Planning Commission unanimously recommends three AFD actions, including 7.5-acre withdrawal in Lanark

The Albemarle County Planning Commission on May 12 recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve three applications affecting agricultural and forestal districts (AFDs): a request to withdraw a 7.5-acre house site from the Lanark AFD and two proposed additions to the Green Mountain and Chalk Mountain AFDs.

James Van Vranken, a planner in the county conservation program, told the commission the withdrawal application concerns a parcel south of Charlottesville on Carter’s Mountain Road with the applicant proposing to create a 7.5-acre house parcel while leaving roughly 43 acres in the district. Van Vranken said staff’s analysis against the county criteria found no new land use was proposed and recommended approval; the county AFD committee concurred on a 6–1 vote.

Van Vranken cautioned that, although the proposal as submitted stated no additional small-lot development rights would be transferred to the new parcel, the commission cannot place enforceable conditions to prevent future transfers. He described a theoretical “worst-case” in which several development rights could be allocated to the small parcel and lead to additional two-acre lots, which the AFD program is intended to limit.

Applicant John Baranchelli, who identified himself at the hearing, said the buyers of the larger tract purchased it to preserve privacy and had no intention of developing the 42-plus acre remainder. He offered to provide a contract of sale to county staff indicating no additional development rights would be transferred to the new parcel as a voluntary demonstration of intent.

After limited commission discussion about tax and land-use qualification clarifications, Commissioner [moved motion] to recommend approval of the Lanark withdrawal; the motion passed unanimously. The commission’s vote will be transmitted as a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

The commission also heard two AFD addition applications. Staff described the Green Mountain proposal as two parcels totaling roughly 750 acres under the same ownership and subject to conservation easements; staff recommended approval and the AFD committee concurred. Commissioners raised questions about forestry uses and noted that joining the AFD would not generally alter existing land-use tax qualifications for parcels protected by conservation easements. The commission moved to recommend approval and voted unanimously.

For the Chalk Mountain application, staff said the proposed 234-acre addition carries one unused development right and noted the area’s biodiversity sensitivity; commissioners supported recommending approval. That motion likewise passed unanimously and will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors.

Next steps: each recommended application will be considered by the Board of Supervisors. The commission record and staff reports will accompany the board packet.