View source for 5th Street Station

{{Infobox Development
| name = 5th Street Station
| map-image = 5th-and-avon.jpg
| caption = Fifth Street Station
| location = Albemarle County
| county_area = [[Scottsville Magisterial District]], Neighborhoods [[Neighborhood 4|4]] & [[Neighborhood 5|5]]
| location_road = Between 5th Street and Avon Street
| development_type = Retail with residential by additional special use permit
| acres = 86.895
| non_residential = 470,000 commercial retail space
| units_residential =
| developer_company = [[River Bend Management]]
| developer_principal1 = [[Alan Taylor]]
| year_rezoned =
| application =
| website =
}}
The '''5th Street Station''' (originally the '''Fifth Street and Avon Center''') was approved by the [[Albemarle County Board of Supervisors]] on [[March 12]], [[2008]]. <ref>{{Minutes-boardofsupervisors|url=http://www.albemarle.org/upload/images/Forms_Center/Departments/Board_of_Supervisors/Forms/Minutes/20080310minutes.pdf|when=March 8, 2008|documentid=|accessdate=June 29, 2019}}</ref>

The original intent was for 470,000 square feet of retail space just south of the City of Charlottesville, in a configuration intended to include at least two big-box retail stores, as well as a five-story parking structure to serve the site. 

The property was developed by [[River Bend Management]] in collaboration with investors who include [[Coran Capshaw]]. <ref name="FifthStreetStation">[http://www2.dailyprogress.com/business/2012/jun/09/new-road-key-fifth-street-station-project-ar-1978172/ 'New road key to Fifth Street Station project'], Nate Delesline III, Daily Progress. June 10, 2012.</ref>.

==Tenants==
*[[Wegmans]]
*Field & Stream
*Dick’s Sporting Goods
*Mattress Warehouse
*Panera Bread
*Lee Nails
*PetSmart
*Great Clips
*Hair Cuttery
*Jersey Mikes
*Sprint
*Virginia ABC
*Haverty’s Furniture 
*AC Moore Arts & Crafts <ref>{{cite web|title=A.C. Moore Opens Prototype Store in Albemarle County|url=http://www.nbc29.com/story/33639230/ac-moore-opens-prototype-store-in-albemarle-county|author=Taylor Gleason|work=|publisher=WVIR NBC29|location=|publishdate=November 5, 2016|accessdate=November 7, 2016}}</ref> (closing its doors soon) <ref>{{cite-progress|title=A.C. Moore chain closing all of its stores, including one in Albemarle|url=https://www.dailyprogress.com/business/a-c-moore-chain-closing-all-of-its-stores-including/article_ca3834c8-e354-5cf2-80f2-9597577d8d5f.html|author=Staff Reports|pageno=A3|printdate=November 27, 2019|publishdate=November 27, 2019|accessdate=November 27, 2019}}</ref>
*Timberwood Grill 
*Red Mango Frozen Yogurt
*ComServe (a Verizon licensee)
*GNC

==Bent Creek Parkway==
In addition to the site, the developers constructed a new road in Albemarle County that was dedicated to the public right of way. The [[Bent Creek Parkway]] connects [[Avon Street]] with [[Fifth Street]] on a route that runs the northern perimeter of the new development along [[Moores Creek]]. Part of the road crosses the site of the former [[Avon Street Landfill]].

==History of the parcel==
The Board of Supervisors rezoned 9.25 acres from agricultural to industrial in September 1978. At the time, a businessman named [[Randell W. Barnett]] was seeking to purchase the property for a "farm implement" business. Supervisors [[F. Anthony Iachetta]] and [[C. Timothy Lindstrom]] had opposed the rezoning but were persuaded to change their mind by county executive [[Guy B. Agnor, Jr.]]. <ref>{{cite-progress-worrell|title=County Official Acts as Catalyst for Zoning Change|url=|author=Peter Bacque|pageno=B1|printdate=September 7, 1978|publishdate=|accessdate=May 9, 2016}}</ref>

The land was zoned light industrial. The Board approved the rezoning of 86.895 acres from LI - [[Light Industrial]] zoning district, which allows industrial, office, and limited commercial uses (no residential use) with proffers and RA - Rural Areas zoning district which allows agricultural, forestal, and fishery uses; residential density (0.5 unit/acre) to PD-SC - Planned Development Shopping Center zoning district which allows shopping centers, retail sales and service uses; and residential by special use permit (15 units/acre) Approx. 470,000 sq. ft. of commercial uses.<ref>Countyview, accessed on March 2, 2009 - don't know how to site - ZMA20060009</ref>

In 1999, the firm [[Brass Inc.]] sought a rezoning for a big box retail development. <ref>{{cite-progress-mg|title=Parkway-retail site link anything but sure thing|author=Courtney Miller|pageno=A1|printdate=April 2, 1999|publishdate=April 2, 1999|accessdate=February 9, 2016}}</ref> Charlottesville City Councilor [[Maurice Cox]] told the [[Albemarle County Planning Commission]] that the city might not approve the [[Meadowcreek Parkway]] if the rezoning were approved.

==Conditions agreed to by the developer==
Before the rezoning was approved by the Board of Supervisors in March 2008, the developer agreed to several conditions:

* The developer has guaranteed the shopping center will be built as one phase, though the site plan would include creation of pad sites for later use
* Developer commits to using green roofing for at least 25% of project as well as rainfall harvesting
* To allay concerns about the County being liable for any ruptures from the old landfill, the property owner will retain ownership of the section of the Bent Creek Parkway that crosses over the landfill – a permanent easement will be granted
* The Department of Environmental Quality has approved the developer’s work plan for how to ensure the landfill does not rupture during construction or after
* Developer proffered that Bent Creek Parkway must be complete before certificate of occupancy can be granted
* County Transportation Planner [[Juandiego Wade]] issued a statement that the Bent Creek Parkway would not contribute to additional congestion at I-64 and Fifth Street, and would ease congestion at some intersections on Route 20. However, Wade’s report also mentions that VDOT will conduct a detailed study on the future capacity of the I-64/5th Street interchange "when their workload permits."

