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County staff outlines draft secondary six‑year plan and new unpaved‑road improvement program
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Summary
Albemarle staff presented the VDOT draft Secondary Six‑Year Plan and a proposed Unpaved Road Improvement Program that would let the county use rural‑road funds for non‑paving, stormwater and infrastructure upgrades without the resident two‑thirds petition required for paving.
County transportation staff presented a draft Secondary Six‑Year Plan and a proposed Unpaved Road Improvement Program (URIP) at the April 1 meeting, seeking board direction before a public hearing on May 20.
Albert Carino Plun, a transportation planner in Community Development, explained the SSYP lists paved‑road priorities for the next fiscal year and estimates funding for five subsequent years; the county’s draft includes six paved roads verified by VDOT for the upcoming year (Gilbert Station Road, Jeannie Mae Lane, Murray Lane, Bridal Sun Road, Blacks Lane, and Old Sand Road). Plun said telecommunication fees (utility excise fees) helped fund the Bergmar Drive extension project at Airport Road and that the SSYP is heavily informed by the county’s priority list for secondary roads.
Plun described URIP, a new Virginia law change (2024 General Assembly) that broadened unpaved‑road funds to allow non‑paving improvements. He said URIP would prioritize unpaved roads for stormwater and infrastructure upgrades — for example, culvert replacement, major grading or fixed stormwater works — and would not require the typical two‑thirds resident petition that paving does because URIP does not change surface type.
Board members sought clarification about the meaning of ‘retained unpaved roads’ (the county’s ‘do‑not‑pave’ list), how URIP projects are selected, and whether VDOT eligibility could still preclude paving even with resident support. Plun said ‘retained unpaved roads’ refers to roads whose communities do not want paving; roads on that list remain eligible for URIP improvements because the surface would not be changed. He also said VDOT’s approval remains necessary for any VDOT program participation: if VDOT determines a road is ineligible for rural‑rustic paving, it could still be improved under URIP.
Plun asked the board for feedback on candidate URIP projects (Birches Creek Road, Batesville Road and Hammock’s Gap Road) and recommended the board return comments before the May 20 public hearing.
Ending: Staff will bring the SSYP to the May 20 public hearing for adoption; the board asked staff to provide clarifications on retained lists, specific road extents (e.g., Gilbert Station Road sections), and the timeline for right‑of‑way acquisition tied to advertisement dates.
