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Albemarle supervisors press staff for concrete housing and transportation steps as AC44 work plan is unveiled
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Summary
County planning staff presented five work projects to implement AC44, Albemarle’s 20-year comprehensive plan. Supervisors pressed for clearer links between zoning, activity centers, multimodal transportation and the county’s Housing Albemarle objectives and urged measurable, near-term outcomes.
Albemarle County on April 15 heard a detailed presentation from Community Development Department staff laying out five proposed work projects to implement AC44, the county’s updated comprehensive plan, and a robust board discussion followed focusing on how housing and economic-development goals will be tied to zoning and transportation work.
James Wilkinson, principal planner in long-range planning, told the Board that the county has prioritized zoning modernization, activity-center plans, multimodal transportation planning, rural-area priorities and AC44 administration and tracking. "AC44 is a remarkable high level plan of action for how Albemarle County will grow and develop over the next 20 years," Wilkinson said, noting staff’s near-term timeline that stretches primary deliverables across fiscal years 2026–29.
The presentation emphasized that activity-center plans would drill into specific neighborhoods and employment centers to identify opportunities for increased density, mixed uses and multimodal connections. Jessica Dimock, principal transportation planner, said the multimodal plan will produce maps of future networks by mode, a prioritized project list and an implementation plan that includes funding strategies.
Supervisors used the discussion to demand that work projects produce measurable outcomes rather than remain planning exercises. "Housing Albemarle must not be treated as a parallel process — it is integral to making these work projects work," Chair Ned Galloway said, urging staff to make the connection between zoning capacity in activity centers and the number and types of housing units needed to meet the county’s goals.
Other supervisors raised specific implementation concerns: how selection criteria for early activity-center pilots will be set; how community engagement will be targeted and ongoing rather than episodic; and how transportation projects will be prioritized to support dense, walkable centers. Deputy County Executive Ann Wall told the Board staff have coordinated with the Office of Housing and economic development and that the proposed transfer to AC44 administration would help track metrics and milestones.
Staff said the timelines and scope assume primarily staff resources and that the schedule could accelerate with consultant funding. Board members asked staff to return with clarifications on prioritization criteria, the prioritization/scoring method for transportation projects and more explicit links showing how housing-unit targets will be distributed among activity centers. The Board did not take formal action on AC44 implementation at the meeting; staff will refine timelines and materials for future sessions.
The presentation and discussion reflect a shift by supervisors to press for implementation steps that produce housing units and transportation investments rather than planning products alone. Staff committed to follow-up materials on selection criteria, the prioritization methodology and how the Housing Albemarle update will be integrated into the five work projects.
