City Council Meeting   11/15/2021

I've got it right here.

I move that city council members certified by recorded vote to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted.

I can.

in the closed meeting.

Ms.

Thomas.

Mayor Walker.

Yes.

Yes.

Councillor Hill.

Yes.

Sorry.

Okay.

We'll have a moment of silence.

Thank you.

Present.

Vice Mayor McGill?

Here.

Councillor Hill?

Here.

Mayor Walker?

Yes.

Vice Mayor McGill?

Yes.

Councillor Hill?

Yes.

Thank you.

The one that Mr. Zan shared announcing Saturday's affair.

There's free concert on the bricks at 3rd Street in the downtown mall.

And there's two dates and times.

There's 2 p.m.

Saturday, December 4th.

Back in the day, the R&B vocal quartet will be performing.

And at 2 p.m.

Saturday, December 18th, the Seville Band Brass Ensemble will be playing holiday music.

So again, those are 2 p.m.

Thank you.

All right.

Any recognitions or proclamations?

All right.

Ms.

It's an agenda, one minutes, September 20th, closed and regular meetings, September 28th, work session, October 4th, closed and regular meetings, October 12th, special meeting, October 22nd, special meeting, October 26th, joint meeting with PCRB,

Two, Resolution, Appropriating Funds for the Virginia Department of Education Special Nutrition Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, $50,000, second reading.

Three, Resolution,

appropriating funds for safe routes to school program non infrastructure grants $39,000 second reading for resolution transferring capital funds from completed fuel station project completed fleet shop improvements project and incomplete Avon salt barn project to Avon fuel station project 523,048 dollars 95 cents one reading

Five, ordinance closing, vacating, and discontinuing a portion of the public street right of way for Seminole Court second reading.

Six, resolution appropriating Department of Conservation and Recreation

Recreational Trail Grant funds for construction of Meadow Creek Bridges, $222,511.21, first of two readings.

Seven, resolution appropriating reimbursement received in connection with the Charlottesville Circuit Court renovation and addition projects.

$6,643, first of two readings.

Eight, resolution appropriating funds for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, $23,284, first of two readings.

Nine, resolution appropriating contribution from Charlottesville City Schools to the school

Small cap funded program for school security projects $250,000 first of two readings 10 resolution appropriating funds for Virginia juvenile community crime control act grant $452,704 first of two readings 11 resolution approving conveyance of a 2003 Pierce quantum fire engine to the Charlottesville Winnipa foundation first of two readings

12, resolution appropriating American Rescue Plan funds from the Commonwealth for utility bill assistance, $359,879.30, first of two readings.

13, resolution appropriating Bama Works funds for skate park lighting, $100,000, first of two readings.

We'll now open it up for public comment or items on the consent agenda.

Thank you, Mayor Walker.

And again, this is only for items on the consent agenda that were just read.

If you'd like to raise your hand, click the raise hand icon in the Zoom webinar.

Each person will get up to three minutes.

And I see some of those hands going down now.

Mary Whittle, if you've got a comment on the consent agenda, you're on with counsel.

You've got three minutes.

Mary, you'll have to unmute.

Okay, sorry, my bad.

All right.

Councilors, are there any questions or comments?

All right.

Ms.

Thomas Walker, Yes.

Councilor Hill, Yes.

Councilor Payne, Yes.

Good evening, Mayor Walker and counselors.

I have a few updates from the last meeting.

There was a reference to the city needing a prohibitive personnel policy.

We've taken note of that as a matter, as that would be something for the incoming HR director as part of an overhaul to the city of Charlottesville's approach to human resource management.

So we will definitely share that information and look for a response from that candidate when they begin.

Also references to the city passing a collective bargaining ordinance.

Council will be taking up that matter for some preliminary discussions at the December 6 meeting.

And we look forward to hearing from our incoming HR director and interim city manager on that subject.

There's also a reference to the city allocating American Rescue Plan Act dollars.

The Director of Finance continues to monitor federal regulations, looking at the various updates that are coming down to help determine what the eligible uses are.

We continue to evaluate a priority list as we're waiting for some more feedback from the federal government in regards to how those funds can be used.

to make those recommendations to council.

And we are definitely taking note of council's support for staff remaining a high priority in one of the next or upcoming allocations of funding.

And then the last thing to offer for you all is just some staff announcements in regards to we continue to work diligently to fill vacancies.

We are actively negotiating employment offers with the Director of Human Resources, Director of Parks and Recreation and Director of Public Works.

We hope to be able to conclude those and by the next council meeting have definite dates of start for those various positions.

And then the last item is just to have you all join us in congratulating Rheon Anthony who has been promoted to Deputy Director of Parks Division within the Parks and Rec Department.

All right.

Thank you, Mr. Sanders.

Councilors, any questions or comments?

Okay.

Well, congratulations, Rion, Mr. Anthony, for your promotion.

See your name there.

All right.

So next up, we will go into our community matters.

We have three preregistered speakers now, so there'll be 13 additional thoughts.

And Mr. Wheeler, I will turn it over to you.

And I'm going to be turning on the raise hand function as we right as we start that public hearing so that everyone has the same ability to get in line as we expect a lot of speakers.

But again, at this part of the meeting, it's just community matters.

And I'm now going to turn on the raise hand feature.

So if you'd like to speak about other matters besides the comp plan, please click the raise hand icon in the Zoom webinar.

If you're on via telephone, you can press star nine.

Our first speaker to sign up in advance is Kenneth Martin.

Thank you.

Mayor Nakaya Walker, as you wind down your tenure on city council, I wish to remind you that you were taught massive resistance is a bygone era.

Perniciously, it still continues to this very day.

You witnessed massive resistance when council formed the department headed by its newly created position of chief of staff solely to circumvent then city manager Maurice Jones.

You witnessed massive resistance when council drove out former police chief Al Thomas in the wake of August 12, 2017.

You witnessed massive resistance when council drove out former city manager to Ron Richardson.

You witnessed massive resistance when the media constantly attacked you personally and not the policies that you were advocating.

You witnessed massive resistance when council and staff did not address allegations of theft

malfeasance or misuse of public funds that were leveled against you for months.

You now witness massive resistance every time you hear a new proposal for a segregated low income health clinic.

You witness massive resistance with the city's adoption of the Jim Crow model for segregated low-income housing using aspects of plantations, reservations, concentration camps, and ghettos.

You witness massive resistance when a black female police chief

is fired without cause and without provisions or even an allowance for reinstatement.

That is, when a police chief is lynched without public trial or even a hearing or indictment for being uppity.

Thank you for your service, Mayor Nikuyah Walker.

By your venturing into the bowels of hell of City Hall, you have brought a new understanding of Charlottesville to itself.

Our next speaker who signed up in advance is Katrina Turner, who will be followed by Gloria Beard.

Good evening.

I just want to say one thing.

Well, not one thing with you, but I'm so glad that Brachney is following a complaint against

you counselors.

You all know I didn't get along with Brackney, but what you all were involved in and how you joined together, not even to allow her to resign like everybody else resigned.

You all came together

and she was fired out of all the people that, I mean, there's so many people that should have been fired, but they were allowed to resign.

But for you three to join in with the firing of the chief, I'm so glad that she has got the Cochran firm after you.

And I hope and pray

that they get deep down in your pocket for what you all have done.

Because you have been showing the community how far to the right you are.

But after Brackley was fired and the way she was fired, and like I said, you know I don't get along with her.

You all deserve everything that's getting ready to come to you.

When we came to you about Bellamy Brown when all this first started, y'all refused to do anything about Bellamy Brown.

You just continued and continued.

You just love to stick with that other side.

You know, forget who you're up there for.

You act as if you're only there for your people.

But as I say, I'm optimistic.

I'm so glad that Brackney is bringing this on, y'all.

And another thing I need to tell you, even though it might not matter to anybody, but with all the meetings I've had with people, you know, and the information I have against some of these police officers who shouldn't be on the street right now.

Now, I have information on Brian O'Donnell, who totally lied, who

and they're waiting for the new chief of police now to come and take care of Brian O'Donnell and all these complaints that I have right now.

You know, I haven't spoken up about all these meetings that I've had with Mooney and Lisa Robertson and I haven't spoken up, but there's information in there that these police should not be on the street right now and they know about it, but they refuse to take them off.

Mayor Walker, I don't see Gloria Beard on the webinar.

I'll keep watching.

So we'll move on to the other people that have their hand raised.

If you're just joining us, we're in community matters and not the public hearing for the comp plan.

First person up is Tanisha Hudson.

Good evening.

So I just want to touch on a few things.

First off, thank you, Mr. Kenneth Martin and Ms.

Katrina Turner for your comments.

Thank you both for saying what you said.

I want to publicly have this on the record.

I've emailed downtown to the city manager's office.

I've copied

M. Ashley, Lisa Robertson, and all of counsel requesting that an independent investigation is opened up and that this investigation is not handled by anyone in the city and that you investigate what has happened to Black leadership since they've entered Charlottesville.

And this should go all the way back to Jones, Thomas, Richardson, Letitia, as well as what we just witnessed with Chief Brackney.

There's a lot of things that we've uncovered getting these FOIA requests.

And even though I know that they're tweaking these FOIAs, they're leaving a lot of information in there as well.

So the crisis communication management that Chip, Ashley and Sam all played a part in with hiring this outside firm to basically write Chip's excuse for terminating her contract.

I don't understand how Sam and Ashley are even sitting on the screen right now.

You all went along with that.

Ashley, you did the research on finding out that he could do this under $10,000 because it would have been under procurement.

The SWAT training that just recently went on, was that last week or was it the week before?

I don't know the exact date, but the SWAT training that just recently went on with the police department, reassembling the SWAT and giving them money in the budget and allocating funds for them.

You all said that the reform initiatives should stay in place.

I remember Michael basically speaking on that and it's on the record.

It was on a council meeting when he said we didn't want to revert back to old ways.

Brackney's access being restricted and them removing her off of the website.

Come on, Tito, you didn't have to do that.

You want a performance plan, sir.

The exiting compliments that Heather Hill and Michael Payne and others gave Chip before he left.

Chip did not do a great job.

He made a mistake with the chief of police and that was not okay.

But you all support people that look like you, but you don't do it for people that look like me.

Last but not least, I mean, I could go on for days, but last but not least, let's just discuss the Lincoln Project and how Sena's husband came on the November 1st city council meeting crying, crying, like people making fun of this city's pain.

Your husband taunt Kessler all day online and then cry victim.

But I guess that's a white thing.

That's what white people do.

they do stuff and then they cry victim.

But then Heather was writing a letter at 11 o'clock that night

to respond to the Lincoln Project.

Black people have been asking you all for answers on why Black people are treated the way they're treated in the community and inside City Hall.

And we've received no answers from you.

So do you only hear white cries?

I would like an answer.

Do you only hear white cries?

Because that's what you've openly showed everyone in this community, that you only hear white cries.

Our next speaker is Lucinda Shannon, who will be followed by Robin Hoffman.

Hi, thank you.

My name is Lucinda Shannon and I'm a staff person at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission.

I want to invite you all to join the Regional Transit Partnership and attend a virtual public meeting for the Regional Transit Vision Plan for the Charlottesville area.

This meeting will provide an opportunity to learn more about the project and allow you to offer feedback that will help shape the values and priorities for the future of this region's public transit.

The meeting is this Thursday, November 18th from 6.30pm to 8pm.

It's a virtual meeting and you can learn more about it on our project website and also register for the meeting on the project website.

The URL for the project website is tinyurl.com slash transitvision.com

Next up is Robin Hoffman who will be followed by Charlotte Meadows.

Hi everybody.

I've been asked to sort of talk this evening by a few

Neighbors, and also I've been awarded by Mildred Spicer having to be a hero of some sort.

And I think it all happened because

of decades of Mildred Spicer being so dedicated.

I mean, day to day to day dedicated to help people who could not help themselves.

And I want to honor her.

But so I sort of

I'm speaking on that tonight because also there are people such as Cal Tate who passed away last month.

If you saw the audience or the people that participated at his funeral,

It just speaks of how people who are dedicated to helping other people here in this community is so important.

And I do want to say that the Communications Department is going to lose our Brian Wheeler, but let's remember how much

positivity came from having somebody who was also very dedicated to enabling people who could not speak or could not communicate through this pandemic.

So, and I just want to again say that CPA TV has brought up so many people into a public broadcasting system and also just

enabling people to get more ideas about how they can solve problems.

So if you are somebody who can tell a story on CPA TV, I want to reinforce that people have talked to me on the street, in the supermarkets.

I mean, I've been on TV for 12 years, but it's really about the people that I've invited on my show and

who without any script or anything just speak their mind and I'm not the only producer.

I mean there are so many good people talking to the public for free

Something that we don't have if we lived in China or if we lived in Russia or if we lived in a lot of different countries where they repress everything you say.

To be able to speak right now to the public is a privilege.

And please take your vaccines.

Let's get outside and let's go to restaurants and let's have fun.

Thank you.

Next up is Kimber Hawkey, who will be followed by Rebecca Quinn.

Hi.

