Albemarle County reaching retail overload

Charlottesville - Albemarle County has approved or is currently reviewing plans for at least 3.3 million square feet of new shopping centers and other retail space – an over 70% increase in existing retail space and about 2.5 to 3.5 times what its own staff and consultants say the community can reasonably absorb, according to a report released today by the Southern Environmental Law Center. This explosion in retail development could have severe consequences for existing businesses, traffic congestion, air and water pollution, and quality of life in the region.

The report, Too Much of a Good Thing? Retail Overload in Albemarle, is the first comprehensive look at existing and proposed retail development in the county. In the report, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Charlottesville, makes specific recommendations to better guide and pace the development of additional retail space in the county. The report was released at a press conference at the group’s offices on the Downtown Mall at which SELC also announced that staff attorney Morgan Butler will be the organization’s new lead attorney on transportation and land use issues in the Charlottesville-Albemarle region.

The report finds that there has been a significant increase in retail space in Albemarle County in recent years, with a current total of approximately 4.7 million square feet. Analysts and consultants estimate the county could reasonably absorb an additional 1 million to 1.4 million square feet of retail by 2015. However, the county already has approved or has under review between 3.32 million and 3.52 million square feet of new retail space, which would result in over 8 million square feet of retail in the county. (Lowe’s on 29 North is 165,000 square feet.)

Much of the future development is along U.S. 29 North. In fact, new retail space already approved for construction along 29 North alone would meet at least 75% to100% of the estimated saturation point projected for the entire county in the next ten years.

“It’s clear that we can no longer afford to approve these projects one at a time without stepping back to assess the ‘big picture’ of the combined impacts of all of this development on the community,” said SELC Senior Attorney Kay Slaughter. “While retail development is necessary for the economy and appeal of the area, too much development can pose a number of problems.”

The report identifies a number of potential problems retail overdevelopment can cause:

• Commercial real estate development is, to a large extent, a zero-sum game; increased sales in new developments will to some degree come at the expense of decreased sales in older parts of the community, harming existing businesses.
• Many of the retail projects are “greenfield” developments that will chew up open space and exacerbate sprawl in the region, increasing development pressure on the rural areas.
• The approved and proposed construction would have an immense impact on regional traffic, especially along already-congested 29 North. Some projects are designed specifically to draw out-of-county shoppers, adding to the problem. The lack of regional alternatives to driving will compound the traffic problems and increase air pollution.
• Increased land clearing and polluted runoff will result in more water pollution as parking lots and other impervious surfaces replace porous soils and “big box” stores replace vegetation.

“We are clearly at a critical juncture,” said Trip Pollard, director of SELC’s Land and Community Project. “The staggering amount of retail awaiting approval or construction will harm the county, the city, and the entire region.”

SELC’s report concludes with a number of policy recommendations to the Board of Supervisors to better guide retail development:

1. Direct county staff to improve reporting and recordkeeping on retail development so decision makers and the public are better informed.
2. Defer or encourage developers to postpone rezonings until a master plan has been completed for a particular area, and carefully scrutinize any proposals considered prior to completion of a master plan.
3. Insist on better project design, including greater adherence to the Neighborhood Model, which provides a framework for sustainable development and sets a standard for pedestrian-friendly, compact design. Too few approved projects meet this standard.
4. Slow the rate of retail growth by phasing it in to lessen the impact of retail overload.

“As a hotspot for both residential and commercial buyers and builders, Albemarle County has to take a smart approach to how it grows,” Butler said. “We can and must be more proactive in guiding development in our community so that we remain one of the most desirable places in the country to live, work, and visit.”