Planners weigh Woolen Mills redevelopment plan amid floodplain, parking and river concerns

Albemarle County staff and the contract purchaser of the Woolen Mills site presented competing priorities and outstanding technical questions at a joint work session with the Charlottesville Planning Commission on a redevelopment proposal tied to ZMA 201600016.

Bill Fritz, Albemarle County’s chief of special projects, told the two commissions that the applicant’s study shows the mapped floodplain has been revised downward but “the buildings are still within the floodplain,” and that the project will require additional applications including rezoning of steep‑slope overlays and special‑use permits for residential use and floodplain activity. Fritz said the county needs more detailed designs for any floodproofing measures before staff can complete its review.

“This study…shows that the flood plain is actually lower than was previously calculated. However, the buildings are still within the flood plain,” Fritz said, noting staff have not yet received the technical information required for a full permitting assessment.

Brian Roy, the contract purchaser, emphasized preservation and described a concept for floodproofing integrated with the existing masonry arches. Roy said the team has submitted a Part 1 application to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and plans to pursue state and federal historic tax credits.

“We want to preserve this historically,” Roy said. “The thought would be this flood wall would be filling in these arches…set off that retaining wall about six inches from the arches, which is what’s shown here.”

Roy described the planned mix as roughly 100 residential units concentrated in the existing multistory building and sawtooth structures, limited live‑work space and about 15,000 square feet proposed for restaurant use. He said the residential design leans toward studio and one‑bed units to preserve historic window lines and open floorplates.

Staff and commissioners flagged a suite of unresolved technical issues: whether preserved steep slopes can be reclassified as managed slopes, whether parking reductions or shared‑parking agreements will be acceptable, the design and performance of a flood wall built into the structure, and public‑safety access for emergency vehicles.

On parking, Fritz said the site currently includes a small Market Street lot of roughly 30 spaces and that preliminary discussions with the applicant have explored reserving those spaces for residents and nearby businesses rather than restaurant patrons. He also said traffic impacts will be studied under a scoped transportation analysis coordinated with the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Public speakers were split but broadly supportive of careful redevelopment. Multiple residents and neighborhood representatives urged creative parking solutions, transit service and protections for Rivanna River and Moores Creek. Travis Pietella of the Southern Environmental Law Center urged the commissions to avoid disturbing preserved slopes adjacent to Morris Creek, which he said would have the greatest negative water‑quality impact.

“We hope the applicant and the county can work together to find creative ways to avoid and protect these resources,” Pietella said.

Neighbors voiced concern about how new residents and visitors might affect narrow streets and Riverview Park. Catherine Rocket, whose family has lived in the Woolen Mills area for generations, said the commissions should prioritize the immediate neighborhood impacts when weighing variances or parking waivers.

“I ask that you think a little narrower—what is this going to do to the neighborhood?” Rocket said.

Commissioners and staff closed with procedural next steps: staff will continue to gather requested information, the applicant must file the pending special‑use permits and detailed floodproofing designs, and city and county staff will work together on transit connections, shared‑parking options and corridor standards. Commissioners also requested that a bus stop be considered if the site becomes a destination and signaled interest in future joint sessions on housing, river planning and small‑area design.

No vote or formal decision was taken at the session; staff will return to the commissions with the additional studies and revised materials needed for a formal review and any public hearings.