I feel I wasn't planning on speaking right now, but I feel like I have to speak out against the firing of Chief Brackney here as part of the public record.

I've spoken out on social media against it, also regarding

the departure of Dr. Richardson both very highly qualified people and because of the previous comments I just want everyone to know that their unceremonious departures were a concern to people of all colors in this community.

Thank you very much.

Next up is Rebecca Quinn.

If you'd like to get in line during Community Matters, please click the raise hand icon in the Zoom webinar.

Hi, my name is Rebecca Quinn.

I live on 104 4th Street here in the city.

I'd like to speak very briefly on council procedures and practices.

Some years ago, city council had a practice of not voting

on the same night as a public hearing even if it could do so legally.

By voting on the same night as many people come out and speak publicly effectively invalidates and ignores all of those public voices especially when an issue is significant.

I'd like to suggest that you consider this practice

in general, but specifically on at least one issue that I believe you could vote on tonight, and I will leave it at that.

Next hand raised is Mary Whittle.

And again, Mary, we're on Community Matters.

Did you want to speak at this time?

Nope.

Okay.

So last call for community matters.

We've heard from seven people.

Next up is Vern Buchanan.

Thank you.

There's an issue on the John Warner Parkway.

that I think needs to be dealt with.

Kudzu is taking over the whole place.

The trees, it needs to be dealt with.

I realize that it's part Albemarle, part Charlottesville, and part the railroad, but if we don't get this under control, it's going to destroy everything there, including

the pine trees that it's growing in and all of the native, for lack of a better word, grasses and flowers.

I keep almost wanting to say it and then somebody raises their hand.

Kevin Hildebrand, you're on with council.

This is what happens when you give us too much time.

And I won't take three minutes, I promise.

And I don't know if this is even an appropriate thing to say, but I'm concerned about the leaf collection system the city has switched to.

As someone who goes out and cleans out the storm drains every time it's about to storm because they're clogged with leaves, I would urge the city to look at going back to the bagged leaf collection system that seems to work very well to keep the storm sewers clear of uncontrolled leaves.

Thank you very much.

John Hasick, you're on with Council.

I'd like to reiterate what was said by the speaker about three speakers ago.

I think it is really terrible that you're going to have a vote potentially tonight on something so controversial as a future land use map and the comprehensive plan.

And I think it's a real disgrace.

And also the fact that it appears as only one reading and also that you appear to have cut from three minutes to two minutes the opportunity to speak.

Next up is Andrew Shelton.

Hi, thank you.

I'll be very quick.

I just wanted to provide an opposing opinion and say that I think that we should probably maintain exactly the policies and procedures with speaking that y'all have been doing for the last little bit.

It seems very transparent to be doing whatever this is.

And since I'm here, I'd also like to ask respectfully that y'all put the Jefferson School's proposal on some future city council meeting so that we can get that voted on hopefully before we deal with the transition to new council next year.

And our 11th speaker is Nancy Carpenter.

Nancy, you're on with council.

All right, I had to find the unmute button.

Yeah, thank you for allowing me to have a couple of minutes of your time this evening.

I'm Nancy Carpenter, a resident here in Charlottesville.

I also wanted to support the last comment Andrew made about the proposals you have regarding the statues that were recently taken down.

I, too, think that you should have a vote and accept the proposal made by the Jefferson School.

You've talked, we've talked, the community's talked.

we've talked and talked and talked we've had the Blue Ridge Blue Ribbon Council Commission impaneled and they did their due diligence and came up with you know proposals and policies and I think now is the time to bring an end to it all and have a decision prior to the new City Council being seated in January I think that this goes hand in hand with what's going on up at the federal courthouse

and as that winds down to some type of decision I also think that our City Council should also wind down and make a decision and I think that the proposal you got from the Jefferson School is the best one and the best option that you could choose.

Thank you.

Councilors, any comments?

I'll just make a brief one about the statute proposal.

We will be considering that discussion at our next meeting, the December 6th meeting, so it is on an upcoming agenda.

So next up, it's 7.05.

So we will move into our public hearing resolution on amending the comprehensive plan for the city of Charlottesville, including the future land use map one reading.

We limited the time to the two minutes because we are anticipating

quite a few citizens.

The Planning Commission did a similar process of limiting to two minutes, and we have done it in the past when it's just in high volume of citizens who are speaking on a matter.

There will be an opportunity at the end of the meeting for additional public comment.

I know that may not satisfy everyone, but there will be an additional time to speak later tonight.

Good evening, Mayor Walker, members of council.

It seems I can't start my video, but thank you again for the time tonight to present on

the 2021 update to Charlottesville's comprehensive plan.

I'm going to go ahead and turn the presentation over to Jenny Koch from our Seville Plans Together team and RHI consultants for the presentation.

Thanks, James.

Jenny Koch, Great.

If it gets fuzzy, just let me know and I'll turn it off.

A little cold right now.

So thank you for having us.

We're really, really excited to be to this point with you all.

My name is Jenny Koch, and I'm an urban planner with RHI, or Roadside and Harwell, and I'm the project manager for the Seville Plants Together consultant team.

There's a large group of people working on the Seville Plants Together projects.

Tonight you'll also hear from Ron Sessoms, who's an urban planner and urban designer with RHI.

We have some other folks on the line as well.

I do want to note before we jump into things, if you want to bring up the presentation, that would be great.

But while you're doing that...

Council has participated in for the comprehensive plan.

You all participated in the joint hearing with Planning Commission on October 12th.

And on October 12th, we spoke with you all about a lot of the same things we're going to talk with you about tonight.

It's really all the same things.

So our intent is to move fairly quickly through these materials.

Let's see.

This is Brian.

Do you want to?

Oh, okay.

Well, I'll go ahead and share mine.

Sure.

Let's see here.

Does that look great?

Great.

So let's rearrange my screen.

Okay, so this is our agenda for tonight's presentation.

Again, we're going to go through this and relatively quickly, hopefully.

For those of you who are watching, we've got a link here if you want to, you know, if you have access to the slides.

If you don't have access to the slides, just go to SevillePlansTogether.com and there's a link on the Stay Involved page, which should be linked directly from the front page as well.

The first thing we want to touch on is what we usually start our presentations with about this project is centering us on this overview of the process.

So there are really three parts of Seville plans together and they all are focused on updating this future vision for the city of Charlottesville with a particular focus on equity and affordability.

The comprehensive plan is one of those three pieces of the process.

It's a very important component of the city's overall policy framework for the future.

And the plan serves to sort of express the vision and set of goals for the future development of the city.

You can see here we've listed the three components of the project, Seville Plans Together project in the gray box here.

And we show the affordable housing plan with the checkmark because that was completed in March of this year with your endorsement.

And we're currently in the phase of updating the comprehensive plan, as we all know.

And after we've worked together to get that final approved plan, the third and final part of the Seville Plans Together process is updating the zoning ordinance.

And so that's really implementing the land use vision and the comprehensive plan, both in terms of the future land use map and also all the written components within that document.

This is a slide we did not have in the previous presentation, but it gets us some of the things we've been talking about.

So with this comprehensive plan update, as I mentioned, we're updating the future vision for the city.

And so one of the ways we're doing that is by adding a set of guiding principles to the document, and those are woven throughout the entire document.

and that's really intentional because they established these priorities we've heard from the community about the future and we've linked them to all the goals throughout the plan with this document we've also updated each chapter with but had a real focus on the land use components including the future land use map and we focus also on the housing chapter incorporating the affordable housing plan strategies

we created a new engagement chapter and we've also added an implementation section with priority focused areas for the next five years with this complaint update we're also supporting the affordable housing plan as I mentioned and identifying ways to shape a more equitable city

And for this, we've looked at ways to provide more opportunities or more housing options, as well as greater affordability throughout the city.

And we've also looked at ways to target certain areas for more opportunity for housing to really enhance everyone's access to some of these really important community amenities, schools, parks, job centers, and also to provide focus areas for infrastructure improvements like transit and multimodal improvements.

The third thing we've got on here is that we are looking to prepare the city for potential growth and change.

And again, we're looking at different housing types, allowing potentially more housing to be built.

And that's to address the housing need itself, which we'll talk about in a second, but it's also to address things like climate impacts that are really important as we move forward here in the city.

Really importantly as well is that when we're thinking about preparing the community for growth and change, the document really looks to set the stage for addressing infrastructure needs to go along with its growth.

And that's, you know, looking not only at transportation, which I've already mentioned, but also things like schools, utilities and whatnot.

So those are just some of the key highlights.

And there's a summary of updates at the end of the presentation slides.

It's in an appendix.

So if you want, you can take a look at that.

But we did talk through some of those more granular updates in the last hearing.

So we won't go through those tonight.

What we wanted to really focus on, we're talking about

What the purpose of this plan is, is what are the housing and affordability needs we're really trying to address.

There's a lot more information in the document and in the, you know, appendices to the comprehensive plan document, but want to go through a few things here.

And again, we shared this with you on the 12th, but we think it's important to reiterate some of this here.

We know from regional studies that the city and the county together, Albemarle County, are expected to see something like 15,000 additional households by 2040.

Currently, the housing supply is constrained in Charlottesville because we know that only 30% of residentially zoned land allows for development of a single family level.

So that means if you can afford a single family house and there's one available, that's great, but that is not the case for everyone.

We also know that many people in Charlottesville are paying more than half of their income on housing.

And we know the benchmark for affordability is paying about 30% of your income on housing.

So that's a big problem.

We also know that housing is not just a Charlottesville need.

We're talking regionally.

So, you know, we're looking to include those elements from the affordable housing plan that call for regional partnerships to address the housing need.

And the other thing I think is really important to mention when we're thinking about affordability and housing needs is that this is going to take a sustained commitment from the city to address these needs, not only in terms of implementing the plan itself and supporting this land use vision, which I know we'll talk about more tonight, but also sustaining financial commitments from the affordable housing plan and those initiatives that are important to make sure that deeply affordable housing really gets addressed.

So all these things are really vitally important with each other.

And they really look to support the fact that Charlottesville is a growing community, it's a changing community, and there's going to be an ever increasing demand for housing in a market that's very constrained and where zoning is really one of the biggest issues causing that constraint.

So these are all things we're keeping in mind as we move forward here.

Also note we did in the four o'clock session, as you all know, we talked a bit with Hamilton Lombard from the Weldon Cooper Center about growth in the city, recognizing that some of the census, you know, population numbers from this year may be skewed, may be a little

incorrect because they may have undercounted the general student population that's normally here.

So given that we know that, you know, just kind of reiterates the need to recognize there's ongoing growth in the city that we need to be looking to accommodate.

I won't go through the affordable housing plan in much in great detail but I wanted to just show this information again because as I mentioned earlier one of the biggest things we've tried to do with the housing chapter of this document is to incorporate the recommendations of the affordable housing plan and the affordable housing plan really sets the stage for many of

the housing focus strategies in the comprehensive plan and that includes the land use chapter it really sort of identifies this vision for a local housing market that's healthy high quality affordable and equitable it has three guiding principles of racial equity regional collaboration and the comprehensive approach which means for example land use itself will not make the change happen and

I think it's important to note that there are a lot of different recommendations in the affordable housing plan itself.

There are three major initiatives that are listed here, which includes a funding dedication of $10 million annually, building inclusive governance at all levels, which working to make sure everyone is participating in this process, particularly those who

are parts of these marginalized communities that may need some of the greatest help finding affordable housing.

And then lastly, one of the major initiatives is adopting a progressive and inclusionary zoning reform.

And though we're not looking to adopt any sort of zoning tonight, the land use map itself does set the stage for that to happen.

So I've talked a bit about

the overall background and what we're looking to do with this plan I want to talk a bit about the process that we've gone through as you all know the the code of the state requires that the comprehensive plan is reviewed at least once every five years to see if it needs to be updated and so that work began in 2017 during that time draft future land use maps were developed and began to really set the stage for

You know, looking at increasing intensity throughout the city, including for different housing options.

Excuse me.

So from 2017 to 2018, staff and the Planning Commission led several phases of outreach, performed extensive work.

And then in 2019, we were brought on board the Seville Plans Together team to develop an affordable housing plan, which I just spoke about, and also to complete the comprehensive plan revisions that have been started.

And then following that with the zoning update that we've discussed.

So throughout our process, we had, when I say our process, I mean the Seville Plans Together process.

Starting in early 2020, we had three phases of community engagement, working with the city to gather community input and establish these community visions that then fed into other changes throughout the documents.

When I say documents, plural, I'm talking about the comprehensive plan and the affordable housing plan.

So I would

Note that though the Siebel Plans Together process started in 2020, the process of updating this comprehensive plan has really been ongoing for about five years at this point.

I know some of you have been intimately involved in that as well.

Just wanted to show here some of the different types of activities we've used for the Seville Plans Together process to get community input.

We've really used a variety of tools and we hope that we'll be able to safely incorporate more in-person activities as we continue the process through zoning.

You know, we've

feel it's really important to make sure we're out there talking directly, especially to those who are less likely to be able to attend a Zoom meeting, though there are over, I think, 140 of you on tonight, besides the panelists.

