DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS TASK FORCE SURVEY RESULTS

The Development Review Process Task Force initiated a survey to gather input from citizens, members of the development community and County staff related to possible improvements in the county's rezoning and special use permit processes, including citizen participation in those processes.  The survey, which was developed in three separate versions for each of the three target responding audiences, was not intended to be a scientific or statistically valid survey but rather was developed as a way to solicit feedback from as many people as possible.  The results of the surveys can not be used to draw any specific conclusions or assumptions about the general Albemarle County community, but are very helpful in providing the ideas and perspectives of those who chose to participate.

The survey was available in paper form and online on the County's website from September 18 - September 29, 2006.  During that time, one copy of the paper version was turned in, 351 of the citizen surveys were filled out online, 30 of the development community surveys were filled out online and 23 of the staff surveys were filled out online.  The raw data from all surveys has been preserved and has been made available to committee members.

Because of the sheer volume of the responses, county staff has reviewed the data and created a summary of major themes and issues that appeared in the surveys as a way for committee members to begin their review of the data.  An abbreviated version of that summary appears below with major themes from each of the surveys.  The remainder of this report elaborates on the major themes listed below with actual comments from the survey that demonstrate the range of perspectives on each theme.

The information contained in this report focuses on possible improvements to the existing processes named above.  While many responses mentioned very positive and productive ways that the process currently works, those were not included as they did not lend much insight into areas of improvement the Task Force might consider.  Thus certain questions that solicited those types of positive responses are not included in this summary, although as mentioned earlier that information is preserved and available for Task Force member review.

Also, in keeping with the Task Force's charge as developed by the Board of Supervisors to focus on process improvements for rezonings and special use permits, this summary does not include comments about other processes like site plans/subdivisions, comments that question adopted policies of the county, or comments criticizing the outcomes of decisions.  Again, all comments submitted in the survey are available to Task Force members.

NOTE: All survey comment information is presented verbatim and has not been edited in any way.

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS TASK FORCE SURVEY RESULTS: