Albemarle ARB approves Flow Automotive display-area expansion at 960 Hilton Heights Road

The Albemarle County Architectural Review Board on Jan. 20 approved a major amendment to the site plan for Flow Automotive’s dealerships at 960 Hilton Heights Road, allowing an expanded outdoor display and additional parking in front of the Honda and Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram showroom buildings.

Staff told the board the expanded display area follows an SP review that the board previously recommended and that the Board of Supervisors approved on Jan. 14. County staff said the property owner acquired a little over one-third of an acre of right-of-way from VDOT to accommodate the expansion, and recommended approval of the amendment with five conditions listed in the staff report.

Chris Marshall of Chimp Engineering, representing Flow Automotive, told the ARB the proposal includes new paving and display areas, two interior landscape islands (one on each side of the display area) and a lighting plan adjusted to a 3,000-K color temperature with bronze pole finishes. Marshall said easements running through the property limited where large interior parking trees could be placed but that the project adds shrubs and screening beyond the minimum requirements to offset tree shortfalls. "We are adding I think we have 56 spaces now," Marshall said during his presentation.

Board members pressed staff and the applicant about interior parking-lot tree requirements. Staff said the county’s guidance typically calls for five large trees for the number of parking spaces proposed; the current plan shows one large tree and two ornamentals for the interior islands. Several members — including Tara and Frank Stoner — said the perimeter plantings, tree-protection measures for existing trees and the revised landscape plan together provided an acceptable, orderly appearance along the entrance corridor.

A board member moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness for SDP-2025-00138 with the five staff-recommended conditions; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote with Ayes recorded for Mister Vanderwerf, Mister Mitsuno, Mister Stoner and Mister Hancock. The recusal noted at the start of the meeting was observed for the member whose firm is doing work for Flow Automotive.

The ARB’s approval covers design-related matters that fall under the county’s entrance-corridor review; any subsequent changes to lighting, plant species or layout that affect the entrance corridor will be reviewed under the county’s established procedures.

The board moved on to other agenda items following the vote.