So I want to reiterate, we spoke a little earlier about the need to really take that community engagement chapter from the proposed plan and put it into action, and we look forward to doing that.

This is just a slide that sort of gives an overview of some things we've heard from the community throughout this process.

And though, again, our process had to be adjusted many times due to COVID, sort of ever-evolving COVID conditions, we're happy we've gotten as much input as we have.

And I think we're very grateful to those who have participated in the process.

Sorry that this formatting is a little wonky here, but if you look at this orange box, if you download the slides, you can go and visit these links that will give you an overview of not only the input we've gotten from the Seville Plans Together process, but also the input that was received from the 2017 and 2018 processes.

So with that, I'm going to jump into an overview of the plan.

And again, we've spoken to you about this before, so I'll go through it fairly quickly, but we'll be happy to respond to questions as needed.

In general, the comprehensive plan is a framework for the city.

It's sort of what we would call an umbrella plan that provides this vision for the future of the city that is then supported by several functional plans like the affordable housing plan,

like the bicycle pedestrian master plan, the fourth command climate action plan, and other plans like that that support the different elements of the plan.

The comprehensive plan itself also is supported by and supports recommendations from several small area plans, which those identify sort of future visions for smaller areas in the city.

And one example of that would be Cherry Avenue Small Area Plan or the Strategic Investment Area Plans, which were taken into advisement for this process.

I'll also mention that, you know, we're talking about this comprehensive plan, but really along with the zoning ordinance, all that together is what really defines the future vision of the city.

Again, we're not talking about updating the zoning tonight, or we're not looking to approve any sort of change to the zoning tonight, but we're looking to set the stage for that future implementation of the land use vision.

The document, as I mentioned earlier, has some new guiding principles.

There are five of them.

You can see them listed here.

And the purpose of these principles is to identify priorities driven by the community input we've received throughout this process.

And the real purpose is to tie together the goals throughout the chapters of the plan.

One of the things we heard in the really early small group discussions we had was that, you know, people thought the document is sort of too stove-piped.

It's too separated by chapters and people wanted to see more about how they're tied together, the different strategies through the plan.

And so this was how we've worked to do that.

There's also seven topic-specific chapters in the plan and you can see them listed here.

and each chapter has a vision statement related to that topic and then several goals related to that vision statement and strategies for working toward each goal.

You know, we've talked about land use a lot.

We've talked about housing a lot, but all of these chapters have been reviewed and have received comments from the community, from staff, from you all.

And so there has been changes throughout the document, even though it may seem like we focused on land use or housing.

There's a lot covered in the plan.

There are a lot of strategies in this document.

I know it's a long document.

That's just sort of the nature of comprehensive plans.

It's in their title, I guess.

But one way we've tried to work to focus or to make priorities for the sort of shorter term is by identifying these priority areas.

And these were identified through the input we got from staff and community members and

So all of the strategies in the document are really important.

We felt that these six priority areas, along with the priority strategies that are identified with them, which I think there are about 30 of them, these

look to sort of elevate those priorities that we've heard about repeatedly from many throughout the community.

I won't read them, but they range from looking at housing to access to shelter and food and job opportunities, climate change.

Some of these main concerns we've heard about is what we're trying to address through these priority areas.

So if you go to the implementation chapter of the document, you'll see

you know different strategies included for these six priority areas as well as a table in the main body itself of the document that shows time frames for implementation responsible departments for implementation

But I think it's important to note that there's also an appendix that has similar information about timelines and responsible parties and measures of progress for all the strategies in the plan.

So even though it's not in the main body, which is mostly because of length, you know, I want to note that there's an appendix that has that information for every strategy in the plan.

All right.

Oh, and good evening.

As Jenny had mentioned, there are many components or elements to the comprehensive plan.

And one of those key elements is land use.

So to formulate our land use recommendations, we've been working with

the Charlottesville community over the past few months to craft a series of future land use objectives.

These objectives serve as kind of guiding principles that help us establish how we approach future land use within the city.

I won't read all of these point by point, but I did want to hit on some highlights of these planning objectives.

One, I want to build upon the recommendations from other plans.

We know there's been a series of

Small Area Plans that have been completed in the city, plans are underway, like the Climate Action Plan, and we want to make sure, and we have made sure, that we've tied in those recommendations from those plans throughout the document.

We want to also make sure that we're building upon an equitable city, a city where it supports a wide range of housing options so that people who want to live in Charlottesville can live in Charlottesville and they're not limited by their income as to where they can live or whether or not they can live within the city at all.

We want to make sure that we're maximizing the city's resources.

The city is not a big room community.

It's a regional attraction that has many amenities.

It's a community hub not only for the community itself but for the greater region.

So we want to make sure that we have opportunities to really celebrate those amenities and build upon those amenities moving into the future.

Throughout the planning process and based upon our observations that we've made through the existing conditions analysis, we would recognize that opportunities for vacant or underutilized properties within the city could be opportunities that could serve as catalysts for growth within the city.

Think of areas that are kind of low-scale commercial areas with large parking lots,

We would consider those underutilized and there's opportunities that we want to make sure that we promote to make those properties contribute to the greater economic sustainability of the city.

The city is not a standalone entity.

It's part of a region.

so we need to make sure and we have made sure that we build correlation between city land uses and major institutions in the city such as UVA and also considering its location within the region within Albemarle County and making sure that we're coordinating that urban ring the area around the city matching land use with the county making sure that the county land uses respond to the land uses within the city

Jenny touched on access to transit.

That's something that's very important.

We want to make sure we're building a walkable, sustainable city where we don't have to rely upon cars as much.

So promoting access to transit, CATS bus routes, as well as facilitating opportunity for walking and biking within the city.

And the Streets That Work program and document really lays out a clear strategy of how that can be adopted within the city.

as well as the city's bike and pedestrian master plan.

Charlottesville has a rich natural and cultural resource fabric.

So throughout the development of future land use map, we've made sure that we consider those natural and cultural resources throughout the city.

And they really become the reason why people love Charlottesville, the reason why people visit Charlottesville because of these beautiful and rich amenities that the city has.

And then last but certainly not least, Charlottesville is not just a big room community, it's an economic engine.

So we need to make sure that we're looking at economic considerations outside of just housing to make sure that the city remains prosperous moving into the future.

Next slide.

So over the past few months, we went through several iterations of the future land use map.

And the iterations that we developed throughout the last couple of months can be summarized in kind of six key areas.

One being existing conditions.

Early on in the process, we visited the city.

We performed advanced mapping and analysis of existing conditions.

which helped us understand what are the issues and opportunities within the city.

We also pair that with what we've heard from the community date at that time early on in the process to help us draft a preliminary list of planning objectives.

And you can see from the previous slide, those were the final list of planning objectives, but we added to it, we refined it throughout the master planning process to make sure that we incorporated the community will.

Before we applied a pen to paper with specific land uses, we developed a future land use framework.

An example of that is shown on the bottom right.

This was an iteration of that framework that we shared early on in the process in March.

Throughout the months of February and March, we worked with the Steering Committee and the Planning Commission to really craft this framework.

Anything of a framework is

as a broad general concept.

In this case, a concept that defines how we think of land use and land use organization within the city.

You can see in the diagram that the yellow areas became kind of the basic frame of residential areas within the city.

And then we thought of the city in a series of nodes and corridors, which is an approach that we often use in planning called the hub and spoke system, where you have a hub, in this case, like Charlottesville, downtown, which is a hub, it's the center of the community.

And then you have these spokes, which are the corridors that lead out from that center to connect to other communities.

Nodes or significant areas within the city.

And along the way, we have opportunity to maximize access to transit within the city.

These corridors are oftentimes where we find transit routes as well as pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, whether it's existing or it's planned in future master plans that have already been approved and adopted by the city.

So from that framework, we went through several iterations of that, and then we put pen to paper to establish actual physical land use designations through the city, which you can see will present the final future land use map tonight.

And between May and now, we work with the community to revise the future land use map, and all of you are aware we went through several iterations of the map.

that's not something that's unique to the planning process in Charlottesville.

It's something that happens in all communities.

The development of the future landings map is the iterative process, and that was to be expected.

And then tonight we present to you the final future landings map, which you will see.

Next slide.

So this is the current future land use map that you can see before you, which includes a range of land use types that range in intensity from general residential, which is the lighter intensity areas cater to residential as the name suggests, up to downtown core.

and we worked through this map with the community recognizing various opportunities to incorporate the wide range of land use throughout the city building upon the planning objectives which serve to guide where these land uses were distributed within the community as well as building upon that framework you know we refined the framework as we went along and we also used that and adapted it to

on the ground recommendations for these specific land use categories.

The future land use map is a broad, far-reaching plan.

It serves as a roadmap, a general roadmap for future growth and sets the vision for the community.

We know that the city is going to grow and we don't expect that this map will be implemented overnight.

Just as the city has grown in the past, we expect

incremental growth into the future.

So this just serves as a framework and provides options as to where development can occur over time.

We also in further detail, we have a chart.

that includes all of the future land use map designations within the city.

It provides much more detail as far as description and intent form, including the urban design aspects and considerations that should be considered in zoning.

as well as use and affordability components, which I'm sure most of you have read through this document.

It's a lot of content.

I won't go through it all tonight, but we'll touch on two areas of concern that we've heard

throughout the planning process, or at least two broadening categories that we are concerned for, and that would include the sensitive community areas, as well as the medium intensity residential areas, which is currently shown in the map.

Next slide.

for the sensitive community areas, which you can see outlined in green here.

This is part of the overall future land use map.

We just simply zoomed into areas for readability sake for the presentation.

But a very clear concern that we heard from the beginning, all the way through the end of this planning process was the need to recognize vulnerable

communities throughout the city that could be areas that

have encouraged displacement as the city began to grow.

These are areas that can have low income and they are areas that serve most of the diverse populations within the city.

And we came to these outlines based upon census block data.

So we used income and race to begin to

formulate where these areas might be.

These are only preliminary lines.

We will continue to refine them and adapt them through the zoning process.

I think there's a finer grain to these areas beyond just the census block.

And we have heard that was a concern

that would need to be addressed the next phase of work, and we do recognize that.

So as we get into zoning, we'll really get in and refine the boundaries of the sensitive community area to make sure that we're including the areas beyond the census block group areas that could or should be included within this boundary.

And again, these areas are intended to encourage residents to stay in place while giving them opportunity and access to wealth building through the future landings map.

Next slide, please.

Then we have medium intensity residential which mainly lie along corridors or near parks, school, job centers and transit corridors within the community.

These medium intensity residential areas are designated locations to encourage walkability, bikeability and transit access.

Again, as I mentioned in the framework plan that these corridors are areas that have transit access, they have or are planned to have bike routes and pedestrian infrastructure to help support greater access and greater intensity of development.

We want to make sure that we include options that include a more diverse palette of housing options near places where people want to live, near those parks, near those schools, near those job centers.

So we use this land use category to further emphasize that opportunity.

and this responds directly with the affordable housing plan which calls for the restructuring of multifamily zoning and the overall approval process throughout the future land use map.

So we're responding directly to that need to have multifamily of different scales throughout the city.

Speaking of scale, right now we've defined a medium intensity residential category as one that would support up to 12 units per lot.

We understand that every lot will not be able to accommodate 12 units per lot.

That's why we included a range up to 12 units per lot.

The zoning phase will

definitely began to break these overall districts down into sub-districts, not very dissimilar to the current future land east map, the 2013 future land east map, which has broad categories, which are further broken down in the current zone.

So we will still be taking a very similar approach, of course, for this future land use map.

So we do say up to 12 units, but we certainly recognize and want to emphasize every site the site can't and will not be able to support 12 units per lot and that we'll have to go through and refine the boundaries of residential, medium intensity residentials throughout the city.

We have a couple of pressing images here.

The image at the top right is one example of how medium intensity could be implemented within a district.

You can see you have two units in the front and maybe two to three units in the back.

Or it could be more because I actually think the first unit has a front and back facing unit.

So there's actually four units in that yellow building.

and two in the back so that's an example of six units within the residential district and then they can include and you know in the areas where you can have more intensity perhaps you can move up and scale to a building such as the one at the bottom right where you have six units on the front and if that was a 12 unit development perhaps you could have a second building

similar sale to the back, particularly taking advantage of those lots with greater depth within the city.

Again, these are recommendations that will require a scaffold to really get in and on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis and really determine what's appropriate and that appropriate level of intensity will also depend upon the actual zoning tools that we recommend

What are the setbacks, the front setback, the side setbacks, the overall height?

Those are going to be significant drivers as to how many units per lot one could feasibly get on the site.

Next slide.

Again, further emphasizing that there will be a zoning phase that follows up to this future land use map.

There are areas of medium intensity residential on the map that could disappear.

We may find that it's not.

are completely feasible once we develop our menu of tools, our implementation tools that includes those urban form considerations.

And, you know, I fully expect that this medium intensity area will shape and it will morph.

Maybe there's some areas that should be included.

And once we go through the zoning analysis phase, we find that there's areas that could be included that's not currently shown.

You know, there'll be an interim process.

