What is the Comprehensive Plan? 

The Comprehensive (Comp) Plan is used to guide decisions on public infrastructure and funding, plans and programs, and review of some development applications. 

The Plan includes recommendations for how and where the County should grow; supporting local businesses and industry, protecting and enhancing natural resources, providing transportation options for walking, biking, taking transit, and driving, and allowing and encouraging a variety of housing types.

Comprehensive Plans typically outline a vision for a 20-year planning horizon, with periodic updates required by State Code.

Why Update the Comprehensive Plan? 

Updates to the Comp Plan offer the opportunity to integrate new plans and policies, and to plan for future growth and demands for infrastructure and services. Since the latest Comprehensive Plan update in 2015, Albemarle County has grown and changed. Several new plans and policies have been adopted by the County (including the Climate Action Plan and the Affordable Housing Policy). Additionally, the Board of Supervisors affirmed Albemarle County's commitment to equity and inclusion with the Resolution in Support of an Equitable and Inclusive Community.

Since 2015, approximately 4,000 new dwelling units have been built and our community’s median household income and median home values continue to rise. This growth, however, has not been experienced evenly across the County, with quality-of-life outcomes that differ depending on where you live in Albemarle County. Read the Albemarle County Equity Profile to learn more.