==Comments from March 12, 2008 public hearing==

Before Chairman [[Ken Boyd]] opened the public hearing, Supervisor [[Dennis Rooker]] asked if the public hearing would need to be delayed if a new proffer was suggested by developer in response to staff concerns. That prompted some discussion of whether the people who had signed up to speak should be heard, if the Board was forced to delay the public hearing to satisfy its policy. Boyd invited [[Stephen Blaine]] of [[LeClair Ryan]], counsel for the developer, to the podium to discuss staff concerns before the public hearing was called.

Blaine waived the traditional presentation, and instead used his time to address the concerns. He told [[David Slutzky]] that the proffers require the landfill mitigation work to be conducted according to the DEQ work plan. He added that the development would meet or exceed the requirements of the [[Albemarle County Architectural Review Board|Architectural Review Board (ARB)]], and that the ARB would have to approve each sign. 

Eight people spoke during the public hearing. The first six all reside in the southern end of the County, and welcomed the chance to have a grocery store and home improvement store closer to their home.

[[Morgan Butler]] of the [[Southern Environmental Law Center]] said his organization has been following the development closely, and could not recommend it unless the big-box stores were required to be two-story. He added the development would increase traffic, and that the developer should be required to contribute to a fund to pay for improvements elsewhere in the road network. Butler also said he was troubled by the Board’s practice of allowing proffers to be altered up until the public hearing is called.

[[Jeff Werner]] of the [[Piedmont Environmental Council]] said the project would end up impacting the County due to increased traffic, and could hurt the City as well.

"It’s frustrating as a City resident to watch Albemarle County just sort of slowly change the perimeter of the beautiful City of Charlottesville into a sort of Anywhere USA Big Box," Werner said, lamenting what he perceives as the region’s transformation into Northern Virginia.

After the public hearing, Supervisor [[Lindsay Dorrier]] (Scottsville) said he supported the project because it would mean more money would be spent in Albemarle County, rather than [[Augusta County]]. One speaker during the public hearing had mentioned her neighbor travels to [[Waynesboro]] rather than shopping along [[Route 29]] in Albemarle.

Slutzky said he did not think the project would generate traffic, but instead would transfer traffic away from Route 29 by giving residents of southern Albemarle more choices. He praised the developer for proffering green roofing technologies, which was not required. "A particularly high quality project," he said.

Rooker said the project is consistent with the [[Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan|Comprehensive Plan]], and took issue with Werner’s characterization of the project. "If you drive around Route 3 in Fredericksburg, you’re not going to see anything like this project, which is surrounded by a significant green buffer, is very sensitive to the streams, incorporates trails, has a good pedestrian plan within the project" Rooker said. He added that the site could allow multi-story buildings.

Supervisor [[Sally Thomas]] said she lost the battle with her fellow Supervisors when the County changed the Comprehensive Plan designation for the property in 2004 to allow for this use. "So, having lost it, I think I’m about to vote for my first big box, because I think the transit provisions, the pedestrian, the bike network, the other environmental  aspects. Have we pushed as hard as we could? Could we have gotten something even more special? We’ll never know, but this is certainly the best that we’ve seen and I’m excited that it’s going to set a good standard."

==Timeline for Project==
*October 10, 2006: Planning Commission public hearing. <ref name="goldsmith">{{cite-cville|title=Big-box project deferred|url=http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=121304064644348&z_Issue_ID=1331310064126880&ShowArchiveArticle_ID=1511610060739485|author=Will Goldsmith|pageno=|printno=|printdate=October 17, 2006|publishdate=October 17, 2006|accessdate=April 8, 2011}}</ref>
*January 16, 2007: Architectural Review Board provides guidance at meeting. <ref>{{cite web|title=ARB-2006-135: 5th Street-Avon Center - Advisory Review for a Rezoning|url=http://www.albemarle.org/upload/images/Forms_Center/Departments/Board_of_Supervisors/Forms/Agenda/2007Files/20070912/AvonParkExhibitD.pdf|author=Margaret Maliszewski|work=|publisher=County of Albemarle|location=|publishdate=|accessdate=April 8, 2011}}</ref>
*January 18, 2008: Board of Supervisors work session<ref>[http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2008/01/5th_avon.html 'Fifth and Avon Center developers receive more feedback; Slutzky raises landfill concerns'], Charlottesville Tomorrow. 12 March 2008. Charlottesville Tomorrow. 2 March 2009.</ref>
*March 12, 2008: Board of Supervisors votes unanimously to approve rezoning
*June 10,2012: Project renamed "Fifth Street Station"<ref name="FifthStreetStation" />
*Summer 2013: Groundbreaking is scheduled <ref name="FifthStreetStation" />
*November 6, 2016: Wegmans opens. 

==Map==
{{map
|key=ABQIAAAAojBY5tzU0lNaaG1NR11yGBQuKIzZ79u58OXcOlLN1k3VUdgk4hQ8nlpg30TDT_dNcrCg3U2s-aQ5eg
|lat=38.008928
|lng=-78.49298
|zoom=16
|centermarker=yes
}}

==Photo gallery==
{{clear}}
<gallery caption="Construction pictures" widths="210px" heights="180px" perrow="3">

File:20160531-Wegmans-Tower.jpg|May 31, 2016
File:20160928-wegmans1.jpg|September 28, 2016
File:20160928-wegmans2.jpg|The Pub on September 28, 2016
</gallery>
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Albemarle County developments]]