It'll be part of the

the zoning mapping process that will include community engagement and will further refine these recommendations moving forward.

I also want to touch on the element affordability.

We will include an inclusionary zoning study as part of next phase so we can determine what are the benchmarks for affordability for the future lanes map and zoning that we can build upon for those recommendations.

Next slide.

So we understand that future land use map is only one factor in regards to affordability.

The future land use map alone cannot solve the housing crisis in Charlottesville.

We recognize that.

And the affordable housing plan also recognize that.

So I do want to emphasize that in that

There will need to be policy changes, the funding mechanisms that Jenny had mentioned earlier with the city's contribution to affordable housing will certainly come into play.

And we'll also explore other opportunities like community land trusts and other elements that can help make this vision a reality.

We want to make sure that we allow just the broad array of housing types within the city that could contribute to the naturally affordable housing options and also consider both rental and home ownership options.

Oftentimes when one think of affordable units, they immediately jump to rentals, but that's not and certainly not the case.

We also want to encourage home ownership.

and wealth building within the community.

And that kind of goes back to density for density sake.

We don't want to do that.

We want to have density with purpose.

And we've considered that throughout the planning process.

Next slide.

We heard through the planning process a need to overlay housing affordability throughout all land use districts within the community.

We've listened.

What we've done is we have a roadmap that will take us to zoning, which bakes in, so to speak, affordability within every land use category.

And by bake in, I mean that affordability requirements are part of the overall definition of that land use category.

which is good.

It allows for ease of translation in the zoning phase and once the zoning is complete it allows for ease of use for implementing the affordability requirements of the city.

So here I won't go through every

the item on the chart, but you can see we have affordability measures within every land use category and oftentimes it's built of a bonus program where you have a base level of units with additional units allowed per

the mechanisms to be determined in zoning for those different benchmarks of affordability to ensure that every landings category has that opportunity for affordability.

Next slide.

Yeah, so thanks, Ron.

Yeah.

So we've walked through the summary of the plan, which you all have heard several times.

I know it becomes repetitive, but I think it's important to make sure, again, we're all on the same page about what's been done here.

again we met we met with you all in the Planning Commission on the 12th of October for a joint hearing we walked through his materials and as you know Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the amended plan with the four amendments as you see here we've incorporated these amendments into the version of the plan that we shared you know prior to this meeting and we look forward to speaking with you in a bit about how you'd like to proceed

but before we get to that point just a few more notes I want to give some insight into next steps what happens after we've got a final amended plan so after the comprehensive plan update is adopted as amended we'll work to update the zoning ordinance as we've discussed several times tonight

This will include several additional community engagement points, which we'll further outline in early 2022.

Hopefully we'll have a good sense of COVID and how we might be able to proceed through this process.

Again, utilizing those strategies that are included in the community engagement chapter of the plan.

A few notes about the relationship between the comprehensive plan and zoning.

You know, I've said a few times tonight, we're not looking to adopt a new zoning tonight, but we recognize the comprehensive plan sets the stage.

So even beyond the future land use map, there are a lot of different goals and strategies in the comprehensive plan that outline several things that will need to be considered for the zoning update.

Any development produced under the updated code would need to consider these updated requirements.

And what that will include is making sure that the community priorities and values that we've got embedded in the comprehensive plan that you all are reviewing tonight, making sure that those

things like enhanced community connectivity, green space and trees, you know, stormwater management, contact sensitivity, historic preservation.

We want to make sure that all those things are reflected in the zoning ordinance.

You know, as Ron was discussing, it's not going to be a one to one match between the two between the future Linux map and the zoning districts.

The zoning ordinance will

be implementing the future land use map as well as the small area plans that are existing and and also looking at implementing those urban design priorities that we've got in the plan but it's a longer term vision that might be represented sort of incrementally in the zoning ordinance including for example in the medium intensity areas that Ron described earlier

Another piece of the zoning next step will include this inclusionary zoning study, which will look at ways to require inclusion of affordable homes and market rate developments.

And we've got a graphic on here from the affordable housing plan.

You can view that in the document if you'd like to look further.

Inclusionary zoning is really most effective at the sort of 10 or more unit scales and that's why we've proposed a bonus program potentially to be used in smaller scale development but all this will be discussed and refined further as we move through the zoning process and the analyses that go with that

We want to end this part on just some insight again on how exactly the zoning process will proceed.

There are sort of two general parts to the process.

There are a lot of different tasks within these two parts.

So this is a simplification of what will be happening.

But in general there'll be what we've called here part one of the zoning process will be providing an overview of the changes that are needed to the zoning ordinance both to reflect the comprehensive plan but also to reflect other deficiencies that may exist

so identify those and then we'll also identify the proposed approach to the updates and so that'll take maybe up to about six months as I think James mentioned in the earlier session that'll include modeling different outcomes related to sort of building forms and out market outcomes and we expect there'll be a joint work session with planning commission and council during that phase

And then once we've got a stamp of approval on the sort of approach to this update of the zoning ordinance, we'll work to draft it.

And the timeframe for that is, as you know, maybe up to nine to 12 months, be drafted in a few different pieces, as listed here.

And, you know, again, we do expect there'll be interim updates to the Planning Commission and Council

but that we also will be working with the steering committee in addition to staff with the staff on that.

But we do anticipate council remaining involved on the steering committee.

We know that we may need a new member on there.

But we think that'll be great to have your input as we go along there.

So, being said, that's that's the presentation.

James Freese, Hi, good evening again.

Again, I'm trying to start my video, but it's telling me that I cannot.

But thank you again this evening for your time and attention.

both tonight and over the many different meetings that you've participated in over the last many different months.

We appreciate your time and attention here tonight and with the Planning Commission at previous public hearings and public meetings.

As I mentioned in my previous comments, the Neighborhood Development Services staff are very pleased to, along with the Planning Commission, recommend approval

and Adoption of this update to the city of Charlottesville comprehensive plan.

And we are committed as we move forward into the zoning phase to implementing the community engagement strategies of our comprehensive plan, engaging with the community in conversations around zoning and outcomes within their neighborhoods, modeling the building and market outcomes as we've talked about, and advancing this project generally.

So thank you again.

Thank you all for that presentation.

Mayor Walker, I do.

One thing I noticed when going through the plan is that there does not appear to be

10th and Page does not have the small area plan as one listed as one of the recommended areas to have a small area plan.

Okay.

All the questions I would have at this phase I addressed in the earlier session.

Okay, so it's probably best that we actually break five minutes until eight that we break for our 15 minute break and come back and start the public hearing portion.

So are there any final comments or questions for counselors?

Okay, so we'll return at 810.

Councilor Payne, are you there?

Just wait till, okay.

I'm gonna call this meeting back to order.

We'll open up the public hearing on the comp plan and future land use map.

Thank you, Mayor Walker.

There's speculation on the internet that we're about to break the internet when I enable this button.

But we'll do a quick little countdown here.

So when I get to one, I'll enable the raise hand function and you can get in line.

Three, two, one.

And hopefully that'll give people a fairish chance to all get in line.

Got over 30 hands raised at this point.

and I'll call on each speaker and then I'll announce the next two speakers to follow.

First up is Maddie Green who will be followed by Buzz Becker and then Nancy Carpenter.

Hi there.

That's better.

All right.

Thank you, Councilors and Mayor Walker.

My name is Maddie Green.

I'm a CRHA Commissioner and a resident of Charlottesville.

I want to thank you for your hard work and long hours trying to complete this comprehensive plan.

It's been a long time coming.

As the renter for several years in Woolen Mills and now a homeowner on the same block, I want to speak loudly in full support of rezoning portions of Woolen Mills and Chesapeake Street.

and adopting the comprehensive plan in totality with no amendments and no further delays.

Our neighborhood is already rapidly changing and allowing more density will ensure that more housing opportunities are placed in this amenity rich area.

And it will also hopefully undo our history as a very segregated and exclusive community.

I want to thank the counselors who are gonna be brave enough to vote for this historic change.

It will hopefully increase equity in our community

and as well as support the basic human right to safe and affordable housing.

Next up is Buzz Becker, who will be followed by Nancy Carpenter and then Tracy Carlson.

Hey, good evening, counselors.

My name is Buzz Becker.

I live on Forest Hills Avenue, and I'm a renewable energy developer, like many folks in Charlottesville are.

And with that in mind, I do have a particular climate focus in why I'm asking you to

to sign up and vote for the comprehensive plan and future land use map tonight.

We think that dense living in a way that this comprehensive plan facilitates through increased units in the urban core of Charlottesville is super important to protecting our climate in the future.

And I was actually in Houston this past weekend where I lived before I moved to Virginia.

and Houston's an interesting city where they do allow a lot more building of residential units than a lot of major cities in America and what was really eye-opening was some of my friends who have lived there for a long time speaking how it is still relatively affordable even in really desirable neighborhoods something that I don't think we can say about Charlottesville today so I really appreciate all the work you've put in I think we're really excited to get deeper into the details during the zoning ordinance process

And I'll just add, if you're on via telephone, you can press star nine to get in line.

If you want to get in line, you can click the raise hand icon.

Next up is Nancy Carpenter, who will be followed by Tracy Carlson, then Angela Cholfi.

Nancy, you're on with counsel.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to address the council on this most significant piece of public policy that you'll be facing at this time of the year.

I do live in one of these sensitive areas that has been identified on the map.

And I do also want to ask that you support the hard work that the consultants have done.

I know that you all have put in so much of your time and sweat and effort and trying to alleviate what is going on with this city when it comes to housing.

I am myself a renter and have been in the past five years since I've been in the city and I've slowly seen and more recently dramatically seen what is going on with the affordability of housing with people in all

income levels in this city, except for maybe a few.

But I do think the land use map and the comprehensive plan that your planning commission, that our planning commission unanimously supported and passed on to you with their unanimous support is a document that is well worth the time to adopt because it will address, I believe, issues as we go forward in the 21st century for the children and the grandchildren of those of us who are speaking tonight.

Next up is Tracy Carlson, who will be followed by Angela Cholfi and then Tim Giles.

Tracy, you're on with counsel.

Thank you.

I'd like to tell you a story.

Exactly two years ago, my husband and I were looking at houses as we wanted to move here to be near family.

Please imagine the conversation we might have with our wonderful realtor about this same house today.

So glad you like the house.

There's something I need to tell you.

Affordable housing is a concern in Charlottesville.

Yes, it's a real problem, most places.

I see the next house over has two front doors, so that might be split into two units.

That would be cool.

Well, actually, this area is zoned up for up to 12 units and four stories.

Wait, what?

There's nothing but small houses on dinky lots here.

I assume the neighbors are all on board?

Honestly, I don't think many of them are aware of the new plan.

I only found out a couple of months ago, and it's been changing ever since.

But you can't even drive two cars down the street at the same time.

It's not certain you'd get 12-unit buildings here, but you could.

There are several blocks around here zone for medium density.

Wow, affordable housing must be a real crisis.

How many units are needed?

How short are we?

Well, no one really knows.

What about the other houses we looked at?

What's the situation there?

I'm afraid those areas are also zoned the same way.

But again, it's not certain exactly what can be built where.

Most likely developers will want to build high end units with a few affordable ones.

But that makes no sense.

Again, nothing has been set in stone.

When will you know?

Well, there's a process.

It could take a long time before everything's clear, maybe a couple years.

Whoa, I'm old.

I don't have that kind of time to find a house.

And I bet low-income families don't want to wait either just to find out where there might or might not be a few units.

Is there anywhere else that's not in total limbo?

Let's expand your search a little and look at houses in the county.

Please, this is crazy

I hope you have someone experience managing all this complexity, at least.

Next up is Angela Cholfi, who will be followed by Tim Giles, then Gregory Weaver.

Angela, you're on with counsel.

Mayor Walker, Councilors, good evening and thank you for listening.

My name is Angela Jolfi, she, her, and I am the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Justice Center, which is also a proud member of the Charlottesville Low Income Housing Coalition.

I am also a city resident.

Congratulations and thank you for getting to this stage after so many years of work.

You will make history if you vote for this plan and I encourage you to do so.

At Legal Aid Justice Center, we have triaged the symptoms of the affordable housing crisis for decades, and I would like to center what this is really about.

We have witnessed countless households move very far out of the city because they can't afford housing here.

We regularly work with families who have doubled and tripled up, sometimes living in their cars in the city in order to be close to jobs and schools and family.

We could assign every lawyer to do nothing but eviction defense all day long and it still would not be enough and that was true before the pandemic.

The comprehensive plan and land use map are an important step to alleviating these pressures and to upholding principles of equity and justice.

The racist history of our current zoning map is well known.

It was intended to perpetuate racial segregation in our city and to deprive black people of their wealth.

Laws that were racist by design should be presumptively invalid.

And that is why I am proud to support the years of work and community engagement that has gone into creating a new map that confronts our history of segregation and continuing effects of that original intent.

As the consultant said, zoning alone cannot fix this.

issue.

The city must have a sustained commitment to deeply investing in affordable housing and enacting an aggressive inclusionary zoning ordinance.

But tonight you have an opportunity to right a wrong.

