Mountain Overlay District Committee Meets

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On March 8, 2006, the County's Mountain Overlay District Committee met to review a draft proposal for a mountain protection program.  The Committee began its work on this project in April 2004 and expects to complete its recommendations on the two-year anniversary next month.  The goal is to provide the Board of Supervisors with the framework for a new ordinance to govern development activities in the mountainous areas of the county, also known as the mountain overlay district.

At this meeting, it was evident that the Committee reached a breakthrough point of consensus on the draft ordinance framework as outlined in the "straw proposal" under review by the members.  Fred Scott (Bundoran Farm) described it as "one of the clearest and most succinct documents I have ever read."  He predicted it would be openly received by the public as a reasonable mountaintop protection proposal.  Jeff Werner (Piedmont Environmental Council) described how he felt significant compromises had been made to get this far along.  Yet, the committee seemed to think those compromises had resulted in a proposal they could all support. 

The remaining concerns are scheduled to be addressed in a final committee meeting on April 7th to prepare for a presentation to the Supervisors, tentatively scheduled for May 10th.

This recording by Charlottesville Tomorrow has the call to order by Committee Co-Chair Harry Levins, a presentation of the so called "straw proposal" for the ordinance by Committee Co-Chair Jon Cannon, now a new member of the Albemarle County Planning Commission, followed by the Committee's discussion.

Listen to podcast: Download 20060308-MOD-Committee.mp3

Brian Wheeler