Residents and housing advocates urge council to tighten zoning, limit SROs in schools
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Summary
During public comment, residents urged the council to prevent displacement by amending the core neighborhood corridor overlay (3 stories by right; 5 only with deep affordability), called for limits on school resource officers, and asked for stronger community input on development decisions.
Dozens of residents and local advocates used the council’s public-comment period to press elected officials on displacement, zoning and the role of school resource officers in Charlottesville schools.
Terry Tyree, who identified herself as a NAACP member and president of the Charlottesville Community Resilience Center, told council: “We are asking you to follow the recommendations of the Charlottesville Low Income Housing Coalition to prevent repeating historic wrongs.” Tyree proposed that core neighborhood corridor overlay districts allow three stories by right and permit up to five stories only if at least 20% of on-site units are affordable at 50% of area median income.
Emily Smith, a housing attorney with the Legal Aid Justice Center, framed the request in legal terms and urged that the CN (core neighborhood) overlay be made more rigorous: “A CN overlay corridor should limit the height to 3 stories with up to 5 with truly significant, deeply affordable housing commitments of 20% of the units,” she said, citing Virginia Supreme Court standards on zoning discretion and warnings about illegal spot zoning.
Several other speakers reinforced the call. Gillette Rosenblith, a housing historian and CRHA board member, said luxury student housing near core neighborhoods has contributed to gentrification and displacement and urged council to direct developers away from those neighborhoods. Pastoral and faith-based leaders and students also spoke in favor of affordable-housing protections and greater transparency in decisions about police presence in schools.
Separately, multiple speakers expressed concern about school resource officers (SROs). One commenter cited reporting that an SRO had contacted federal immigration authorities in a prior case and urged the council to reconcile the city’s anti-enforcement resolution with the continued presence of SROs in schools. Several public speakers flagged the School Board work session on April 16 and a planned rally before that meeting.
Council did not take immediate legislative action on the overlay at this meeting; speakers asked council to continue listening and to integrate community recommendations into forthcoming zoning or code amendments. Council members acknowledged the volume and consistency of the comments and said staff will continue to evaluate options as part of the zoning and budget processes.
Next steps: advocates asked council to formally consider overlay changes and other protections in upcoming agenda items and to coordinate with the School Board on SRO policy.