Next up is Tim Giles, who will be followed by Gregory Weaver, then Jennifer Sessions.

Thank you.

Councilor, Senator Walker, thank you for the time.

Thank you for the hard work of working through this very long process, almost at the end of it all, at least for this part, and it's very exciting to see.

I'll keep it short and sweet.

Please vote in favor of this comprehensive plan and this future use land map.

Make Charlottesville a more equitable, transitable, livable place for all of us who live here.

Next up is Gregory Weaver.

Greg, you're on with Council.

Hi, City Council.

This is Greg Weaver, Prize Spring.

I hope that you all paid some attention to what happened at the COP26 conference last week.

Basically, world leaders came together and said, we don't have the guts to stand up to big money interests and fossil fuel magnets.

We will say we'll do some stuff here and there to help fight climate change, but if it means giving up the wads of cash we receive in order to maintain the status quo, we're out.

Future generations be damned.

We need to understand the world's governments will not save us.

Our own country's president will not take the necessary steps to ensure our survival.

Our Commonwealth just voted a climate denier to the governor's mansion.

We have to take matters into our own hands.

We as a city can envision a future greater than that of these wealthy and powerful talking heads and a future greater than that of the wealthy and powerful talking heads of our city that are undeniably on tonight's call.

The first step towards climate justice in Charlottesville is immediate and unanimous passage of the comprehensive plan.

Increased density via the future land use map will allow us to begin to address climate inequities in our city, but also allow us to future proof our city to combat future inequities caused by climate change.

Specifically, we cannot reach net zero emissions if we don't overhaul how we get around.

We need to all but eliminate single family vehicle used in the city.

To do that, we need robust mass transit, bus and rail.

We need streets that prioritize biking and walking.

We need necessities and amenities within reach without having to get into a car.

The comprehensive plan allows us to move in that direction.

This isn't a pipe dream.

City's around the world have been transformed and are currently being transformed in ways that take climate change seriously.

Let Charlottesville lead the way for our Commonwealth and for the rest of the country.

Let's pass the plan and get to it.

Next up is Jennifer Sessions, who will be followed by Louis Oyola and then Mark Whittle.

Jennifer, you're on with Council.

I don't need two minutes.

My name is Jennifer Sessions.

I'm a city resident and a homeowner in Frye Spring.

Others have already spoken very eloquently about the advantages that the proposed comprehensive plan offers in terms of affordability, equity.

access to transit and services and carbon emissions and environmental impacts in the city.

So I just want to add my thanks to all those who've worked so hard on this process over many years and to ask that you vote tonight for the comprehensive plan and land use map as the planning commission has unanimously recommended.

Next up is Luis Oyola.

Luis, you're on with counsel.

Luis Oyola Good evening, counsel, and thank you for having us, and thank you for taking on this important step.

My name is Luis Oyola.

I live in Longwood Drive.

I'm director of organizing at Legal Aid Justice Center, however, I'm speaking in my personal capacity.

I've been a renter in Charlottesville City since 2008.

I've lived in Belmont, Tenth and Page, Fry Spring, and Venable.

As of this year, I've been house hunting, and I'm here to just speak to my experience that it's been impossible to find anything below maybe $350K.

which requires a very very like which requires a higher household income than what the median income is for Charlottesville and when I say that I mean anything like even apartments when we're if we're talking about single detached family homes we're easily talking about like 450 to 500k to start with

So as a result, I'm having to move to Fulavana County.

And while I am very grateful to be in a place where I can have a home or be a homeowner, it does mean that I will have to commute now and for a much longer distance and that I am no longer residing in the town I've been in for well over a decade, meaning that I've been effectively displaced.

This is nothing compared to why black and brown people are of lower income than I have had to put up with for years and decades.

And so I support protection and expansion of affordable housing as part of the fair land use map of future land use map and the comp plan.

It is council's duty to stop displacement.

and prevent more situations like mine and of people who have been facing what I've been facing for many, many years.

The only way to do this is to allow higher density across the city as opposed to only higher density in the low-income neighborhoods that are already being displaced, as it has unfortunately happened due to the strong reactions to adding more housing in other neighborhoods.

Next up is Mark Whittle, who will be followed by Rebecca Deeds and Allison Gray.

Mark, you're on with counsel.

Thank you.

I'd like to discuss the pros and cons of upzoning many neighbourhoods specifically to medium intensity with 12 plus units.

Based on a recent conversation with one council member, it seems that the comprehensive plan's overall goals would be reduced only by about 10% if these neighbourhoods were instead zoned general residential.

Now this estimate comes mainly from the fact that medium intensity simply doesn't create affordability below 70% AMI and only inefficiently then generates affordability above 70% AMI.

So set against a modest 10% loss of goals, what might we gain from removing the medium intensity zoning?

One, you would immediately remove all unintended consequences associated with this high risk zoning.

Now these risks include driving prices higher, destroying functional neighbourhoods including low income and incurring major infrastructural costs.

Two,

You would restore faith in Charlottesville's currently dysfunctional government by honoring the democratic process.

There are several thousand citizens who are begging you not to upzone their neighborhoods to medium intensity.

As elected representatives, you must listen to these pleas and fold them into your decision making.

Three, you could instead bring the community together.

Currently, the title Seville Plans Together is a painful misnomer.

In truth, the plan has divided the community, but a compromise at this point could go a long way to reversing that process.

And finally, thousands of people will again sleep at night.

You must not underestimate the upset that this plan has caused many of Charlottesville's citizens.

Almost all of them

This anxiety stems from the uncertainty introduced by the medium intensity designation tied to a complete lack of faith that things will go smoothly in the rezoning stage.

If you were to erase medium intensity from the plan you would almost hear the collective sigh of relief felt by all these people.

Is it really worth clinging to that last 10% of the plan which is so toxic to so many?

Now is your moment to live up to the serious responsibility of representing the legitimate concern of all of Charlottesville citizens.

Thank you.

Next up is Rebecca Deeds who will be followed by Allison Gray and then Gareth Gaston.

We have 45 additional hands raised and the previous speaker was number 10.

If you'd like to get in line, please click the raise hand icon.

Rebecca, you're on with council.

Thank you.

My name is Rebecca Deeds, and I live off of Carlton Avenue in the city, and I'm here speaking on behalf of Preservation Piedmont, which is a nonprofit grassroots organization that advocates for historic resources, landscapes, neighborhoods, and buildings, and works to ensure the continuity of our communities and their sense of place.

When the Planning Commission voted

unanimously to recommend that city council adopt the comprehensive plan update.

They did so proposing four amendments.

I'm speaking today, especially in support of amendment one, because it provides a framework for continued use of existing housing and takes into account the importance of protecting significant historic structures.

We request that city council instruct the CIVO plans together consulting team

to explore all possible means available in the zoning ordinance to incentivize the retention, not demolition, of existing housing on all established streets.

Doing so will allow sensitive infill development and greater housing supply, but not at the expense of existing housing.

For the same reason, we also express our support for Amendment 3,

which will consider demolition disincentives as feasible.

We also express our support for amendment for which will allow for more time and process to define the boundaries of the sensitive community areas laid out in the future land use map.

The detailed delineation of these boundaries is paramount and the boundaries should encompass the full neighborhoods that will be impacted.

Preservation Piedmont will continue to examine any comp plan revisions and any new versions of the future land use map and the future development of the new zoning ordinance.

And we will continue to make additional comments and recommendations as the process continues.

And thank you so much for all of your work on this.

Our next speaker is Allison Gray, who will be followed by Gareth Gaston and then Eileen Bartels.

Allison, you're on with counsel.

Good evening.

Great.

Thank you.

My name is Allison Gray and I've been renting in Charlottesville since 2018 and I'm currently living in the Ridge Street neighborhood.

I encourage city council to vote in favor of the comprehensive plan.

Single family zoning is a racist relic and we must get rid of it.

Dense housing is a necessity as we combat climate change head on.

This comprehensive plan project was started all the way back in 2017 and there's no need to delay any further.

I want to thank the planning commission for all their hard work.

I want to thank local journalists for covering this long process and again city council I encourage you to vote in favor of the comprehensive plan.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Gareth Gaston.

Gareth, you're on with Council.

Gareth Gaston Hi.

Thank you.

This is Gareth Gaston.

Thank you, Council and Mayor Walker.

I just want to say how much I and my family support the FLUM and the Comprehensive Plan.

And I want to say that in particular because we are housing secure.

We live on Rugby Road in a big old house in a historic district.

We love our house, we love our neighborhood, but we live in unprecedented times.

And we don't think the sky will fall if the Comprehensive Plan is passed.

Our planet is on fire, income, wealth, and racial inequality are skyrocketing.

Passing the comprehensive plan isn't the only thing we can do, but it's one thing we can do, and the time to do it is now.

Housing prices have been increasing faster than income for years.

Professors used to be able to buy houses in this neighborhood, and that is no longer the case.

That's a whole population of people who used to be able to walk to their jobs but now have to drive.

And similarly, as other people have talked about tonight, many people have been pushed out of the city, commuting from as far away as Waynesboro across the mountains.

Again, we don't think this will solve all of our problems, but it's a start.

I would love to see the city build beautiful mixed income social housing.

I'd love to see the city commit to massively improved public transportation systems, more bike paths, fewer parking lots.

Some opponents of this plan have proposed building housing on existing land owned by the city or otherwise underutilized land.

By all means, let's do that too.

But first, please pass the comprehensive plan and do it tonight.

Our next speaker is Eileen Bartels, who will be followed by Brandon Collins and then Elizabeth Stark.

Eileen, you're on with counsel.

Thank you very much.

My name is Eileen Bartels.

I've lived in Belmont for 20 years, and I'm just calling in to urge you to please vote in favor of the comprehensive plan as recommended to counsel by the Planning Commission.

That's all.

Everyone else has been so eloquent.

Thank you very much.

Next up is Brandon Collins.

Brandon, you're on with counsel.

Thank you.

Good evening, City Council and Mayor Walker.

My name is Brandon Collins.

I have lived in Charlottesville my entire life.

I've raised a daughter here and have two young children who are also being raised here in Charlottesville.

Charlottesville is my home.

I care very deeply about it and I care very deeply about justice.

And I am here to congratulate you on arriving to an historic moment.

And I urge you to unanimously

approved the future land use map as presented unanimously by the Planning Commission.

This process has been a very long one.

It actually goes before 2017, but the real hard work did start in 2017.

And what happened was there was a housing study.

And so there was a number that you could assign to the affordable housing crisis.

And it was about 4,000

interventions needed.

That number has certainly grown since that time.

Just looking at rents and the struggle faced day to day by everybody in Charlottesville.

So the crisis is real.

There is no silver bullet.

There's no magic wand waving in the land use map or the comprehensive plan or in policy or in zoning or in funding.

But combined together, what you have in front of you

is something that is not the status quo.

You have something that can fight gentrification, which is extremely difficult to do.

You have something that can provide affordable housing for those who most need it, and you can make an attempt to desegregate Charlottesville, which has been segregated since its inception.

So let's not preserve the status quo.

Let's take a step forward and do something because what we've been doing all along has provided inequality, wealth inequality, racial inequality, and has turned our planet into ashes.

So I ask for that unanimous approval.

Thank you very much.

Our next speaker is Elizabeth Stark, who will be followed by Mary Whittle and then Christine Bryant Ryback.

Elizabeth, you're on with counsel.

Hi, counselors.

My name is Elizabeth Stark, and I live on Fairway Avenue in the Woollen Mills neighborhood, where I've lived as a renter with my family of four for the past eight years.

Thank you for the work and dedication on the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map.

I know that this has been a long road and I know you all have put in a great deal of time and energy and I appreciate the supportive comments I've heard from you in the past.

Without the by right ability to create dense affordable housing, the trend of building gigantic single family mansions instead will continue.

On my street right now, a small church was torn down and two, three or four thousand square foot single family homes were built in their place.

These single family homes are no bigger than what proposed multiplex housing would look like.

But instead of housing four families or twelve, these monster homes house just one family.

Wealthy landowners will likely be commenting tonight grasping at straws for yet another reason that their wealth should afford them the privilege of not living near dense or diverse housing or purporting to want to preserve so-called neighborhood character or telling us that we can't move forward with density because the benefits of a livable, walkable, more environmentally friendly and more affordable city are somehow not as important as a handful of old trees.

I hope that in the face of these voices, you will stay strong and move forward with supporting the revised comprehensive plan and the future land use map.

Our next speaker is Mary Whittle, who will be followed by Christine Bryant Ryback and then Josh Krohn.

Mary, you're on with council.

Hello?

Hi, so I just want to make a quick comment about the plan, just kind of a little more in general.

And I have been under the impression, I think many of us had, that the plan costs $926,000, which is in line with what a really good plan for a city of our size should cost.

But city staff told me this morning that actually our plan only cost $223,000 and then the remaining $700,000 was kind of split between affordable housing and redoning code.

So I think unfortunately our plan's low cost means that it was composed without input from expert subcontractors including in engineering, transportation, economics, demographics, infrastructure and environmental impact.

Those are the type of people that would, as I understand it, typically contribute to a top quality, truly comprehensive plan.

