Urbanism+ Circle

nextmetro.substack.com

Canada: The State of Urban Rail, 2025

A roundup of the networks and expansion projects.

www.cvilletomorrow.org

The City of Charlottesville has to toss out its new zoning law — because its outside attorney made a mistake in an ongoing lawsuit

Right now, Charlottesville has no zoning ordinance. During a 10-minute hearing for an ongoing lawsuit in Charlottesville Circuit Court on Monday, June 30, Judge Claude Worrell ruled that the city had to toss out its new zoning ordinance and revert back to the old rules. ### _What are we talking about? Catch up here:_ ## The City of Charlottesville has to toss out its new zoning law — because its outside attorney made a mistake in an ongoing lawsuit July 1, 2025July 2, 2025 But there’s a catch, City Manager Sam Sanders told Charlottesville Tomorrow in an email Wednesday afternoon. “The old ordinance had to be repealed in order for the new one to be adopted,” Sanders wrote. “The void of the new one leaves us without one temporarily.” That means there are few city laws governing how land can be used and what kinds of buildings can be built where, marking a significant change in how development works in Charlottesville. It does not, however, mean that people can build whatever they want until a new zoning ordinance is enacted, Sanders wrote. ## Charlottesville and Albemarle County Housing Resources Guide Struggling with housing in Charlottesville or Albemarle County? Here’s a guide to dozens of programs to help with everything from leaky roofs to eviction notices. February 27, 2025May 3, 2025 “The absence of a zoning ordinance doesn’t mean there are no rules at all. Other local and state laws still apply, including building codes, fire codes, and stormwater regulations.” But without a zoning code, the city would lack the authority to “regulate a number of things important to the community, including which uses are allowed in certain parts of the city,” Sanders said. The city recognizes that as a risk, Sanders added, and said that city staff “are evaluating all available legal options to limit the fallout.” Without a zoning code, developers have far fewer hurdles to cross in order to build, said Justin Shimp, founder and principal at Shimp Engineering, a Charlottesville firm that works with dozens of developers on building projects. ## Central Virginia news, in your inbox. * Beyond the Headlines Our flagship, weekday emails dive behind the scenes and give you the bigger picture. * Week in Review A Saturday email, just the headlines. * Voter Guide Your guide to local elections in 12 central Virginia counties. Occasional emails, with more around election deadlines. Sign up “​​If there’s no ordinance, then we don’t even need site plans,” Shimp said. “You would simply say, I want to build an apartment building, and I would turn the building permit into the building department, and if it met the [state] building code, they would approve it, and you would build an apartment building. For example, there would be no restrictions on height or building size or number of units or anything — whatever met the building code, you could construct.” In response to the situation, the city stopped accepting or processing “any new permit applications related to zoning and development until further notice,” according to Charlottesville Community Engagement. A developer had received an email saying as much from Neighborhood Development Services, and forwarded it to Charlottesville Community Engagement, the article states. Sanders was unable to confirm this Wednesday evening, but said he hoped to have an answer by Thursday morning. State law does not outright prohibit this, but does say that all applications should be reviewed “within a reasonable time after filing.” It also says that any application that complies with the state code’s requirements should be issued permits “as soon as practicable.” It’s unclear what all of this means for projects currently underway that were approved under the (now voided) ordinance, Sanders said in a statement on Wednesday. “So I’m working on 20 projects right now of various sizes and scales,” Shimp said. “Right now, everybody is stuck waiting.” Monday’s ruling came as a default judgement in a lawsuit filed by several Charlottesville residents alleging that the new ordinance was illegally passed. The plaintiffs won on a technicality after an outside firm representing the city missed a filing deadline. Gentry Locke, the outside counsel that made the mistake, has “been engaged to remedy the impact of their critical lapse,” and the newly appointed City Attorney John Maddux will be taking over the case, the city’s statement said. “This ruling creates a major disruption to the planning and zoning operations of the City government, but it is a situation that can be managed,” Schneider wrote. Despite