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Planning commission recommends denial of Woolen Mills floodplain fill permit amid habitat, archaeology and enforcement concerns
Summary
The commission recommended denial (6–2) of a special‑use permit (SP2025‑6) that would place 1.346 acres of fill in the floodplain adjoining Moores Creek. Staff and applicant said FEMA and county engineering found no increase in base flood elevation; DEQ and residents cited regulatory harm, cumulative impacts and possible archaeological sensitivity.
The Albemarle County Planning Commission on Dec. 16 recommended denial of SP2025‑6, a request to place approximately 1.346 acres of fill within the Flood Hazard Overlay District on a 7‑acre parcel associated with the Woolen Mills Industrial subdivision.
Rebecca Ragsdale, planning manager, opened the staff presentation by describing the request as "a special use permit that is specific to the Flood Hazard Overlay District." She said the property is zoned light industrial and that staff’s technical review — including county engineering and FEMA modeling — found the proposed fill would occur outside the regulatory floodway and could be permitted with specific mitigation and conditions.
Deputy county engineer Tony Edwards and consultant Brian Sahaky (Timmons Group) explained that the parcel sits in a backwater/fringe area where the Rivanna River’s restriction can cause higher water surface elevations; the applicants submitted a hydraulic model and a no‑rise…
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