So we're moving forward without that expertise, which is a shame.

One group that has done a lot of research into our economy is Citizens for Responsible Planning.

Based on their research, I'd just like to ask that the plan's medium intensity residential, the 12 plus unit designation, be scaled back in both scope and intensity.

CFRP's analysis of Charlottesville's land prices shows that upzoning in fact dramatically raises land values and therefore does not lead to affordable new development, which is what we all want.

CFRP's analysis of Charlottesville also shows that medium intensity designation is not necessary for making our housing market more flexible given the many other significant changes in the flow, including other upzoning.

A lot of the areas designated for medium intensity simply don't make sense.

They're not as walkable as general residential and they also lack critical infrastructure.

With medium intensity, we could end up with the worst of all worlds, having a scattering of multifamily buildings

Isolated from amenities and lacking infrastructure such as sidewalks.

Finally, guys, I'm sorry, but it is a lot to ask people who invested in R1 neighborhoods to simply accept 12 unit buildings of four or more stories.

Given the seemingly arbitrary locations of the medium intensity designations, many people suspect that they are simply being targeted for reasons that have nothing to do with good planning.

Counselors, if you must have medium intensity, please consider scaling back to a few appropriate areas already adjacent to amenities and infrastructure.

Our next speaker is Christine Bryant Ryback, who will be followed by Josh Krohn and then Susan Cruz.

Christine, you're on with counsel.

Christine Byant-Rubach, Thank you.

My name is Christine Byant-Rubach and I've lived in Albemarle County slash Charlottesville since 1984.

Christine Byant-Rubach, I'd like you all to vote in favor of the comprehensive plan as is recommended to you by Christine Byant-Rubach, the city planners.

I've been a homeowner in the FIFL area since about 2012

I'm from Albemarle County.

I've lived there for a long time.

We didn't have a lot of money.

But for me, the surrounding streets, the homeowners, the people that live with me in Fifeville are important to me.

Sorry.

and you think of them as people who deserve to live here for a long time.

Our next speaker is Josh Krohn, who will be followed by Susan Cruz and then Danny Yoder.

Josh, you're on with counsel.

Hi, thanks for giving me time.

Yeah, I just want to echo many of the other callers and urge council to pass the comp plan tonight.

I think it'll give us a path to end decades of exclusionary Euclidean zoning that has basically created an unsustainable de facto segregated car dependent and increasingly unaffordable city.

I don't think it's perfect plan.

Personally, I think lowering the max building heights to two and a half stories in general residential is a mistake that'll come back to haunt us if it makes it into the zoning ordinance.

I also think the selective designation of medium density is a little problematic because I think we want all areas of the city to be able to grow organically.

because climate sustainability requires much higher density than even the proposed general residential allows.

But overall, I think the plan will be a huge step in the right direction, and I hope you'll pass it tonight.

I also have one quick

and an anecdote that hopefully isn't too much of a tangent.

I think it's related to the comp plan, but I'll try to be quick.

When I was reading, skimming the agenda this morning, I was reading about the part about the fuel station and the salt barn.

And my first thing was like, what the heck is a salt barn?

And then, of course, I realized, oh, that's where they store the salt in the wintertime.

So I started thinking about every year when there's ice and snow in the forecast, a nice city employee comes and puts ice on the streets.

and then comes back with a plow if it snows.

But nobody does that for the sidewalks in front of my house.

And I don't know about all the streets in the city, but in my neighborhood, residents are responsible for that, even though pedestrians are trafficked too.

So I don't want to make this like it's a big deal.

The issue itself is really fairly inconsequential.

Obviously, I don't mind shoveling my sidewalks.

but it's just one of the hundreds of little ways that local and state government prioritizes cars over human beings and I think as we go from planning into the zoning we should look critically for these little things because they add up to a lot.

Our 20th speaker is Susan Cruz.

We have 37 other hands raised right now.

If you'd like to get in line, please click the raise hand icon.

Up next will be Danny Yoder and then Len Schapa.

Susan, you're on with council.

Hi.

Good evening.

My name is Susan Cruz.

I am the executive director of the Community Climate Collaborative and a long-term Charlottesville resident.

Nearly two and a half years ago, the city set its targets to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

While we still do not have a climate action plan that could have helped to guide the revision of the city's comprehensive plan, I am pleased to support the city's comprehensive plan and future land use map.

In order to create a carbon neutral city, we must create more affordable, walkable, transit oriented development.

Residents of all income levels should have access to all the neighborhoods and their amenities, parks, green spaces, creeks, restaurants, grocery stores, etc.

The future land use map accomplishes these things.

I also appreciate that expansion of the city's natural gas utility was removed from the language around our natural gas utility.

While I think we could do a lot more in that area, particularly looking at decommissioning and restricting expansion of our natural gas utility, particularly in the city's own operations, I support the comprehensive plan revision and the land use map, and I'm looking forward to its passage.

so we can get to work on our climate action plan and hopefully at that time we can work some more on that fossil fuel infrastructure.

Our next speaker is Danny Yoder who will be followed by Len Schapa and then Elizabeth Emery.

Danny, you're on with Council.

Good evening, counselors.

My name is Danny Yoder, and I live with my family here in Charlottesville.

I'm speaking in support of the draft comprehensive plan.

Others have spoken eloquently about the many reasons to adopt this plan, and I'll focus my brief comments on climate change.

Our housing and transportation choices make up the majority of our individual and household carbon footprints.

A family that lives in a small house, townhouse, or apartment within walking distance of their jobs,

schools and other daily needs emits less greenhouse gases than a similar family that lives in a large single family home and drives to access most of their needs.

There are plenty of people who want to live carbon light lives in dense walkable neighborhoods in Charlottesville but are unable to find or afford this type of housing.

The zoning code can be one of our most powerful tools for fighting climate change.

This draft comp plan goes a long way towards addressing this by allowing more density in Charlottesville.

I know that many Charlottesville residents prioritize climate action and this draft plan and the subsequent rewrite of the zoning code is one of our best opportunities to take real action against climate change.

I urge you to adopt the draft comprehensive plan as written.

Our next speaker is Len Schapa, who will be followed by Elizabeth Emery and then John Hasek.

Len, you're on with counsel.

My name is Len Schapa.

I'm from 1439 Westwood Road.

And I'd like to

I'd like to urge the council to adopt the comprehensive plan.

I love the environmental chapter, the transportation plans, the emphasis on preservation and context sensitive neighborhoods.

There are many good aspects of this plan.

I also support moving away from R1 zoning so that we can have denser neighborhoods and more people can live in walkable communities.

These are all great things.

But I at the same time ask you to delay approving the future land use map, the one piece of this project until after the zoning stage is done so that we don't have a lot of misleading expectations about what's going to happen in many specific neighborhoods.

what we have the comprehensive plan is supposed to provide the city with clarity on what we're going to see in the future but instead we heard from Ron Sessoms today that some of the medium intensity residential lots are going to drop out of

that category and some that are currently general intensity are going to move into the medium intensity residential once they actually look at specific lots.

We also heard that while in the medium intensity residential, the plan calls for up to 12 units.

that in each specific lot there's still a lot more analysis to be done and many of these will not be authorized for for 12 units so why adopt the plan when we don't have that kind of basic information about what's going to happen with these lots if someone goes out and buys a house buys some land in the next year while they're waiting for zoning they're going to look at this plan

and say, I can build 12 units on this land, can't I?

And I think you want to avoid that kind of possible litigation by delaying the adoption of the flume.

Our next speaker is Elizabeth Emery, who will be followed by John Hasek and then Crystal Passmore.

Elizabeth, you're on with counsel.

I'm Pastor Liz Emery.

of New Beginnings Christian Community, which is at 1130 East Market Street.

I'm also a member of Impact Strategy Committee on Affordable Housing, and I also represented Impact for the Seville Plans Together Steering Committee.

This is more than just a theoretical problem.

We have members who are living in terrible conditions.

We have one member who's living with the ceiling falling down,

Black Mold, just horrible living conditions, but it's the only place he can afford.

We've gone to eight different agencies in the city and they keep bouncing us around, no one wanting to inspect or to do anything about his landlord.

And so we desperately need affordable housing in Charlottesville because this is a desperate time for our folks and our 27 congregations in impact

ask you to vote for the housing plan land use map.

And it goes without saying that this will take a while to work, but we also would like you to invest in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, at least $3 million, because that's what's needed to make this land use plan come alive.

They need some incentive.

They'll need some funding for it.

So we urge you to do that.

And if you do that, it will get at least 100 units per year.

And we need more funding and support for people facing eviction, foreclosure and horrible living conditions like what I've described.

These are unprecedented times, but it's the best time to be investing in people and the housing that they need the most.

Our next speaker is John Hasek, who will be followed by Crystal Passmore, then Josh Karp.

John, you're on with council.

John Hasek, Davis Avenue.

I agree on the need for affordable housing in the city of Charlottesville.

However, the proposed plan is flawed.

The 119-page document was posted to the City website five days before the meeting.

Although this plan has been in developments supposedly for years, it's clear that significant changes were occurring until recent days.

Why no USPS mailing utility bill insert are similar to all residents?

How many times is it necessary to say that by right is a developer-friendly term dismissive of current neighbourhood stability comprising people who have lived in place for decades with the expectation of little more than the right to live in peace in a stable environment?

Neighbourhood stability is a bedrock of good planning and appears in well-designed plans, but not this one.

Let us be clear, medium intensity residential means up to 12 plus residential units per lot, reduced building setbacks, reduced requirements for off-street parking, up to four storey, limited up commercial activity and buy right.

In choosing this differentiation medium intensity versus general residential in such a flawed demonstrably back channel based manner, you broke the first word of your vision, equity.

The public record shows that the Planning Commission was trying to change plot assignments until the time of its final approval and beyond and cut shortest process in the name of expediency.

The map isn't even stable, so why the vote?

We were told many times during the planning commission meetings that this Charlottesville plan needed to be run in coordination with the Albemarle plan.

There was no meaningful evidence of any coordination in the relevant chapter of the plan.

Consider utilities.

The sewer line in my street was sized according to R1 density.

This potential would require upgrade for up to 12 per plot.

This is a repeat of the Meadow Creek interceptor debacle wherein the developer of upstone fields skipped a $20 million expense that was billed to the public instead of the developer.

Our next speaker is Crystal Passmore, who will be followed by Josh Karp and then Peter Krebs.

Crystal, you're on with council.

Thank you.

My name is Crystal and I live on Forest Ridge Road.

I'm part of Livable Seville and we're asking that you pass the land use map tonight as is.

It's not a perfect plan, but at every revision, every single revision, the density has been reduced.

And I fear if we delay, we'll find reasons to decrease density even farther.

We need more homes in this town, not less, because every year the city happily adds a thousand jobs and about a hundred homes.

This is the reason for our growing affordable housing crisis.

This is the reason for worsening traffic and increased gas consumption.

If we allow more people to live in the city, we can benefit every single person who would like to live here, but can't afford to.

We can decrease single vehicle car use.

We can create housing for working class people.

I have three asks tonight.

Please don't vote for less housing in order to maintain aesthetics.

I've heard people talk about neighborhood character, fear of shadows, a dislike of looming in a town that is built on hills.

Number two, please wait for the IZ study before asking for less density in the name of affordable housing.

When coming up with a number tonight might lead to less of both.

And number three, if you change anything, please increase the heights back to 3.5 stories where they currently are and when they were decreased to 2.5 stories and no one's explained why.

I really wish you were all looking for ways to house more people right now with the plan right now, not less.

But short of that, I wish you all vote for the plan tonight as it is.

Our next speaker is Josh Karp, who will be followed by Peter Krebs and then Miranda Elliott Rader.

Josh, you're on with counsel.

Okay.

Well, good evening, counsel.

Good evening, Mayor Walker.

Thanks for the time as usual.

I've been seeing ads in the paper calling this plan rushed.

As it turns out, it's been underway since January 2017, as you all know well.

It was supposed to be finished by mid-2018.

By state law, we're supposed to update our plan every five years, and now we're three years behind schedule.

We've had meeting after meeting with the same people commenting every time.

They haven't had enough time to comment.

When will it be enough?

So we're five years into the process and three years behind schedule.

What's happened in the meantime?

Well, we've added more jobs.

We have not added more homes for the people working in our community.

So rents and home prices have skyrocketed.

Every year of delay, more families are priced out of the city.

And every year of delay has set us back on our climate goals, pushing people to drive farther and farther out to their jobs in Charlottesville.

This plan isn't perfect, but it's a step in the right direction in terms of housing affordability and climate.

We don't have more time to waste.

That's why 20 community organizations joined Livable Charlottesville in urging all of you to pass this plan.

I heard concerns from council earlier tonight about whether the plan makes the right choices about affordable housing.

And what I would say to you about that is, if you're concerned about affordability, as I believe you are, as you should be, listen to the people who have called in from CLIC, from FAR, LIJC, from the Fifeville and Tenant and Page Neighbor Associations, and Surge, among many others, and pass the plan in front of you.

If you don't trust them on affordable housing, I don't know who you're going to listen to.

