Spiffing up proffer plans

“We’ve just sort of been winging it.”

Cheri Lewis, a member of the Charlottesville Planning Commission, made the comment about proffers, those voluntary proposals developers may offer to government in hopes of winning zoning or permit approval.

Government cannot require proffers. But it’s become standard operating procedure for developers to offer deal-sweeteners over and above local ordinance requirements — a donation of land, an infrastructure improvement, a pledge to upgrade the quality of the development.

Like Albemarle County before it, Charlottesville is working to create “guidelines” clarifying the parameters of proffers.

The aim is to describe what the city might accept, without being so rigid as to prescribe what it will accept.

After all, by state law, proffers are required to be voluntary.

A bit of negotiation is expected and healthy, if it wins more improvements for the city. So Charlottesville can’t, and shouldn’t, get too specific — either about what it wants or how it would rule on proffers.

Still, the exercise is worth it. By narrowing the parameters, developers and city officials alike can save time and money.

By eliminating as much trial-and-error as possible, Charlottesville can streamline the process and reach a conclusion sooner rather than later.

That’s more fair, more efficient and therefore more economical than a system that operates in an ad hoc manner, without guidelines.

Charlottesville doesn’t receive nearly as many proffers as neighbor Albe-marle, but improving the process still is well worth it.