Earlier this week members of the Charlottesville community and local government officials met to discuss changes to commercial and residential developments surrounding the University.
The changes were among many issues discussed Tuesday night at a public hearing on the city's draft zoning ordinance.
Neighborhood Development Services, a branch of the city government, first proposed the ordinance change to the Charlottesville City Council on Nov. 4.
"This hearing is the beginning of a process in which proposals are made to the community and the city is getting feedback," Council member Kevin Lynch said.
The proposed zoning ordinance will provide for higher density student housing in neighborhoods adjacent to the University, while also reducing requirements for the number of parking spaces that must be provided by apartment complexes and other housing developments, according to Charlottesville's city government Web site.
While the zoning ordinance does not directly address traffic problems, the proposal to reduce parking requirements aims to lessen the volume of cars in areas immediately surrounding the University, according to the Web site's ordinance overview. The purpose of constructing high-density housing close to Grounds is to encourage students to walk more and drive less.
University spokeswoman Louise Dudley addressed both city and University efforts to accommodate the increasing number of students enrolled at the University.
"The University does not expect the community or the private sector to provide housing as enrollment increases," she said. "When members of the community think about increased enrollment and how to deal with it, the University is going to be a part of that solution, providing more housing on Grounds."
In addition to higher density housing in neighborhoods near the University, the zoning ordinance proposes redevelopment of certain commercial corridors throughout the city, Lynch said.
These areas include Emmet Street, Ivy Road, Preston Avenue, West Main Street, McIntire Road, Harris Street, High Street, River Road, the Downtown Mall, Monticello Avenue, Downtown Belmont, 5th and Ridge Streets as well as Fontaine Avenue.
"There will be more housing along the Preston, Cherry and Main Street corridors, and also along [Route] 29 North, which could result in redevelopment around the Barracks Road area," Lynch said.
Another targeted area is the Fontaine/Jefferson Park Avenue intersection and the surrounding shops and gas stations, which the neighborhood development committee intends to develop into a "scaled-down version of the Corner," according to the zoning ordinance overview.
Second-year Engineering student Elena Fotiou, who lives in a neighborhood off Fontaine Ave., said she supports this plan.
"I think redeveloping this area would make it more appealing for people to live out here, since it is so far away from the Corner and other shopping areas," she said.
The next public hearing on the city's draft zoning ordinance is scheduled for Dec. 10. The member of the planning commission will vote on the ordinance Dec. 14.
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