Our next speaker is Peter Krebs, who will be followed by Miranda Elliott Rader and then Charlotte Meadows.

Peter, you're on with council.

Good evening.

I'm Peter Krebs from the Piedmont Environmental Council.

As a community organizer, planner, and as a member of the steering committee, I've had the opportunity to spend many, many hours discussing, meeting, and hearing from people.

I've shared their ideas and offered suggestions of my own, many of which are incorporated in the current draft.

I think we as a community can be very proud of this plan.

You have heard supportive comments from the public and from groups like click and livable Seville that speak about how the plan advances affordability and climate action.

So there's significant benefits.

I would add that the plan makes the city easier to get around.

a healthier place to live and they will help focus development and limit sprawl no plan is perfect but this one is very good and I think it will be important for you to endorse the community's good work with the unanimous vote as the planning commission has done I'm confident you'll do that and I would like to leave you with two important things that we would like for you to do as well first of all you're about to consider the city's capital budget if you're not doing so already

Please keep in mind that the goals of the comp plan are unattainable without robust funding for infrastructure for walking, biking, parks, trees, and other natural systems.

Secondly, we know that the future land use map will make more sense after the detailed work of reason and there will need to be some tweaks at that time.

I think it would be helpful and calm some nerves if you commit

if you commit to amending the future land use map as such time as the zoning plan is complete and all the detailed parcel by parcel accounting has happened that will also help make the future land use map and the zoning code perfectly aligned which we need.

Our next speaker is Miranda Elliott Rader, who will be followed by Charlotte Meadows and then James Aller.

Miranda, you're on with counsel.

Thank you.

Hello.

My name is Miranda Elliott Rader.

I live on Shamrock Road.

I'm a renter.

I want to ask you to please pass the comprehensive plan.

I work at Bodo's and most of my co-workers live outside of Albemarle County.

Most people who work at Bodo's, many of them commute 45 minutes to an hour to work there.

I would really like to continue to be able to commute to work by bicycle and I think this comprehensive plan might help that a little bit and we really need to undo the historical racist zoning in this community and that means

building more density in historically white neighborhoods.

And some of the people in those historically white neighborhoods are not going to like that, but we need to do it.

So this comprehensive plan seems like it is a good start, and I encourage you to pass it.

Our next speaker is Charlotte Meadows, who will be followed by James Aller and then Noah Healey.

Charlotte, you're on with counsel.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate the time.

Can you all hear me okay?

Yes.

Great.

A couple of things I want to say right off the bat is that I am very much in favor of affordable housing and

I also comprehend very thoroughly that there need to be changes made, though I do not feel that they need to be made for the sake of changes or for the sake of increasing density, just for the sake of increasing density.

I am a local, I have been born and raised here, and I'm quite aware of all the issues that have preceded the actions to date.

I do urge Council to not make a vote tonight on the finalized land use map.

There's not enough research.

It is quite extreme.

We don't know if it's going to work without enough research to actually support all the changes and what's going to happen if we rip the city apart and build everything and it just doesn't work and it fails.

Councillor Lloyd Snook stated that good planning starts with zoning first.

and making the land map use in conjunction with plot zoning.

And I think that that's a very wise way to look at it.

And it doesn't seem that that's the technique that is being used.

There is a high cost of infrastructure.

Homes are being flooded.

Basements are flooded.

If there is more land density around our area, we are already we already have land in a land flood zone and it will actually increase.

Current structures are outmoded and inadequate.

Increased density does not meet affordability, and that has been agreed upon by numerous people, and I won't have to repeat that.

Modern workers are doing their work by Zoom and remote work for the most part.

They're not commuting, so we are not necessarily using increased carbon footprints.

However, with construction, that will increase carbon usage.

Thank you for your time.

Our 30th speaker will be James Aller.

We have 26 other hands raised right now.

If you'd like to get in line, please click the raise hand icon.

Following James will be Noah Healey and then Benjamin Heller.

James, you're on with counsel.

Thank you.

I also go by David, and that's what people know me as, but I signed up as James.

My wife, Suzanne, and I have lived in our current home in downtown Charlottesville for 35 years.

Our three children attended city schools and all graduated from Charlottesville High School.

I appreciate all the hard work that has gone into the comprehensive plan

and the future land use plan.

We support the efforts on affordable housing.

However, I feel the future land use plan in particular needs much more work and further review.

We need to see the zoning proposals before this is voted on and I urge you to defer your vote tonight.

Our neighborhood is close to fully developed.

It has now been designated on our street as medium intensity residential as many other areas around the city have been done.

Next to our house is a lot we own which is vacant.

It has been used for a vegetable garden for 70 years and for 30 years under our watch.

This tomato garden is designated for medium intensity development.

Under this plan it could accommodate up to 12,000 units.

I urge the city to drive by the high new multi-story building under construction across from the old Martha Jefferson Hospital to really visualize this.

I'd be glad to give the city council a tour of my tomato garden to let them see how inappropriate this designation is.

We also have to think about taxes.

A lot of land will be reassessed as more intensively developable and have a higher value.

Therefore, tax assessments will go up.

This will drive some property owners out of the city who cannot afford that.

As many have said, this land use plan is a developer's dream and the average citizen's nightmare.

It appears to offer little for affordable housing.

We need concrete zoning proposals before this plan is voted on.

Please listen to those also who are unable to speak tonight who signed the many petitions opposing the current land use plan.

Our next speaker is Noah Healy, who will be followed by Benjamin Heller and then Diane Dale.

Noah, you're on with counsel.

Noah, you're on with counsel.

You've got two minutes.

Noah Healy, lifetime city resident, also a product of the city schools.

My concern is really a question.

The presentation has made much and used the language of operations research and decision analysis.

But during the city pre-meeting for this, council was characterizing the decisions coming out of this as quite arbitrary.

The plan documentation itself is inaccessible to me using my web browser on my operating system.

And so I would simply like to see the game matrix or strategy tree

that's being deployed to make these decisions in order to be able to actually form a reasonable conclusion.

Our next speaker is Benjamin Heller, who will be followed by Diane Dale and then Martha Donnelly.

Benjamin, you're on with counsel.

Hi, good evening.

So at the work session this afternoon, I was heartened to hear about several important analyses that are planned now, market impact analysis, inclusionary zoning analysis, build-out analysis, finally a census of supported affordable housing units.

And it's good these will get done, but it would have made more sense to have done them before creating a plan, especially before creating the map.

Now, I take the point that the actual zoning ordinance will take these studies into account, and it may be that these studies will show that the maximum building entitlements don't make sense,

in many parts of the map, particularly in medium intensity, that they'll show that as of right entitlements will have to be dialed back substantially to make room for affordability bonuses within the boundaries of existing or appropriate form.

The problem is that those assurances are mere dicta.

What is written is the map, and given how the planning commission and consultant ran the process, given the turnover in city administration and in the council upcoming,

People facing such an expansive outer envelope do not want to rely on dicta.

They do not want to be in a position where developers may bring pressure for higher entitlements and be able to point to an officially council-endorsed map while we are digging up vague statements to the contrary from a work session transcript.

They do not feel at ease relying on dicta when they see in control of the zoning process a consultant that's highly ideological, that's quite dismissive of even council member concerns about the map.

If the council's getting poo-pooed, how confident should citizens feel

Don't put this map through without putting stronger and tighter outer limits on entitlements.

Don't pass it without putting in writing how these yet to be done important studies will have to validate assumptions behind the map before they become operative in zoning.

Don't let a very permissive map go through on the assumption that zoning will take care of unintended consequences without writing in, in clear terms, intentionality.

Our next speaker is Diane Dale, who will be followed by Martha Donnelly and then Matthew Gilligan.

Diane, you're on with council.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Much of the discussion has been focused on the land use map and the housing components.

And this is rightfully so, as there's a clear need to address the issue of affordable housing in Charlottesville.

However, I recently was made aware that the current consultant team was not charged with updating the other chapters of the plan that were done previously before the new plan was even developed.

In other words, these chapters do not fully reflect the impacts and the service needs of the more intense level of development.

Review of the document reveals that these other chapters are quite thin and have not been given equal rigor.

I find this a particular concern for the chapter on the environment, given the global awareness of climate change, the increased patterns of heat, and the intensity of storms that have been experienced in Charlottesville over the recent years.

But this is also true for infrastructure, transportation, and other community systems.

I also know that the plan the plan the report merely promotes quote unquote environmental goals as opposed to implement create and other intentional language found in the land use goals climate strategies lack definition the chapters more catalog of plans and activities required or underway without addressing how they may be impacted by the change in land use and it does not address the impacts on the urban ecology

I would hope that the city is prepared to dedicate the same level of attention, professional expertise and detail to the environmental issues.

so they can be fully integrated in a comprehensive manner.

The quality of the urban environment will have as much impact on the quality of life in the city.

Some of the environmental issues mentioned by the speakers are actually not adequately addressed in the plan, and I hope they can be.

Please note that a climate action plan to mitigate and adapt to impacts of climate change will not inform the environmental character and quality of the comprehensive plan and does not adequately address this concern either.

Our next speaker is Martha Donnelly, who will be followed by Matthew Gilligan and then Natalie Oschrin.

Martha, you're on with counsel.

Following very closely on what Diane Dale said, I am a landscape architect and graduate of UVA's program.

years ago, and I'm speaking for all species that share Charlottesville and also can't find food and shelter here.

Many species are or will be endangered, causing grave environmental fragility and further exacerbating climate change.

Birds, bugs, bees, butterflies must be fed and housed by the reduction of lawns.

that should be incorporated into the plan.

Lawns are our favorite food desert.

They provide no food for wildlife and often add toxic chemicals to our water systems.

This should be incorporated into Chapter 7, partnering with other measures to protect the Rivanna River

and all green spaces.

The Flum Plan should add a mechanism for the brainchild of Doug Tallamy, a knowledgeable entomologist and professor at the University of Delaware who knows well the impact of the lack of food provided at the bottom of the food chain are bugs.

His brainchild is something called the Homegrown National Park.

It is a way to transform our lawns into healthy ecosystems that provide food, shelter, and cover.

Our future will be more secure if we embrace the needs of all species.

For more information about this, they have a website to learn.

It is called homegrownnationalpark.org.

Our next speaker is Matthew Gillican, who will be followed by Natalie Oschrin and then Bill Emery.

Matthew, you're on with counsel.

This is Matthew Gillican.

I'm speaking on behalf of Livable Seville.

Livable Seville collaborated with the Charlottesville Low Income Housing Coalition to write a letter in support of the comprehensive plan unanimously recommended to Council by the Planning Commission.

Twenty local organizations representing a broad set of community interests signed on to our letter.

They are CLIC, the Fifeville Neighborhood Association, the Charlottesville Public Housing Association of Residents,

the 10th and Page Neighborhood Association, Cultivate Charlottesville, Congregate Charlottesville, Surge Charlottesville, Sojourners United Church of Christ, Trinity Episcopal Church, LEAP, Local Food Hub, Casa Alma, Indivisible Charlottesville, UVA Student Council, Park Street Church of Christ, Community Climate Collaborative, Charlottesville DSA, the International Rescue Committee in Charlottesville, Central Americans for Empowerment at UVA and First Generation Low Income Student Partnership at UVA.

We believe the proposed comprehensive plan is a tremendous step forward for Charlottesville.

It is a product of more than four years of hard work by some of our community's most dedicated and knowledgeable advocates for affordable housing.

It captures our desire to make our city accessible to all and to create more space for the people and neighborhoods historically disadvantaged by racial injustice.

It encourages equitable development by allowing higher intensity general residential and medium density

and historically exclusionary white neighborhoods while prioritizing affordable housing construction, historically black, brown and low income neighborhoods.

A strong comprehensive plan and future land use map committed to deep affordability are essential first steps in exploring how for profit and nonprofit developers can create more affordable housing in Charlottesville.

The comprehensive plan and future land use map are one piece of a complicated housing ecosystem and all of the tools at our disposal need to be employed.

We are ready to move on to the zoning rewrite critically important and time consuming task.

Please vote in favor of the comprehensive plan draft currently in front of you.

Our next speaker is Natalie Oschrin, who will be followed by Bill Emery and then Kaki Pearson.

Natalie, you're on with counsel.

Great, thanks.

I echo the commenters who have supported this plan.

I am a homeowner in Woolen Mills and support density.

I think presenting, back to the presentation earlier, I think presenting the medium density area with more enthusiasm is needed to help shift the Overton window instead of trying to couch it in a more delicate way.

During the presentation, it was coming across as if the 12 unit spots might not be near you, TBD, don't worry, as if trying to make wealthy homeowners more comfortable with the idea.

Let's get them uncomfortable.

They have enough comfort to go around.

Why even stop at 12 units or limit to certain neighborhoods?

That will prevent the zoning confusion that seems to have some people nervous.

Density for density's sake is also not that scary.

It's great getting to walk places and spend my money on local businesses since it's all not going towards rent or mortgage, car payments or gas.

Many of the existing housing in our area are postage stamp houses with asbestos siding built in the 50s with original covenants that disallowed non-white homeownership.

Take a photo.