the debacle, the city appears undeterred — City Council still has the opportunity to enact a new ordinance, the statement says. “Since this interruption was based not on the merits of the actual ordinance itself, we are confident the City Council will have the opportunity to ensure the bold zoning provisions will again be enacted to guide future development of the City,” Sanders added at the end of the statement. “We have been considering actions on how to proceed with securing a zoning ordinance of the City that is unimpeachable on any front.” _While we can’t cover every story that’s important to you, we do our best to be responsive to your needs. We use tips from readers to choose which stories to cover, to incorporate information into broader reports or to help us decide how to grow Charlottesville Tomorrow.Here’s where you can tell us what you think we should be covering._ ### More about Charlottesville’s zoning ordinance ## The City of Charlottesville has to toss out its new zoning law — because its outside attorney made a mistake in an ongoing lawsuit “I think anger that the case couldn’t proceed to trial and substantive issues of land policy were determined by a missed deadline, is warranted,” City Councilor Michael Payne said, speaking for himself and not on behalf of Council. by Erin O'Hare July 1, 2025July 2, 2025 ## In a scathing rebuttal, Charlottesville attorneys say plaintiffs ‘concocted technical faults’ in their lawsuit seeking to overthrow the new zoning ordinance “The Plaintiffs already have that which they now seek to deny others — good, affordable housing in a desirable locality,” the city wrote. “To do so, the Plaintiffs, having lost at City Council and at the ballot box, seek a judicial veto of the City’s zoning ordinance changes.” by Erin O'Hare March 29, 2024March 29, 2024 ## Nine Charlottesville residents have sued the city to stop it from implementing its new zoning ordinance The lawsuit hinges on a rather specific argument: That the city provided only a portion of its comprehensive plan to the Virginia Department of Transportation when it was required to provide the whole thing. by Erin O'Hare January 23, 2024January 23, 2024 ## City Council approved a new zoning ordinance that re-envisions Charlottesville as a denser and more economically diverse city Mayor Lloyd Snook said it will take a while, and a better transit system, to realize this new vision. “But we have to get started, and this is a good start.” by Erin O'Hare December 19, 2023December 19, 2023 ## More local News ### She left Yogaville because of its toxic environment, but wants to keep telling the stories of survivors Brianna Patten writes about why she left Yogaville — and why she created a podcast to tell the stories of more people who have left the spiritual community. by Brianna Patten July 1, 2025July 1, 2025 ### Local transit service Jaunt wants community feedback Jaunt, which provides on-demand transit and commuter services in central Virginia, wants to hear from current and prospective riders to help improve its services. by Anastasiia Carrier June 25, 2025June 19, 2025 ### It’s hot. Here’s where you can go to cool off And how to stay safe in extreme heat. by Erin O'Hare June 23, 2025June 25, 2025 ### ‘No Kings Day’ protest in Charlottesville a sharp contrast to digital despair Residents expressed hope for the future when they gathered on Route 29. Here’s the story told by their handmade signs. by Tristan Williams June 20, 2025June 20, 2025 ### How should the City of Charlottesville regulate short-term rentals like AirBnB and VRBO? Share your thoughts in an online survey by June 30. by Erin O'Hare June 20, 2025June 20, 2025 ### _More local news_

samupress.ca

The helpers

Why does a turtle have to cross the road? #turtleCrossing #transit

www.kjzz.org

Arizona budget adds funding for eviction prevention

The newly approved state budget allocates $4 million to the Arizona Department of Economic Security to assist renters with housing or utility expenses, or legal aid resources.

www.nytimes.com

Mamdani’s Win Has Put Buses in the Spotlight. Should They Be Free?

www.dailyclimate.org

New Jersey diverts climate funds to transit system as budget shortfall grows

New Jersey lawmakers have redirected $190 million from the state’s Clean Energy Fund to cover transit and budget gaps, marking the second-largest such transfer in the fund’s history.Rambo Talabong rep...

www.nytimes.com

Mamdani’s Win Has Put Buses in the Spotlight. Should They Be Free?

itsa.org

www.apmresearchlab.org

Gas is much more expensive in San Diego than in Houston. Does this affect commuting habits? — APM Research Lab

A gallon of gas currently costs about $2.00 more in San Diego, California, than it does in Houston, Texas. Both are heavily car-dependent cities, and average commute times are slightly longer in Houst...