work session. The meeting closed after commissioners and staff offered final comments and discussed preferred formats for future briefings and materials.