A group of Charlottesville NIMBYs is seeking a cheap win in a court battle in a case challenging an effort by the City Council to make it easier for developers to build affordable housing.
A win in court for the well-heeled group of homeowners, a nine-member group of plaintiffs with home values in the seven figures, would likely short-term in nature, if it were to come.
The group, which includes three UVA Law professors, argues that the City Council had failed to get a required Virginia Department of Transportation impact study before enacting a zoning ordinance in 2024 that allows for high-density developments in residential zones.
A local judge granted a summary judgment to the NIMBYs in the case on a technicality – the city’s outside counsel missed a filing deadline.
A final ruling in the matter could come on Friday, but even another ruling in favor of the NIMBYs would only be pyrrhic in nature.
Juandiego Wade, the city’s mayor, told Charlottesville Right Now on Friday that City Council would be able to bring the ordinance back on the table, and if that were to happen, “we’re still planning to pass it again.”
The aims of the well-off are spelled out quite clearly in the 50-page lawsuit filed last year – an increase in density would lower property values.
That’s it.
They’re worried about their property values.
According to the Charlottesville Low-Income Housing Coalition, the city is in need of more than 3,300 affordable housing units to meet the needs of the local population.
People living in million-dollar houses have the luxury of worrying about the impact on their property values, because they have a stable roof over their heads.
If other people are struggling to get a literal foothold in life, that’s too bad for them.
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Chris Graham
