Albemarle Place Update

The Albemarle Place development is still on deferral in Albemarle County pending submission of a revised site plan by the developer Frank Cox.  This morning, Board of Supervisors Chairman, Dennis Rooker, appeared on WINA's Charlottesville Live with Dick Mountjoy and Jane Foy, and spoke about the project.

February 2006 Concept of Albemarle Place as viewed along Hydraulic Rd at Swanson Drive.  Tallest building in distance is near Commonwealth Drive. Image source: Public record from County ARB.

In his comments on Albemarle Place [audio podcast below], Mr. Rooker described the approval process that would take place should the developer seek to have buildings greater than 90' in height.  Both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors would weigh in on such a request to amend the 2003 rezoning agreement which sets a 90' limit.  The plan under review by the Architectural Review Board in February 2006 showed multiple buildings over the 90' limit, including a 10-story building with the roof at 150' in height (125' to the parapet).  For comparison, the Hotel Monticello downtown in Court Square is 114' to the parapet.

Mr. Rooker also shared that traffic studies on the zoning that existed on the property before the Albemarle Place rezoning could have resulted in a worse traffic situation for this area around US 29 and Hydraulic Rd. as it allowed for more intense industrial and office uses.

In February, Charlottesville Tomorrow's weblog discussed traffic issues related to the Albemarle Place development.

Listen to podcast from today's WINA interview: Download 20060307-WINA-Rooker.mp3

Brian Wheeler

Comments

[Jim Duncan]

Thank you for this report and podcast. I caught the last 5 minutes of this and was wishing that WINA would podcast their shows. Thank you to you and to them.