A portion of the area Thomas Jefferson once described as "The Eden of the United States" will remain untouched by urban sprawl, thanks to a $22,500 grant from the Piedmont Environmental Council.
Albemarle County accepted the donation last Thursday in an effort to halt development in the Southwest Mountain Historic District.
Located between Routes 20 North and 22/231, the 170-acre district is one of many areas in which the environmental council has been working to preserve Virginia's rural heritage.
Albemarle County Executive Bob Tucker praised the donation, crediting the environmental council with slowing urban sprawl.
"We are very delighted that the PEC has made this donation and we will use it to develop other development rights and I hope they will consider making future donations," Tucker said. The donation "will allow us to purchase more easement rights in the future and the better it will be for the environment overall and the citizens of the county."
Charles Martin, a member of the County Board of Supervisors, attributed much of the success in slowing development to the Acquisition of Conservation Easements, a county initiative known as ACE.
"Albemarle has an ACE program where we go out and actively purchase development rights to property so it cannot be developed," Martin said. "The more land that is put into conservation easements means the more land that will remain undeveloped and contribute to the Charlottesville area, maintaining its scenic beauty."
Although Charlottesville continuously ranks among the most scenic cities in polls conducted by various magazines, Martin said that growth is the difficult challenge for the city to overcome.
"The growth is something that is difficult to deal with," Martin said. "We struggle with growth everyday on the Board of Supervisors."
Martin said he feels that failure to control development could quickly tarnish much of Charlottesville's natural appeal.
"By targeting growth into growth areas, by graciously accepting donations of easements from the PEC, by purchasing development rights through our ACE program, we are trying to preserve the rural area, historic sites, and just the beautiful scenery of Albemarle County from being developed" he said. "As we grow, we are trying to preserve the rural areas."
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