Charlottesville Temporarily Has No Zoning Code

A judge’s ruling is forcing the temporary suspension of Charlottesville, Virginia’s zoning code, reports Erin O’Hare in Charlottesville Tomorrow.

The judge ruled that the city has to throw out its new zoning ordinance and revert to its old zoning rules — but the void leaves the city without a zoning code at all. “In response, the city stopped accepting or processing zoning and development applications “until further notice,” according to Charlottesville Community Engagement.” It’s unclear what this means for projects that have already been approved under the new code.

The lawsuit was filed by several residents who opposed the newly approved zoning ordinance, and the ruling was issued after lawyers for the city failed to meet a filing deadline. According to a spokesperson for the city, “Since this interruption was based not on the merits of the actual ordinance itself, we are confident the City Council will have the opportunity to ensure the bold zoning provisions will again be enacted to guide future development of the City.”