Charlottesville, Virginia, spent most of a decade revising its zoning code.

It held endless community meetings.

It gave opponents ample opportunity to make their case.

They lost.

But a handful of rich homeowners sued and have gotten the new Charlottesville zoning code overturned on a technicality

https://communityengagement.substack.com/p/june-30-2025-judge-worrell-voids?r=blgf

https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/newsletter/nine-charlottesville-residents-who-own-expensive-properties-are-suing-to-stop-upzoning/

9 millionaire homeowners, who couldn’t persuade Charlottesville residents and couldn’t win at the ballot box, decided they would throw everything they had to nullify their defeat.

And it worked

  • justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io
    42·
    2 days ago

    What is the scope of the zoning plan densification?

    If they’re taking single family homes and putting up high rise towers; if the city did not expand transportation or public services(water and sewage) in any way (bigger sidewalks, buses, trams, bike lanes) the assholes are right.

    • mombutt_long_and_low@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      17 hours ago

      I thought maybe I wasn’t understanding something, since millionaires are supposed to = bad, but the assholes are indeed right. Another example of wealth and influence changing outcomes that the rest of us can’t compete with - yes. Silver lining is they actually did a good thing.

    • bleistift2@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      38·
      2 days ago

      I think the homeowners are right regardless. You don’t need to be a genius to figure out that even a moderately higher population density increases transportation demand. Even doubling the density could affect traffic considerably.

      Now before the haters come out: I’m not saying that the transportation demand must be addressed by more or bigger roads.