CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – One of the plaintiffs in the White vs. Charlottesville zoning ordinance lawsuit laid out the reasons for the action against the city, arguing that the most recent zoning ordinance was passed without the proper processes being followed.
During an appearance on the Schilling Show on Friday afternoon, Charlottesville citizen and businessman Roy Van Doorn, said, “This is the biggest change in Charlottesville’s history as far as land use is used.”
Van Doorn said that, after Circuit Court judge Claude Worrell granted the plaintiffs a summary judgement in the case, due to the city’s outside counsel missing a filing deadline, the plaintiffs attempted to negotiate with the city.
“We thought, at this time, it would be best to sit down with the city,” Van Doorn told Schilling. “We never had any intention of blowing up the whole zoning (ordinance). We just had some certain issues with how it was processed.”
Van Doorn, 71, said the plaintiffs asked for the city to conduct a Virginia Department of Transportation impact study, something it believed was required before the new ordinance was adopted in 2024.
They also asked that residential zones revert to residential-agricultural zoning. Van Doorn opposes converting those zones to high density zones. He said the city, the next day, said no.
Now, Worrell will hear the city’s defense in regards to the failure to do the VDOT study on Monday. The plaintiffs will have a chance to respond Wednesday. Van Doorn said he expects a final ruling in the case on Friday.
“Either way, we’re moving forward,” Mayor Juandiego Wade told Cville Right Now. “I have the mentality at this point that, whatever happens, let’s say that he’s going to stay with his judgement, then we’re still planning to pass it again.”
The ordinance is designed to allow taller buildings within the city limits to increase opportunities for housing.
“Of course, everybody’s not happy with it, but the majority of the people support it,” Wade said. “We have to do something. I believe that is the best tool that we have to address affordable housing in Charlottesville and I support it 100%. We may have got nicked on a technicality, but I think the base of the zoning ordinance is still strong.”
“There was a process that occurred and many people felt they were left out from the decision process,” Van Doorn said. “… I thought that was really unfair. It’s not just the nine plaintiffs who are involved. There are hundreds and hundreds of people behind us who are supporting not having the city ordinance as it’s drafted.”
Van Doorn also revealed a bit more about the trial to this point.
Van Doorn said the judge rejected multiple challenges to the ordinance presented by the plaintiffs, but did say the argument that the city had failed to conduct the required VDOT study had merit.
The city argued that, since it maintains its roads, not VDOT, it was not subject that provision. But the plaintiffs contend that city roads flow into county and state roads, and that the study is a requirement.