They're not worth preservation otherwise.

To address the ludicrous story that Lady made up at the beginning of the public comments, whining about not being able to drive two cars down the street, the goal is to not drive.

Also, luxury units are only luxury prices when there aren't enough of them, so building more is better, allowing pricing to be lower.

Don't accept the status quo.

Reframe the baseline and reset the goal.

Quote unquote neighborhood stability doesn't exist in a world with impending climate doom.

Also, calling Park Street or Locust Avenue fully developed when several of the lots seem to be as big as football fields is a gross mischaracterization.

We need to pass this plan, increase density, take responsibility for sidewalks, eliminate parking minimums, and improve walkability, livability, and public transit.

Our next speaker is Bill Emery, who will be followed by Kaki Pearson and then Gloria Beard.

Bill, you're on with counsel.

Good evening.

Counselors, I'd like you to hold off voting on the land use map until four preconditions are in place.

One, the city has a city manager.

Two, the zoning categories have been defined.

Three, the land use map has been amended with the benefit of the granular zoning category definitions.

And four, there's been a meaningful public process.

The map is not ready to be voted on.

It is embryonic.

Counselors have not been adequately informed as to what the land use map designations mean.

During the 2001 comp plan development, there were three mass community meetings and 119 neighborhood meetings facilitated by NDS staff.

NDS reached that to renters, to businesses and to homeowners.

During this comp plan, we haven't had a single organized neighborhood meeting with city planning staff in the woolen mills.

The 75 woolen mills families targeted for displacement as a result of the land use map medium

intensity residential designation of their homes have not been contacted.

From where I stand, I can see Timberlake Place, the best supported affordable housing in Charlottesville.

Our neighborhood welcomes cooperatively planned excellent density.

We were intensely involved with the planning for Timberlake Place.

We are committed to positive change.

We don't see positive change in the current land use map.

the future land use map.

The Willen Mills is a highly diverse community in terms of race, socioeconomic levels and housing stock.

We have it all.

Please don't mess us up.

Our next speaker is Khaki Pearson, who will be followed by Gloria Beard and then Andrea Massey.

Khaki, you're on with council.

Hi, thank you very much.

It was just today at the work session with the council that I actually heard what was stated as a guess of what the growth needs might be for the city in Albemarle for the next 10 years.

It's just a guess because the 2020 census is probably not accurate due to the pandemic.

I think the population right now is about 50,000 and

The growth is 1% I believe is what they said a year I'm totally for all the changes but there needs to be a guarantee written and someone assigned to make sure it's followed that this will help the number one important issue here affordable housing

I fear that again the builders will pay to get the unit numbers changed or allow the original owner to sell and have the requirements for these affordable units fall with the new owner and you know if it's really affordability they would make

the at least the second unit of all developments be the affordable segment, not the fourth, if the fourth is even built.

I mean, I just I don't understand how this can be for affordable when there are so many little segments that are obviously not for it's for density money.

Anyway, and then to make that unit or units portable for life, no matter who owns the development as a whole.

It's not fair to kick people out or family out with a new buyer.

And then I agree with Mr. Schaffer, this should be delayed until the zoning plan is passed.

It's really the cart before the horse right now.

I hope that this is passed in the correct way later.

Our next speaker is Gloria Beard, who will be followed by Andrea Massey and then Kimber Hawkey.

Gloria, you're on with counsel.

I wanted to speak on the public matters and I couldn't get on.

So I'm not going to speak on this.

At the end of the meeting, Ms.

Okay, that's what I was trying to get on.

I couldn't get on for some reason tonight.

Our next speaker is Andrea Massey.

Andrea, you're on with counsel.

Yes, I'm Andrea Massey, a city resident.

Thank you to Council, the Planning Commission and the consultants for all of your hard work on this and for the years of work by affordable housing experts, both in study and lived experience.

I'm encouraged by all of the thoughtful and thorough approach to zoning plans, including the market study and inclusionary zoning incentives.

I have been doing work with CLIC, the Charlottesville Low Income Housing Coalition for the past several years.

CLIC's petition asking for signatures in support of the comp plan went live last week and has close to 650 signatures collected in person and online.

I know you all know the level of expertise, dedication, time that has gone into this.

I ask that you do not let yourself be swayed to the pressure of certain R1 residents who feel entitled to preserve the historical racial exclusionary zoning that is R1.

And I know we're talking right now about the comp plan and the future land use map that will go into zoning next.

Please vote in favor of the comp plan draft that you have in front of you tonight.

It's time to do something polled and equitable and fair for all residents of the city.

and our 40th speaker will be Kimber Hawkey, who will be followed by Michael Lister and then Sarah Malpass.

We have one person who's on via telephone, Carmelita Wood.

I just wanted to let Carmelita know she is number 49 at the moment in case it's hard to follow the meeting on the phone.

So Kimber, you're on with counsel.

Thank you.

We too care about justice and providing truly affordable housing.

but the city has failed to do that work for 20 years.

We've already sent our recommendations, especially about community land trust to y'all.

Please commit to voting on and finalizing the FLUM in tandem with the rezoning to regain public trust.

80% AMI for 10 years is not affordable housing.

However, asking for even higher rates of affordable housing at deeper rates is also not the status quo.

We don't want the status quo.

We want truly affordable housing.

However, what we hear tonight is actually more of the status quo because a map guarantees nothing, including affordable housing.

And it is the city's actions and the government aid programs that will guarantee that.

But we have not seen that action for the past 20 years.

What we have seen is developers giving false promises and consistently hoodwinking counsel.

That's why we know that words that you've used tonight, such as intentions and anticipations, are code words for I'm not speaking the truth, because that's not enforceable, excuse me.

We have actually added, according to the city's own numbers, multiple units of new housing and multifamily is a majority of that.

We're in favor of that as well.

The sewer lines in Belmont Center have backed up with sludge into the neighbor's houses.

Why?

Because of the inappropriate restaurants that were forced into that neighborhood.

Expect more of that with this.

We don't have the infrastructure for the growth that you're proposing.

It's also interesting about a lot of faulty numbers here.

Suddenly, RHI is including the county growth with the cities to give us a 15,000 number of new households.

But we know that 1% of 50,000 is only 500 new households.

So it's very strange how the numbers are being played around with.

and there are many more examples of false statements tonight and that's very exciting and that's why many people don't trust what's going on.

Our next speaker is Michael Lister who will be followed by Sarah Malpass and then Mark Cavett.

Michael, you're on with counsel.

Good evening, counsel.

It is unfortunate that this process and the proposed comprehensive plan has become so divisive and how so much goodwill is being squandered by a plan with many good intentions, but is effectively a teardown strategy to build more rental units and concentrate wealth in the hands of fewer property owners.

It is past time for city leadership to confront the figurative elephant in the room, which is the housing burden that the university student population has placed on the permanent population.

I have lived my entire life in this community and city staff has always enforced R1 zoning as a shield to maintain quality of life by protecting family neighborhoods from student sprawl.

Suddenly R1 is being positioned as nothing more than a racist hangover.

Even the students who have spoken and written in favor of an affordable plan recognize the university's role and want it to be a part of the solution.

Furthermore, the plan that you have been presented with is misleading in its interpretation of the data.

There's virtually no projected growth in Charlottesville, according to RHI's own presentation.

The growth is in Albemarle and in the student population.

Why is Charlottesville bearing such a huge part of an apparent regional burden?

Where is the discussion about selling the dozens and dozens of city-owned residential parcels for affordable housing?

Where is the discussion about repurposing the most walkable parcel of all, the 10 acres that comprise the city yard?

Instead of dismantling R1 zoning, you should be ensuring that its beneficial protective mechanisms remain to allow neighborhoods to maintain protection from transient student populations that care little about the long-term health of the community.

There will be so many unintended consequences of a plan of this magnitude that you cannot undo and which none of us can accurately foresee except that you will create even fewer opportunities for permanent residents.

There are admirable motivations behind this plan, but the proposed solution to go it alone by upzoning the entire city is the wrong approach.

Our next speaker is Sarah Malpass, who will be followed by Mark Cavett and then John David Summers.

Sarah, you're on with counsel.

Good evening.

Thank you, counselors and planning commissioners for your work on the comprehensive planning process.

I'm speaking to ask you to vote unanimously tonight in favor of the comprehensive plan and the future land use map.

I live in Fifeville.

I'm a member of the Fifeville Neighborhood Association and I'm an urban planner.

I'm delighted to say that our neighborhood association has coordinated with the Charlottesville Low Income Housing Coalition and we have signed on to the livable Seville letter supporting adoption of the comprehensive plan and the future land use map.

I now wish to speak on my own behalf as someone who lives in one of the designated sensitive areas.

As Angela Chulfi pointed out earlier, past zoning maps and other land use policies in Charlottesville were racist in both intent and effect, denying the black community access to housing across the city through both intentional segregation and purposeful displacement.

Malcolm X once said, if you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six, there's no progress.

If you pull it out all the way, that's not progress.

Progress is healing the wound that the blow made, and they haven't even pulled the knife out, much less healed the wound.

They won't even admit the knife is there.

Through the future land use planning process, Charlottesville has only just begun the process of admitting that the knife is there.

Now we need to craft specific remedies that heal the wound the blow has made.

This comprehensive plan and future land use map provide us with an opportunity to begin to craft specific land use and affordable housing remedies that right the racist wrongs of the past.

Much more work will be required during the rezoning process to realize that opportunity, but tonight we have the opportunity to take a step in that direction.

Fightville wants to be a part of the solution for affordable and deeply affordable housing, but neighborhoods like ours can't be expected to resolve the issue alone.

We need neighborhoods across the city to be part of the solution as well.

The future land use map is a step in the right direction, and I urge you to vote unanimously tonight in favor of the comprehensive plan and the future land use map.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Mark Cavett, who will be followed by John David Summers and then Kevin Hildebrand.

Mark, you're on with council.

Good evening.

Want to read something to you about that was posted on Nextdoor group section about real estate by a realtor after traveling around the country and in Europe.

It was titled What People Think of the Local Real Estate Market.

Read as follows.

They feel the same way you do.

Too much demand, too little supply, and everybody wants to live in one of the few areas in each town or city.

The top complaint for every place I went was the cash investors bidding up local markets and making it more difficult for locals to buy or their kids to buy and stay close by.

I saw this firsthand when I did the census.

I could not believe the number of houses that were investment properties or Airbnb.

There was not a block that I did that I did not see this.

I hope you all seen the charts that neighborhood development puts out on the status of projects that are pending current status or projects under construction.

In any case, how many units will be built?

From some of the questions I've heard tonight, I suspect that you have not.

and that you're not aware of the construction boom taking place in the county.

There's a lot of talk about affordable housing.

The units that we may see built will still need a person to make $22.50 an hour to meet the federal guidelines of how much they should be spending on housing.

Who does this housing really aim at?

The UVA cafeteria worker or the real estate tech worker?

Let's be honest about this.

We should be focusing on community land trusts to reserve the land and see public funds to create true affordable housing mixed with market rate.

Right now we have a dysfunctional city government.

This is a quote from someone on city council.

We should not be moving forward at this time until we have a functional city government.

Do not put the horse before the cart.

We need to do zoning first, which is normally the way I understand most of this is done.

Thanks for having me.

Things should be phased in in order to avoid speculation.

New construction is expensive, please.

Remember that.

Increased land rights leads to higher land assessment.

Our next speaker is John David Summers, who will be followed by Kevin Hildebrand and then John Fultz.

John, David Summers, you're on with council.

You've got two minutes.

I hope you will consider revising the flume so that land values in Charlottesville do not skyrocket.

I know that you have operated under the assumption that density yields affordability.

There's no evidence of this.

But perhaps if you have in your youth played the game of monopoly, you might understand how density affects affordability.

I'm not joking.

A parcel of land, if you remember the game, most of us played it, that has four houses or even a hotel becomes much more valuable than a parcel with one house.

And the increment is very great.

If a developer were able to obtain a parcel on Rugby Road and turned it into 12 units, can you imagine what the land value would be?

If you look at statistics for land values in R1 as compared to R3 zoning, you will see a huge increase in R3.

I fear that your goal of affordability is something you're working against rather than working toward.

And surely you must realize that when you imagine four-story apartments on a rugby road or rugby avenue, you are imagining student housing.

How can this not be obvious to you?

Do you have any idea how lucrative student housing is?

Having just returned from Maryland suburbs of Washington, I have seen firsthand what you envisage for Charlottesville in medium-intensity areas.

It isn't pretty and it certainly isn't affordable.

I know that the data which will be needed to actually evaluate what is possible and what is desirable in Charlottesville has not yet been collected.

The CP and Flume are visions not based in fact.

I sincerely wish that house prices were not crazily high.

I have grandchildren now that I don't know how they will afford housing.

Affordable housing is a national macroeconomic problem.

You city councilors have no more power to keep house prices low than to keep gasoline prices low.

Houses in Blacksburg are selling for more than houses in Charlottesville.

It's our national government, through regulations, protecting housing for people, rather than letting investors, foreign and domestic, buy up our property, who can keep the houses affordable.

It's the national government.