Rivanna River Corridor Plan

Rivanna River Corridor Plan is a project of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission.

Project summary

The Urban Rivanna River Corridor Plan is a joint effort between the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, along with other stakeholders, to develop a vision and action plan for the Rivanna River. This effort will help to refocus attention on the Rivanna. The planning process and subsequent Master Plan will help localities and stakeholders coordinate on making a cleaner, safer and more livable waterway that serves as a catalyst for community investment. The Thomas Jefferson Planning District is facilitating this process through its initial phases.

Description

The Rivanna River Corridor Plan is a joint effort between the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, along with other stakeholders, to develop a vision and action plan for the Rivanna River. This planning effort will help the two localities and other stakeholders to coordinate on making a cleaner, safer, and more livable waterway that serves as a community asset and a catalyst for investment. The Phase 1 project boundaries consisted of the areas within a half-mile of the river from the North Fork Reservoir dam, downstream to the Milton Road bridge near Shadwell. Broken into phases, Phase I consisted of developing the foundation, structure, and information necessary to lay the ground work for a more in-depth master plan for the Rivanna River corridor’s shared boundaries between Charlottesville and Albemarle with deliverables focused on existing conditions thematic maps, an interactive project webpage to serve as a public engagement portal, a final report detailing the data and planning process, and this detailed scope for Phase II. Phase II will focus on developing a more robust vision and action plan for the river corridor, with heavy input from the community.

1. The purpose of the Steering Committee is as follows:

a. Communicate the recommendations of the Technical Committee and Steering Committee to community members;

b. Provide clear guidance to the Technical and Steering Committees on behalf of the public to ensure that the plan’s vision and goals are achieved;

c. Assist with securing political support for the Rivanna River Corridor Master Plan and implementation of the Plan’s recommendations;

d. Make decisions on the plan to be presented to the governing bodies of the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, their respective Planning Commissions.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee provides general guidance to the overall effort and acts as advocates for advancing planning process. Voting membership includes:

City of Charlottesville

• Two elected officials,
• Two Planning Commissioners
• One appointed citizen

Albemarle County

• Two elected officials,
• Two Planning Commissioners
• One appointed citizen

Frequency of meetings

The Steering Committee meets quarterly at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission offices in downtown Charlottesville. Other public engagement events related to the project may occur every 1-4 months, and the Steering Committee members are invited, but not required to attend.