Charlottesville’s proposed “upzoning” offers numerous clear risks, but few if any discernible rewards. Tell Charlottesville’s City Council: Slow down and dial back the Planning Commission’s current zoning proposal so that it reduces the likelihood of doing serious and irreversible harm to the City; increases the likelihood of achieving positive outcomes, and delivers the far more moderate plan that citizens want.

The City Council of Charlottesville is poised to consider the Planning Commission's extreme “upzoning” plan that:

• eliminates all single-family zoning, allowing 8, 12, or 16 units on all lots
• eliminates all residential-only zoning, allowing commercial uses on all lots
• envisions the demolition of many neighborhoods in favor of high-rise apartments,
  offices, and commercial space
• allows lots to be subdivided and places no maximum on the number of residential units allowed per acre
• eliminates all off-street parking requirements (i.e., all parking will be on-street)
• gives developers the right to move forward without any special permits or citizen
  input
• is not accompanied by any new transportation or infrastructure plans.

The extremity of the proposed upzoning poses huge risks to the city, including widespread teardowns; higher property prices; higher property taxes; displacement of low-and-middle-income residents; environmental degradation, including significant loss of tree canopy; and overwhelmed transportation and infrastructure systems. 

At the same time, the proposed upzoning fails to achieve its stated primary aim—that of creating affordable housing:

• Director of Neighborhood Development Services Jim Freas says any affordable housing constructed as a result of the plan will be “exceedingly rare.”
• Mayor Snook notes that the upzoning has “…nothing to do with housing for people at 60% AMI and lower,” but will “…benefit the people at 100% AMI or better who can't now find a home in the City.”
• Planning Commissioner Lyle Solla-Yates confirms the upzoning will likely produce, at best, six affordable units annually.

Tell City Council: The Planning Commission’s proposed upzoning is all risk and no reward. Slow down and dial back the Commission’s current zoning proposal so that it reduces the likelihood of doing serious and irreversible harm to the City; increases the likelihood of achieving positive outcomes, and delivers the far more moderate plan that citizens want.