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Commissioners review Phase 2 zoning modernization: overlay districts and consolidated use tables
Summary
Staff presented draft Article 5 (overlay districts) and Article 6 (use tables) as part of Albemarle County’s zoning modernization phase 2; commissioners welcomed clearer formatting and asked for clarifications on legends, crematorium placement, special lots, and Monticello-specific uses.
Albemarle County planning staff presented phase 2 drafts of the zoning modernization project — Article 5 (overlay zoning districts) and Article 6 (use tables) — at a July 28 work session, saying the changes prioritize clarity, plain language, and formatting rather than substantive policy shifts.
"Today, we are presenting to the commission articles 5, overlay zoning districts, and article 6, use tables, which are drafted under phase 2 of the zoning modernization project for a work session on those 2 articles," said Leah Brumfield, senior planner in the zoning division. Brumfield explained that Article 5 reorganizes existing overlay provisions into a single article with clearer subsection structure and noted that the floodplain administrator language was moved into Article 2 for administrative designation.
Article 6 consolidates dispersed use permissions into a modern use-table format. Brumfield said the table uses notations such as "p" (permitted by right with administrative approval), "sp" (special use permit) and "ac" (accessory) to make permissions easier to read; she emphasized that most changes are naming or formatting updates rather than permission changes. Examples staff highlighted include splitting major/minor intensity levels for uses (e.g., home occupation, renewable energy systems) and pulling previously hidden permissions — for instance, gun clubs and shooting ranges — into explicit table entries.
Commissioners praised the improved readability and suggested practical edits: include a legend for zoning abbreviations in Article 6, review where crematoriums should be listed (rural vs. commercial), provide a short note clarifying "special lots," and consider whether Monticello-specific carve-outs can be consolidated. Staff said many of those items will be included in the Phase 3 substantive review, and they invited commissioners to email additional suggestions.
The work session continues the multi-year zoning modernization effort; staff said phase 3 will address the more substantive policy changes and build expert topic groups (lighting, grading, dark-sky standards) to inform final language.
